Design > Corporate America and Green Building

The figures are daunting: more than 70 percent of total electricity usage and nearly 40 percent of carbon dioxide emissions in the United States comes from heating, cooling and powering office spaces. Office computers alone use about $1 billion of electricity every year.

The good news is that innovative design techniques are making it easier than ever for companies to enact green ideals on a large scale with big impact on the environment, employee happiness and the bottom line. “Green building” is in vogue: U.S. construction of new projects is expected to exceed $12 billion in 2007. If a building meets standards for water conservation, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality, it can be granted the LEED (“Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design”) certification by the U.S. Green Building Council. Architects have proven that these standards hardly require a break from aesthetics. Norman Foster, Thomas Herzog, and Renzo Piano are examples of award-winning architects who have embraced environmentally friendly principles in their work.

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