Managing buildings and their complex and interconnected systems requires an understanding of technology, financial planning, and even human behavior to create solutions that conserve resources, reduce waste, save money, and satisfy occupants.

Green the Building exposes the complex world of sustainable design, construction, and operations in a succinct and simplified context that allows you to grasp the whole system, learn technical concepts, and try out building strategies in a risk-free environment.

For those curious about sustainable building, Green the Building highlights what questions to ask. For those responsible for greening buildings, Green the Building encourages moving beyond professional silos, jargon, and minimum compliance standards towards discovery of actions you can take to improve performance and address challenges ahead.

Persuasive Games created Green the Building in collaboration with Noblis and the U.S. General Services Administration’s (GSA), as an extension of the latter agency’s Sustainable Facilities Tool (SFTool). A game was chosen as a perfect way to pose these practical questions and broaden the circle of those engaged in the process of trying out solutions.

Green the Building appeals to building professionals as well as the general public. Most of us spend 90% of our time in buildings and can all contribute to creating more healthy, comfortable, and affordable buildings. Green the Building aims to put ideas into practice by increasing the use of sustainable practices and technologies in federal buildings and beyond, which directly supports GSA’s mission.

In 2016, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) approved Green the Building to supply one unit of continuing education.

Key Game Features

• Green the Building places you in the role of Team Lead, charged with greening buildings through strategic Energy, Waste, Water, and Occupant Satisfaction improvements given a limited budget.
• Make tough choices from among action cards that include: Lighting, HVAC, Water, Workplace, Practices, and Bundles.
• Face random events, including extreme temperature change and employee turnover, that challenge your ability to plan ahead.
• Green the Building is browser-based, device-agnostic (works great on tablets and mobile!), and free.
• Embedded links open a new browser window that connects you directly to SFTool explanations of the practices, technologies, and concepts you encounter in non-technical language.