Following a successful inaugural year in 2008, Eco-Structure once again put forth the call for the green building industry’s best high-performance projects for the annual Evergreen Awards competition. With the goal of recognizing excellence in both building design and environmental performance, the awards are organized in four categories: Ecommercial, featuring environmentally responsible commercial, industrial, or institutional projects; Greenhouse, showcasing high-performance residential projects; Flashback, recognizing demonstrated performance excellence; and Perspectives, a look at thought leaders who are driving the green building industry forward.

Before acknowledging this year’s winners, we’d like to take a moment to thank our judges: Lee Durston, building scientist at BCRA in Tacoma, Wash.; Dan Heinfeld, senior principal and president of LPA, in Irvine, Calif.; Dan Rockhill, J. L. Constant distinguished professor of architecture at Kansas University in Lawrence, Kan.; and Paul Torcellini, commercial building research group manager at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colo. Thanks also are due to Laurie Grant, Eco-Structure’s former associate editor and metalmag’s current managing editor, who skillfully coordinated this year’s competition.

This year’s jury did not take its duties lightly, as it thoughtfully examined each entry’s integrated design approach, sustainable attributes, performance data, and quality of design and function. Seeking projects that addressed each of these arenas without compromising innovation in another, in the end the judges winnowed the crop of entrants to two Ecommercial winners, two Greenhouse winners, and one Perspectives winner. In the Flashback category, they chose not to bestow an award.

Congratulations to this year’s winners, who also will be recognized during the Greenbuild International Conference and Expo in November. For more information on the Evergreen Awards, visit eco-structure.com.