According to an article I have just read entitled, “Downtown Miami skyscrapers going green”, Three Miami highrises will be making “green” modifications and additions. The three buildings that will be given a more ecologically friendly makeover include the largest tower in Florida, the Wachovia Financial Center as well as the Bank of America Tower and 1450 Brickell Avenue, which is expected to be finished by January 2010.
These three buildings will be receiving green additions and modifications in order to be certified at the highest standard, save money and energy and be more appealing to buyers who are more conscious and want environmentally friendly properties. Proposed changes to the buildings will include using energy-efficient bulbs for lighting, an effective recycling program and janitorial services that utilize “green” chemicals. These three things are requisites for receiving a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. After the planned modifications, the Wachovia Tower will be the first office tower in existence to receive a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) silver rating. 1450 Brickell Avenue is the first office building to receive LEED gold precertification for its documented plans to meet “green” performance and systems requisites.
Many builders are now incorporating green building strategies in their new projects but it is important to remember that older pre-existing buildings like these three can easily be modified to be more environmentally friendly and sustainable. Hopefully, by bringing these existing buildings up to date in terms of sustainability, the owners will be able to offer more value to their tenants for the same money.
While many folks think that green buildings cost more, making office buildings and other structures more sustainable actually saves money over the mid and long terms. Whether you believe that global climate change can or cannot be attributed to humans, you would have to agree that prevention is always better than curing.
Please click to read this article in its entirety at miamiherald.com.