Architecture

In pictures: Top ten green buildings in the US

In pictures: Top ten green buildings in the US
A New Norris House: perhaps the most modest building in the AIA's top ten (Photo: Ken McCown)
A New Norris House: perhaps the most modest building in the AIA's top ten (Photo: Ken McCown)
View 40 Images
Clock Shadow Building, Milwaukee byContinuum Architects + Planners (Photo: Tricia Shay)
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Clock Shadow Building, Milwaukee byContinuum Architects + Planners (Photo: Tricia Shay)
The Clock Shadow Building's rooftop garden (Photo: Tricia Shay)
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The Clock Shadow Building's rooftop garden (Photo: Tricia Shay)
Breakdown of the Clock Shadow's design (Image: Continuum)
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Breakdown of the Clock Shadow's design (Image: Continuum)
Federal Center South Building 1202, Seattle byZGF Architects LLP (Photo: Benjamin Benschneider)
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Federal Center South Building 1202, Seattle byZGF Architects LLP (Photo: Benjamin Benschneider)
Federal Center South Building 1202's atrium (Photo: Benjamin Benschneider)
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Federal Center South Building 1202's atrium (Photo: Benjamin Benschneider)
Federal Center South Building 1202, Seattle byZGF Architects LLP (Photo: Benjamin Benschneider)
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Federal Center South Building 1202, Seattle byZGF Architects LLP (Photo: Benjamin Benschneider)
Federal Center South Building 1202, Seattle byZGF Architects LLP (Photo: Benjamin Benschneider)
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Federal Center South Building 1202, Seattle byZGF Architects LLP (Photo: Benjamin Benschneider)
Inside Federal Center South Building 1202 (Photo: Benjamin Benschneider)
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Inside Federal Center South Building 1202 (Photo: Benjamin Benschneider)
Charles David Keeling Apartments, La Jolla, California by KieranTimberlake (Photo: Lenska Aerial Photography)
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Charles David Keeling Apartments, La Jolla, California by KieranTimberlake (Photo: Lenska Aerial Photography)
Charles David Keeling Apartments, La Jolla, California by KieranTimberlake (Photo: Tim Griffith)
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Charles David Keeling Apartments, La Jolla, California by KieranTimberlake (Photo: Tim Griffith)
Charles David Keeling Apartments, La Jolla, California by KieranTimberlake (Photo: Tim Griffith)
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Charles David Keeling Apartments, La Jolla, California by KieranTimberlake (Photo: Tim Griffith)
Pearl Brewery/Full Goods Warehouse, San Antonio by Lake Flato Architects (Photo: Lara Swimmer)
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Pearl Brewery/Full Goods Warehouse, San Antonio by Lake Flato Architects (Photo: Lara Swimmer)
Pearl Brewery/Full Goods Warehouse, San Antonio by Lake Flato Architects (Photo: Casey Dunn)
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Pearl Brewery/Full Goods Warehouse, San Antonio by Lake Flato Architects (Photo: Casey Dunn)
Marin Country Day School Learning Resource Center and Courtyard, Corte Madera, California by EHDD (Photo: Josh Partee)
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Marin Country Day School Learning Resource Center and Courtyard, Corte Madera, California by EHDD (Photo: Josh Partee)
Marin Country Day School Learning Resource Center and Courtyard, Corte Madera, California by EHDD (Photo: Josh Partee)
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Marin Country Day School Learning Resource Center and Courtyard, Corte Madera, California by EHDD (Photo: Josh Partee)
Marin Country Day School Learning Resource Center and Courtyard, Corte Madera, California by EHDD (Photo: Cesar Rubio)
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Marin Country Day School Learning Resource Center and Courtyard, Corte Madera, California by EHDD (Photo: Cesar Rubio)
Marin Country Day School Learning Resource Center and Courtyard, Corte Madera, California by EHDD (Photo: Josh Partee)
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Marin Country Day School Learning Resource Center and Courtyard, Corte Madera, California by EHDD (Photo: Josh Partee)
Merritt Crossing Senior Apartments, Oakland, California by Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects (Photo: Tim Griffith)
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Merritt Crossing Senior Apartments, Oakland, California by Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects (Photo: Tim Griffith)
Merritt Crossing Senior Apartments, Oakland, California by Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects (Photo: Tim Griffith)
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Merritt Crossing Senior Apartments, Oakland, California by Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects (Photo: Tim Griffith)
