Dubai 1st Green City in the World

The instruction issued by His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, that all buildings in Dubai would have to be constructed as per environment-friendly "green building standards" from January next year (2008). come as a major boost to the international climate initiative.

The latest decision makes Dubai one of the first in the world, and the only city in the Middle East region, to go for the "green building standards".

This system also has a plethora of benefits to derive from. For example, a green building, according to the US Green Buildings Council, can save, on an average, 70 per cent of electricity, between 50 and 60 per cent of water, and 36 per cent of energy more when compared to the standard buildings.

Green Globes Student Housing - University of Arkansas

Architects: Little Diversified Architectural Consulting (Charlotte, NC) with Allison Architects (Fayetteville and Little Rock)

• 50 apartments on the southeast edge of the University of Arkansas Fayetteville campus
• 600 sq ft
  
• projected to cost $ 16. 28 million
• 4 three-story apartment buildings - community building with a lounge, office and upstairs exercise room
• first Green Globes project on campus
• part of the university’s efforts to become “a model for sustainability”
• university “mindful of our responsibility to our environment and to our surroundings”. That means implementing the latest standards in “green design” for all new campus buildings.
  
• new UA construction projects followed LEED benchmarks since 2004
• Green Globes is similar to LEED. 90% percent of criteria between the two agree, but Green Globes identifies wood as a renewable resource

Features:

• wood frame
• energy efficient lighting, windows and insulation
• carpets will be made from recycled materials
• showers and toilets will be designed to restrict water flow
• landscaping will use native plants that limit erosion
• Energy Star-approved appliances

Source: http://www.nwanews.com/adg/News/202757/

Katherine K. Hanley Family Shelter (VA)

The county building incorporates many “green building” features, including:

• energy-efficient appliances and light fixtures
• building materials with recycled content
• water-saving plumbing fixtures
• water-efficient landscaping
• extensive use of natural light.

And it's the first homeless shelter in the country to receive a Green Globes rating for its sound, energy and environmental- design practices and will be recognized by the Green Building Initiative for this distinction at a later time.

Source: http://www.connectionnewspapers.com/article.asp?article=85107&paper=62&cat=104

"Green" Credit Union ranch (Kitchener, ON)

"This is Libro's third "green" branch. Its design has received 4 out
of 5 Green Globes, a third party environmental building rating system. The
designation showcases Libro's leadership in energy efficient and environmental
design practices," says Jack Smit, President and CEO, Libro. "We are committed
to building "green" when we can. We know the importance of reducing our impact
on the environment. We may be new to the Williamsburg neighbourhood but we're
committed to its sustainability!"

See complete list of green features in the article at: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/June2007/19/c6518.html

LEED vs Green Globes Study

Something to consider (affordable over high profile) especially for low or tight budgets...

"A 2007 University of Minnesota study compared LEED to Green Globes. The study found that Green Globes is less costly, easier to work with and less time-consuming than LEED."

Click here for the full report: http://www.thegbi.org/gbi/Green_Building_Rating_UofM.pdf
Click here for a comparison chart: http://www.thegbi.org/gbi/pdf/ProcessComparison.pdf

Integrated Learning Centre: Queen’s University - Kingston, Ontario

• 80,000 sq.ft. (7,400 sq.m.)
• four-leaf rating through the BREEAM/Green Leaf program (aka Green Globes)
• Designed by B+H Architects of Torontocompleted in 2004