Green Building : Jetson Green

Tempe Transit Center Covered in Green

We've seen solar-powered transit shelters, but this eco-friendly transit center with transit stops outfitted with green walls may be a first.  With the help of greenscreen green walls, the City of Tempe Transit Center is seeking LEED Platinum certification.  The mixed use facility, designed to be 52% more efficient than a traditional building of its kind, went with green walls to provide a buffer from the harsh Arizona sun and heat. 

Zero Energy Idea House in Washington

It's time to follow up on a project a cool project, the Zero Energy Idea House, that we mentioned at ground breaking in July 2008.  Located at Bass Cove near Bellevue, Washington, the 1,630 square-foot, two-bedroom Zero Energy Idea House was designed by Clinkston Brunner Architects and built by Shirey Contracting.  Overlooking Lake Sammamish, the home is planted into the hill as a demonstration of energy efficiency -- the goal is to show that it generates as much energy as it uses.  

NASA's Gorgeous LEED Gold Building

This is NASA's new Jet Propulsion Laboratory Flight Projects Center in Pasadena, California.  Like several other projects we've mentioned (i.e., ENC, Susi Q Seniors, and Koll Airport), the Flight Projects Center was designed by LPA Inc, and it's a gorgeous building (see video below).  Next Monday, October 26, at 10 a.m., there will be a ceremony and ribbon cutting to celebrate what is the greenest built facility in the NASA family. 

The Largest Green Wall in North America

A few months back, we reported that PNC (NYSE: PNC) was in the process of installing the largest green wall in North American on the exterior of their Pittsburgh headquarters building, One PNC Plaza.  Now, as you can see in this monstrous image, PNC has successfully installed the 2,380 square-foot living wall with 602 modular panels.  Each 2'x2' panel has roughly 24 plants, so there’s approximately 14,448 plants covering the wall of this 30-story building.  Wow!

Learning from a Dead Living Wall

At one time, Paradise Park Children's Centre in London had a lush vertical hydroponic garden covering certain portions of the structure.  That time is no more, reports The Architects' Journal, the BBC, and the London Evening Standard.  The building, designed by DSDHA, called for a living wall to mitigate against planting the structure on a portion of open park space.  DSDHA retained landscape architect Marie Clarke and had the green wall system installed at a cost of £100,000.

Going Postal with the Largest Green Roof in New York City

Turner Construction is substantially finished with New York City's largest green roof.  The company, one of the largest green builders in the country, installed plants, grasses, and fourteen benches made of FSC certified lumber for the United States Postal Service (USPS).  The 2.5-acre green roof sits on the Morgan Mail Processing Facility on West 28th Street between 9th and 10th Avenues. 

It's expected to reduce storm water runoff and save ~$30,000 each year in heating and cooling costs.  

A Distinctive Greenscreen In the Wild

We've mentioned Arizona State University's green School of Sustainability, and we've also mentioned greenscreen modular trellis panels, but we're going to bring it all full circle here in one article.  ASU used greenscreen green walls in the renovation of this 1960s building to add a little something extra -- to cool the interior, clean the air, and bolster the design.  A wall was removed to add this distinctive element, and the strategy seems to be working. 

PNC Brands Headquarters with Largest Living Wall in North America

Update 9/22/09: Largest Green Wall in North America is Complete!

In a recent press release, PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: PNC) announced plans to install a 2,380 square-foot, soil-based living wall on the southerly exterior of the company's Pittsburgh headquarters building, One PNC Plaza.  The living wall, pending municipal approval and installation in September 2009, will be the largest green living wall in North America.  Produced by Green Living Technologies and designed by Mingo Design, a careful arrangement of locally-sourced plants will brand the building with PNC's logo. 

737conserve Venice Green Home

Remember when we mentioned project7ten?  We were probably one of the earliest to mention the wildly popular home, so we were interested to notice that some of the same folks behind project7ten just finished another green home called 737conserve.  Located at 737 Milwood Avenue and designed by Patrick Tighe, 737conserve has the same warm and modern feel that project7ten has.  Here are some photos and a list of of its many green elements:

Babcock Ranch 100% Solar Powered City

We've heard about ecocities in far away lands, but now there's one planned for the Unities States.  Located near Fort Meyers, Florida, Babcock Ranch will be powered entirely by solar power.  It's a bold and progressive plan, and if Kitson & Partners can secure all the necessary regulatory approvals, construction will begin this year.  The city includes a 75-megawatt, on-site, photovoltaic facility constructed by Florida Power & Light for nearly $350 million.