Top 10: Most Sustainable Buildings

To meet the Paris Agreement’s 2050 net zero emissions target and avoid catastrophic climate change, we must rethink how we live and work.

Buildings, used by everyone for work and leisure, significantly impact the environment. However, innovative building technologies around the world are transforming the way organisations and individuals interact with nature, reducing carbon footprints and fostering sustainable living.

These advancements offer solutions to align daily activities with global environmental goals, promoting harmony between human life and the planet.

Scope 3 Magazine has ranked 10 of the most sustainable buildings in the world.

10. Taipei 101

Location: Taipei, Taiwan

Owned by: Taipei Financial Centre Corporation

Floor count: 101

Construction completed: 2003

Taipei 101, once the tallest skyscraper globally, is now the eleventh tallest. It holds a Platinum LEED certification for energy efficiency and sustainable design.

The building uses recycled water for 20-30% of its needs, helping conserve freshwater resources. Its double-pane windows block 50% of external heat, significantly reducing energy consumption for air conditioning.

This innovative design ensures efficient temperature control, making Taipei 101 a model for environmentally conscious skyscrapers in hot climates.

9. Shanghai Tower

Location: Shanghai, China

Owned by: Yeti Construction and Development

Floor count: 133

Construction completed: 2014

Shanghai Tower, standing at 632 metres, is one of only four completed 'mega-tall' skyscrapers and houses offices for firms like JPMorgan and Alibaba.

Designed by Gensler, its tiered structure ensures high energy efficiency with nine distinct zones for office and retail use.

The building’s outer façade allows natural light in, reducing air conditioning needs, and cuts wind load. This design uses 25% less structural steel compared to a conventional skyscraper of similar height, enhancing sustainability.

8. Torre Reforma

Location: Mexico City, Mexico

Owned by: Fondo Hexa

Floor count: 57

Construction completed: 2016

The Torre Reforma, shaped like an open book with a glass façade, offers panoramic views of Chapultepec Park.

Holes in the façade provide natural ventilation, boosting air conditioning efficiency and lowering energy use, essential in Mexico's hot climate.

Expanded pavements around the building prioritise pedestrians over vehicles, enhancing accessibility. By encouraging walking and reducing car commutes, the design helps minimise carbon emissions, making Torre Reforma an environmentally conscious building suited to its urban setting.

7. Pasona Urban Farm

Location: Tokyo, Japan

Owned by: Pasona Group

Floor count: 9

Construction completed: 2010

The Pasona Urban Farm, a renovated building, features a double-skinned green façade, rooftop garden and urban farming facilities.

More than 200 plant species, including fruits, rice and vegetables, are grown and harvested for the building's cafeterias, reducing the need for food transport into the city.

Designed to integrate agriculture, health and eco-friendliness, it fosters a symbiotic relationship with nature, promoting resource recycling.

This innovative approach merges office space with sustainable urban farming, highlighting eco-conscious design in a city environment.

6. City Hall

Location: London, England

Owned by: Greater London Authority

Construction completed: 2012

Originally built by Siemens as The Crystal, London’s city hall showcased sustainable architecture. It was the first building to achieve both an ‘Outstanding’ BREEAM rating and LEED Platinum certification.

The structure features ground source heat pumps, solar panels, a 60,000-litre rainwater tank, and carpets made from recycled fishing nets.

Its building management system includes over 2,500 KNX-connected devices, enhancing efficiency through automation. This innovative design demonstrates a commitment to sustainability and eco-friendly construction practices.

5. Bank of America Tower

Location: New York, US

Owned by: Bank of America

Floor count: 55

Construction completed: 2009

Designed by Cookfox and Adamson Associates, the Bank of America Tower, standing 370 metres tall, is the eighth tallest building in New York City.

It offers 2.1 million square feet of office space and was the first commercial skyscraper in the US to achieve LEED Platinum certification.

Though its energy-efficient features raised construction costs by 6.5%, the building is expected to save US$3m annually in energy costs and boost productivity by US$7m per year.

4. Bullitt Centre

Location: Seattle, US

Owned by: Bullitt Foundation

Floor count: 6

Construction completed: 2012

Opened on Earth Day 2013, the Bullitt Centre is designed as the world’s greenest commercial building.

In its first decade, it generated 30% more energy than it consumed, thanks to its solar panels, making it one of the largest net-positive energy buildings globally.

It has no parking spaces, focusing on bike racks and features 26 geothermal wells reaching 120 metres deep to stabilise its temperature. This innovative design showcases sustainability and energy efficiency in commercial architecture.

3. Bosco Verticale

Location: Milan, Italy

Floor count: 11

Construction completed: 2012

Bosco Verticale, meaning "vertical forest," is a pair of residential skyscrapers designed by Stefano Boeri, who describes them as "a house for trees inhabited by humans."

Reaching 116 metres and 84 metres tall, the buildings feature over 90 plant species, including tall shrubs and trees, distributed across their facades.

The 20,000 trees and plants absorb about 20,000kg of carbon annually, equivalent to one hectare of forest.

A centralised drip irrigation system uses reclaimed greywater, while heat pump technology reduces heating and cooling costs, making the towers highly sustainable.

2. One Central Park

Location: Sydney, Australia

Owned by: Frasers Property

Floor count: 34 and 12

Construction completed: 2013

One Central Park is a mixed-use dual high-rise developed by Frasers Property and Sekisui House as part of Sydney's Central Park urban renewal project.

The towers house a six-level retail shopping centre with over 40 stores and a 13-screen cinema. The building earned a 5 Green Star rating from the Green Building Council of Australia.

Its vertical gardens, the tallest in the world, feature over 35,000 plants across 23 green walls.

A cantilevered heliostat reflects sunlight to the gardens and atriums, while its recycled water network, the world’s largest membrane bioreactor facility, supports 4,000 residents and 15,000 visitors daily.

1. The Edge

Location: Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Owned by: Edge

Floor count: 14

Construction completed: 2014

The Edge, home to companies like Deloitte, Salesforce, and Henkel, is rated the world’s most sustainable office building.

It achieved a BREEAM score of 98.36% in 2014. The building generates more electricity than it uses through solar panels and underground thermal energy storage.

Rainwater from the roof is collected for toilet flushing and garden irrigation. With 28,000 sensors monitoring CO2, humidity, and temperature, the lighting system is 80% more efficient than conventional systems.

A smartphone app personalises lighting, climate, and even coffee preferences, while an aquifer thermal energy storage system heats and cools the building efficiently.

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