Rhode Island and IGCC

Rhode Island Pioneers Green Construction Code

Oct 28, 2010 - Rhode Island is the first state to adopt the International Green Construction Code (IGCC). A ceremony at Rhode Island’s State House on Oct. 19 celebrated the decision.

Representatives from the International Code Council presented an award to Gov. Donald Carcieri, state Building Code Commissioner John Leyden, and other Rhode Island officials for the state’s “commitment to a safe and sustainable future, and paving the way for other states to adopt greener building practices for public buildings.”

The International Code Council launched the IGCC initiative in 2009 to develop a set of guidelines for green building design and performance in new and existing commercial buildings. The IGCC worked with the American Institute of Architects and the American Society for Testing and Materials to draft the code.

Gov. Carcieri signed the state’s Green Buildings Act into law in 2009, requiring all major public projects after Jan. 1 to be designed and constructed as green buildings. The Act applies to any public project that is owned, leased, or controlled by the state, including new construction projects larger than 5,000 square feet, or renovations involving more than 10,000 square feet.

According to Gov. Carcieri the new law will make state buildings more energy efficient, saving taxpayers thousands of dollars a year. In the announcement, he cited the University of Rhode Island’s new Center for Biotechnology and Life Sciences as “a shining example of green public construction at its best.” {read rest}