ABSTRACT
Green buildings and sustainable design have been major movements in the design, development and construction industry since about 2000, with an accelerating interest since 2005. In September 2006, for example, the first new building at the Ground Zero site in New York City, 7 World Trade Center (7 WTC), was completed as a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold-rated green building. The developer, Silverstein Properties, committed to producing future buildings at this important symbolic site as LEED Gold-certified properties. Figure 1.1 shows the 52-story, $700 million, 1,700,000 square foot (156,000 sqm) 7 WTC building. 1
