10 Aug 2007
Green building has grown up, from a tiny movement of hands-on idealists
to an increasingly mainstream business sector that erects office towers
and research centers. Sure, the structures on this list aren't as
low-impact as yurts or straw-bale homes, but they represent green
building on a broader, more public scale -- where energy efficiency and
sustainably sourced materials come together to touch the lives of the
many rather than the few.
- Center for Interactive Research on Sustainability, Vancouver, B.C.,
Canada
Currently under construction, this ambitious project is already earning
pre-kudos for being the greenest building in the world. Scheduled to open
in 2008, it will feature 100 percent day-lit workspaces, greenhouse-gas
neutrality, and on-site treatment of solid and liquid wastes, and it will
serve as a state-of-the- art "living laboratory" where sustainable
building systems can be researched and assessed in action. - California Environmental Protection Agency Headquarters, Sacramento,
Calif., U.S.
It seems only fitting that the leading green agency of the greenest U.S.
state would boast the "greenest high-rise in the nation," as California
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger describes the California EPA's 25-story Joe
Serna Jr. Building. Completed in 2001, its eco-aspects range from
recycled-content ceiling tiles to under-desk worm-composting bins -- and
the savings from its green features amount to a cool $1 million a year. - CII-Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Center, Hyderabad, India
The headquarters of the Indian Green Building Council, inaugurated in
2004, was the first building outside the U.S. to earn a LEED platinum
rating. It collects rainwater, relies on natural lighting, makes use of
solar power, and consumes 55 percent less energy than a conventional
structure. - Lewis and Clark State Office Building, Jefferson City, Mo., U.S.
The Missouri Department of Natural Resources takes great pride in its
award-winning green edifice. Nearly 75 percent of the materials used to
build it came from within a 500-mile radius, and 50 percent of the
construction waste was recycled. The facility collects rainwater and uses
it in toilets, and solar photovoltaic cells on the roof provide a portion
of its power needs. "This building ... was designed and built to serve
the people of Missouri," says Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder. "In other words,
it's not a show pony; it's a workhorse -- an incredibly efficient
workhorse." - Swiss Re Tower, London, U.K.
Europe's first green skyscraper features 40 stories of fabulous,
pickle-shaped fun. Fondly known as "the Gherkin" (and, one might assume,
a few less-publishable nicknames), the aerodynamic headquarters of
reinsurance company Swiss Re uses 50 percent less energy than a
traditional office building and features gardens on every sixth floor for
air purification. - Philip Merrill Environmental Center, Annapolis, Md., U.S.
The Chesapeake Bay Foundation may struggle with cleaning up that
venerable body of water, but it's achieved smooth sailing in the
green-construction department. Made of eco-materials including
sustainably harvested wood and steel recycled from cars and guns, the
foundation's Merrill Center sits on concrete piers to allow parking
underneath and is cooled by bay breezes. - Centro Internacional de Negocios, Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico
The first LEED-certified project in Mexico sourced half of its
construction materials locally and kept 95 percent of construction waste
out of the landfill. A web-based monitoring system lets building managers
calculate and compare energy usage, and -- in a nod to employee health
and air quality alike -- the place offers plenty of bike storage, as well
as parking privileges for carpoolers. - Almaden Tower and East & West Towers, San Jose, Calif., U.S.
Adobe Systems owns this LEED platinum-certified complex, which
accommodates 2,300 employees and one outdoor bocce court. Over the course
of five years, the company put $650,000 into eco-features -- like an
irrigation system that self-adjusts according to weather conditions --
and saw $728,000 in savings as a result. - Conservation House, Wellington, New Zealand
Located in a former movie theater complex, this model of sustainability,
home of the New Zealand Department of Conservation, opened in February to
great acclaim. With eco-innovations including soundproof panels made from
milk-bottle tops and a rooftop tearoom set in a garden of native plants,
the agency is, says Conservation Minister Chris Carter, "practicing what
they preach." - Alberici Corporate Headquarters, St. Louis, Mo., U.S.
