The Green Building Doesn't Do It By Itself

The San Diego market has a shortage of green buildings - or so I hear.  The one big one on everyone's mind is the new La Jolla Commons building.  So, there we have it.  A green building in a prime location in UTC.   So, if you move into the building are you more green than if you choose another building that is not green?  What if you don't want to afford the rent costs in that new class A space.  Can you be as green as the tenants in La Jolla Commons?

Well, lets think about this.  Let's say you rented space in the LEED building and you drive to work every day in your autosaurus and sit in your furniture that is made of toxic chemicals imported from China.  Are you more green than someone that rents space in the non-LEED building but takes the Coaster to work and sits in reused furniture?  Hmmm.

You can't do everything so you have to do what you can do to be more green.  In an overly simplified way, here are some thoughts when you think about that building choice.   How about picking one that has access to public transportation or that is easy to ride a bike to?  How about a building that has drought resistant landscaping, my personal favorite is the Kilroy Del Mar Heights buildings on Valley Centre.  How about a building that has natural sunlight and you utilize the space in a way that everyone enjoys the light and you can use less lighting or leave the lights off completely?  What about a building that uses cleaning products that are non-toxic, uses paint that has low vocs, has extensive recycling programs for the tenants, uses reusable building materials like movable walls so you can reconfigure your space to meet your changing business and the building owner can tailor space for new tenants without tearing out hundreds of pounds of drywall.  Hmmm, that all works.

There is no solution that addresses everything, so do what you can and be smarter.  Being green does not mean that you have to be uncomfortable.  Being healthier has to be more comfortable.  And, being green does not require you to buy anything.