G-20 Summit is Being Held at Uber-Green Convention Site

The G-20 Summit is coming to Pittsburgh, PA! If you don't know what the G-20 is, don't feel bad -- I didn't either. (Okay, that's not entirely true, but it's a group of 20 countries established in 1999 to meet and discuss key issues in the global economy.) Here at ShelterPop, we're actually most impressed with where the G-20 chose to meet -- The David L. Lawrence Convention Center (DLLCC) is the first and largest Gold LEED-Certified convention center in the world.

Designed by Rafael Violy Architects and completed in 2003, we love how well the designers combined sustainability and function. Case in point: 75 percent of the building is lit by natural light. Other stand out features include native landscaping, an on-site water reclamation plant that recycles waste water and a natural ventilation system. It was also strategically positioned -- The location along the Allegheny River helps keep the site cool when the breeze blows off the water.

Check out the suspension roof design (shown above). Inspired by the historic suspension bridges that span the Allegheny River, the roof is a nod to Pittsburgh's history of industrialism, and of course, steel.

According to the DLLCC's website, "Green is more than the way we are built - it is the way we operate." The convention center uses wooden pens with refillable soy ink, lines their trash cans with 100 percent biodegradable trash can liners and they use green office supplies, like mousepads made from discarded tires and solar powered calculators. Cool! For more info and to get green ideas for your own workplace, visit the DLLCC's GreenFirst website.