Green Build Blog

Green building’s early adherents have proven that they can build high-quality, high-performance structures in a professional, businesslike way. Their passion has not diminished, but it has become more firmly grounded in the realities of the marketplace.

This “new reality” has begun to attract the attention of the financial community. Investors are asking: Do green buildings command premium rents? Do they lease up faster than “conventional” buildings? Are they more valuable than other real estate investments? What is the market potential for green buildings in the future?

In the following pages, we will examine the bottom-line issues of green building across a wide range of building types.

Full Article (via Jetson Green)

Following a report by the Beijing Games organizers and the IOC chief inspector Hein Verbruggen, the IOC said work was still needed to improve air quality in the Chinese capital. “Yes it is a specific concern,” IOC Olympic Games Executive Director Gilbert Felli said, citing recent complaints by athletes who competed in Beijing, and other officials.

“The important thing for us is to understand exactly what it is…and to understand what it will be at the time of the Games,” he said. Earlier Verbruggen told reporters environmental pollution was an issue that needed to be addressed.

Full Article

China intends to build one of the world’s biggest solar power stations at a cost of 765 million dollars, state press reported Tuesday. The 100-megawatt facility, to be built in Dunhuang, an oasis town in northwest China’s Gansu province, would be a collaborative effort between the local government and Beijing’s Zhonghao New Energy Investment, Xinhua news said. The project would take five years to construct, it added.

Full Article

The Albany City Council gave preliminary approval this week to three ordinances that comprise its proposed green building program. The ordinances are scheduled to go before the City Council for final approval Dec. 4.

The ordinances introduce the following changes:

• Projects with more than 10,000 sq feet of non-residential space will be required to use recycled water for construction for designated project areas.
• Construction and demolition/renovation projects with costs more than $75,000 ($25,000 for demolition only projects) are required to divert at least half of all debris for recycling.
• More time will be permitted for inspections.

Full Article

Plans for the Freedom Tower and other facilities at the World Trade Center site will feature state-of-the-art energy technologies to better protect environmental resources, utilize renewable energy sources, and maximize energy efficiency.

Full Article

This (somewhat dated) article is about the eight-story LEED-certified building in Beijing that houses China’s ministry of science.

In a country both energy-starved and cash-conscious, the new ministry of science building is a small wonder. It uses 70 percent less energy than similar federal buildings, and saves 10,000 tons of water a year through rainwater collection. Wise use of quality materials inside a simple, plain design also make it far cheaper to build and maintain than comparable Beijing buildings.

Last week, this building became the first in China to pass the stringent, internationally recognized LEED certification.

Full Article (via Green Tea Blog)

The Las Vegas Review-Journal writes about a 41-unit, five-story condo project in Las Vegas:

Green Valley Lofts will offer one of the most energy-efficient projects in Las Vegas, integrating sustainable design principles and advanced building technologies, Vydra said.

The developer’s goal is to drastically reduce utility costs for residents, while minimizing the effect of the building’s construction on the environment.

Using European glazing techniques for the façade, energy requirements of the building will be significantly reduced compared with conventional structures, he said.

Full Article

Green Valley Lofts

LONDON — Independent research commissioned by GreenPortfolio, the specialist environmental relations division of Portfolio Communications, reveals that 50% of marketing and PR management believe that an organisation’s green credentials are important to customers; and 84% predict this importance is likely to grow further over the next two years as the impact of environmental issues continues to bite.

Full Article (PDF) (via GreenBiz.com)

Hosts: Co-hosted by Colorado Association of REALTORS and EcoBroker International
Exhibitors: List of Exhibitors
Where: Sheraton Denver West; Lakewood, Colorado
When: December 6, 2006

Two press releases of note come on the same day from Autodesk.

First, they are predicting a lot of growth in sustainable design, after conducting a survey of architects in the United States:

“This year’s study reveals a growing commitment by architects and owners for supporting sustainable design principles,” said Jay Bhatt, vice president, Autodesk building solutions. “By enabling our customers to collaborate more effectively and estimate more accurately, Autodesk solutions help architects predict the overall lifecycle costs of their designs.”

Of the architects who responded to the survey, […] seventy-two percent have received training or continuing education on the subject of green buildings.

Full Article
Second, Autodesk is joining forces with the USGBC:

Autodesk, Inc. today announced it has entered into a strategic relationship with the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) aimed at expanding the use of technology and to facilitate further adoption of sustainable design and green building. Autodesk and the USGBC plan to work on several initiatives to make sustainable design easier and more efficient through the use of technology such as the Autodesk Revit platform for building information modeling (BIM), ultimately reducing the causes of climate change by increasing the number of green buildings that emit less carbon dioxide. As the first step, Autodesk and the USGBC plan to develop an educational curriculum for architecture and engineering students.

Full Article