The USGBC released its 2011 list of top 10 states for LEED-certified commercial and institutional green buildings per capita, based on the U.S. 2010 Census information. The District of Columbia leads the nation, with more than 31 square feet of LEED-certified space per person in 2011, with Colorado being the leading state, with 2.74 square feet per person in 2011.
Other top states include Illinois, Virginia and Washington, with 2.69, 2.42 and 2.18 square feet of LEED-certified space per person, respectively. The top LEED states per capita, including the District of Columbia.
Notable newly certified projects in 2011 include the Treasury Building in Washington, D.C., which is distinguished as the oldest LEED-certified project in the world; the LEED-Platinum Casey Middle School in Boulder, Colo.; the iconic Wrigley Building in Chicago, Ill.; Frito-Lay in Lynchburg, Va., which earned LEED Gold for the operations and maintenance of an existing building; the LEED Silver Hard Rock Café in Seattle, Wash.; Anne Arundel Medical Center in Annapolis, Md.; Yawkey Distribution Center of The Greater Boston Food Bank in Mass.; the LEED Gold Austin Convention Center in TX; SFO's LEED Gold Terminal 2 in San Francisco, Calif.; the LEED-Platinum Hotel Skylar in Syracuse, N.Y.; and the LEED Platinum Marquette Plaza in Minneapolis, Minn.
In December 2011, USGBC announced that LEED-certified existing buildings outpaced their newly built counterparts by 15 million square feet on a cumulative basis. A focus on heightened building performance through green operations and maintenance is essential to cost-effectively driving improvements in the economy and the environment.
|
|
Sq. ft. of space to earn LEED-certification in 2011 |
Per capita |
|
District of Columbia |
18,954,022 |
31.50 |
|
Colorado |
13,803,113 |
2.74 |
|
Illinois |
34,567,585 |
2.69 |
|
Virginia |
19,358,193 |
2.42 |
|
Washington |
14,667,558 |
2.18 |
|
Maryland |
11,970,869 |
2.07 |
|
Massachusetts |
13,087,625 |
2.00 |
|
Texas |
50,001,476 |
1.99 |
|
California |
71,551,296 |
1.92 |
|
New York |
36,538,981 |
1.89 |
|
Minnesota |
9,591,445 |
1.81 |
Related Stories
| Feb 4, 2014
World's fifth 'living building' certified at Smith College [slideshow]
The Bechtel Environmental Classroom utilizes solar power, composting toilets, and an energy recovery system, among other sustainable strategies, to meet the rigorous performance requirements of the Living Building Challenge.
| Feb 4, 2014
Must see: Student housing complex made with recycled shipping containers
Architect Christian Salvati's new structure is just the first step in bringing shipping container construction to New Haven, Conn.
| Feb 3, 2014
Gehry wins bid to design Berlin's tallest tower [slideshow]
The architect's "rotating cubes" scheme for the 300-unit residential tower beat out design submissions by eight other prominent firms, including Adjaye Associates and David Chipperfield Architects.
| Jan 31, 2014
Trump Hotel Collections announces luxury hotel for Rio de Janeiro
The 13-story, 171-guestroom Trump Rio will be Trump Hotel Collection’s first property in South America and the only luxury hotel in the neighborhood when it opens in 2016.
| Jan 31, 2014
LEGO, Google partner to develop 3D modeling tool for LEGO structures
The free tool, called Build, allows Chrome users to create virtual 3D structures using any shape and color in the LEGO catalog.
| Jan 31, 2014
Ultra-modern McDonald's restaurant voted one of world's best new buildings
This McDonald's, which is combined with a fuel station and recreation areas, was awarded the Best Commercial Building of the Year by architecture website ArchDaily.
| Jan 31, 2014
6 considerations for rehabbing student union buildings
Most colleges and universities feel pressure to offer the latest amenities in order to attract and retain the best and brightest students. While hauling in the bulldozer to create modern facilities is attractive in some regards, deciding to renovate can be just as effective and, in some cases, even preferable to new construction.
| Jan 30, 2014
Mayors of 10 metros unite to cut building-related climate pollution
Organizers say combined initiative could cut as much climate-change pollution as generated by 1 million cars every year, and lower energy bills by nearly $1 billion annually.
| Jan 30, 2014
See how architects at NBBJ are using computational design to calculate the best views on projects [video]
In an ideal world, every office employee would have a beautiful view from his or her desk. While no one can make that happen in real life, computational design can help architects maximize views from every angle.
| Jan 30, 2014
The evolving workplace: One designer's inspiration board
"Open office" has been a major buzzword for decades, and like any buzzword, some of the novelty has worn off. I don't believe we will abandon the open office, but I do think we need to focus on providing a dynamic mix of open and closed spaces.