Merritt Crossing Senior Apartments, Oakland, California by Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects (Photo: Tim Griffith)
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Merritt Crossing Senior Apartments, Oakland, California by Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects (Photo: Tim Griffith)
Merritt Crossing Senior Apartments, Oakland, California by Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects (Photo: Tim Griffith)
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Merritt Crossing Senior Apartments, Oakland, California by Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects (Photo: Tim Griffith)
A New Norris House: perhaps the most modest building in the AIA's top ten (Photo: Ken McCown)
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A New Norris House: perhaps the most modest building in the AIA's top ten (Photo: Ken McCown)
A New Norris House, Norris, Tennessee by the College of Architecture & Design, UT Knoxville (Photo: Ken McCown)
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A New Norris House, Norris, Tennessee by the College of Architecture & Design, UT Knoxville (Photo: Ken McCown)
A New Norris House, Norris, Tennessee by the College of Architecture & Design, UT Knoxville (Photo: Ken McCown)
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A New Norris House, Norris, Tennessee by the College of Architecture & Design, UT Knoxville (Photo: Ken McCown)
A New Norris House, Norris, Tennessee by the College of Architecture & Design, UT Knoxville (Photo: Ken McCown)
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A New Norris House, Norris, Tennessee by the College of Architecture & Design, UT Knoxville (Photo: Ken McCown)
San Francisco Public Utilities Commission Headquarters, San Francisco by KMD Architects and Stevens & Associates (Photos: Bruce Damonte)
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San Francisco Public Utilities Commission Headquarters, San Francisco by KMD Architects and Stevens & Associates (Photos: Bruce Damonte)
San Francisco Public Utilities Commission Headquarters, San Francisco by KMD Architects and Stevens & Associates (Photo: Bruce Damonte)
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San Francisco Public Utilities Commission Headquarters, San Francisco by KMD Architects and Stevens & Associates (Photo: Bruce Damonte)
San Francisco Public Utilities Commission Headquarters, San Francisco by KMD Architects and Stevens & Associates (Photos: Bruce Damonte)
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San Francisco Public Utilities Commission Headquarters, San Francisco by KMD Architects and Stevens & Associates (Photos: Bruce Damonte)
Swenson Civil Engineering Building, Duluth, Minnesota by Ross Barney Architects and SJA Architects (Photo: Kate Joyce Studios)
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Swenson Civil Engineering Building, Duluth, Minnesota by Ross Barney Architects and SJA Architects (Photo: Kate Joyce Studios)
Swenson Civil Engineering Building, Duluth, Minnesota by Ross Barney Architects and SJA Architects (Photo: Kate Joyce Studios)
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Swenson Civil Engineering Building, Duluth, Minnesota by Ross Barney Architects and SJA Architects (Photo: Kate Joyce Studios)
Swenson Civil Engineering Building, Duluth, Minnesota by Ross Barney Architects and SJA Architects (Photo: Kate Joyce Studios)
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Swenson Civil Engineering Building, Duluth, Minnesota by Ross Barney Architects and SJA Architects (Photo: Kate Joyce Studios)
(Photo: Bruce Damonte)
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(Photo: Bruce Damonte)
(Photo: Matthew Millman)
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(Photo: Matthew Millman)
(Photo: Matthew Millman)
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(Photo: Matthew Millman)
(Photo: Matthew Millman)
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(Photo: Matthew Millman)
(Photo: Thomas Winz)
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(Photo: Thomas Winz)
Yin Yang House, Venice, California by Brooks + Scarpa (Photo: John Edward Linden)
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Yin Yang House, Venice, California by Brooks + Scarpa (Photo: John Edward Linden)
Yin Yang House, Venice, California by Brooks + Scarpa (Photo: John Edward Linden)
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Yin Yang House, Venice, California by Brooks + Scarpa (Photo: John Edward Linden)
Yin Yang House, Venice, California by Brooks + Scarpa (Photo: John Edward Linden)
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Yin Yang House, Venice, California by Brooks + Scarpa (Photo: John Edward Linden)
A New Norris House: perhaps the most modest building in the AIA's top ten (Photo: Ken McCown)
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A New Norris House: perhaps the most modest building in the AIA's top ten (Photo: Ken McCown)
View gallery - 40 images

