Top 10: Greenest Buildings
Green buildings are structures designed to minimise environmental impact through energy efficiency, sustainable materials and reduced carbon emissions.
The movement gained momentum in the 1990s as the construction industry faced growing pressure to address climate change, with buildings accounting for approximately 40% of global energy-related carbon emissions.
Two leading certification systems emerged: LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), developed by the US Green Building Council in 1998, and BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method), the world's first green building rating system, launched in the UK in 1990.
These frameworks assess buildings across categories including energy use, water efficiency, materials sourcing and indoor environmental quality, with Platinum and Outstanding representing their highest accolades respectively.
Here, we list the Top 10 greenest buildings.
10. The Edge
Location: Zuidas district, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Contractor: G&S Bouw
Completed: 2014
Owner: EDGE Technologies (formerly OVG Real Estate)
Accommodating tenants such as Deloitte, The Edge cost around US$86m to build.
The 40,000mĀ² smart officeās defining achievement is a BREEAM Outstanding score of 98.4%, which was the highest ever recorded at the time.
It produces more electricity than it consumes through an integrated array of rooftop solar panels and a geothermal aquifer system beneath the foundation.
A 15-storey daylit atrium maximises natural light and 28,000 IoT sensors enable the building to use roughly 70% less electricity than comparable office buildings.
9. Bosco Verticale
Location: Porta Nuova, Milan, Italy
Contractors: Colombo Costruzioni & ZH General Construction
Completed: 2014
Owners: Private buyers and investors
Costing around ā¬65m (US$75m) to construct, Bosco Verticale, or āVertical Forestā comprises two residential towers that have redefined urban living through biophilic design.
Developed by Hines Italia and designed by Boeri Studio, the buildings' most striking feature is their living facade.
Balconies hold more than 800 trees, 4,500 shrubs and 15,000 other plants, creating a vertical ecosystem that absorbs COā, produces oxygen and moderates the building's microclimate.
This vegetation effectively replicates the ecological output of one hectare of woodland.
8. The Crystal
Location: Royal Docks, London, UK
Contractor: WilkinsonEyre (design lead) with Arup (engineering)
Completed: 2012
Owner: Greater London Authority (originally Siemens)
The Crystal, now London's City Hall, cost Ā£30m (US$40m) to build.
It is the first building in the world to achieve both BREEAM Outstanding and LEED Platinum certifications simultaneously.
Originally commissioned by Siemens to showcase the world's largest exhibition on urban sustainability, it now serves as London's municipal headquarters.
The building operates entirely on renewable electricity including solar power.
A ground source heat pump draws thermal energy from beneath the structure, while rainwater harvesting and black water treatment systems dramatically reduce water consumption, helping it achieve net zero operational carbon emissions.
7. Bank of America Tower
Location: Midtown Manhattan, New York City, US
Contractor: Tishman Construction Corporation
Completed: 2009
Owners: Durst Organization and Bank of America
The Bank of America Tower was the first commercial high-rise in the US to achieve LEED Platinum certification.
It houses the Bank of America alongside builders, Durst, which is headquartered there.
The US$1bn building was designed around principles of daylight, fresh air and outdoor connection, which are radical concepts for a Manhattan skyscraper.
A 4.6-megawatt cogeneration plant supplies roughly 65% of the building's electricity, while an ice-based thermal cooling system reduces peak energy demand.
Building-wide water reclamation systems capture and reuse greywater, significantly cutting municipal water consumption.
6. Bullitt Center
Location: Capitol Hill/Central District, Seattle, USA
Contractor: Schuchart Construction
Completed: 2013
Owner: Bullitt Foundation (developed by Point32)
Housing commercial tenants including the University of Washington and PAE Consulting Engineers, the Bullitt Center was designed to have a 250-year lifespan.
Thus, it challenges the disposable architecture culture of modern construction.
It is certified under the Living Building Challenge, which is arguably a tougher standard than LEED, requiring net zero energy and water consumption for 12 continuous months before certification is granted.
Costing US$32.5m to build, including land acquisition, construction materials were sourced within 300-600 miles to minimise embodied carbon from transportation.
