Green Building Initiative Recognizes Three New Buildings for
Sustainable Design and Construction

With their final assessments complete, three new buildings may now be promoted as having achieved Green Globes ratings that demonstrate their commitment to sustainable design and construction.

	GBI president Ward Hubbell (right) presents Arkansas governor Mike Beebe and ADEQ director Teresa Marks with a plaque recognizing the building's rating of three Green Globes.

• The Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality headquarters (North Little Rock, Arkansas) – Received a rating of three Green Globes for achievements that include water conservation features, the minimization of air emissions and ozone depleting substances, and the incorporation of site design and enhancement techniques that minimize the building’s environmental impact.
  
  
• NewPage Corporation headquarters (Miamisburg, Ohio) – Received a rating of three Green Globes for, among other things, minimizing harmful air emissions, implementing energy and water conservation strategies, the use of recycled materials, and progressive management practices.
  
  
• The Katherine K. Hanley Family Shelter (Fairfax, Virginia) – Received a rating of one Green Globe for energy-efficiency, efficient use of materials, minimization of site disturbance, and an integrated approach to design. It is the first facility of its kind in the state to be built green.

"All of these buildings effectively combine the innovation of environmental design with their required functionality," said Ward Hubbell, president of the Green Building Initiative. "They balance energy-efficiency with the need to provide a healthy and inviting workspace, and to minimize overall environmental impact. They also reinforce the fact that green building is appropriate and attainable for all types of structures."

Green Globes for New Construction was adapted from a system that is widely used in Canada, where it is one of only two green building rating systems recognized by the Canadian federal government. Under the trade name Go Green Plus, it is also the basis of the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) of Canada's national energy and environmental program for existing buildings.

"The Green Globes system offers a number of advantages that make it suitable for any size or type of structure," said Hubbell. "It's Web-based, easy to use and cost effective. And because the rating is confirmed by an independent building science expert, it gives organizations a platform on which to demonstrate their commitment to the environment—whether they’re a government body, a multi-national corporation or a non-profit."

Other buildings that have completed the two-stage Green Globes assessment process in the U.S. include (but are not limited to): Blakely Hall in Issaquah, Wash.; the Pfizer Inc. Clinical Research Unit in New Haven, Conn.; the RenewAire, LLC corporate headquarters in Madison, Wis.; the Clinton Library in Little Rock, Ark., and the Summit County Materials Recycling Facility in Summit County, Colo.

For more information about the GBI or Green Globes, please visit www.thegbi.org.