Report: Top 10 Sustainable Building Projects

As reported by Green Building News, the American Institute of Architects  has released a list of the top 10 "examples of sustainable architecture and ecological design projects that protect and enhance the environment," (Jenny Ivy Byrne, GreenBuildingNews.com.)  The findings were compiled by the AIA's Committee on the Environment, or COTE, who created the Top Ten Program to recognize "sustainable design excellence".  The projects that are selected make a positive contribution to their respective communities, improve comfort for building occupants, and reduce environmental impacts of the building.

The projects on the Top 10 Sustainable Buildings list demonstrate sustainable design in numerous ways including, but not limited to:

• reuse of existing structures
• connection to transit systems
• low-impact, regenerative site development
• energy and water conservation
• use of sustainable or renewable construction materials
• design to improve indoor air quality

- Byrne, GreenBuildingNews

The Collaborative Life Sciences Building - Portland, Oregon

Photo Courtsey: Oregon Health & Science University

The Top 10 Sustainable Buildings determined by the AIA are as follows:

1. The Bullitt Center, Seattle (The Miller Hull Partnership, Seattle)
2. CANMET Materials Technology Laboratory, Ontario, Canada (Diamond Schmitt, Toronto, Canada)
3. Collaborative Life Sciences Building, Portland, Ore. (SERA Architects of Portland, Ore., and CO Architects of Los Angeles)
4. Highland Street Townhouses, Boston (Interface Studio Architects of Philadelphia and Ubanica Design of Boston)
5. Hughes Warehouse Adaptive Reuse, San Antonio (Overland Partners, San Antonio)
6. Military Medical Hospital, San Antonio (RTKL, Washington)
7. New Orleans BioInnovation Center (NOBIC), New Orleans (Eskew+Dumez+Ripple, New Orleans)
8. Sweetwater Spectrum Community, Sonoma, Calif. (Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects, San Francisco)
9. Tassafaronga Village, Oakland, Calif. (David Baker Architects, San Francisco)
10. University Center — The New School, New York (Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP, Chicago)

For more information on these progressive buildings and their exciting sustainable design attributes, check out Byrne's article on GreenBuildingsNews.com.