A recent post on Gristmill regarding the top-10 green buildings in the U.S. arrived on my laptop about the same time as a press release from the Sonoran Institute about the release of their new book Building From The Best In The Northern Rockies.

If you don't know about the Tucson-based Sonoran Institute, you should.

The Sonoran Institute promotes community decisions that respect the land and people of western North America.

Building From The Best In The Northern Rockies is a great example of just how the Sonoran Institute goes about promoting good community decisions.

The book presents a win-win blueprint for growth and development in Montana, Wyoming and Idaho, with 37 case studies that demonstrate innovative ways for communities to grow without sacrificing natural, cultural and architectural assets.

Published in partnership with Montana State University, the book is filled with compelling photos and descriptions of projects across the area. A primary goal is to shift the debate from “what is wrong with new development to what is right,” said Dennis Glick, director of the Sonoran Institute’s Northern Rockies office. “The diverse case studies in the book should give us hope for the future of quality development.”

One case study is particularly close to my heart. Teton Science Schools and collaborating architects Mithun and Hawtin Jorgensen were recognized for the development of the new Jackson Campus:

This campus's 10 buildings are not only beautiful and sited to protect wildlife and scenic resources, they feature state-of-the-art green-building techniques. Some of the innovations are narrow building footprints that maximize daylighting, reduce demand for artificial lighting, and increase sun exposure on insulated concrete floors; and window openings designed to maximize natural ventilation and cooling so that air conditioning is not necessary.

Building from the Best of the Northern Rockies is available to the public - the first copy is free of charge, and subsequent copies are $20 to help defray printing and postage costs. To request a copy of the book, please call 406-587-7331 or visit www.sonoran.org to make an e-mail inquiry.

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