Each year the American Institute of Architects’ (AIA) Committee on the Environment (COTE) selects and awards examples of architecture and green design solutions that protect and enhance the environment. The 2007 COTE Top Ten Green Projects program celebrates projects that are the result of a thoroughly integrated approach to architecture, natural systems and technology. Information and photographs were provided by the AIA. For more information, including Honorable Mention projects, visit www.aiatopten.org.

Richard Mandelkorn

Epicenter, Artists for Humanity, Boston
Arrowstreet, Inc., Somerville, Mass.

The first Platinum LEED Certified building in Boston, the EpiCenter, is a simple, functional building that achieves sustainability on a tight budget. Rainwater collected from the roof is channeled through a drainpipe, which runs into a holding tank to serve the irrigation needs of the grassy courtyard. Concentrated windows on the south side of the building provide warming sunlight in the winter. Large floor-to-floor heights, 12 and 18 feet, allow daylight to penetrate deep into the building. The building uses no refrigerant-based cooling.

Peter Aaron / Esto Photographics

Global Ecology Research Center, Stanford, Calif.
EHDD Architects, San Francisco

Global Ecology Research Center at Stanford University is a 10,800 square-foot, low-energy laboratory and office building for the Carnegie Institution of Washington. The design resulted in a 72 percent reduction in carbon emissions associated with building operation and a 50 percent reduction in embodied carbon for building materials. Biodiversity is addressed through salvaged, recycled and certified materials. The building facing directly to the south and north maximizes daylighting, sunshading and ventilation opportunities.

Chris Cooper

Government Canyon Visitor Center, Helotes, Texas
Lake/Flato Architects, San Antonio

Goals included designing spaces that respond to climate and demonstrate both active and passive green solutions. The structures have operable windows, open porches and a screened exhibit building oriented toward the summer breeze, while shielding the winter winds. Large overhanging roofs, flaps and deep porches shield these spaces from direct solar gains, while allowing daylight to penetrate deep into the interior. The narrow footprint allows for use of indirect daylight from both the south and the north in all occupied spaces, resulting in 90 percent of occupied spaces with effective daylight and views with 100 percent of spaces with ventilation controllability.

Franzen Photography

Hawaii Gateway Energy Center, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
Ferraro Choi and Associates, Honolulu

The Hawaii Gateway Energy Center is an example of passive design strategies to conserve natural resources and achieve exceptional building performance. Induced stack ventilation, daylighting, shading and renewable cooling from deep seawater reduce initial energy requirements. A copper roof acts as the “engine” that triggers a thermo-syphon, radiating heat from the sun into a ceiling plenum. The heated air rises and is exhausted through “chimneys” on the building’s north face. This hot stream of air is continuously replenished with 100 percent fresh outside air that is routed across occupied space from a vented under-floor plenum.

Timothy Hursley

Heifer International, Little Rock, Ark.
Polk Stanley Rowland Curzon Porter Architects, Ltd., Little Rock, Ark.

The goal of the design team was to create integrated building systems that maximized both energy savings and educational potential. Graywater collected from sinks and drinking fountains, condensate from outside air units, and rain water from the water tower are reused in toilets and cooling tower. The building is designed to use up to 54.9 percent less energy than a conventional office building. Seventy-five percent of the building’s construction waste was recycled. Overhangs reduce solar heat gain. To promote indoor air quality, materials were selected with low emission of VOCs. The project was also an Institutional, Non-Profit Organization, Educational or Healthcare category finalist in ED+C magazine’s 2007 Excellence In Design Awards, and is also featured as an online High-Performance Building Envelopes Web Exclusive, “Heifer International World Headquarters,” on www.EDCmag.com.

Barry Halkin

Sidwell Friends Middle School, Washington, D.C
Kieran Timberlake Associates, Philadelphia

Solar chimneys with south-facing glass are designed for passive ventilation, operating without additional energy. Sunlight heats air within the glass chimney tops, creating a convection current, which draws cooler air into the building through north-facing open windows. The building uses daylight as much as possible. Artificial lighting consists primarily of fluorescent light sources equipped with high-efficiency lamps. The green roof reduces storm water runoff volume, improves the quality of infiltrated runoff, and reduces municipal water use. The roof, walls and windows perform over 200 percent better than the minimums set by the energy standard. The project is also archived in the March 2007 ED+C Industry News online: Sidwell Friends Middle School Receives First K-12 LEED Platinum.

Tim Griffith

Wayne L. Morse U.S. Courthouse, Eugene, Ore.
Morphosis & Dlr Group, Portland, Ore.

This facility is a Security Level IV facility — one level below buildings such as the Pentagon. An under floor air distribution system serves a majority of spaces. This system provides more efficient air-conditioning, uses less fan power, and provides better air quality than an overhead ductwork system. The building system minimizes potable water use and associated sanitary waste with waterless urinals, and ultra low flow lavatories, sinks and showers. Combined with fixture sensors at public locations, these measures result in savings of more than 40 percent over baseline case analysis.

Photo © Paul Warchol

Whitney Water Purification Facility, New Haven, Conn.
Steven Holl Architects, New York

The facility provides an abundant water supply to south central Connecticut, creates a watershed ecosystem, and includes a public park and educational facility while providing a habitat and sanctuary for migrating species of birds. The 30,000-square-foot green roof with glazed bubbles provides daylight, and all electrical lighting comes from low-energy fluorescent fixtures. One hundred percent of staff space is day lit. The geothermal system saves 850,000-kilowatt hours annually as compared to electrical resistant heaters and air-cooled chillers.

Photo courtesy of Croxton Collaborative Architects, P.C.

Willingboro Master Plan & Public Library, Willingboro, N.J.
Croxton Collaborative Architects, P.C., New York

The public library conserves 100 percent of the structural steel frame and concrete foundations of the original building. Since the building orientation could not be changed, seven clerestory skylights were oriented on a north-south axis to maximize daylighting. These clerestories create a criss-cross infill of existing beams and joists, which achieve 95 percent diffused light with transitory “dappled light” effects. The building utilizes a gas-fired heater/chiller, which can be easily retrofitted to accommodate bio fuels and various fuels presenting “cost opportunities.”

CJ Berg

Z6 House, Santa Monica, Calif.
Livinghomes, Santa Monica, Calif., with Ray Kappe Architects, Pacific Palisades, Calif.

The Z6 House takes advantage of natural ventilation and has been designed to optimize passive solar heating. The heating is accomplished through a radiant heating system powered by a solar hot water collector. A 2.4KW PV array above the roof acts as a shade canopy at the roof stair access. The array was designed to provide 60-75 percent of the homes' energy usage. The building has a comprehensive monitoring system that will track the total water, graywater and rainwater usage.