The new science and library building at Crossroads College Preparatory School, located in the city of St. Louis, is seeking LEED Platinum certification.  If obtained, it will be the first K-12 school in St. Louis to earn certification.  Head of School Billy Handmaker* was committed to achieving the highest level of certification possible, while still spending within the budget and ending up with a good looking building.  He said, "from the beginning, we said 'we want Platinum, but won't compromise."

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About a month and a half ago, Marken Projects, founded by developer Alexander Maurer and based in Vancouver, BC, announced plans to build this 2,400 square foot home.  It’s going to be Passive House certified, LEED Platinum certified in Canada, and built using a German modular wood building system.  Needless to say, it has all the components of the kind of projects we like.

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The NY Times picked up on a trend that's been gaining momentum for a long time.  In "Some Buildings Not Living Up to Green Label," Mireya Navarro discusses the "gap between design and construction, which LEED certifies, and how some buildings actually perform."  Navarro's not breaking any new ground here, especially for those ensconced in the green building world; however, like the ingredients of a hot dog, the general population needs to understand what LEED is made of. 

Would you be shocked to learn that a LEED building may or may not be energy or water efficient?  Don't be.

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About four years ago, Indiana based audio and music equipment supplier Sweetwater Sound Inc. began running out of space and started looking for other options.  After ruling out the ability to add to their existing facility, they decided to build something new.

The goal was to create something special for Fort Wayne and have the building resonate with the employees, almost all of whom are musicians and have an interest in the environment.  The architecture firm MSKTD suggested that they pursue LEED certification, and after a visit to Herman Miller's LEED Gold facility in Holland Michigan, they were sold.

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A long time ago, we mentioned the 100k House project developed by Post Green in Philadelphia.  The project involves two attached homes designed by Interface Studio Architects, and one was a case study of sorts to try to build it for only $100,000.  What I liked about the project was its attempt to marry three essential elements: style, sustainability, and affordability.  All too often, these three are hard to put together in the same package.  But the media wave followed, and Post Green seems to have delivered what it set out to do.

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