The Change Initiative Building (TCI) in Dubai, UAE, has been awarded 107 out of 110 LEED points from the US Green Building Council, which technically makes it the most sustainable building in the world. The 4,000-square-meter retail shop, which provides sustainable solutions to customers, received a the world’s highest LEED Platinum rating of 107 points, beating the record previously held by the Pixel with 105 points. As impressive the building’s rating is, its claim of superior sustainability could be debatable, considering LEED’s controversial reputation for emphasizing numbers over holistic sustainability.
TCI provides environmentally-friendly solutions, but it also practices what it preaches – it has 26 eco-friendly strategies, including solar panels, reflective paint, insulation three times higher than that used in normal buildings, water reuse systems and recycled materials. Solar panels provide 40 percent of the building’s energy requirements.
The TCI building is not the first in Dubai to receive high marks from LEED. The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority’s (DEWA) building is the largest government building in the world and it achieved 98 out of 110 points.
In light of the record-breaking accomplishment, The Change Initiative is planning to open 25 more stores around the globe. The company’s founder and CEO Gundeep Singh said in a statement: ”Most people believe that Dubai cannot be sustainable or is less sustainable. But we’ve proven that if Dubai can build the tallest, the biggest, then it can also build the most sustainable building.”
For more information: http://inhabitat.com/leed-platinum-change-initiative-building-in-dubai-declared-the-worlds-most-sustainable-commercial-building/