HOK has designed two of the "greenest" buildings on the planet, according to the American Institute of Architects Committee on the Environment. Included on the 2002 Top 10 Green Projects list are the following HOK-designed facilities: the Edificio Malecon office building in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and the National Wildlife Federation Headquarters facility in Reston, Virginia. HOK is the only architectural firm with multiple projects on the annual list, which recognizes architectural design solutions that are both “high-performance” and “sustainable.” Projects were evaluated based on performance, aesthetics, community connection and stewardship of the natural environment.

“We’re grateful for this recognition of HOK’s global commitment to sustainable design. These projects are ‘real-world’ models that meet business objectives while providing exemplary design solutions,” says Sandy Mendler, HOK sustainable design principal based in San Francisco. “These winning green projects are great buildings – they are exciting architecture, great places to work, and, contrary to expectations, they cost LESS to build than their conventional counterparts.”

The jury that selected this year’s winning projects includes Randy Croxton, FAIA, Croxton Collaborative; Sim van der Ryn, Van der Ryn Architects; Horst Berger, City University of New York; and Guy Battle, Battle McCarthy.

Launched in 1995, the Top 10 Green Projects program recognizes projects that integrate architecture, technology and natural systems to create exemplary design solutions. Projects are evaluated for their contributions to their sites and ecosystems, connections to the surrounding community, use of high-performance technologies, energy and water conservation, and use of environmentally preferable materials.

Previous HOK projects that have been named to the Top 10 Green Projects list include:

• NIDUS Center for Scientific Enterprise, a not-for-profit plant and life sciences business incubator in St. Louis, Missouri (2001),
  
• World Resources Institute Headquarters Office Interiors, Washington, DC (2000)
  
• Missouri Historical Society Museum Expansion and Renovation, St. Louis, Missouri (1999)
  
• SC Johnson Wax Commercial Products Headquarters, Racine, Wisconsin (1998)

The AIA Committee on the Environment represents more than 1,600 AIA architects committed to making sustainable design integral to the practice of architecture. The Top Ten Green Projects initiative was developed in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy.

For additional information about the other projects selected for this year’s Top 10 Green Projects list, please visit the AIA web site.