EXPLORING THE DIVERSITY OF GREEN BUILDINGS

25 years of experience in sustainable architecture and 10 years of experience in designing LEED-certified buildings and providing LEED consulting to projects has allowed our firm, Prairie Architects Inc., to collect a great deal of experience on green buildings. Through the years, we have come to realize the great diversity of what it means to be a green building and the multitude of avenues that can be followed in order to pursue that end goal. Factors such as building type, location, and owner representation can have a dramatic impact on what sustainability opportunities are available to a project. This article examines the process of determining the path to a green building through three case studies of recently constructed projects in Manitoba, Canada. Through each case study we will reflect on the challenges encountered as well as highlight the successes and opportunities that were found.