Greenbuild 2005 to take Atlanta by storm Everything About Green Building Showcased Under One Very Large Roof. Jessie Sackett, Assistant Manager, Marketing and Communications, USGBC

This November Atlanta welcomes the Greenbuild International Conference and Expo. Greenbuild is a program of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), which is joining with Southface Energy Institute to welcome more than 10,000 participants to one of the most vibrant green markets in the country.

Atlanta boasts the fourth largest number of green buildings in the country, and they include some important firsts: Atlantic Station, a LEED® for Campuses pilot project; the Interface Showroom, which was a LEED® for Commercial Interiors pilot; and 1180 Peachtree, a LEED® for Core and Shell Development pilot, just to name a few. Emory University’s campus boasts numerous LEED® buildings, and Emory has committed that all new buildings going forward will be LEED® certified. The City of Atlanta has made the same commitment.

Atlanta has earned its status a green building leader in large part because of the work of Southface, USGBC’s Atlanta regional affiliate. Because USGBC partners with Southface, USGBC’s Atlanta Chapter is a kind of superchapter, if you will, formed in 2001 to advance and promote sustainable and environmentally responsible planning, design, construction, and operation of the region’s buildings, landscapes, cities and communities. This strong partnership has made for an exciting year of planning and creativity leading up to what will be the best Greenbuild yet.

Southface was already one of the beacons in the green building movement when USGBC was founded 12 years ago. Today USGBC is more than 6,000 organizational members strong, with a robust chapter program, a strong education and advocacy program, and a commitment to an open, transparent and consensus-based process that brings together the best practices in green building. Nearly 300 million square feet are being built to LEED® standards, and the market value of these buildings approaches $33 billion.

Greenbuild’s Mission

Greenbuild seeks to provide an exciting annual meeting place for the rapidly expanding green building industry. Now in its fourth year, Greenbuild is recognized as the pre-eminent showcase for leading-edge green technologies worldwide. Greenbuild offers an outstanding educational program that highlights benchmarks of sustainability across a broad array of issues, including site location and development, water use, energy, materials, indoor environmental quality, biophelia, health and productivity, financing and more.

Who’s Coming?

It’s a lengthy list. Greenbuild anticipates hosting more than 10,000 members of the green building industry, including architects, building owners, contractors, developers, educators, engineers, facility managers, financial services providers, government agencies, home builders, interior designers, landscape architects, nonprofit organizations, product manufacturers, schools and universities, students, and urban planners. Greenbuild offers something for every facet of the industry.

About USGBC

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is the nation’s leading nonprofit coalition for advancing buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable and healthy places to live and work.  Major programs supporting its mission include the Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Green Building Rating Systems™ for New Construction, Existing Buildings, Commercial Interiors and Homes; LEED® Workshops; LEED® Professional Accreditation; the Greenbuild International Conference & Expo; and a robust local chapter program.

About LEED®

The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)® Green Building Rating System is a feature-oriented rating system where credits are earned for satisfying specified green building criteria. The LEED® standard has been adopted nationwide by federal agencies, state and local governments, and interested private companies as the guideline for sustainable building. To date, USGBC has certified over 300 LEED® projects and over 2,100 have registered on the intent to certify.