9 Green Buildings You'd Actually Want To Work In

Environmentally-friendly office buildings are popping up all over the country. But these buildings do more than just recycle.

1. Bullitt Center, Seattle, WA

bullittcenter.org

Sure, we know all about solar panels and wind turbines, but what about an elevator… that works like a Prius? Home to the Bullitt Foundation, the Bullitt Center features this “technological marvel” – the energy used from braking the elevator car is captured and turned into electrical energy that can be used throughout the building.

2. Apple Campus, Cupertino, CA

en.wikipedia.org

Forget about #bendgate – Apple’s new ‘spaceship’ HQ is what we should really be talking about. The 2.8 million square foot, $5 billion campus will boast bicycle and jogging trails, a solar farm, natural ventilation, and 90% of construction will reuse demolished materials from its old HQ. Apple CEO Tim Cook claims it will be the “greenest building on the planet.” That’s all great, but the real question is – can it fly?

3. Brock Environmental Center, Hampton Roads, VA

inhabitat.com

Nothing but net… net-zero energy and water, that is. When the Brock Environmental Center opens its doors in November, it will be the most sustainable building in Virginia. Located in an area that’s one of the most susceptible to climate change in the country, the net-zero water and net-zero energy building will be home to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s environmental education programs.

4. Zero Cottage, San Francisco, CA

Mark Hogan / Flickr: markhogan

How many people can say their roof is covered in a succulent garden made of motorcycle tires? That’s just one unique design element at Zero Cottage, which includes a solar panel canopy (that actually generates more energy than the cottage uses), rainscreens, and near-airtight insulation. The mixed-use development is home to apartments, a workshop, and a storefront space.

5. David and Lucille Packard Foundation HQ, Los Altos, CA

packard.org

Working at the David and Lucille Packard Foundation is a breeze – literally. Employees receive desktop alerts when doors and windows should be opened throughout the day for optimal natural ventilation. The largest net-zero energy building in the world (at 49,000 square feet), the Packard Foundation HQ was built from 95% recycled and salvaged materials and can collect up to 20,000 gallons of rainwater to reduce water consumption by 40%.

6. NRDC Midwest Office, Chicago, IL

living-future.org

We know the mission of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is to be the “Earth’s best defense,” so its only fitting that their Midwest HQ is on our list. Working for the NRDC has plenty of benefits (besides working in a cubicle next to Marshall Eriksen), including plant-covered columns to bring the outside in, environmentally-friendly chalkboard paint on the walls (to enhance creative thinking, of course), lots of natural light to reduce energy use, and advanced monitoring technology to help improve efficiency over time.

7. Cherokee Studios, Los Angeles, CA

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When Frank Sinatra and Michael Jackson recorded albums at Cherokee Studios, its unlikely they imagined that it would later be transformed into Los Angeles’ first LEED-Gold certified building. The Lofts at Cherokee Studios feature large windows that maximize natural light and a passive cooling design that minimizes energy use. The likes of Mötley Crüe, Aerosmith, Barbara Streisand, Dave Matthews Band, Steely Dan, and Van Halen have all recorded at Cherokee Studios, but it must have been ol’ blue eyes who told them that when it comes to going green, the best is yet to come.

8. Step Up on Vine, Los Angeles, CA

shangrilaconstruction.com

Environmentally friendly (and LEED-Platinum certified) design isn’t the only incredible thing happening at Step Up on Vine. The refurbished building, which features a rooftop garden, solar hot water, a grey water/irrigation system, and green screens consists of 34 affordable housing units for LA’s chronically homeless and transitional youth affected by mental illness.

9. Habitat for Humanity House of the Immediate Future, Seattle, WA

methodhomes.net

The 1962 World’s Fair unveiled plenty of innovation (wouldn’t it be great to see GM’s futuristic Firebird III roll down the street?) including the “Home of the Immediate Future,” an exhibit showcasing the future of energy-efficient modular living. Now, Habitat for Humanity has used these ideas to create a net-zero energy and water home that demonstrates residential development can be green and affordable. Who would have thought?