The American Institute of Architects recently announced their list of the Top Ten Green Projects for 2009. The projects, chosen from around the globe, represent excellence in sustainable design principles and reduced energy consumption.
The annual list, published each year by The American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the Committee on the Environment (COTE), select the top design projects that protect and enhance the environment. The 2009 winners include an eco-school in Lebanon, a Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation in the USA, a former brown-site development in Canada and the LEED Gold-certified world headquarters of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW).
All the winning projects were selected based on their ability to enhance the community, reduce environmental impacts through strategies such as reuse of existing structures, connection to transit systems, low-impact and regenerative site development, energy and water conservation, use of sustainable or renewable construction materials, and design that improves indoor air quality.
The Charles Hostler Student Center
Situated on Beirut’s seafront and main public thoroughfare, the new 204,000 square foot (19,000 square meter) The Charles Hostler Student Center includes competitive and recreational athletic facilities, an auditorium, cafeteria with study space, and underground parking for 200 cars. The design for the new Hostler Center from VJAA, synthesizes architecture and landscape to create a set of richly varied and environmentally diverse spaces for people to gather in throughout the day and evening.
The Chartwell School
The Chartwell School located in Seaside, California from EHDD Architecture, demonstrates that it is possible to construct a school campus that integrated strategies to improve learning outcomes and that would function as a teaching tool about sustainability, all the while dramatically reducing environmental impacts.
Gish Apartments
The Gish Apartments are a 35-unit affordable housing unit in San Jose, California designed by OJK Architecture and Planning. Gish is currently the only affordable housing development in the United States to receive both LEED for Homes and LEED NC Gold certification.
Great River Energy Headquarters
Great River Energy (GRE) is a not-for-profit electric utility cooperative in Maple Grove, Minnesota. The Perkins+Will designed 166,000 square foot (15,400 square meter), four-story building was created to showcase workplace productivity and energy efficient technologies in the most electric energy-efficient building in Minnesota.
Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation
The design of the new synagogue from Ross Barney Architects, balances the limitations of a small site with an ambitious program that promotes worship, education, and community. On a modest budget, the synagogue achieved a LEED Platinum certification, a primary goal of its board of directors.
Portola Valley Town Center
The Portola Valley Town Center from architects Siegel & Strain and Goring and Straja, replaced three town structures—a library, community hall, and town hall—while using public input in the design process.
Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center
The Lake|Flato Architects designed LEED Platinum Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center located on 252 acres in Texas, is as an interpretive center for the site’s native ecosystems as well as a facility for study and research.
Dockside Green
Dockside Green, from Busby Perkins+Will Architects Co. in Victoria, Canada is a 1.3 million square foot (121,000 square meter), mixed-use development on a former brown-field site. The first phase, Synergy, includes four buildings constructed over a common underground parking structure. The future projects includes a nine-story residential tower with commercial units on the ground floors, a two-story townhouse building; a six-story building with commercial units on the ground floor and a four-story residential building.
The Terry Thomas
The Terry Thomas building from Weber Thompson, was designed to provide a healthy and creative work environment while demonstrating the possibilities of sustainable design. The Seattle building has 37,000 square-feet (3,400 square meter) of office space on four floors. The ground level features 3,000 square-feet (280 square meter) of retail and restaurant space, and a central courtyard.
World Headquarters for the International Fund for Animal Welfare
The new LEED Gold IFAW headquarters from DesignLAB Architects encompasses 54,000 square-feet (5,000 square meter) of space in three connected buildings. The building layout is in the tradition of a rural Cape Cod development; a half-acre courtyard of native grasses open to the south and centers the building complex, whose flexible architecture is located at the north, east and west edges of the site.
Visit: http://www.aia.org/
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