The American Institute of Architects (AIA) and its Committee on the Environment (COTE) have selected the top ten sustainable architecture and ecological design projects for 2016.

The J. Craig Venter Institute; San Diego?/ ZGF Architects LLP. Image © Nick Merrick

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) and its Committee on the Environment (COTE) have selected the top ten sustainable architecture and ecological design projects for 2016.Now in its 20th year, the COTE Top Ten Awards program honors projects that protect and enhance the environment through an integrated approach to architecture, natural systems, and technology.A recently released study, entitled Lessons from the Leading Edge, reports that design projects recognized through this program are ?outpacing the industry by virtually every standard of performance.?The 2016 COTE Top Ten Green Projects are:Biosciences Research Building (BRB); Galway, Ireland?/ Payette and Reddy Architecture + Urbanism The design of the BRB embraces the moderate climate of Ireland. By locating low-load spaces along the perimeter of the building, the project is able to take advantage of natural ventilation as the sole conditioning strategy for the majority of the year and is supplemented less than 10% of the year with radiant heating. Due to this approach, 45% of this intensive research building is able to function without mechanical ventilation. This is an extremely simple, yet radical approach and is rarely implemented t...