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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.