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New Web Site for Green Builders

The site includes information on LEED certification.

Mairi Beautyman -- Interior Design, 2/14/2006 12:00:00 AM

Green building professionals now have a new online resource for ecological building information. A Web site launched by the non-profit Natural Resources Defense Council offers practical tips for creating “high-performance, energy-efficient, healthy homes and workspaces,” according to press material.

The site features a five-step green planning guide, as well as sections discussing site selection, water efficiency, energy savings, resource use, improving indoor environmental quality, and the application process for the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) green building rating system. Commercial builders, corporate owner-occupants, designers, and architects can use the guide to trace a project from inception through design, construction, and marketing.

Success stories--companies that have lowered water and energy costs and achieved higher occupancy rates and rents by marketing their green features--are highlighted in a case study section.

"Increasingly, building professionals are interested in building green but need focused information to understand the green design process and make the case to their colleagues, clients and investors," says Rob Watson, director of NRDC's green building programs. The Natural Resources Defense Council is a nonprofit organization of scientists, lawyers, and environmental specialists dedicated to protecting public health and the environment.