In New York, One World Trade Center is under construction and scheduled to open in 2013. Upon completion, it will be the third tallest building in the world, and one of the most environmentally friendly buildings of its size. Here are five nifty facts about it:
1.     75% of the building is made from post-industrial recycled materials and 50% of the wood use is reclaimed.
2.     Workers are using composting port-a-potties. All the waste gets processed as compost, and according to the workers, these port-a-potties are less stinky than regular ones. Yahoo!
3.     The memorial fountain at the base of the building also functions as a means of collecting rainwater. The rainwater will be used to cool the building and irrigate the foliage at the new World Trade Center complex.
4.     On bright sunny days, when lots of natural daylight is coming through the windows, the building’s interior lights will automatically dim
5.     No VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) are allowed in the materials used to construct the building, or anywhere near the World Trade Center complex.
It’s anticipated that One World Trade Center will be LEED certified Gold (Platinum is the highest certification). Seven World Trade Center, completed in 2006 is already LEED Gold certified.
Bravo World Trade Center!
Would you like to know more about green building design? Let me know what questions you have in the comments below!

Photo Credit: Flickr.com / Ken Lund