The American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the Green Building Initiative (GBI), which administers the Green Globes building rating system, and have signed a memorandum of understanding that expresses their intent to work in concert to promote green building.

Chris McEntee, AIA’s executive vice president and chief executive officer, praised GBI’s “engagement in life-cycle assessment and promotion of post-construction third-party review.” Included in the memorandum, announced in March, is a pledge to collaborate on educational programs that address life cycle assessment, Green Globes New Construction, and Green Globes Continual Improvement of Existing Buildings.

First released in Canada in January 2002, Green Globes consists of a series of questionnaires, customized by project phase and the role of the user in the design team (for example, architect, mechanical engineer, landscape architect). A total of eight design phases are supported.

Green Globes generates numerical assessment scores at two of the eight phases—schematic design and construction documents. These scores can be used internally as self-assessments, or they can be verified by third-party certifiers. Projects that have had their scores independently verified can use the Green Globes logo and brand to tout their environmental performance.