More new construction adopting ‘green’ design

A new color is catching on in construction: green.

Some new projects, like the massive HealthNow New York office complex opening downtown, are aiming to be environmentally sensitive in everything from the building materials they use to the lighting systems in their offices.

Proponents say the payoff from “going green” comes in the form of lower utility bills, a healthier workplace for employees, reduced impact on the environment, and community goodwill.

Just a few years ago, using greenfriendly ideas to meticulously guide the design of a building was uncommon, a nice idea for some other project to try. But the trend is showing up in a growing number of places; many cities are embracing the objectives for public projects.

“Everyone wants to go green nowadays,” said Ryan Hughes, project manager for AEC, a Colorado architectural firm that has served as a consultant on the HealthNow New York complex.

The U.S. Green Building Council has helped steer green construction from an “alternative” concept toward the mainstream, with its widely used project checklist. The scoring system, known as Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design, or LEED for short, rates whether a building hits a range of targets beneficial to the environment.

from the Buffalo (NY) News