Office and mixed-use space lead “green” construction in the area, according to the first analysis on the Washington area’s eco-friendly building practices.
Three-fourths of new environmentally friendly construction between 2003 and 2009 was for office and mixed-use space, according to a report looking at LEED certification presented by planners to the Greater Washington Council of Governments Wednesday. Residential “green” building, in contrast, made up only 2 percent.
There were 171 buildings totaling 30 million square feet built, primarily around Metro stations.
However, the report may not show a full picture of how green D.C. is — many companies build eco-friendly but do not want to pay the high cost of certification. That cost has risen even higher since a new LEED version came into effect last year.
The report comes as the area moves toward green-only construction by 2020.
The District led construction with 72 green projects, including the new International Monetary Fund headquarters, followed by Virginia then Maryland. Planner Ryan Hand, one of the report presenters, said that could be because the District already has building restrictions in place that make LEED certification a close reach.
Hand said he hopes there will be another analysis in two to three years.
