It’s one thing for a business to commit to implementing green office practices like recycling, installing light fixtures that turn off when no one is in the room or installing a bike rack for employees who don’t want to drive to the office. But it takes an even larger commitment to turn the entire physical office building green. Major commercial real estate company CB Richard Ellis has enrolled 225 office buildings in the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design – Existing Building (LEED EB) program. According to a news release, at the end of 2007, CBRE committed to enroll a minimum 100 buildings in the then-emerging LEED EB process. Now, the company is the largest third-party manager of buildings in this program for environmental sustainability.
The properties CBRE enrolled in the LEED EB program total more than 57 million square feet and are owned by more than 55 different investors and corporations in 21 states. That’s a pretty big green footprint.
“When we made our commitment in 2007 there were fewer than 60 buildings in the entire country with LEED EB designation,” said David Pogue, CBRE’s national director of sustainability. “The key to our success has been building a strong foundation, by both partnering effectively with our clients and deploying a strong internal certification team with great technical expertise and a genuine passion for enhancing sustainable practices in the buildings we manage.”
CBRE currently manages 17 buildings that have attained LEED EB certification; that total is expected to grow to 50 buildings by the end of 2009. A Green Thumbs Up to CB Richard Ellis.
Earlier this month, the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority broke ground on its Green Build, formerly known as the Terminal Development Program, which will be the most extensive improvements ever carried out at San Diego International, according to Aviation News.
The project includes the construction of 10 new jet gates, a dual-level roadway at Terminal 2 to separate arriving and departing passengers and new dining and shopping options. Airport officials plan to incorporate sustainable design principles into the project with a larger goal of achieving LEED silver certification.
Even as high profile buildings like the Empire State Building and the Sears Tower take strides toward being more efficient, the need continues for buildings to take a look at how they can be more environmentally friendly. And in this current economic climate, it just makes sense to gain a competitive edge.
Here’s a great piece from Mother Nature Network about the need for commercial buildings to go green.
As blogger Melissa Hincha-Ownby writes,
As more companies begin to commit to sustainability, the demand for green office space will only rise. Depending on the size of the project, green building retrofits can take years to complete so wise building owners are getting started on these renovations sooner vs. later.
Do you have examples of commercial buildings that are going green? Let us know! We’re always looking for companies to profile on their journey to sustainability.
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