Fenestration and Glazing

Is a building sustainable if it kills birds?

April 19, 2011

Migratory birds were flying into the windows and falling, dead or injured, to the foot of the LEED-Platinum FBI building in Chicago. During the spring and fall, birds were crashing into the windows at a rate of at least 10 a day.

That FBI building isn't the only LEED-certified structure to cause problems for migratory birds, however. Some of the more than 33,000 LEED-certified buildings in the U.S. use large amounts of glass to bring in natural light and save on energy—and all that glass can confuse birds.

Can a building that kills birds be a leader in environmental design?

Full story

Source: Chicago Tribune

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