I watched 7601 Journal Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico being built. It was impossible not to notice it. It stood out even at the framing stage and I was not surprised to hear that when finished, the building had received LEED Certification. In my Active Rain post back then, I said the building had won the highest LEED certification. The plaque on the lobby wall, however, states that the building is LEED Certified. Gold, The highest certification is platinum. The second highest is gold. 

I have been wanting to see the inside of the building ever since it was completed but none of the opportunities I had seemed to work until this evening when I attended the "Green Mixer" hosted by Nancy Salem of the New Mexico Business Weekly, What better place to hold a green mixer than in a green building?

One of the architects on the Dekker, Perich Sabatini design team spoke to us about green initiatives and features of green buildings. She described specific features of 7601 and everyone got to go on a tour the building. It was already dark when we could not see well the mountains to appreciate the architects' skill in sighting the building so as to benefit from the Albuquerque mountain views, so I have decided to go back during the daytime especially now that I know that. Dekker et al are very accommodating and don't mind people walking in for a tour.  

What are the features of this green building? Our speaker said, and it as obvious, lots of natural light from large low-e windows set differently on the north side of the building than on the south; a tight envelope that allows minimum leakage of air; and recycled building materials on walls and in floor covering, The building also has low emission of volatile organic compounds (no "new building" smells when they moved in.) Cooling vents are in the floor.

Asked, what is the status of building green in Albuquerque, New Mexico today? Our speaker told us that Dekker, Perich, Sabatini do not design single family houses. (A pity!) But their 40% portion of the 85,000 square foot  building space is fully staffed with designers working on multi-family housing, schools, hospitals, and commerci, buildings. LEED certified buildings are becoming more common.