Top 10 Green Buildings, 2011

Kiowa County Schools, Greensburg, Kans.
BNIM Architects
After the town of Greensburg was almost totally destroyed by a tornado in 2007, the city fathers decided to build the city back green. This single K-12 school is the crown jewel. The design optimizes day lighting and natural ventilation while reducing the urban-heat-island effect through open area allocation and diverse landscaping. A 50-kilowatt wind turbine outside the school provides a portion of the building's energy needs, with much of the rest coming from a wind farm located outside the town.

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