Green Business: Green Building

All Green Building

Affordable Green Housing
The Green Communities Initiative will build thousands of affordable, environmentally friendly homes across the country.

Overview

The Green Communities Initiative, a project of NRDC and Enterprise Community Partners, will build thousands of affordable, environmentally friendly homes across the country.

NRDC's Green Offices
NRDC's offices save energy and the environment by embracing green building design.

Overview

When it comes to energy efficiency, NRDC practices what it preaches with energy-efficient and green design features in each of our four offices. Some of the environmentally beneficial features of our offices include utilization of natural light from skylights and large windows, innovative recycled building materials, and a water recycling system. Since beginning the greening of our offices in 1988, we have achieved numerous economic and environmental benefits, including keeping millions of pounds of global warming pollution out of the atmosphere. Includes links to details about our New York City, Washington, D.C., Santa Monica and San Francisco offices.

How to Build a Better Home
A new approach to homebuilding saves trees and energy -- and makes for economical, comfortable homes.

Overview

A new approach to homebuilding saves trees and energy -- and makes for economical, comfortable homes.

Greener by Design: NRDC's Santa Monica Office

Guide

This guided tour through NRDC’s office in Southern California illustrates the latest in green building design and practices. We chose a 1920s-era structure in Santa Monica's pedestrian center to take advantage of existing services like transit and to avoid building on undeveloped land. Then we redesigned it to conserve water and energy and showcase environmentally sound materials. On the ground floor, we constructed an environmental learning center. Take a look!

NRDC's New York Office
By making use of natural light and readily available energy-saving features, our retro-fitted office uses about one-third the energy of a conventional space.

Overview

NRDC renovated our New York City office in 1989 with the goal of putting our environmental principles into practice -- designing an office that would dramatically cut down on our energy use, while at the same time demonstrating to architects, builders, and businesses around the country that "green building" concepts can go hand in hand with pleasant, productive, professional workspaces.

NRDC's Washington, DC Eco-Office

Photo Album

NRDC's Washington home shows that offices can be economic, aesthetically-pleasing, and environmentally friendly. Take a tour of our DC office, and find out about the many "green" features that make it a model of environmentally-sound design.

NRDC's San Francisco Office

Overview

NRDC's newest office achieved the gold standard in green building design for the price of conventional construction. The office is a showcase of renewable materials and energy-efficient solutions.

Efficient Wood Use in Residential Construction
A Practical Guide to Saving Wood, Money, and Forests

Report

The online excerpts of this handbook summarize the advantages of several wood-efficient approaches to design, material selection, and construction for residential applications, and describe the extensive practical and resource information for builders, architects, engineers, developers, lenders, and insurers provided in the print version.

NRDC's Washington, DC Eco-Office
Tomorrow's Workplace, Today

Report

This report contains information on environmentally friendly and energy-efficient building materials and technologies used in the construction of NRDC's Washington, D.C. office. The report includes product listings and contact information useful to building industry professionals and others interested in "green" architecture and design.