• Green Building Alliance
• Products Initiative

Green Buildings

• Types of Green Building
  • Commercial
  • Community Institutions
  • Higher Education
  • PreK-12 Schools
  • Historic Buildings
  • Existing Buildings
  • Healthcare
  • Industrial
  • Neighborhood Development
  • Residential
• What is Green Building?
• Why Green Building?
• How to Design, Build, and Operate Green
• Green Products
• Building Certifications
• Case Studies
• Tour a Green Building

Green buildings do not have to be a new building.  Oftentimes, new state-of-the-art sustainable complexes are new construction projects.  However, constructing a sustainable existing building follows one of the key aspect to sustainability- reuse.  It is important to use the things that we already have acquired.  Using existing infrastructures keep commercial spaces and homes close to local amenities, limiting the amount of sprawl we spread onto undeveloped land, while reducing the amount of CO2 emissions that are produced.  There is a high need and availability to reconfigure existing buildings into newly revamped structures.   Many cities throughout the world have structures that are not in use, even though they might hold prime real estate.   Enhancing an area's unused eyesores into functioning locations increases community connectivness and confidence. 

Extending an existing building's lifespan into the future is a large task.  Renovation can seem overwhelming at first glance to an already existing building; however, the outcome of the transformation is an accomplishing moment.  Improvements to the building's envelope, including roofing, windows and insulation, HVAC system, housekeeping and lighting are common enhancements to existing buildings, as well as incorporating water conserving fixtures and healthy building materials.  These retrofits decrease the cost of operations and increases the satisfaction of occupants using the building.

The LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance (EBOM) Rating System allows building owners and operators to track and quantify the use of energy, water and materials in their buildings.  The goal is to maximize operational efficiency while minimizing environmental impacts.   LEED EBOM also helps operators and managers to critically track usages and solve inefficiencies within the structure in order to maintain and improve building performance over time. 

LEED EBOM is a set of performance standards designed to certify the sustainability of ongoing operations in existing buildings.  Operations include recycling, exterior maintenance and building housekeeping.  Buildings that can apply for LEED EMOB Certification can be commercial, institutional and residential buildings.  Secondary certification can be achieved through LEED EBOM if projects are certified under LEED for New Construction, Schools, or Core & Shell Rating Systems.

Local Case Studies

Carriage House Children's Center
Squirrel Hill, Pittsburgh, PA
LEED-EB v.2.0 Gold, 2009
40,000 square feet
$115/ square foot

Green renovation features of this 110-year-old former public school include the use of nontoxic materials, insulation of basement walls and attic, use of low-flow plumbing fixtures and recycling over 40 tons of construction waste.  The center has instituted green cleaning and maintenance procedures, along with a recycling program, and is developing an environmental curriculum for its preschoolers.

Project Team
BDA Engineering, Inc.
Carlins Consulting
Carriage House Children's Center
Elk Air Conditioning
Jendoco Construction Corporation
Moshier Studio
Watson Engineers

CCI Center
South Side, Pittsburgh, PA
LEED-EB v1.0 Pilot, 2005
11,500 square feet
$60/ square foot

CCI Center, an adaptive reuse of a former art gallery and soap factory completed in 1998, is located in an urban neighborhood.  The building features an impressive set of cost-effective green  elements, including efficient lighting and HVAC systems, sun screens, photovoltaic panels, and extensive use of materials that are reused, recycled, re-manufactured and non-toxic. CCI Center provides an incubator environment for environmental non-profits and, in addition, houses the GBA library and green meeting rooms and serves as a demonstration of green building practices and materials. 

Project Team
BDA Engineering, Inc.
Clearview Project Services Company
Conservation Consutants, Inc.
Green Building Alliance
Tai + Lee Architects
Tudi mechanical Systems, Inc.