Getting Green

From the Green Building Council Website: "The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System™ encourages and accelerates global adoption of sustainable green building and development practices through the creation and implementation of universally understood and accepted tools and performance criteria."

I've passed the LEED exam and am now a LEED Accredited Professional.

However, before I become another vocal advocate of the green revolution, I must admit there is a part of me that is skeptical of 'Green.' The heavy emphasis that 'Green Building' has been getting in the world of design is a great boost to architecture, but also a minor curse. Green is great, but it is not all architecture is. Making a building energy efficient doesn't necessarily make it a great building. Architecture is more than the engineering that goes into it. Designing a building to be energy efficient and environmentally friendly is a great leap forward; but it is not the whole of architecture. Making a building that is just efficient is good engineering. Combined with good architecture, it can produce a great building. Lets not forget the Architecture in the rush to Green.