One of the most eagerly awaited architectural projects in New York City was opened this week. The new Cooper Union School for the Advancement of Science and Art was dedicated and PSFK was on hand for the ceremony and a full walk thru of the building.

Located between Highway I-35 and Mueller, an LEED certified, mixed-use urban village, “Sunflowers: An Electric Garden” is the largest public art project in Austin, Texas.
The permanent installation, which is meant to be a symbol of Austin’s energy consciousness, consists of 15 flower shaped photovoltaic solar collector panels that generate solar energy for evening illumination. The additional energy produced by the sunflowers is diverted to the electrical grid for credit.
[via Inhabitat]

Conneticut Science Center opened its LEED-certified doors earlier this June. 95% of the steel used in construction is manufactured from recycled cars and during operating hours, fuel cell provides approximately two-thirds of the needed power.

PepsiCo has opened the first ‘green’ plant in the industrial center of Chongqing, China. Meeting the standards of the U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED),  it is the first of six planned plants over the next two years.  The plant uses over 35 water and energy saving designs and utilizes the world’s most advanced technology, including an environmental management system that monitors water and energy use on every production line and every piece of individual equipment in real time. Water is reused for landscaping and cleaning, natural lighting dominates 75% of the interior  and the [...]

Anneli Rufus, coauthor of the recently published Scavenger’s Manifesto, takes us through a photographic preview of the David Brower Center, a multipurpose space in downtown Berkeley that will house non-profits working towards environmental and social action. The 50,000 square foot building, opening to the public on May 10th, has been designed to be “green from the ground up” and will serve as a physical reminder of the very principles it’s hoping to promote. Its construction highlights include the use of 53% recycled materials, collection and reuse of rainwater for many of the building’s plumbing needs and the installation of low-energy radiant heating [...]