WHAS11 Coverage

WHAS11 Project Green

(WHAS11) - It’s an art studio, office space, reception hall, and will soon house a new restaurant, and it’s all very green. 

The Green Building opened up in fall in downtown Louisville and it’s the first commercial building in Louisville to try to become certified green.

From the solar panels, to the planted green roof, to geothermal heating and cooling, recycled woods and blue jean insulation, this building is hardcore green, and when you walk inside it doesn’t smell brand new, it smells kind of fresh and natural.  

The Green Building is called "The Green Building" not just because of all the earth friendly things inside and out, but because it’s expected to be the first certified green building in Louisville. 

Owner and film producer Gill Holland says while all is good, it’s not all easy.

Gill Holland said, “You don’t want to send anything to landfill, you want to reuse, recycle, and also you have to keep a list, because for LEED certification, there’s this huge list and they check off, check off, check off.”

So what exactly does LEED Platinum Certified mean and what’s the big deal? 

LEED is the U.S. Green Building Council’s leadership in energy and environmental design certification program.  Basically, a prestigious and rare stamp of approval from a highly regarded group of professionals promoting sustainability, and recognizing performance in five key areas:   Sustainable Site Development, Water Savings, Energy Efficiency, Materials Selection, and Indoor Environmental Quality.

Buildings can be certified silver, gold, or platinum, and yes, Gill is going for the platinum green! 

Gill is meeting these high demands with the green roof of plants and rainfall collection areas to save water; the solar panels and geothermal system for energy efficiency and the materials in the building are mostly reused, like the wood floors, blue jean insulation, and the paint, which is also environmentally friendly. Plus, all of the natural light increases the indoor quality of life. 

The Green Building will be home to a new restaurant called 732 Social. Office space, event space, and an art gallery will also be under the green roof on East Market.  He’s confident the building is a success and will be rewarded.

Gill Holland said, “We’re anticipating LEED Platinum status, assuming we get that we will be the only commercial building maybe in Kentucky, but at least in Louisville.”

Gill admits it’s not cheap to be this green, but it’s not all about the money either.

Gill Holland said, “It’s hard because a lot of people don’t know it takes more time, more energy, and it costs more.  For example, solar panels are especially expensive, because nobody’s buying them yet.”

But, with all that time and hard work, Gill questions whether he’ll go for the highly regarded Platinum Green status in the future.

Gill Holland said, “I don’t know if our next building will strive for LEED status or not.  We will be green, but we may decline to do all the paperwork.”

If the Green Building gets certified platinum, it will be one of only around 100 in the world with such an honor.