The American Institute of Architects announced its top ten green buildings in the US for 2013 on Monday (Earth Day, uncoincidentally). It's a diverse list, containing a cheese factory, senior citizens' apartments, school buildings, and a smattering of LEED certificates. There's only one net zero building on the list, though it's worth remembering that it's much easier to build a net zero home than it is a net zero office or factory. Step inside for a short profile of each of the buildings, or head straight to the gallery for the architectural eye candy.

Charles David Keeling Apartments – KieranTimberlake

Charles David Keeling Apartments, La Jolla, California by KieranTimberlake (Photo: Lenska Aerial Photography)
Charles David Keeling Apartments, La Jolla, California by KieranTimberlake (Photo: Lenska Aerial Photography)

The brand new Charles David Keeling Apartments belong to UC San Deigo's Revelle College. According to the AIA, the priorities were reducing carbon emissions and water consumption due to water scarcity in South California. The building's thermal mass pulls or pushes heat from and to the interior as air temperature changes. Wastewater is recycled on site, and excess rainfall from the rooftop garden is directed to storage in the building's courtyard.Other features: solar gain reduction; natural ventilation

Photo: Lenska Aerial Photography

Clock Shadow Building – Continuum Architects + Planners

Clock Shadow Building, Milwaukee byContinuum Architects + Planners (Photo: Tricia Shay)
Clock Shadow Building, Milwaukee byContinuum Architects + Planners (Photo: Tricia Shay)

Another new development on a brown field site, this time in Milwaukee, the tenants of the excellently named Clock Shadow Building include an ice cream parlor and an artisan cheese store. Environmentally-friendly thermal controls are the watchword, here. The building's large south-facing windows are screened to limit solar gain during summer months, but let the Sun's rays spill in during the winter. During the changeable spring and fall months, building occupants are free to open the windows: a trait less common in commercial buildings than you might think.Other features: geothermal system; we mentioned the cheese, right?

Photo: Tricia Shay

Federal Center South Building 1202 – ZGF Architects LLP

Federal Center South Building 1202, Seattle byZGF Architects LLP (Photo: Benjamin Benschneider)
Federal Center South Building 1202, Seattle byZGF Architects LLP (Photo: Benjamin Benschneider)

If a Seattle project was to be included, you might think the newly-opened Bullitt Center would be the one (though perhaps it opened too late to pop up on the AIA's radar this year). Instead the AIA has singled out the US Army Corps of Engineers' regional HQ, the Federal Center South Building 1202 – and it's far from shabby. Cleverly, the building's structural piles supply geothermal heating and cooling. "Chilled sails" (a passive cooling system) and "open office lighting" (no idea, but we'll try to find out) were developed especially for the project, which, consuming 20.3 kBtu/sq ft/year of energy, apparently makes it "net zero capable," though this would presumably require the installation of onsite renewable energy sources.Other features: wood composite beams; Energy Star score of 100; 2030 Challenge compliant

Photo: Benjamin Benschneider

Marin Country Day School Learning Resource Center and Courtyard – EHDD

Marin Country Day School Learning Resource Center and Courtyard, Corte Madera, California by EHDD (Photo: Josh Partee)
Marin Country Day School Learning Resource Center and Courtyard, Corte Madera, California by EHDD (Photo: Josh Partee)

The new Learning Resource Center and Courtyard at Marin Country Day School not only complies with California's energy code, but thanks to 95 percent of areas being both naturally lit and naturally ventilated, the building comes in at under half the threshold. Factoring in the on-site solar array, the building is designed to consume a mere 6.74 kbtu/sq ft/yr.

Other features: insulating wood stud framing; cooling tower and underwater tank provide thermal stores

Photo: Josh Partee

Merritt Crossing Senior Apartments – Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects

Merritt Crossing Senior Apartments, Oakland, California by Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects (Photo: Tim Griffith)
Merritt Crossing Senior Apartments, Oakland, California by Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects (Photo: Tim Griffith)

Home to some of Oakland's most disadvantaged older citizens, Merritt Crossing Senior Apartments scores highly on accessibility criteria, with walkscore.com ratings of 94, 82 and 86 for walking, public transport and cycling respectively. The roof is fitted with both photovoltaic and thermal solar power. The building manages without mechanical heating and cooling, with ventilation assisted by good old fashioned ceiling fans to make each habitable room more comfortable.

