- Department Home Page
- Community Planning
- Economic Development
- Environmental and
Transportation Planning - Housing
- Community Development Block Grant
- Lead-Safe Cambridge
- About the Department
- Popular Services
- Community Calendar
- Contact Us
- Demographics
- Forms
- Housing Services
- Maps
- Parks and Open Space
- Planning Board Agenda
- Publications
- Zoning Ordinance and Map
- Site Map
- About This Web Site
Use the Site Map to navigate
the site
Green Buildings in Cambridge
City Green Building Policy
The City encourages development of green buildings as a strategy to achieve Cambridge’s goal to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming.
A Green Building/Zoning Task Force is currently working to analyze various approaches and to encourage energy efficient building practices. Key issues that the group will look at include adopting green building requirements such as LEED criteria for large scale developments, approach to green roofs, solar access, and identifying and addressing any impediments to building green in the zoning ordinance.
Go
to the Green Building/Zoning Task Force
Municipal Buildings
It is City policy that all new construction and major renovation of municipal building projects follow the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED rating system. Cambridge City Hall Annex, at 344 Broadway, was the City’s first green building and achieved a LEED Gold rating. There are currently 4 projects in design or construction that intend to achieve LEED certification including the Cambridge Public Library expansion, Robert W. Healy Public Safety Facility, West Cambridge Youth & Community Center, and the War Memorial renovation. In addition, the proposed renovation of Cambridge Rindge and Latin School has received a $100,000 green schools design grant from the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative.
Private Buildings
The Cambridge Planning Board encourages developers to use the LEED rating system under the Project Review guidelines of the Zoning Ordinance (see Article 19.33).
Green Buildings in Cambridge
There are a number of buildings in Cambridge that have achieved LEED certification. As of February 2008, the following buildings have been certified by the U.S. Green Building Council:
| Project | Owner | LEED Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Genzyme Center | Genzyme | Platinum |
| 46 Blackstone Street | Harvard University | Platinum |
| City Hall Annex | City of Cambridge | Gold |
| 90 Mount Auburn Street | Harvard University | Gold |
| Mather Dunster Renovation | Harvard University | Silver |
| Genzyme West Kendall Street | Genzyme | Silver |
| 60 Oxford Street | Harvard University | Certified |
| Zero Arrow Street | Rolling Breeze, LLC | Certified |
| Schlesinger Library Renovation | Harvard University | Certified |
| 5 Cowperthwaite Street | Harvard University | Gold |
Green Building Cell Phone Tour of City Hall Annex
The Museum of Science is launching a unique program to showcase the stories and features of local communities’ green buildings. The public can learn about the motivations, challenges, and successes of green building projects in and around Boston through the use of their cell phones. The City Hall Annex is featured on the tour. Visitors to the Annex can hear from the building’s planners and architects to get a behind-the-scenes perspective and learn about the exciting green features.
For
more information visit the Museum of Science Green Trail web page.
For More Information
For more information or contact John Bolduc by phone at 617/349-4628 or by email at jbolduc@cambridgema.gov.
For more information about the use of LEED standards by the Cambridge Planning Board, please contact Iram Farooq by phone at 617/349-4606 or by email at ifarooq@cambridgema.gov.
Return
to Environmental and Transportation Planning Division
Return to Community
Development Department home
