AIA 2014 Top 10: LEED Feels the Love

Every year since 1997, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) has scoured the nation for top building designs. Increasingly, they’ve leaned toward projects with a holistic focus on environmental impact, so it’s only natural that a number of LEED certified projects make their list.

This year is no different, as exactly half the list touted LEED Gold and LEED Platinum ratings. To provide you a bit of inspiration, here’s a dive on three of my favorites.

The US Land Port of Entry

This GSA LEED Gold-certified Customs and Border Protection building sits along the Minnesota-Canada border. Ideated by Snow Kreilich, it features a particularly streamlined design that compliments the vastly empty Minnesota landscape and makes direct reference to the East-West national border.

The LEED consultant on the project, Steven Winter Associates, advised the three buildings to be outfitted with sustainably harvested cedar siding, rainwater capture systems, and significant daylight harvestings. What’s more, this is the only building on the AIA list to also tout a geothermal heating and cooling system.

Wayne N. Aspinall Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse

This one grabbed my attention precisely because it was such a beautifully executed retrofit and modernization of a historic existing building. Located in Grand Junction, Colorado, the 41,000+ sq. ft. limestone courthouse dates back to 1918. The project was extensive, ranging from an Energy Star roofing membrane to photovoltaic energy system installation.

A new lobby configuration allowed for improved daylight harvesting, but energy efficient LED lighting was utilized where natural light could not penetrate. As a result of the extensive work by Westlake Reed Leskosky and The Beck Group, the courthouse is now LEED Platinum certified and said to be one of the most energy efficient historic buildings in the country.

Bud Clark Commons

This functional yet exquisite LEED Platinum design is serving more than one altruistic purpose in Portland, Oregon. The building leverages greywater recycling, heat recovery ventilation, daylight harvesting, and solar hot water to assist the city’s homeless in getting back on their feet.

More than 90 temporary shelter beds and 130 studio apartments, in addition to a walk-in day center, are all housed in the eco-friendly design crafted by Holst Architecture. Needless to say, this $47 million project proves that when it comes to housing the homeless, aesthetic and environmental impact don’t always go overlooked.

Interested in checking out the rest of the AIA 2014 Top Ten? Simply click here.