Noted green building consultant, green building book author, and sustainability planning expert, Jerry Yudelson addressed a large gathering of public officials and LEED Spanish green building experts on June 4, 2012 in Bilbao, Spain, giving the keynote speech at the celebration of Spain’s first public-sector LEED Platinum green building.
In addition to Yudelson, speaking at the half-day event were Sr. Ibon Areso, head of the Bilbao City Council; Sr. Aurelio Ramírez, CEO of the Spain Green Building Council; former US Green Building Council Vice-Chair Zaida Basora from the City of Dallas, Texas; and Lynn Perkins, AIA, representing the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Seattle, Washington.
Yudelson’s keynote speech was titled “The Business Case for the Rapid Adoption of Green Building in Spain.” He said, “The key issue now in the green building industry is how such projects perform, using actual operating data, not design projections. For the past two years, I have researched this issue internationally, and in this conference, I shared some of the results of my global research with the Spanish building industry and local government hosts.”
The green building consultant continued, “If we are serious about cutting our carbon emissions, we have to deal with the rapid greening of public and commercial buildings, which globally account for nearly 20 percent of all emissions of greenhouse gases. In this presentation, I challenged the building industry—and those involved in green building and sustainable design in particular—to get serious about adopting high-performance buildings as the New Normal.”
A professional engineer and experienced sustainability consultant, Yudelson has been involved with promoting the LEED green building rating system for 15 years and is the author of twelve (12) books on the subject of green buildings, green homes, green marketing, water conservation and sustainable development. In 2011, the US Green Building Council named him to the first class of LEED Fellows. +
Related Stories
Market Data | Apr 11, 2023
Construction crane count reaches all-time high in Q1 2023
Toronto, Seattle, Los Angeles, and Denver top the list of U.S/Canadian cities with the greatest number of fixed cranes on construction sites, according to Rider Levett Bucknall's RLB Crane Index for North America for Q1 2023.
University Buildings | Apr 11, 2023
Supersizing higher education: Tracking the rise of mega buildings on university campuses
Mega buildings on higher education campuses aren’t unusual. But what has been different lately is the sheer number of supersized projects that have been in the works over the last 12–15 months.
Architects | Apr 10, 2023
Bill Hellmuth, FAIA, Chairman and CEO of HOK, dies at 69
William (Bill) Hellmuth, FAIA, the Chairman and CEO of HOK, passed away on April 6, 2023, after a long illness. Hellmuth designed dozens of award-winning buildings across the globe, including the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company Headquarters and the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi.
Contractors | Apr 10, 2023
What makes prefabrication work? Factors every construction project should consider
There are many factors requiring careful consideration when determining whether a project is a good fit for prefabrication. JE Dunn’s Brian Burkett breaks down the most important considerations.
Mixed-Use | Apr 7, 2023
New Nashville mixed-use high-rise features curved, stepped massing and wellness focus
Construction recently started on 5 City Blvd, a new 15-story office and mixed-use building in Nashville, Tenn. Located on a uniquely shaped site, the 730,000-sf structure features curved, stepped massing and amenities with a focus on wellness.
Smart Buildings | Apr 7, 2023
Carnegie Mellon University's research on advanced building sensors provokes heated controversy
A research project to test next-generation building sensors at Carnegie Mellon University provoked intense debate over the privacy implications of widespread deployment of the devices in a new 90,000-sf building. The light-switch-size devices, capable of measuring 12 types of data including motion and sound, were mounted in more than 300 locations throughout the building.
Affordable Housing | Apr 7, 2023
Florida’s affordable housing law expected to fuel multifamily residential projects
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis recently signed into law affordable housing legislation that includes $711 million for housing programs and tax breaks for developers. The new law will supersede local governments’ zoning, density, and height requirements.
Energy Efficiency | Apr 7, 2023
Department of Energy makes $1 billion available for states, local governments to upgrade building codes
The U.S. Department of Energy is offering funding to help state and local governments upgrade their building codes to boost energy efficiency. The funding will support improved building codes that reduce carbon emissions and improve energy efficiency, according to DOE.
Steel Buildings | Apr 6, 2023
2023 AISC Forge Prize winner envisions the gas station of the future
Forge Prize winner LVL (Level) Studio envisions a place where motorists can relax, work, play, shop, or perhaps even get healthcare while their vehicles charge.
Architects | Apr 6, 2023
New tool from Perkins&Will will make public health data more accessible to designers and architects
Called PRECEDE, the dashboard is an open-source tool developed by Perkins&Will that draws on federal data to identify and assess community health priorities within the U.S. by location. The firm was recently awarded a $30,000 ASID Foundation Grant to enhance the tool.
