It’s Easy Bein’ Green After All

Two private companies and a pair of public institutions show that green strategies can still be successfully integrated into new projects despite the economy, proving Kermit the Frog was wrong when he sang “it's not easy being green”.

Sustainable building practices are becoming more and more integrated into the entire design and construction process, regardless of whether owners choose to go for LEED certification. As public awareness increases on what the benefits of green building are, many owners are seeing that they can save money on maintenance costs and utility bills by adopting sustainable practices. Building green also fits nicely into the corporate philosophies of many firms, whose employees say they value sustainability as a core value and goal.

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Some design firms are using sustainable principles on their projects as a matter of course, regardless of whether the owner is going green or not. Many of these design choices make logical sense and benefit the well-being of building occupants, such as proper site orientation, building mass and ample daylighting. Whether these choices provide LEED points for the owner who decides to pursue certification is secondary.

We profile two privately funded projects that are aiming for LEED gold on their new corporate headquarters. Cashman Equipment’s new Henderson building could become Nevada’s largest LEED gold private corporate campus upon certification, while Santa Fe is welcoming Thornburg Cos.’s new $45 million campus with tax credits and other incentives to help make this sustainable structure a reality.

Two publicly funded projects hope to lead by example. Engel Hall will set the tone for a brand new academic campus in the East Valley for Chandler-Gilbert Community College, while the Museum of Northern Arizona’s Easton Collections Center attempts to reach the highest level of LEED certification.

Finally, we analyze the coming changes to the LEED for New Construction rating system. Will the updates really be ‘new and improved’.

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