"Billions of dollars of new construction and redevelopment projects are taking shape in Kansas City's core. One focus of the construction is to ensure that some of that money goes into making Downtown a greener place to live and work."

"'As you are looking at new construction, you are making an investment in structures that you intend to have a long lifetime,' said Dennis Murphey, Kansas City's chief environmental officer. 'It makes sense to try to do that construction in a way that makes that long-term investment be the best possible decisions for the building's occupants as well as well as meeting the city's environmental goals.'"

On HOK Sport+Venue+Event's new headquarters:
"It only makes sense that an architectural firm would design its office building. And at 300 Wyandotte St., the environmental principles HOK+Sport+Venue+Event uses in the buildings it creates were fused to craft a sustainable structure."

"'When you are a designer and thinking about how a building will come together, you think of looks, where the materials are going to come from, how (the building) is going to live,' said Linda Vasquez, intern architect at HOK."

"All of those concepts were brought together to create a sleek, open, green building. The space mirrors the lofts in the neighborhood with large, open floor plans that are easily adaptable. This helps reduce the need for future renovation and conserves materials."

"The building is finished with benign materials, including wood, tile and concrete. Many of those materials also were recycled and locally produced. Herman Miller's Abak furniture is used throughout the building. The portable furniture is comprised of recyclable and recycled materials. A dishwasher is available for use, and employees dine with washable plates, cups and utensils to reduce the amount of waste created by disposable products."

"Glass patterns and sunscreens on the windows regulate light exposure. Horizontal aluminum screens above the windows reflect light deeper into the structure, enabling employees to use less artificial lighting. Light motion sensors in the restrooms, waterless urinals, a rainwater collection system and native landscaping are other sustainable aspects of the building."

Source: "Downtown's Rebirth Gives Life to Sustainable Development," Kansas City Business Journal, May 5-11, 2006, by Tammy Worth. Read the story.

More:
A related Kansas City Business Journal article notes that the long-term benefits of sustainable design are outweighing upfront costs:

"Ask almost any architect, and he or she will be more than happy to tell you that measuring a building's worth in initial costs is passé."

"The notion that a building's actual cost can be reduced to materials and infrastructure is being rebuffed by groups such as the U.S. Green Building Council and architectural firms throughout the country."

"Now more than ever, the word is out that by using sustainable building practices, companies can look just a few years down the road to find a greener bottom line."

"The exact cost of sustainable building is difficult to pinpoint and can vary depending upon location, local standards and market conditions. But studies have shown that owners typically can expect an increase of about 2 percent to 7 percent in upfront costs."

"'When sustainability first became a buzzword and was trendy, it was true that materials had a higher cost,' Vasquez said. 'As more and more people use the materials, that will be less true.'"

"Many of the practices followed in sustainable design incur no added expense. Using good building location and orientation can go a long way toward the reduction of energy use. Recycling excess materials and planting native landscaping also are inexpensive green building practices."

"The minor upfront costs are weighed heavily against lowered building life cycle costs, increased worker productivity and a structure's decreased environmental impact."

Source: "Greener Paths: Long-Term Benefits of Sustainable Design Are Outweighing Upfront Costs," Kansas City Business Journal, May 5-11, 2006, by Tammy Worth. Read the story.