LEED Platinum is Bustin' Out All Over

discovery headquarters image

TreeHugger doesn't show as many LEED buildings as it used to; they have become almost common, and many, LEED notwithstanding, have "issues," such as being overly large, strange uses, (a LEED airplane hanger?) or ~~boring LEED categories like Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance~~ oops, that's the Mother Ship.

However Preston at Jetson Green gathers together thirty-three LEED Platinum buildings that he covered this year and it is clear that we missed a lot of neat stuff.

swaner ecocenter image

I am sorry we missed the Swaner EcoCenter in Utah; Preston covers it personally in great detail.

duke smarthome image

I am also a sucker for big galvanized rainwater tanks, I love the idea that such utilitarian things rarely seen outside of farm or industry become almost like icons. The Duke Smart home houses ten students who "in addition to experimenting with various green projects and modifications to the home, are ambassadors that conduct tours and explain its sustainable features."

One can gripe about LEED, which is constantly evolving so yesterday's complaint might not be appropriate today. But one cannot ignore the fact one actually CAN put together a post of thirty-three Platinum LEED buildings, which would have been a challenge in any other year.

And I can think of no better sign of the success of the program that we have so much to chose from that we actually call them "almost common."

LEED Platinum buildings that we did cover in TreeHugger:
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/12/worlds-first-leed-platinum-aviation-hangar-unveiled.php
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