Happy Easter

An excellent summary of 7 WTC and the Hearst Building in today's New York Times also provides a bit of criticism as well.

While the LEED point system implies a high level of precision, experts say it is difficult to compare greenness. The green ratings offer a menu of criteria, from one point for a bike rack to up to 10 points for using less energy. "So many buildings are being built in New York City that are different shades of green," said Ashok Gupta, director of the air and energy program at the Natural Resources Defense Council. Some say buildings that are not certified claim to be green without having done the hard work to earn it. "Energy conservation is important, but the way it's being bandied about so casually — they're using it as a sales device," said Charles Gwathmey, the architect. Mr. Fowle, of FX Fowle, added: "It's a point system game. You can have a building that is zero carbon — the greenest, most energy conserving — and not be LEED rated because you don't have the other stuff."

Clearly, much work remains for future versions of LEED to address shortcomings such as these, but it's encouraging that industry heavyweights are recognizing them. The article also cites a USGBC statistic that there are currently 50 commercial buildings going up in New York City seeking LEED certification.