A few years ago, we mentioned this project and want to take an opportunity to follow up.  The new Lofts @ Cherokee Studios, designed by Pugh + Scarpa and developed by REthink Development, is now complete.  Built on the same site as Cherokee Recording Studios, which was MGM Studios before that, the location saw the likes of numerous past and present musical giants, including Elvis, Frank Sinatra, Elton John, David Bowie, and Dave Matthews.  It's now a mixed-use location seeking LEED Platinum certification. 

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Chicago has a new 82-story tower on its skyline that is due for completion in the Spring of 2010.  But in a city of grids and rectilinear forms, the AQUA tower has a distinctive character with a more fluid appearance coming from the deep projecting balconies which are reminiscent of geologic rock formations.  Designed by Jeanne Gang of Studio Gang Architects, AQUA is also currently the tallest structure designed by a woman-led firm.

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Ann Arbor, Michigan architectural firm A3C has turned its building into a showcase for a number of green building components, and managed to produce a LEED-CI Gold renovation of the existing two-story building while they were at it.  The firm wanted to have a showcase for a variety of green building options, as well as providing themselves with firsthand experience with a number of different systems.

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Dockside Green is an award-winning development located in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.  Within the 1.3 million square-foot, mixed-use community, all of the buildings, except the restaurant and pub facilities, have committed to obtaining LEED Platinum certification under the applicable Canadian LEED rating system.

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This is the Ross Street House in Madison, Wisconsin.  It's located just a mile from the University of Wisconsin campus and the first LEED Platinum home in the entire state!  I first noticed the home in an article on Cadalyst, where author Kenneth Wong discussed the use of ArchiCad software to model the home and neighboring properties for context.  Owner Carol Richard, partner in the Atlanta firm of Richard Wittschiebe Hand, also used modeling to optimize the amount of natural light brought into the home. 

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