Aldo Leopold Legacy Center, Baraboo, Wis.
ARCHITECT: Kubala Wa…
Aldo Leopold Legacy Center, Baraboo, Wis.
ARCHITECT: Kubala Washatko Architects, Cedarburg, Wis.
COMPLETED: April 2007
OF NOTE: First building recognized by LEED as carbon-neutral in operation
B. Cesar Chavez Library, Tucson, Ariz.
ARCHITECT: Line and Spa…
B. Cesar Chavez Library, Tucson, Ariz.
ARCHITECT: Line and Space, Tucson
COMPLETED: January 2007
OF NOTE: Built into site and bermed with excavated earth
C. Discovery Center at South Lake Union, Seattle
ARCHITECT: Mi…
C. Discovery Center at South Lake Union, Seattle
ARCHITECT: Miller/Hull Partnership, Seattle
COMPLETED: March 2005
OF NOTE: Designed to be demountable and transportable
D. Garthwaite Center for Science and Art, Weston, Mass.
ARCHIT…
D. Garthwaite Center for Science and Art, Weston, Mass.
ARCHITECT: Architerra, Boston
COMPLETED: August 2007
OF NOTE: Several building systems left exposed to offer teaching opportunities
E. Lavin-Bernick Center for University Life, New Orleans
ARCHI…
E. Lavin-Bernick Center for University Life, New Orleans
ARCHITECT: Vincent James Associates Architects, New York
COMPLETED: January 2007
OF NOTE: 33 percent new construction, 67 percent renovation
F. Macallen Building, Boston
ARCHITECT: Office dA, Boston (des…
F. Macallen Building, Boston
ARCHITECT: Office dA, Boston (design); Burt Hill, Boston (architect of record)
COMPLETED: April 2007
OF NOTE: LEED innovation point for system that treats cooling tower blowdown water without chemicals for use in irrigation
G. Nueva School, Hillsborough, Calif.
ARCHITECT: Leddy Maytum …
G. Nueva School, Hillsborough, Calif.
ARCHITECT: Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects, San Francisco
COMPLETED: September 2007
OF NOTE: Project replaced an 18,000-square-foot parking lot
H. Pocono Environmental Education Center, Dingmans Ferry, Pa.
…
H. Pocono Environmental Education Center, Dingmans Ferry, Pa.
ARCHITECT: Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
COMPLETED: October 2005
OF NOTE: Building's north wall is shingled with discarded tires from local sources
I. Queens Botanical Garden Visitor Center, Flushing, N.Y.
ARCH…
I. Queens Botanical Garden Visitor Center, Flushing, N.Y.
ARCHITECT: BKSK Architects, New York
COMPLETED: September 2007
OF NOTE: More than a third of the materials came from within 500 miles of the site
J. Yale Sculpture Building and Gallery, New Haven, Conn.
ARCHI…
J. Yale Sculpture Building and Gallery, New Haven, Conn.
ARCHITECT: KieranTimberlake Associates, Philadelphia
COMPLETED: September 2007
OF NOTE: Located on a former brownfield site
SINCE 1997, the AIA Committee on the Environment (COTE) has celebrated the best examples of sustainable architecture and green design with its annual selection of top 10 projects. The 2008 list was released in late April, and the winning projects—which range from a 7,750-square-foot education center to a 350,000-square-foot condo mid-rise—were honored in May at the American Institute of Architects’ annual convention. “One thing that’s very clear from this year’s winners,” says Henry Siegel, COTE chairman and a founding principal of Siegel & Strain Architects, “is that design matters. [Sustainability] can’t just be buildings that perform well. Paraphrasing David Orr, ‘If it’s not beautiful, it’s not sustainable.’ ” Siegel also notes that the types of projects being submitted to COTE for consideration, which in the past have tended to be of the “campus and nature center” variety, are increasingly city-based. “[We’re] looking for diversity, for urban projects,” says Siegel. “As time goes by, it is getting more diverse.” For detailed information about this year’s projects and to see the winners from previous years, visit aiatopten.org.
Braulio Agnese is a freelance editor and communications consultant. When he's not focusing on design and architecture, you'll find him engaging in arts-related endeavors. Follow him on Twitter at @bagnese.
