LEED Version 3.0

This week's issue of Crain's profiles a number of New York City restaurants that have implemented sustainable initiatives across their facilities and operations. It’s significant that as mainstream a publication as Crain’s is noting local eateries joining the green movement, but the press comes with good reason. According to Crain's, the Boston-based Green Restaurant Association has certified 55 Gotham eateries to date, up from a mere 1 back in 2001; over a quarter of all the GRA-certified restaurants in the country can now be found here in New York City. As the high price of food cuts into restaurants’ profits, owners are finding ways to trim expenses through reduced energy costs, but Crain’s also reports that many consumers are demanding sustainable efforts when they dine out, leaving restaurants with little choice other than to comply.

The June 2007 issue of Urban Land included a list of ten "green building firsts", ranging from a LEED Certified police station in San Diego to a Gold convent (designed by Perkins Eastman) in Corapolis, Pennsylvania. As Charles Lockwood noted in the introduction to his piece, the diversity of projects - both by use and geographic locale - demonstrates the adaptability of sustainable architecture no matter the design challenge. (Interestingly, one of the projects is a gas station in Los Angeles - the BP Helios House, which received a Certified rating earlier this year.