At Vision in Form Architecture we support the Green Globes Building Rating System, a practical rating system used in both Canada and the US to rate the sustainability of both new developments and existing buildings. It grew out of a need to:
- provide a user-friendly format and system;
- simplify complex existing building rating systems;
- provide for a more accurate scoring of environmental benefit or impact – Green Globes rates buildings on a one thousand point scale as opposed to the 110 point scale LEED scale;
- utilize weighted criteria in order to eliminate “point chasing”;
- allow for a regional approach by taking into account differences in local codes and standards;
Green Globes combines thorough evaluation protocols with a user-friendly, online interface and the most rigorous third-party certification process in the industry. It is much less expensive than other rating systems and provides market recognition through third-party verification.
In Canada, examples of organizations that use the Green Globes system are the Canadian federal government, the Vancouver Olympic Committee, Carleton University, the University of Alberta and Scotiabank. A 2013 study by the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) found that Green Globes beat out other building rating systems (including LEED) as it was most closely aligned to US federal requirements for new construction.
For more information, go to: http://www.greenglobes.com/about.asp