January 14, 2007—The city of Greensburg, Kansas, has passed a resolution to certify all city -owned buildings LEED Platinum, making it the first city in the US to pass such a resolution. LEED Platinum is the highest rating a building can achieve under the US Green Building Council’s (USGBC) LEED Green Building Rating System, which is a voluntary, consensus-based program for the design, construction, and operation of high- performance green buildings.
Greensburg, devastated by a massive tornado on May 4, 2007, has focused its recovery on rebuilding as a model green community. On December 17, 2007, the City Council adopted a resolution that all city buildings greater than 4,000 square feet will be certified LEED Platinum and be required to reduce energy use by 42 percent over current building code requirements.
BNIM Architects of Kansas City, Missouri, worked closely with the city to draft the resolution and to educate the community on the benefits of LEED Platinum certification. The firm is also developing a comprehensive master plan to rebuild Greensburg based around the principles of economic, social, and environmental sustainability.
Local, state, and national organizations and agencies have been instrumental in promoting green building best practices for Greensburg, including Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius and the US Department of Agriculture. The US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory and its subcontractors are providing technical assistance on all aspects of energy use and building design in Greensburg.
The town and its citizens have already undertaken many innovative programs and projects. As part of the town’s “Green Initiative,” 10 commercial and public buildings in Greensburg have already committed to being LEED certified. USGBC notes that this number is especially impressive given the fact that only six buildings currently have received LEED certification in the whole state of Kansas and that this small rural community had a population of only about 1400 before the tornado.
For more information visit BNIM’s Greensburg Web site.
