Top 10 sustainable buildings in the world to visit

Top 10 sustainable buildings in the world you must visit

In the past, the size of a building was enough to command respect and generate excitement. Now that global warming is posing an impending threat, people are more impressed when a building is designed with sustainability in mind.

What is sustainable design? That's a great question. In short, sustainable design and sustainable architecture try to limit the building's impact on the environment. From the materials used during the construction process to the energy needed to keep everything running, these factors are all taken into account.

With that in mind, let's take a look at 10 green buildings that are at the forefront of sustainable architecture.

One Angel Square

The One Angel Square building in Manchester, UK, has received an outstanding BREEAM rating for its forward-thinking in terms of environmentally-friendly architecture. As the Co-operative Group's headquarters, this entire building houses around 3,000 employees and is powered by rapeseed oil that is grown on the company's own farmland.

Bahrain World Trade Center

The impressive Bahrain World Trade Center in Bahrain is known for its famous architecture and sustainability. With many major cities in the Middle East leading the charge for sustainable construction, the Bahrain World Trade Center is a pillar of green-thinking. The building features three massive wind turbines that sit between towers designed to "squeeze" air to generate clean energy.

CIS Tower

Manchester is home to another one of the world's green buildings: the CIS Tower. Despite having been built in 1962, the CIS Tower was outfitted with one of the largest solar facades in the whole of Europe. The project cost over $8 million, but the building can produce 180 megawatt-hours worth of clean energy each year.

The Crystal

As one of the most famous buildings in London, The Crystal also just happens to be a representation of what a fuel-free future could be. This building has received prestigious awards and achievements due to its green achievements. The entire building is powered by electricity. Fluorescent and LED lights throughout The Crystal turn on and off in relation to the amount of daylight available.

Manitoba Hydro Place

This feat of architecture located in Winnipeg is proof the energy efficiency doesn't have to come at the cost of beautiful architecture. The Manitoba Hydro Place ranks high on the list of the top energy-efficient buildings in North America. A geothermal system powers the building's heating and cooling systems. The same is true for the windows and roof gardens.

Shanghai Tower

Although the Shanghai Tower is the second-tallest manmade structure on Earth, it also stands as a pillar for environmentally-friendly architecture. Only overshadowed by the Burj Khalifa, the 2,073-foot tall Shanghai Tower is attracting a lot of attention for its impressive energy-saving features. Wind turbines collect wind energy to power the building's park areas and exterior lighting. Transparent "skins" on the inside and outside of the Shanghai Tower fill the building with natural light. Thus reducing the need for electricity. Systems throughout the building are controlled and monitored by a smart system.

Sun-Moon Mansion

The sundial-shaped Sun-Moon Mansion is located in Dezhou, China. As one of the planet's largest structures powered solely by solar power, the Sun-Moon Mansion boasts over 800,000-square feet of space. Containing a conference center, a hotel, and offices, this green building has solar-powered hot water, a significant amount of solar paneling, and energy-saving glass.

Pearl River Tower

The Pearl River Tower is another impressive feat of green engineering in China. Although the building was built back in 2012, it stands over 1,000-feet tall and takes advantage of some state-of-the-art technology. It has been heralded as one of the greenest constructions in the world. The Pearl Tower uses lighting systems with low energy usage and solar panels to help reduce its impact on the environment. The building was also designed in a way that would redirect wind to turbines to generate wind energy.

Vanke Center

Located in Shenzhen, China, the Vanke Center has been dubbed as the horizontal skyscraper for its length and relative lack of height. The building is described as being just as long as the Empire State Building's height. Designed to withstand a tsunami, the Vanke Center receives 10-percent of its energy from solar panels that are located on the roof. On the inside, all floors, doors, and furniture are built from bamboo.

Bank of America Building

New York City has more skyscrapers than any other city in the world. Despite this achievement, The Big Apple has yet to make significant strides in the way of green architecture. However, the Bank of America Building shows a promising future for the city. Located in Manhattan, this building has LED lighting, urinals that don't use any water, and C02 monitors.

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