City Center, Las Vegas, USA

One of the largest LEED projects in the world, City Center in Las Vegas occupies about 1.6 million square meters and is considered to be one of the hugest sustainable communities. Such world-famous architectural firms, as Foster+Partners, Kohn Pederson Fox, Pelli Clarke Pelli participated in the process of designing and developing the complex which consists of several towers, casinos and hotels. Construction works were realized by two companies - Tishman Construction and Perini Building Company. The complex of breathtaking beauty was designed by Gensler (Executive Architect), the most famous architectural company in the USA. The master plan of the project was developed by Ehrenkrantz, Eckstut & Kuhn Architects. Among the most important green features of the complex are water conservation mechanisms that save 30-43% of water inside the buildings and 60% for irrigating the surrounding landscaping, as well as a large-scale system of recycling (260,000 tons of waste during the construction works) and energy-saving methods. The enormous urban complex was opened on December 16, 2009. The metropolis includes a number of famous hotels and resorts: Veer Tower (residential tower), ARIA (a 61-story resort), Vdara Hotel and Spa, Mandarin Oriental (a 47-story hotel), The Crystals (an entertainment district), Harmon Hotel, etc. City Center has earned 6 LEED Gold Certifications for its residential buildings and hotels. Total project cost more than $9 billion.

By Astghik Atabekyan, www.building.am