LEED
Construction ArticlesThe Ten Greenest Buildings in the WorldBy
Matty Byloos We're
not talking hunter green, sea-foam green or Wint-o-Green Lifesavers, just to be
perfectly clear. This green is gray, black, charcoal, red and any other color
found in the rainbow. It's all about sustainability, LEED certification, environmental
honors, structures under construction and a little dreaming for the future. And
though the title of "Greenest Building of the World," is based somewhat on a subjective
notion, there is much to be said about the following group of buildings. Some
for living, some for working and all for taking care of our planet, in one way
or another. Robert Redford Building: NRDC SoCal Headquarters -- Santa
Monica, CA The National Resources Defense Council led the charge towards
greener living and working in 2003, when they went green in their SoCal headquarters.
Named in honor of the man who has offered generous support to the organization
for over two decades, Mr. Redford was on hand nearly 5 years ago to cut the ribbon,
and welcome another green building into the 21st century. Taking an existing building
in downtown Santa Monica, the NRDC could easily see the potential of greening
this location due to all that the environment already offered. Sun, fresh ocean
breezes and recycled water helped to make this location simplistic, energy and
environmentally efficient. Bank of America Tower -- New York City It's
phenomenal how fast they build these buildings, and to know that it was done with
renewable materials in an effort to score as many LEED points as possible... it
makes me want to reconsider those mean things I've said about Bank of America
hiking their interest rates. You can't win them all, I suppose, but the Bank of
America tower presently stands as the only completed, sky-scraping structure that
has scored a Platinum U.S. LEED rating. Clinton Presidential Library
-- Little Rock, Arkansas Just down the avenue bearing the name of former
President Bill Clinton, kudos to team Clinton for making drastic renovations to
a building that was only recently constructed, dedicated and opened in 2004. By
creating a roof-top garden to help absorb carbon and implementing the use of recyclables,
the building has received the U.S. LEED Platinum rating. Confederation
of Indian Industry's Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Centre -- Hyderabad, India
Of course your building is going to be a paradigm for green commercial
structures when you're in the business of creating green structures. Earning a
prestigious award from the United States Green Building Council, the Sohrabji
Godrej Green Business Centre was named the most "environmentally advanced building
in the world." Being the "center of excellence" for energy efficiency, renewable
resources, water consumption, recycling and all things "green" in India, it is
potentially one of the most important buildings in operation in the Eastern world.
Completed in 2004, they've employed the venturi effect in cooling the structure,
helping to drastically lower the amounts of energy needed to create a comfortable
work environment. Queens Botanical Garden Visitor and Administration
Center -- Flushing, NY Who would have thought that a building in Queens
would have become the greenest building in the city? Mayor Bloomberg asked the
same question as they cut the ribbon and dedicated the new visitors and information
center. Receiving a platinum rating from the EPA, there couldn't be a more perfect
structure to serve as the foundation of this 39 acres of natural beauty, just
east of Manhattan. Implementing photo-voltaic panels, the new visitors center
is able to produce 20 percent of its own electrical needs. Centre for
Interactive Research on Sustainability -- Vancouver, British Columbia Nearing
completion, it is anticipated that the Centre for Interactive Research on Sustainability
(CIRS) will be the most "innovative and high performance" green building in North
America. Taking the successes of recent architectural designs, CIRS will be capable
of 100 percent rain capture and the ability to harvest daylight through exterior
transformation. Construction is scheduled to be completed this year. La
Maison du Developpement Durable -- Montreal, Quebec There's a wall
of mystery that is still surrounding this building with its hopeful completion
date some time off in 2010. The French name translating to "sustainable development
house," the architects have laid claim to this structure being the greenest building
in Canada upon completion. Using both geothermal and thermal accumulators for
heating and cooling, recyclables in construction materials, a wall garden for
oxygen and air filtration... yeah, there's a good chance it could become Canada's
most self-sustaining structure. Alberici Corporate Headquarters -- Overland,
Missouri Give it up for the Show Me State! Having been incorporated
for nearly 100 years, the Alberici Corporation constructed their new green headquarters
in the early 21st century, seeing completion in 2004. They were the 9th newly
constructed building to receive a platinum rating from the United States Green
Building Council. Not only did Alberici choose to go green, but they formed Vertegy
in the same year, a new company branch focusing on the consultation of building
and renovating to green standards. The Greenest Buildings of the Not-Too-Distant
Future Now for a look into what we all thought the 21st century would
consist of -- concepts that are not just under consideration, but are actually
in the number crunching phase of development. Not only would buildings like the
following help to generate more attention for the green movement, but they would
simultaneously up the world's architectural ante. Residence Antilla --
Mumbai, India I saw a few rooftop gardens during my days in NYC, and
that was just as the green surface was beginning to be scratched. Not only was
it great to see for the sake of the environment, but it was just awesome to admire
in regard to aesthetics. The Residence Antilla will take the whole concept of
urban farming and gardening to the next level! This residence will actually serve
as a home for Indian property mogul Mukesh Ambani. Could we see "the Donald" follow
in these footsteps? This will definitely be a building that will create a big
green stir upon completion. Crystal Island -- Moscow, Russia Will
this idea and concept ever come to fruition? Who knows. Bottom line, it looks
like something from "The Never-Ending Story," and the type of building you cartoon-draw
as a child, only to be told that such a thing could never be built. Bent on housing
a million Moscow residents, this "city within a city" will be built to incredibly
high green technology standards. About the AuthorMatty
Byloos writes and manages the Green Blog known as: Green
Eggs and Planet Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Matty_Byloos
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