How Green Is Our Desert?

As green building and LEED continue to mature, more and more public and private owners in the Southwest are turning to sustainable design and building practices for their projects.

advertisement

While sustainable construction methods have been a part of the Southwest since the Anasazi, the region has been slower in adopting the USGBC's LEED program relative to other regions such as the Pacific Northwest. To date there are 16 LEED-certified projects in Arizona, but only three in Nevada and six in New Mexico.

However, that's about to change. According to the USGBC's online database, as of April 12th there were 131 LEED projects registered in Arizona, 78 in Nevada and 62 in New Mexico. Registering a project with LEED is the first step towards certification, and indicates which projects currently under construction are pursuing certification.

In addition, there are many more projects in the region which are being built using sustainable principals but are not pursuing LEED certification.
The following stories illustrate the variety and complexity of modern sustainable projects currently underway in the Southwest.

Las Vegas Springs Preserve Feature>>

Nevada Solar One Feature>>

Tempe Transportation Center Feature>>

M2USA Comes to N.M. Feature>>

Click here for next Feature Story >>