Smile Studio orthodontics is smallest building in Chattanooga to receive silver LEED status

photo Dr. Marie Farrar, an orthodontist, points towards her light installations inside of her LEED certified office building on Friday, April 13, 2012. Her office is located on W. Main St. in Chattanooga.
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204 W. Main St.

204 W. Main St.

Name: Smile Studio orthodontics

Location: 204 W. Main St.

Contact information: 423-531-4533 or email owner Marie Farrar at DrMarie@smilestudio204.com

What: At 872 square feet, Smile Studio is the smallest building in Chattanooga to receive silver LEED certification. The dental office received its certification Feb. 27.

How it's green: The space was constructed largely with recycled materials. The office is lit mostly with LED lighting, reducing energy consumption by 39 percent. Farrar also decided to use low-flow sinks and toilets and install a bike rack to promote environmentally friendly travel. "I do recycling at home," Farrar said. "It was just the natural thing to do."

Investment: "It's really taxing to do LEED on a small project," Farrar said. Energy-efficient materials and systems often cost more than standard, and the documentation process can be costly and tedious. Farrar was able to meet her green goals thanks to a $5,000 grant from the Lyndhurst Foundation and a $17,000 grant from Green Spaces, a significant contribution to a $200,000 project. "It was really nice when they said, 'Yeah, we'll do it,'" she said.

About the business: Smile Studio is a four-chair orthodontics practice with five employees, including Farrar. After 20 years with McCamish, Farrar, Cooper and Dyer, Farrar decided to start her own practice so she could have a more manageable patient load. "I wanted to be able to give more individualized attention to the patients and their parents," she said.

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