Building Green photo.

FAQ – Building Green

What is “green” building?
“Green” building is an evolving collection of land-use, building design, and construction strategies that reduce the environmental impact of a building. These strategies promote construction and renovation of buildings in a way that is healthier for the occupants and healthier for the environment. 17 Gordon Avenue has employed a number of these strategies and is currently under consideration for the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design).

What are the green features of this building?
Major components include a photovoltaic array, “green” roof, rainwater collection system, and porous parking surface. For more detailed information, visit the Green Features portion of this web site.

What is LEED?
LEED is the national program and rating mechanism for “Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design.” The program is administered by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), a non-profit coalition of building industry leaders. The USGBC promotes buildings that are “environmentally responsible, profitable, and healthy places to live and work.”

What is the status of Gordon Avenue’s LEED Application?
SPDC has become a member of the U.S. Green Building Council and will be applying for LEED certification of 17 Gordon Avenue. We are hoping that this certification will be granted upon the project’s final completion in 2004.

Were there any “green” features that you were not able to include?
Although the building contains a large number of “green” features, some that were under consideration did not come to fruition. Exterior light shelves and a lighter exterior paint color were found to be in conflict with the building’s historic restoration, others (having the street in front of the building closed and transformed into a more open space and parking) were not pursued, and still others (heat pumps, composting toilets, waterless urinals) were determined to be too expensive or otherwise inappropriate for this particular project.

We would certainly consider including these features in a future project and advise assigning a “project champion” for each desired feature to ensure that they get proper consideration and support.