Buildings fundamentally impact people’s lives and the health of the planet. In the U.S., buildings use one third of our total energy, two-thirds of our electricity, one-eighth of our water, and transform land that provides valuable ecological services. Atmospheric emissions from the use of energy lead to acid rain, ground-level ozone, smog, and global climate change. Footnotes: 1. U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration, March 2001, Monthly Energy Review . Ibid. U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration, “Emissions of Greenhouse Gases in the United States 1999.” U.S. EPA, 1998, “Characterization of Building-Related Construction and Demolition Debris in the United States.” U.S. Geological Service, 1995 data. Lenssen and Roodman, 1995, “Worldwatch Paper 124: A Building Revolution: How Ecology and Health Concerns are Transforming Construction,” Worldwatch Institute.
Rooftop windows “scoop” natural light into the central core of the building. The light is conveyed to the floors below through glass floors in the elevator lobby which transmit the light from the third to the second and first floors.
Although exempt from the requirements of the Americans With Disability Act (ADA), FCNL chose to comply. The outside ramp is just one of the ADA features of the building
13. Geothermal heating and cooling: Geothermal Heating and Cooling Systems uses ten, 350 foot deep wells drilled on the property to harness the energy from the earth’s constant 55 degree temperature to heat and cool the building.
It takes three years to grow bamboo to the point that it can be harvested, a significantly shorter time than required to grow trees to produce traditional wood floors.