American Architects and DOE Announce Awards on Earth Day

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) and DOE both chose to celebrate Earth Day on April 22nd by awarding projects and activities they considered the most "green."

One of the AIA awardees is the Genzyme Center in Cambridge, Massachussets, which is hoping to earn a Platinum LEED Certification.
Credit: Anton Grassl

The AIA used the occasion to name its "Top Ten Green Projects." The winners combined such approaches as daylighting, solar power, ground-source heat pumps, and energy efficiency to earn their place on the list. Three of the winners have earned Gold LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), and two are trying for Platinum LEED Certification, the council's highest rating. See the AIA press release and Top Ten Green Projects Web site.

DOE's Office of Science chose Earth Day to name the winners of its first annual awards for Pollution Prevention and Environmental Stewardship, which recognize outstanding environmental management at its 10 national laboratories. Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in Illinois won in part for its use of ethanol- and natural-gas-fueled vehicles, and likewise, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in Tennessee earned kudos for using biobased-fueled vehicles. ORNL is also using the USGBC rating system in its design of new facilities. See the DOE press release.

Printable Version