by Shane Henson — July 11, 2011—IDS Center, the iconic skyscraper owned by Inland American Real Estate Trust, Inc. and the centerpiece of downtown Minneapolis, has achieved another distinction: a three Green Globes Continual Improvement of Existing Buildings (CIEB) certification. Containing over two million square feet, IDS Center’s mixed-use, post-modern design is comprised of a 57-story office tower with an eight-story annex, two-story retail center and 19-story, four-diamond Marquette Hotel, surrounding the enclosed eight-story Crystal Court.
Green Globes, distributed by the Green Building Initiative, is an environmental assessment, rating and certification system. It is the only other nationally recognized program besides the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program. Green Globes rated/certified buildings are intended to use less energy, conserve natural resources, and emit fewer pollutants in the form of greenhouse gases, airborne particulates, liquid effluents and/or solid waste than non-certified buildings.
Green Globes (CIEB) delivers a comprehensive and practical means for evaluating and rating the environmental footprint and/or sustainability of commercial buildings. It provides building owners and property managers with convenient, practical, and effective feedback to review the overall environmental impact of the buildings they own and operate.
A third-party assessment is required for a building to receive a Green Globes rating and certification. This on-site walk through, interview with the facilities manager and chief engineer, and extensive document review provide a recognized means to address the increasingly important environmental concerns of owners, investors, customers, and residents/occupants. Buildings that successfully complete a third-party assessment are assigned a Green Globes rating of one to four globes.
