Washington, DC Truly LEEDs the Nation! January 26, 2012

Washington, DC has been announced as the leader in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)! In the U.S. Green Building Council’s annual list of the top 10 states with the most square feet per capita of LEED certified buildings (which actually has 11 entries since DC isn’t a state), the district came out on top with 31.5 square feet per person, bringing it to a total of almost 19 million square feet. That is an increase of 6.35 square feet per person from DC’s 2010 numbers, when it also led the nation. Colorado came in second with 2.74 ft² and Virginia and Maryland also did well, coming in at 4^th and 6^th, with 2.42 and 2.07 square feet per person, respectively. Interestingly, neither Nevada nor New Mexico are on the 2011 list, even though they were 2^nd and 3^rd in 2010. It is important to note that some other states have a greater total number of square feet that is LEED certified, including Illinois (#3) with 34.5 million ft², Texas (#8) with 50 million ft², and New York (#10) with 36.5 million ft².

DC has a large number of green buildings per capita due to efforts by the federal government (it owns or uses 30% of LEED certified buildings) and because many buildings host workers who do not live in the district, but rather commute from Virginia or Maryland. Since the Executive Order issued in 1999 on “Greening the Government through Efficient Energy Management”, many federal agencies have developed sustainability plans involving LEED for their buildings and facilities. The General Services Administration was the first government agency to adapt aim for LEED certification in their buildings (2003), and now aim for LEED Gold, and the U.S. Navy was the first government agency to certify a LEED building. 2006 was a big year for LEED, when the USDA, the EPA, NASA, and the Smithsonian all implemented policies that required LEED Silver or LEED certification for new construction and large renovations. Since then, other agencies like Department of Energy, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of the Interior, the Department of State, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the U.S. Air Force and Army have all created policies requiring LEED Silver, certification or their equivalent as well.

In addition to the federal government guidelines, the district has a few policies of its own. Since 2006, all non-residential, public commercial buildings must be LEED Silver. Since 2007, all public schools and renovations on commercial buildings larger than 30,000 square feet must be LEED certified. All new or renovations of non-residential, private buildings over 50,000 square feet must develop and implement a green building checklist and next year all non-residential buildings and institutions of higher learning must receive LEED certification. Additionally, since 2008 all new and renovated metro (WMATA) facilities must be LEED certified.

LEED, pioneered by the U.S. Green Building Council headquartered in DC, has certified projects in all 50 states and 120 countries.

Photo courtesy of: The U.S. Green Building Council

Green Office Pioneers in the DC Metro Area: Part 1 November 21, 2011

When you are younger and trying to find your way in the world, it sometimes helps to have a role model. I think the same is true if you are trying to green your office and don’t know where to start or what options are available. To help you in this endeavor, we are going to have a multiple part series on green offices in the Washington DC metro area.

What better place to start than the headquarters of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the inventors of the leading green building certification: Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). Their office has the highest rating LEED offers: Platinum, in the Commercial Interiors category.
Energy and water efficiency are key in the corporate yet fashionable USGBC office. Water use is 40% less than in conventional offices and energy use is 50% less. In order to increase heating and cooling efficiency, the “eco-corridor” nearest the outside windows is slightly warmer in the summer and cooler in the winter than the inner cubicles.  Individualized temperature controls are available inside the cubicles, allowing for a more comfortable environment where workers are during most of the day, without having to make the less-used corridors just as comfortable. There are also plenty of indoor plants to increase indoor air quality.

Natural daylight is another important aspect in the USBGC’s headquarters. It significantly decreases the need to use electricity to power lights, but also helps improve employees’ moods with views of nature. The floor to ceiling windows provide plenty of light, while the automatic window shades decrease glare. An automated system also helps coordinate the need for lighting by sensing how much natural light is available and adjusting the artificial lights accordingly.

The USGBC also makes use of a lot of reclaimed materials. Much of the wood that adorns the walls were reclaimed from 500-year old gumwood trees that had fallen off of logging boats and were preserved in the Tennessee River. Trees that were cut down hundreds of years ago emit no additional carbon to the atmosphere and provide a great story for guests! There are many other great aspects to the USGBC headquarters that can be found in their press release or website that makes it a chic yet environmental office.

Photo Courtesy of McGraw Hill Construction Continuing Education Center

It Makes Sense to Build Green – Part 3 of 6 (water consumption) January 22, 2009

Water consumption is one of the greatest threats society has on its natural resources. Everyday, roughly 340 billion gallons of fresh water are withdrawn from rivers, streams, and reservoirs, and 65 percent of the water consumed is discharged back into the water supplies after use. Needless to say, we must focus on water efficiency throughout the world and definitely in buildings.

LEED addresses water efficiency in three credits worth five total points. The overall intent of this category is to limit or hopefully eliminate the use of unnecessary potable water, decrease the demand of wastewater and potable water, and to maximize water efficiency within the building. Points can be earned in this category by water efficient landscaping – which we hope you can achieve by completely eliminating potable water use. Architects can design systems that capture rainwater, recycled wastewater and gray water to hydrate your landscape vegetation. Also, captured wastewater may be treated and infiltrated for on-site use. A vital way to earn points is reducing the amount of water used by at least 20 percent and, for more points, by 30 percent. Water reduction can easily be obtained by installing high-efficiency fixtures, occupant sensors, and use of storm water and gray water.

A water efficient building is responsible, and preserving your community’s municipal water resources and cutting down on water bills is the logical way to build. For example, installing one waterless urinal can save approximately 40,000 gallons of water per year. Imagine if everyone considered water efficiency when building. Again, the details and specific requirements for obtaining points in this category can be found by visiting the USGBC and referring to the USGBC Reference Guide.

5 Green Buildings in 5 Major Cities: Snapshots October 12, 2007

Green buildings are increasingly becoming a part of the daily landscape in cities across the US and around the world. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is one of a few systems available for defining ‘green’ or greener buildings (Green Globes comes in a distant second in the US). LEED does not claim to be the end-all be-all but a step in the right direction (a much needed step, might I add!). According to USGBC figures from July 2007, LEED has grown to encompass over 14,000 projects in 50 US States and 30 countries since its inception in 1998.

So, in celebration of the fact that many developers and architects are adopting LEED standards, we wanted to feature a sampling of five LEED certified buildings in five cities across the country.

Bank of America Tower, One Bryant Park, New York City, New York

Date opened: Scheduled to be complete in 2008
Dimensions: 945 feet tall, 2.1 million square feet, 55 stories
LEED: Platinum
Firsts: First high-rise to reach LEED platinum certification
Unique feature: Local sourcing of many materials from within 500 miles, co-generation facility including an ice-storage system to moderate peak energy demands
For more information: Cook +Fox Architects

Flickr: hello_serjiy