by ArchitectureWeek

The GreenBuild Conference, held in Denver, Colorado in November 2006, provided an important rallying of forces against global warming. Architects, builders, nongovernmental organizations, building product manufacturers, and other private companies gathered to announce ambitious plans for confronting the problem.

Rick Fedrizzi, president of the U.S Green Building Council (USGBC), which organized the conference, announced a long list of proposals intended "to bring about 'immediate and measurable' carbon dioxide reduction and to advance the green building industry. The USGBC will develop a CO₂ offset program and require that, to achieve LEED certification, commercial buildings must reduce CO₂ emissions to half of current levels.

That the USGBC is adding greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to the established concerns of conserving energy and fighting pollution is good news for activists alarmed by the role of the construction industry in global warming. One of these activists is Edward Mazria, founder and executive director of Architecture 2030. This group's goal is that all new buildings will be carbon neutral by the year 2030.

Mazria said at the conference: "The task we face is daunting. Working separately, we could accomplish something significant in each of our respective spheres. But by working together, we actually have a chance to influence the course of history."   >>>

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Multidenominational chapel for the Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, California, by William McDonough, one of the speakers at GreenBuild. Image: William McDonough + Partners Ecourban is part of an urban renewal initiative in the Poblenou District of Barcelona, Spain, designed by William McDonough and Partners. Image: William McDonough + Partners   Click on thumbnail images to view full-size pictures.