2015 was a banner year for the construction industry as a whole and the U.S. Green Building Council’s Colorado Chapter, which defined and expanded its mission to inspire, educate and connect people to transform where we live, learn, work and play. The chapter saw 127 LEED certifications this year: 10 were LEED Platinum; 11 were school buildings, and 40 were in Denver. In addition, the Colorado Chapter’s signature event, Rocky Mountain Green, saw attendance increase by nearly 25 percent.

“Colorado has always shown tremendous support for green building,” said Patti Mason, Executive Director, USGBC Colorado. “What stands out in 2015 is the diversity of LEED certified projects. From affordable housing developers earning LEED for Neighborhood Development certification, to schools in rural Colorado earning a community’s first LEED plaque, we have seen a rich diversity of projects that is unmatched in previous years.”

In 2016, USGBC Colorado predicts the following trends:

Green living becomes more accessible

Low income communities are more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.  Providing residents in low income housing with highly sustainable homes with reasonable operating costs is one way to help safeguard communities from severe weather events and unpredictable energy costs. Denver Housing Authority’s longstanding commitment to renewable energy, green building, and healthy living will serve as a model for others working on Colorado’s statewide housing shortage.

Chuck Perry, Managing Partner at Perry Rose and Julie Edwards, Director of Sustainability at OZ Architecture, touched on social equity issues, methods in sustainability for low income individuals, financing strategies and achieving LEED Platinum status on affordable housing projects at this year’s Rocky Mountain Green. Perry noted, “The issue we are really looking at is how the sustainable movement is trying to answer the question of resiliency.” 

With the recent introduction of the LEED Resilience Pilot credits, USGBC Colorado will continue the conversation around resilient design at Rocky Mountain Green 2016 on April 21-22.

Commercial real estate repurposes industrial areas; more condominiums.

With Denver’s land values appreciating more than 100% in the last two years, the 2015 trend was adaptive reuse. According to Melissa Herrington of Green Spot Real Estate who was an expert panelist at the 2015 Commercial Real Estate Forum, 2016 will see more of the same; a very healthy market and continued repurposing of industrial areas.

Herrington also stressed that adaptive reuse is a great way to meet the housing demand in Denver. “The economic effects, like increasing prices, have shown how desirable the Denver area is,” Herrington said. “But as we continue to face a housing shortage, we’re naturally going to see more condominiums. I think condos are the focus.”

Schools shift toward the 21st Century

According to 2015 Green Schools Summit keynote speaker Heather Tallis, Lead Scientist at the Nature Conservancy, school buildings have a remarkable effect on how students learn and how teachers teach. As a result, many schools will be looking for creative ways to shift existing and new schools towards an environment appropriate for 21st century learning.

Carol Henry, Principal at Design Concepts notes the emerging trend of incorporating technology with outside learning landscapes. Denver Public Schools have seen success in integrating schools’ curriculum into various outside design elements such as their gardens and playgrounds.  “These learning landscapes provide a seamless way to engage students into learning while also having fun,” Henry said.

With 11 new LEED certified schools in Colorado in 2015, it is obvious that the green schools movement is on the rise. Schools all across the state have transitioned into green building and will continue to do so in 2016.   

Colorado takes on green building with ease

USGBC Colorado presented awards to seven of Colorado’s green building leaders who were the finalists at the second annual Commercial Green Building Achievement Awards. With 127 LEED certifications in Colorado this year, and several more projects nearing completion in Denver’s Union Station neighborhood, the 2016 Green Building Achievement Awards will become increasingly competitive.

“This year’s awards honored green building leaders with many different types of projects,” Mason noted. “I know Colorado’s green building professionals will continue to rise to the challenge of creating a sustainable future in 2016 and beyond.”

For more information or to schedule an interview with USGBC Colorado, please contact Shawna McGregor at The Rosen Group at 917-971-7852 or shawna@rosengrouppr.com.