Other features: Full-height windows at the ground floor enhance daylight and security

Photo: Tim Griffith

A New Norris House – College of Architecture & Design, UT Knoxville

A New Norris House: perhaps the most modest building in the AIA's top ten (Photo: Ken McCown)
A New Norris House: perhaps the most modest building in the AIA's top ten (Photo: Ken McCown)

To my eyes, A New Norris House in Tennessee is the most beautiful building on the list. It is also the only one to be designed at a university (the University of Tennessee Knoxville) rather than a commercial outfit. Supposedly half the size of the typical house, the emphasis is on quality rather than quantity. All interior spaces are daylight, with plenty of diffuse light via the dormer and skylight. Low-transmissivity glass and translucent blinds keep heat gain and glare under control.

Other features: LED lighting; no-VOC paint color-picked to provide a warm glow from natural light

Photo: Ken McCown

Pearl Brewery/Full Goods Warehouse – Lake Flato Architects

Pearl Brewery/Full Goods Warehouse, San Antonio by Lake Flato Architects (Photo: Lara Swimmer)
Pearl Brewery/Full Goods Warehouse, San Antonio by Lake Flato Architects (Photo: Lara Swimmer)

What appears to be the only refurbishment on the list, San Antonio's redeveloped Pearl Brewery has been designed to make use of "breezeways," oriented to capture and funnel light summer winds (albeit with a little encouragement from ceiling fans). All of the rainwater from the roof is captured, and added to recycled gray water so that no potable water is used to irrigate landscaping.

Other features: LEED Gold certificate; day-lit breezeways

Photo: Lara Swimmer

San Francisco Public Utilities Commission Headquarters – KMD Architects and Stevens & Associates

San Francisco Public Utilities Commission Headquarters, San Francisco by KMD Architects and Stevens & Associates (Photos: Bruce Damonte)
San Francisco Public Utilities Commission Headquarters, San Francisco by KMD Architects and Stevens & Associates (Photos: Bruce Damonte)

San Francisco's Public Utilities Commission Headquarters deserves a pat on the back for being up-front about the contribution made by its on-site wind and solar power systems, even if, at 7 percent, it falls short of net zero consumption. It's claimed to be one of the first buildings in the US to treat both gray and black water on site. Daylight harvesting and other lighting design measures mean the building's electricity demand due to lighting is 45 percent that of a typical Class A office.

Other features: Exceeds California's Title 24 requirements for offices; designed to achieve LEED Platinum certification

Photos: Bruce Damonte

Swenson Civil Engineering Building – Ross Barney Architects and SJA Architects

Swenson Civil Engineering Building, Duluth, Minnesota by Ross Barney Architects and SJA Architects (Photo: Kate Joyce Studios)
Swenson Civil Engineering Building, Duluth, Minnesota by Ross Barney Architects and SJA Architects (Photo: Kate Joyce Studios)

Another of the more eye-catching designs to make the list, the Swenson Civil Engineering Building in Duluth, Minnesota is all about storm-water management and filtration. A green roof covers 22 percent of the roof area, and 73 percent of the site footprint makes use of porous materials and landscaping, reducing flow rates and filtering-out impurities ahead of capture and storage.

Other features: LEED Gold certificate (a few points short of Platinum)

Photo: Kate Joyce Studios

Yin Yang House – Brooks + Scarpa

Yin Yang House, Venice, California by Brooks + Scarpa (Photo: John Edward Linden)
Yin Yang House, Venice, California by Brooks + Scarpa (Photo: John Edward Linden)

Insulated and sealed to the nines, with a 12-kW PV system, Yin Yang House in Venice, California is, perhaps surprisingly, the only net zero building on the list. A thermal chimney and cross-ventilation provide passive cooling, and the cantilevered roof shades bedrooms from direct sunlight.Other features: green roof, 95-percent retention of storm water

Photo: John Edward Linden

Source: The American Institute of Architects

The American Institute of Architects announced its top ten green buildings in the US for 2013 on Monday (Earth Day, uncoincidentally). It's a diverse list, containing a cheese factory, senior citizens' apartments, school buildings, and a smattering of LEED certificates. There's only one net zero building on the list, though it's worth remembering that it's much easier to build a net zero home than it is a net zero office or factory. Step inside for a short profile of each of the buildings, or head straight to the gallery for the architectural eye candy.

