A Hamilton project promises to be the first building in Bermuda to be built by a local architectural firm to special environmentally friendly guidelines.

A leading green architect consulted with Purvis Projects Limited as well as several Government Department?s (Health, Fire and Planning) about the green building guidelines yesterday at the Hamilton Fairmont. And the green building rating system has already caught the attention of local construction companies.

Joint Managing Director of D&J construction company, Dennis Fagundo said yesterday he was interested in the consultation and had already been involved in the process for ?a number of months now?.

?The frame work and some of the leading criteria has been there a lot already,? Mr. Fagundo said. He said it was important for Bermuda?s construction industry to build green buildings as it ?can be more cost effective for us?.

American architect Gregory Franta explained about environmentally sustainable architecture. ?It is architecture that is climate responsive, energy and water efficient, had a high indoor environment quality and is light on the planet,? Mr. Franta explained.

He said it was important to build green buildings because: ?The building industry causes environmental havoc in the areas of air, water and soil pollution, through the extraction of raw and finite materials.?

He also said normal building practices may create ?unhealthy buildings?.

?The main focus would be to emphasise that its generally very cost effective to make performance healthful buildings that minimise our environmental impact,? he said.

And he suggested sand stockpiles could be covered and silt fences erected around piles of earth to reduce environmental damage during construction.

Mr. Franta assisted in the Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System, for which the new building called ?Victoria Place?, that is going to be built near Victoria Street and Brunswick Street in Hamilton in late 2007.

The LEED Green Building Rating is an international building standard developed by the US Green Building Council, in which Mr. Franta is very active.

?Victoria Place? Project Architect Geoff Parker said yesterday that it was their aim to get the first LEED rated building of this kind in Bermuda.

Mr. Parker said Victoria Place will use less water by using ?grey water? not fit for drinking gathered by the building for use in toilets.

And the simple idea of having lots of large windows that let light in, but block out heat, the ?greenness? of building quickly increases.

?We are looking on having a large amount of windows,? he said. ?With a lot of daylight penetrating inside, we don?t need as many electrical lights and less heat, which the lights generate will be produced inside. So we don?t need the air conditioning.

?The idea is that the total energy usage of the building is reduced compared to a standard construction,? he said. And he said the payback in energy savings and maintenance costs will be felt in the long term.

?It may cost an extra $10,000 to put in special windows but you are saving $5,000 a year in Belco bills. After two years you have paid for the windows and after three years you are saving money?.

He said Victoria Place was the ?first building (in Bermuda) to use the LEED system for guidance for how to construct green buildings?. People living and working inside the green building will have cleaner air, larger views and more daylight, he said, adding: ?The quality is better.?