New Buildings Seek Eco-Friendly Certification

A new 14-story mixed use building in Nashville’s Gultch area will join the shortlist of projects seeking certification as a “green” development.

Terrazzo, a mix of condominiums, retail shops, and office space on 12th Avenue South and Division Street should be completed in fall of 2007.

Developers broke ground on the 65 million dollar project today saying they will seek certification from the U.S. Green Building Council for its energy and environmental design.

That would make Terrazzo the first residential building with such certification in Nashville.

Designers say that it will be so efficient that the bill for water, heating and cooling will only be around 60 dollars a month, but that is if you pay a mortgage of $300,000 to $1.5 million.

Architect Manuel Zeitlin says the eco-friendly building required extensive planning.

“The water that comes out of your air conditioning condensers probably will be used to irrigate the plants so we’re not using extra water to irrigate landscaping. A lot of the materials are going to come from within 500 miles of the site so you’re not wasting energy to bring materials, or you know, ship materials 2000 miles which is often the case.”

Each level of Terrazzo will have a recycling station and residents will even be able to choose the amount of water they flush with their dual valve toilets.

Only five buildings in Tennessee have earned certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. At least one dorm at Vanderbilt University and the new federal court house are among projects seeking certification in Nashville.