This week, the American Institute of Architects and its Committee on the Environment announced the Top Ten Green Projects completed in the past year.  In its 14^th year, this program celebrates sustainable buildings from all over the world.  Below are our favorites from the list, for a complete list of ten click here.

Watsonville Water Resource Center
Location: Watsonville, CA

Description from AIA: The Water Resources Center is a functional, educational, and visual extension of the water recycling plant it supports. The new 16,000 square foot building consolidates three different city and county water departments into a workspace that allows for thoughtful and continuous collaboration on issues of water management, conservation, and quality in the Pajaro Valley. The building, its systems, and its landscape will serve to educate the public through exhibitions and guided tours.

Twelve West
Location: Portland, OR

Description from AIA: Rising 23 stories above the intersection of Twelfth and Washington streets in Southwest Portland, Oregon, Twelve|West is a mixed-use building designed with sustainability and ongoing learning as integral goals. The building includes street-level retail space, four floors of office space leased to a national architectural firm, 17 floors of apartments, and five levels of below-grade parking along with three roof-level terraces and gardens.  The site was chosen because of the central, transit-rich location and because of the potential to help connect these different districts and inspire further dense development in Portland’s urban core.

Special No. 9 House
Location: New Orleans, LA

Description from AIA: The Special No. 9 House was designed for the Make It Right Foundation to provide storm-resistant, affordable, and sustainable housing options for the residents of New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward displaced by Hurricane Katrina. Local off-site fabrication has the benefit of helping attain economic sustainability in the region.  The Special No. 9 House achieved a LEED Platinum rating with this approach.