Charles David Keeling Apartments – KieranTimberlake

Charles David Keeling Apartments, La Jolla, California by KieranTimberlake (Photo: Lenska Aerial Photography)
Charles David Keeling Apartments, La Jolla, California by KieranTimberlake (Photo: Lenska Aerial Photography)

The brand new Charles David Keeling Apartments belong to UC San Deigo's Revelle College. According to the AIA, the priorities were reducing carbon emissions and water consumption due to water scarcity in South California. The building's thermal mass pulls or pushes heat from and to the interior as air temperature changes. Wastewater is recycled on site, and excess rainfall from the rooftop garden is directed to storage in the building's courtyard.Other features: solar gain reduction; natural ventilation

Photo: Lenska Aerial Photography

Clock Shadow Building – Continuum Architects + Planners

Clock Shadow Building, Milwaukee byContinuum Architects + Planners (Photo: Tricia Shay)
Clock Shadow Building, Milwaukee byContinuum Architects + Planners (Photo: Tricia Shay)

Another new development on a brown field site, this time in Milwaukee, the tenants of the excellently named Clock Shadow Building include an ice cream parlor and an artisan cheese store. Environmentally-friendly thermal controls are the watchword, here. The building's large south-facing windows are screened to limit solar gain during summer months, but let the Sun's rays spill in during the winter. During the changeable spring and fall months, building occupants are free to open the windows: a trait less common in commercial buildings than you might think.Other features: geothermal system; we mentioned the cheese, right?

Photo: Tricia Shay

Federal Center South Building 1202 – ZGF Architects LLP

Federal Center South Building 1202, Seattle byZGF Architects LLP (Photo: Benjamin Benschneider)
Federal Center South Building 1202, Seattle byZGF Architects LLP (Photo: Benjamin Benschneider)

If a Seattle project was to be included, you might think the newly-opened Bullitt Center would be the one (though perhaps it opened too late to pop up on the AIA's radar this year). Instead the AIA has singled out the US Army Corps of Engineers' regional HQ, the Federal Center South Building 1202 – and it's far from shabby. Cleverly, the building's structural piles supply geothermal heating and cooling. "Chilled sails" (a passive cooling system) and "open office lighting" (no idea, but we'll try to find out) were developed especially for the project, which, consuming 20.3 kBtu/sq ft/year of energy, apparently makes it "net zero capable," though this would presumably require the installation of onsite renewable energy sources.Other features: wood composite beams; Energy Star score of 100; 2030 Challenge compliant

Photo: Benjamin Benschneider

Marin Country Day School Learning Resource Center and Courtyard – EHDD

Marin Country Day School Learning Resource Center and Courtyard, Corte Madera, California by EHDD (Photo: Josh Partee)
Marin Country Day School Learning Resource Center and Courtyard, Corte Madera, California by EHDD (Photo: Josh Partee)

The new Learning Resource Center and Courtyard at Marin Country Day School not only complies with California's energy code, but thanks to 95 percent of areas being both naturally lit and naturally ventilated, the building comes in at under half the threshold. Factoring in the on-site solar array, the building is designed to consume a mere 6.74 kbtu/sq ft/yr.

Other features: insulating wood stud framing; cooling tower and underwater tank provide thermal stores

Photo: Josh Partee

Merritt Crossing Senior Apartments – Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects

Merritt Crossing Senior Apartments, Oakland, California by Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects (Photo: Tim Griffith)
Merritt Crossing Senior Apartments, Oakland, California by Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects (Photo: Tim Griffith)

Home to some of Oakland's most disadvantaged older citizens, Merritt Crossing Senior Apartments scores highly on accessibility criteria, with walkscore.com ratings of 94, 82 and 86 for walking, public transport and cycling respectively. The roof is fitted with both photovoltaic and thermal solar power. The building manages without mechanical heating and cooling, with ventilation assisted by good old fashioned ceiling fans to make each habitable room more comfortable.

Other features: Full-height windows at the ground floor enhance daylight and security

Photo: Tim Griffith

A New Norris House – College of Architecture & Design, UT Knoxville

A New Norris House: perhaps the most modest building in the AIA's top ten (Photo: Ken McCown)
A New Norris House: perhaps the most modest building in the AIA's top ten (Photo: Ken McCown)

To my eyes, A New Norris House in Tennessee is the most beautiful building on the list. It is also the only one to be designed at a university (the University of Tennessee Knoxville) rather than a commercial outfit. Supposedly half the size of the typical house, the emphasis is on quality rather than quantity. All interior spaces are daylight, with plenty of diffuse light via the dormer and skylight. Low-transmissivity glass and translucent blinds keep heat gain and glare under control.

