“Houston, we have a problem”

I was in Houston giving a presentation to the USGBC chapter. The group generally laments the lack of interest in green building by the development community there. The reality is a bit different.

Houston green building folks generally lament the lack of interest in green building by the development community there. The reality is a bit different. A Houston based developer, Hines, is acknowledged as one of the leaders in the world of “spec” commercial real estate and is committed to building LEED Silver projects around the country. The Mayor and city government are lining up to make all of their future buildings LEED certified. The universities are gearing up for LEED buildings. What’s probably needed just as much is “capacity building” in the local architect, engineer, contractor and vendor community. Houston’s mainstream “oil company” culture works against a strong push for energy-efficient buildings, but that culture is changing as Shell, BP, and others embrace renewable energy.

Posted by on 11/08/2006 at 03:25 PM