Chapel Hill, USA

Eco-friendly development approved in Chapel Hill

Two condominium towers being built in Chapel Hill (North Carolina, U.S.A.) will be the first mixed-use development in the state of North Carolina to be certified at the LEED Gold Level.

LEED stands for the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program.

The initial plans include two buildings, which would be nine stories at their highest and connected by a bridge. The buildings may need to be as high as 100 feet to maximize solar radiation, and they would gain height as they recessed from the street, creating space for individual rooftop terraces covered with three to four inches of soil. The landscaped roofs would soak up rainwater to reduce runoff, create oxygen through photosynthesis and provide a habitat for birds.

Other design possibilities include moving water through panels so it can be warmed by the sun before trickling down through shower heads in condominiums below, and using a wheatgrass compound for countertops.

Urban form – in particular residential and employment densities – influence local energy consumption. Cities with higher population densities can take advantage of efficient ways to distribute energy and heat, and utilize transportation modes that are more energy-efficient and produce fewer carbon dioxide emissions. For more information, please visit www.iclei.org/ccp.

Chapel Hill is one of 67 local governments in the U.S.A. that are currently Members of ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability. For more information on ICLEI and its activities in the U.S.A., please visit www.iclei.org/usa.

Source: ‘Chapel Hill plans are green’, and ‘Green light for green condos’, Chapel Hill News Observer, 27 February 2007.