Top 10 Green Building Projects 2013 - Fast CoExist

Last month, Fast Company's CoExist featured 2013's Top 10 Green Building Projects. These projects include a kids day school, a planned community and the US Army Corps of Engineers Northwest District regional headquarters. These designs are full of earth friendly technology, innovation and are great examples of the direction that modern architecture is moving in.
(all photos from Fast CoExist)

The Norris Houses live in an affordable planned community in Norris, Tennessee. The homes consist of solar hot water panels and passive solar design to help control the interior climate. 

The Charles David Keeling Apartments are on the UC San Diego campus. These apartments feature a solar rooftop array and on-site wastewater recycling.

The Clock Shadow Building houses non-profit health care organizations, an ice cream store and an artisan cheesemaker. The building itself features a rooftop garden, a rainwater harvesting system and carbon neutral energy usage. 

 The US Army Corps of Engineers Northwest District regional headquarters was constructed on brownfield land in Seattle. You would expect the USACE to use lots of green technology in the design and construction of this building and they did - "a rainwater collection system that will harvest 430,000 gallons of water each year, a building envelope outfitted with high-performing glass, and materials derived from a decommissioned WWII warehouse that was formerly on the site."

 EHDD included student input and feedback when designing the Marin Country Day School Learning Resource Center and Courtyard. Students were involved from beginning to end, keeping track of the construction process and the end results. Now THAT'S a new idea!

The Merritt Crossing Senior Apartments were built by Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects (they were also responsible for the first housing community for autistic adults). Merritt Crossing was also built on brownfield land and features rooftop solar panels.

Pearl Brewery/Full Goods Warehouse was built on brownfield land in San Antonio, Texas. It features a 67,000 square foot LEED Gold Warehouse, beer vat rainwater tanks and Texas's largest roof-mounted solar array.

The goal behind San Francisco's Public Utilities Commission Headquarters was for it to be "the greenest urban building in the United States." The building features on-site grey and black water treatment, rooftop solar panels and an integrated wind turbine.

The Swenson Civil Engineering Building was made from local material and features an underground storm water retention system and occupancy and daylight sensor controls.

The Yin Yang House has almost net zero energy use and creates all of it's own energy on-site using a 12-kW solar system. The home also features a green roof and uses passive cooling.