The Center for Sustainable Landscapes (CSL) at the Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in Pittsburgh, Pa., has recently become the first certified Sustainable SITES Initiative v2 Platinum project in the world. The building originally opened in 2012 and was the first and only project to receive SITES 2009 Pilot Four Star certification.
The CSL was built over a previously documented brownfield with the goal of restoring the site. Since 2012, the project has successfully reintroduced 100 native plant species to the surrounding area. The building is net-zero energy and net-zero water thanks to its PV solar panels, a wind turbine, and a system for capturing and treating all water onsite for reuse.
See Also: First photos inside the nearly completed Jewel Changi Airport addition
The new SITES v2 Rating System builds off the 2009 pilot certification. SITES certified projects are better equipped to withstand catastrophic events like floods, droughts, and wildfires. They reduce water and energy demand, improve air quality, and promote human well-being.
SITES is owned and administered by Green Business Certification Inc. Certification is based on a point system: the number of points a project earns determines the certification level it receives (SItes Certified: 70-84 points, SITES Silver: 85-99 points, SITES Gold: 100-134 points, SITES Platinum: 135+ points).
Related Stories
Sustainability | Sep 10, 2018
At Penn State, sustainability is more than a goal
The university, encompassing 13 colleges and 24 campuses, adheres to protocols established by the UN.
Green | Aug 15, 2018
What if your neighborhood could make you healthier?
The WELL Community Standard equips planners to build health promotion into the very fabric of neighborhoods.
Energy | Aug 6, 2018
Will California lead the way to energy independence?
The architecture, engineering, and construction industry will have to make major adjustments in the years ahead now that many state, city and local governments are getting serious about creating a carbon neutral buildings sector.
Multifamily Housing | Jun 27, 2018
To take on climate change, go passive
If you haven’t looked seriously at “passive house” design and construction, you should.
Accelerate Live! | Jun 24, 2018
Watch all 19 Accelerate Live! talks on demand
BD+C’s second annual Accelerate Live! AEC innovation conference (May 10, 2018, Chicago) featured talks on AI for construction scheduling, regenerative design, the micro-buildings movement, post-occupancy evaluation, predictive visual data analytics, digital fabrication, and more. Take in all 19 talks on demand.
Sustainability | Jun 13, 2018
Largest Passive House office building in the U.S. will be built in Chicago’s West Loop
Solomon Cordwell Buenz is designing the building.
| Jun 11, 2018
Accelerate Live! talk: Regenerative design — When sustainability is not enough
In this 15-minute talk at BD+C’s Accelerate Live! conference (May 10, 2018, Chicago), HMC’s Eric Carbonnier poses the question: What if buildings could actually rejuvenate ecosystems?
| May 30, 2018
Accelerate Live! talk: T3 mass timber office buildings
In this 15-minute talk at BD+C’s Accelerate Live! conference (May 10, 2018, Chicago), architect and mass timber design expert Steve Cavanaugh tells the story behind the nation’s newest—and largest—mass timber building: T3 in Minneapolis.
Sustainability | May 16, 2018
Sustainability is dead: Regenerative architecture is the new green
Is sustainability a model that our culture should adopt and promote knowing that the bucket will one day be empty?
Sustainability | Apr 18, 2018
The 10 sustainability trends that forward-thinking organizations have on their minds
The future office strives to be better, focus more on the people who inhabit it, and contribute to the success of the company.
