Greenbuild is finally making its way to San Francisco this November – and those of us in the Bay Area are pretty excited. The conference theme is aptly “@ Greenbuild,” referencing the astounding array of Internet, social media and technology companies headquartered here in the Bay Area. We also have our host of gaming companies, many of whom tap into social networks; gamejobhunter lists over 120 companies nearby, from tiny start-ups to titans like EA and Zynga.
The “classic” Silicon Valley stretches from Palo Alto to south of San Jose, CA, about 20 miles south of San Francisco. Photo: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:AlumRockViewSiliconValley_w.jpg
Our social media bonanza has roots in the original tech boom in Silicon Valley – named after silicon chip innovators – back in the 1970’s. What is Silicon Valley exactly? Although the name originally referred to a specific region emanating out from Stanford University and San Jose, its tech prowess has now spread throughout the region; San Jose’s Mercury News recently argued that “Silicon Valley” now includes five Bay Area counties. For many of us, though, Silicon Valley is more about a mindset and an approach to business that’s become synonymous with high tech innovation. It has remained in this area because, as I once learned in a city planning class, companies that demand a stream of employees with the tech sector’s specialized mindset and skillset tend to thrive when they flock together.
HOK’s worked for many numerous tech companies over the years. Autodesk is a personal favorite, not only because I use their products every day but also because they’re just down the street; the lobby space of their One Market St. office has some pretty cool toys and is LEED Platinum to boot.
The LEED Platinum Autodesk lobby also wins the award for the coolest toys. Photo: David Wakely
This brings us to where we are today – a vibrant and slightly avant-garde-geeky community about to host The Biggest Greenbuild Ever. I’m excited to be at the nexus of this tech + sustainability crowd as part of the Greenbuild 2012 Host Committee‘s social networking co-chair; we’re working with USGBC’s Greenbuild team to create the most networked show ever. This emphasis on the collision between technology and sustainability is especially appropriate because many of our local tech companies are also leaders in green building. Google, Adobe, SAP and Zynga were four of the first six to sign on to the California Best Buildings Challenge, and many others have substantial sustainability programs. The California Best Buildings Challenge, a program by the USGBC Northern California Chapter, challenges building owners to reduce their energy, water and waste by 20% in two years. The Clinton Global Initiative will partner with the USGBC; the Challenge is closely aligned with CGI’s focus on finding solutions to promote economic recovery.
Whether you will be attending Greenbuild in person or from your couch, you can participate in the dialog by you can following @Greenbuild on Twitter, joining the LinkedIn group, liking our page on Facebook, and perusing Greenbuild pins on Pinterest. See you there!
This blog entry is cross-posted on the USGBC Blog and the new USGBC Articles site.