Color Me Green

The yogi is going GREEN! At least I'm going to try — I've decided to pursue LEED credentials. The first stop in doing so is taking the LEED Green Associate exam. In preparation for this I attended a study class that was presented at Southface. What an incredible facility! During our lunch break we were given the nickel tour. I was blown away by the systems and common sense approach to design that resulted in this building being certified LEED Platinum. Cisterns collect rainwater for use in irrigation. Native and adaptive plants grace the campus. Pervious concrete is used to mitigate runoff. Glazing is relegated primarily to the north and south facades to control heat gain. Natural daylight is maximized by the use of light shelves and light tubes — artificial lighting is kept to a minimum. Low volume and waterless plumbing fixtures are utilized... they even have a composting toilet (that may be pushing the envelope a little too far). Their mechanical room is amazing. You can actually go online and check their water and energy consumption in real time. I especially grooved on the green roof and photovoltaic canopy (salvaged from an old BP station — talk about environmental irony!). But, this is just scratching the surface. I'd encourage anyone interested in green design to take the hour long public tour offered every Wednesday at 10 am. You can make reservations on Southface's website. Green is the new Black.