The Revitalist

Planetizen links to an article at The Slatin Report that advocates for more green corporate buildings. It's not as hard as it used to be – the author sets out 10 key points to keep in mind when building the next corporate hq. The advice is pretty standard, but the first, and most important, point bears repeating. If you want to go green, start with an integrated team right from the project's conception. You can't just slap on different mechanical systems at the end of the project and expect to be hailed as an environmental savior. That being said, there are lots of possibilities in retrofitting existing buildings to make them as efficient as possible that are pretty appealing.

The most inspiring quote from the article: "Financial institutions and investors will soon use new valuation methodologies to quantify important green building factors like productivity and long-term life cycle costs when determining real estate values." If lenders recognize an increased value in green buildings, then green suddenly becomes an economically feasible alternative for a much bigger audience.