The World's Greenest Buildings: Promise Versus Performance in Sustainable Design

The World's Greenest Buildings tackles an audacious task. Among the thousands of green buildings out there, which are the best, and how do we know? Authors Jerry Yudelson and Ulf Meyer examined hundreds of the highest-rated large green buildings from around the world and asked their owners to supply one simple thing: actual performance data, to demonstrate their claims to sustainable operations.This pivotal book presents: * an overview of the rating systems and shows best in class building performance in North America, Europe, the Middle East, India, China, Australia and the Asia-Pacific region * practical examples of best practices for greening both new and existing buildings * a practical reference for how green buildings actually perform at the highest level, one that takes you step-by-step through many different design solutions * a wealth of exemplary case studies of successful green building projects using actual performance data from which to learn * interviews with architects, engineers, building owners and developers and industry experts, to provide added insight into the greening process This guide uncovers some of the pitfalls that lie ahead for sustainable design, and points the way toward much faster progress in the decade ahead.