This global construction company put its money where its business is in
2004, turning a metal-fabrication building into a shiny new headquarters.
With a wind turbine generating 20 percent of the facility's energy and
rainwater catchment saving 500,000 gallons of water a year, the project
earned one of the highest ratings ever doled out by the U.S. Green
Building Council. - Canberra International Airport, Canberra, Australia
Putting aside the slight problem that emission-spewing planes fly in and
out all day, the Canberra Airport deserves props for constructing an
office building that earned the first-ever 5 Green Star rating from the
Green Building Council of Australia. Made with 90 percent recycled steel
and 100 percent recycled or sustainable timber, the building will get 70
percent of its energy from solar power and use far less water than a
typical facility. - Banner Bank Building, Boise, Idaho, U.S.
The subject of a new documentary, this 11-story, Art Deco-style office
building was inspired in part by the landmark book Natural Capitalism.
With technical innovations like biodiesel-fueled backup generators and a
geothermal heating system, the project "stands at the head of the class
and [is] worth studying by others," says one architect. - Shiodome Tower, Tokyo, Japan
Part office building, part upscale hotel, this addition to Tokyo's
booming Shiodome business district is described as "a sustainable tower
that is friendly to people and environment". Domestic clay was used
as raw material for the terra cotta tiles on the building's exterior, and
each two-story office unit features a central atrium. - Pacific Controls Headquarters, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
As part of an effort to raise environmental awareness, engineering
company Pacific Controls created a five-story "Center of Excellence" for
research and development on energy and efficiency solutions. It's not
only the first green building in Dubai, but the first LEED platinum-rated
building in the entire Middle East. - Sweetwater Creek State Park Visitor Center, Lithia Springs, Ga., U.S.
Proof that building green isn't just for urbanites comes in the form of
Georgia's Sweetwater Creek State Park Visitor Center, where the pavement
is pervious and features like composting toilets and waterless urinals
have reduced water use 77 percent. The center is, in the words of one
architect, "a great example of how a new way of looking at design is good
for the building's owner, good for the people who use the building on a
daily basis, and good for the environment."
Runners-up:
Rocky Mountain Institute Headquarters, Snowmass, Colo. Not only does green thinking go on inside the office of the
energy-efficiency gurus at the Rocky Mountain Institute, but green
thinking also drove the design of their Snowmass HQ. The think tank's
legendary building was constructed in 1984 and has been continuously
updated since as a showcase for efficient technologies. Even though it's
situated high up in the snowy Rocky Mountains, the building is heated
entirely by passive solar using high-tech glazed windows. RMI also has an
office in Boulder, Colo., that recently earned the first LEED platinum
rating for a commercial interior space.
40 Albert Road, Melbourne, Australia
This high rise in South Melbourne earned a six-star rating [PDF] from the
Australian Green Building Council. Eighty percent of the waste from its
construction was reused or recycled. The building also operates on 70
percent less energy than a conventional structure, and clean onsite power
sources, including a fuel cell, are capable of providing more than 30
percent of its energy.
California Department of Education Building, Sacramento, Calif.
The first state-owned office building in the U.S. to earn LEED platinum
certification, the retrofitted California Department of Education
Building has saved $200,000 a year in energy costs. Greening the edifice
and others like it helps the state comply with an executive order from
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) that calls for a 20 percent reduction in
energy use at all state-owned buildings by 2015.
ITC Green Center, Gurgaon, India
ITC, a corporation that specializes in luxury hotels and resorts, went
all out to earn LEED platinum certification for its Green Center in
Gurgaon, outside New Delhi. Forty percent of construction materials came
from within 500 miles of the site, 10 percent were reused from other
buildings, and all the new wood was certified by the Forest Stewardship
Council. The building is energy efficient, the native-plant landscaping
is irrigated with recycled water, and exterior lighting is limited to
reduce light pollution and provide minimal distraction to nocturnal
birds.
Kate Sheppard and Katharine Wroth contributed to this list.
http://www.grist.org/news/maindish/2007/08/10/buildings/index.html
