:: Vive Verde : In the News : environmental sensitivity : rooftop park : storm water reuse : recycled glass :::::


	CHANNEL 5 INTERVIEW 2.6.05 John Favole, anchor of Channel 5 News, interviews John Romano about his vision for the living office building, Vive Verde PALM BEACH POST 1.5.05 Attorney plans environmentally friendly office By: Lady Hereford LAKE WORTH - A dinner amid the tropical gardens and waterfalls at the Sundy House in Delray Beach got attorney John Romano thinking green. Why not create an environmentally friendly, "green" office building, the first of its kind anywhere, in Lake Worth? After contacting experts in the field, Romano decided to turn his law office at 1005 Lake Ave. into a model of environmental sensitivity, with such features as a rooftop park, a system to filter and reuse stormwater and countertops made from recycled glass. Such an office building is believed to be the first of its kind in the world, said Romano. "We're trying to think of every single thing possible to make this a true environmental wonder," said Romano, who owns the building with his wife Nancy. The new home of the law firm Romano, Eriksen and Cronin will be four stories, including a first-floor parking garage. The garage will be built using a special porous concrete that will allow water to seep through to the aquifer. Even the materials from the demolition of the existing one-story building, which is scheduled to take place next month, will be set aside		Vive Verde will be located at 1005 Lake Avenue in Lake Worth, Florida. It will be a four-story office building with garage parking and retail on the ground floor level. This first floor will also be rich with gardens and a beautiful waterfall flowing into it from the second floor above. Tentatively, the two retail outlets on the first floor will be a "UPS Store" on the east side and a "specialty cafe-coffee shop" on the west side. The three floors above will contain office space and views into the center of the building looking into the Biolarium, gardens, streams, and waterfall. A "living roof" lush with plants, trees, gardens, and sitting and viewing areas will top the building. Vive Verde will be registered with the Green Building Council and will be LEED-Certified. The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System is a voluntary, consensus-based national standard for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings. Vive Verde will be a "Living Machine". 'Living Building' Systems create their synergy through the use, collection, treatment, and re-use of water. Building form and details are water-driven decisions producing a style called 'Aquatecture.' Dharma Living Systems, a pioneer of the green building movement, states the criteria for a Living Machine as: 1. Aesthetic appeal 2. Reliable performance 3. High quality final effluent suitable for a variety of reuse applications

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