The Chesapeake Bay Foundation is moving its headquarters to one of the greenest buildings in the U.S., a new facility constructed near Annapolis, Md., on the shore of the Chesapeake Bay. Built to fit the footprint of an inn and swimming pool that once occupied the site, the building is intended to minimize its impact on the land and the bay. It features reclaimed wood and metal, geothermal heat pumps, hi-tech sensors that control temperature systems, waterless composting toilets, solar panels, and natural ventilation, and it uses only one-third the energy and one-tenth the water of a conventional office building. All of the runoff on the roof is collected and recycled, while on the grounds, native grasses are being planted and oyster reefs are being restored.
