City Centre, Las Vegas.

During the summer holidays I took a trip to Las Vegas a very crazy but amazing place. In amongst all the themed hotels and bright lights I found a building that was very different from the rest. It was the ‘Crystals’ building which is part of the new ‘City Centre’ on Las Vegas Boulevard.  It was just as glamorous and showy as everything else but it was also like a giant piece of art in amongst the other buildings.

Eight architects from all over the world were chosen to design the ‘City Centre’ which would be a venue for retail and entertainment. The ‘Crystals’ building was designed by Studio Daniel Libenskind and David Rockwell.

Finding unusual buildings on my travels encourages me to research and find out about the architect or designer when I get home. I was quite surprised to find out that the building had received a LEED Gold Core and Shell Certification from the U.S Green Building council. With all the cars, lights and energy being used on the strip it’s hard to believe that people still care about the environment.

How did the building achieve its certification?

• After the previous structure was knocked down 80% of it was recycled either into building materials or sent else where for re-use. Old curtains and cushions were used as packaging to transport the previous hotels bathroom fixtures and fittings.
• Forest Stewardship Council wood was used which ensured it was taken from forests with responsible management practices.
• Sustainable certified carpet and low VOC paints were used.
• To continue being environmentally friendly a fleet of CNG limos are available. CNG is one of the cleanest burning alternative fuels.

That’s just some information about how the LEED certification was achieved. To find out more about how City Centre became one of the worlds largest green developments click here.

I enjoy modern sleek buildings like this that stand out and make an impact on the skyline. I can imagine it won’t be to everyone’s taste but it’s good to see something different and it’s refreshing to hear that even a city like Las Vegas are beginning to think about the effects they have on the environment.