...And the Platinum goes to Canada

North America’s first LEED platinum certification for multi-family residential awarded in Calgary. The Vento, designed by Busby Perkins and Will in conjunction with green developers, Windmill Development Group, is a three-storey inner-city development comprised of 20 two-storey town houses atop several ground level retail outlets.

via World Architecture News

Canadian Architects well on the Green Path

This ambitious plan, developed by architect Edward Mazria, advocates three major points: 1) that all new buildings and developments be designed to use half the fossil fuel energy they would typically consume; 2) that at a minimum, an equal amount of existing building area be renovated annually to use half the amount of fossil fuel energy currently being consumed; and 3) that the fossil fuel reduction standard for all new buildings be increased to 60% in 2010, 70% in 2015, 80% in 2020, 90% in 2025 and carbon- neutral by 2030. When we discuss the term "carbon-neutral," we are referring to buildings that do not use fossil fuel greenhouse gas-emitting energy to operate.

via Canadian Architect