July 26, 2004—With environmental responsibility climbing up the boardroom agenda, an estimated $30bn (18bn) is currently being spent worldwide on the construction of green buildings and both developers and occupiers are lining up for the title of ‘world’s greenest’.
30 St Mary Axe—the gherkin—recently described in the Wall St Journal as the most ‘provocative’ building in London, certainly has a claim to make. Amongst many other features, it offers the opportunity to introduce ‘genuine fresh air’ into the office environment.
The drive to go green is by no means confined to the UK, or even the US. Being seen to be more environmentally responsible is good for companies’ reputations and also makes good business sense. Environment-friendly construction tends to be somewhat more expensive, but there are savings to be made over the lifetime of a building—measured in, for example, lower energy and water bills, reduced waste disposal and improved productivity and health of employees.
The current ‘world’s greenest building’ is the Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Centre in Hyderabad, India, according to the US-based Green Building Council.
Last month, the mayor of Chicago announced that all new public buildings would meet green standards as part of a project to make the city the most environmentally friendly in the country. In New York, developers have been offered tax credits since 2000 for constructing green buildings, and new legislation will require all public buildings to be green starting from January 2006.
—Elliott Chase
Reprinted with permission; copyright 2004 i-FM