Other features: LED lighting; no-VOC paint color-picked to provide a warm glow from natural light

Photo: Ken McCown

Pearl Brewery/Full Goods Warehouse – Lake Flato Architects

Pearl Brewery/Full Goods Warehouse, San Antonio by Lake Flato Architects (Photo: Lara Swimmer)
Pearl Brewery/Full Goods Warehouse, San Antonio by Lake Flato Architects (Photo: Lara Swimmer)

What appears to be the only refurbishment on the list, San Antonio's redeveloped Pearl Brewery has been designed to make use of "breezeways," oriented to capture and funnel light summer winds (albeit with a little encouragement from ceiling fans). All of the rainwater from the roof is captured, and added to recycled gray water so that no potable water is used to irrigate landscaping.

Other features: LEED Gold certificate; day-lit breezeways

Photo: Lara Swimmer

San Francisco Public Utilities Commission Headquarters – KMD Architects and Stevens & Associates

San Francisco Public Utilities Commission Headquarters, San Francisco by KMD Architects and Stevens & Associates (Photos: Bruce Damonte)
San Francisco Public Utilities Commission Headquarters, San Francisco by KMD Architects and Stevens & Associates (Photos: Bruce Damonte)

San Francisco's Public Utilities Commission Headquarters deserves a pat on the back for being up-front about the contribution made by its on-site wind and solar power systems, even if, at 7 percent, it falls short of net zero consumption. It's claimed to be one of the first buildings in the US to treat both gray and black water on site. Daylight harvesting and other lighting design measures mean the building's electricity demand due to lighting is 45 percent that of a typical Class A office.

Other features: Exceeds California's Title 24 requirements for offices; designed to achieve LEED Platinum certification

Photos: Bruce Damonte

Swenson Civil Engineering Building – Ross Barney Architects and SJA Architects

Swenson Civil Engineering Building, Duluth, Minnesota by Ross Barney Architects and SJA Architects (Photo: Kate Joyce Studios)
Swenson Civil Engineering Building, Duluth, Minnesota by Ross Barney Architects and SJA Architects (Photo: Kate Joyce Studios)

Another of the more eye-catching designs to make the list, the Swenson Civil Engineering Building in Duluth, Minnesota is all about storm-water management and filtration. A green roof covers 22 percent of the roof area, and 73 percent of the site footprint makes use of porous materials and landscaping, reducing flow rates and filtering-out impurities ahead of capture and storage.

Other features: LEED Gold certificate (a few points short of Platinum)

Photo: Kate Joyce Studios

Yin Yang House – Brooks + Scarpa

Yin Yang House, Venice, California by Brooks + Scarpa (Photo: John Edward Linden)
Yin Yang House, Venice, California by Brooks + Scarpa (Photo: John Edward Linden)

Insulated and sealed to the nines, with a 12-kW PV system, Yin Yang House in Venice, California is, perhaps surprisingly, the only net zero building on the list. A thermal chimney and cross-ventilation provide passive cooling, and the cantilevered roof shades bedrooms from direct sunlight.Other features: green roof, 95-percent retention of storm water

Photo: John Edward Linden

Source: The American Institute of Architects

View gallery - 40 images
4 comments
4 comments
Robert Hirsch
I work with Earthships in Taos and all of these houses are by far the most efficient structures on the planet. At 20 below zero in the winter they need no additional heating to keep them 70 degrees inside. When it is 100 degrees in summer they are cool inside. Solar panels, thermal mass, insulation, internal green house with gray water treatment , and much more. Please do some research. LEED is a ridiculous standard.
Joseph Boe
Robert Hirsch's comments not withstanding, President George W Bush's new Presidential Library was awarded a Platinum rating from LEEDS.
Slowburn
The amount of energy saved by opening window when the outside temperature is nice is a drop in the bucket compared to the energy that is lost to jack wades that will open the windows when the weather is lousy.
steve02
President George W Bush's new Presidential Library was awarded a Platinum rating from LEEDS. .... one must look at politics too.
Previuosly, the Ronald Reagan Library in LA din't get any environment award, if being environment councious.
It was investigated under my location (LA).