5. Shanghai Tower
Location: Pudong, Shanghai, China
Contractor: Shanghai Construction Group
Completed: 2014–2015
Owner: Shanghai Tower Construction and Development Co.
The Shanghai Tower, the world's second-tallest building, cost approximately CNĀ„15.9bn (roughly US$2.4bn) to construct.
The 128-storey tower houses offices, a luxury hotel, retail space and public observation decks.
Recognised as one of China's greenest landmarks, it achieved LEED Platinum certification for Core and Shell, basic structure, exterior envelope, central common areas and base services .
Its double-skin spiral form and bioclimatic design deliver a 21% energy reduction and 45% lower lifecycle energy costs compared to conventional supertall towers.
The building's innovative lighting system alone saves more than $556,000 annually through LED technology and smart controls.
4. PARKROYAL Collection Pickering
Location: Upper Pickering Street, Singapore
Contractor: Tiong Seng Contractors
Completed: 2013
Owner: UOL Group (operated by Pan Pacific Hotels Group)
PARKROYAL Collection Pickering, a āhotel-in-a-gardenā, serves business travellers and tourists in Singapore's central business district.
Its biophilic design consists of more than 15,000mĀ² of gardens, waterfalls and planter walls ā more than double the hotel's land area.
It also includes Singapore's first zero-energy solar-powered sky gardens.
The building employs passive strategies including naturally ventilated corridors, solar-powered irrigation and rainwater retention systems.
These features earned it Singapore's Green Mark Platinum rating, the nation's highest environmental certification.
3. Taipei 101
Location: Xinyi District, Taipei, Taiwan
Completed: 2004 (originally), LEED Platinum retrofit completed (2011)
Contractors: KTRT Joint Venture (Kumagai Gumi, Samsung C&T, RSEA, Ta-You-Wei)
Owner: Taipei Financial Center Corporation
Taipei 101, formerly the world's tallest building, cost approximately US$1.7bn for original construction and around US$2m for its LEED Platinum retrofit.
The tower houses offices, retail space, and an observatory used by global tenants including Bank of America and KPMG.
It became the world's tallest LEED Platinum building through retrofit rather than ground-up design, since LEED certification wasn't well established in Asia during original construction.
The retrofit cut annual energy use by 18% through upgraded HVAC controls, efficient LED lighting and smart building management systems.
2. One Central Park
Location: Chippendale, Sydney, Australia
Contractor: Watpac Construction
Completed: 2014
Owners: Frasers Property Australia and Sekisui House Australia
One Central Park's construction cost was part of a broader AU$2bn (US$1.4bn) Central Park masterplan.
Developed by Frasers Property Australia and Sekisui House Australia, the towers house private residential apartments and serviced apartments in Sydney's inner city.
Designed by Jean Nouvel with botanist Patrick Blanc, the facade features one of the tallest green walls in the world, spanning more than 1,000mĀ² across 21 panels comprising 35 plant species.
The building holds a 5-star Green Star rating and includes a cantilevered heliostat that reflects sunlight down into the building's gardens and retail atrium, solving the challenge of shading in high-density development.
Recycled black water supplies irrigation, toilet flushing, heating and cooling throughout the development, creating a closed-loop water system.
It has inspired similar projects in cities worldwide seeking to balance density with liveability.
1. One Angel Square
Location: NOMA district, Manchester, UK
Completed: 2013
Contractor: BAM Construction
Owner: Private investor
One Angel Square, built as the head office of The Co-operative Group, cost between Ā£105m (US$141m) and Ā£114m (US$153m) to construct.
It houses 3,500 staff across open-plan floors, with some space now sublet to other tenants.
The building achieved a BREEAM Outstanding score of 95.16%, the highest ever recorded by a major commercial building at the time of completion.
It delivers a 50% reduction in energy consumption and 80% reduction in carbon emissions compared to the Co-op's previous premises, demonstrating the environmental benefits of consolidating operations into a single, purpose-built sustainable headquarters.
A combined heat and power plant fuelled by rapeseed oil provides efficient on-site energy generation, while rainwater harvesting and greywater recycling dramatically reduce water consumption.
The building's double-skin faƧade and full-height atrium maximise natural light while minimising heating and cooling loads.
As a result, the building offers comfortable working conditions with minimal energy input.
