Five projects and portfolios recognized for leadership in sustainable design, energy efficiency, carbon reduction, and adaptive reuse
The Green Building Initiative (GBI) is proud to announce the winners of its 2025 Project of the Year Awards, recognizing outstanding achievement in sustainable design and operations. This year’s honorees represent a diverse range of project types and sustainability strategies, from a portfolio of high-performance data centers to a beloved community hub transformed from a former high school.
GBI’s Project of the Year Awards are presented annually to projects that have achieved a Two, Three, or Four Green Globes® rating, and/or that have been Recognized or Certified under GBI’s Journey to Net Zero™ program. Recipients demonstrate innovative sustainability and decarbonization strategies that improve a building’s functionality, longevity, and value.
2025 Project of the Year:
CyrusOne — Portfolio of 15 Data Center Facilities
GBI is pleased to name CyrusOne as the 2025 Project of the Year recipient, recognizing a portfolio-wide achievement that saw 15 data center facilities across the United States earn Three Green Globes under the Green Globes for Existing Buildings program.
This recognition reflects CyrusOne’s sustained and strategic commitment to sustainability at scale. Across its portfolio, CyrusOne has demonstrated measurable leadership in energy efficiency, ESG management, water use reduction, and waste stream minimization — proving that high-density, mission-critical facilities can meet rigorous environmental performance benchmarks.
2025 Project of the Year — Runner Up:
University of South Carolina Upstate Library Addition
Spartanburg, South Carolina
The University of South Carolina Upstate Library Addition earned Three Green Globes under the Green Globes for New Construction program in September 2025, and has been named Runner Up for GBI’s 2025 Project of the Year.
This addition to an academic library on the USC Upstate campus in Spartanburg, South Carolina exemplifies a holistic approach to sustainable design. The project team, led by Moseley Inc., prioritized the use of local materials, ecologically sensitive site design, energy efficiency, and occupant health and wellness throughout the design and construction process, resulting in a high-performing facility that serves both the campus community and the broader region.
2025 Specialty Award Winners
In addition to the Project of the Year honors, GBI presented three Specialty Awards recognizing exceptional achievement in targeted sustainability categories.
Adaptive Reuse and Revitalization Specialty Award:
Hayden Community Center
Hayden, Colorado
The Adaptive Reuse and Revitalization Specialty Award recognizes creativity, innovation, and sensitivity to community needs in conversion projects — honoring the sustainable transformation of existing structures rather than new construction.
This year’s recipient, the Hayden Community Center, is a compelling example of what adaptive reuse can achieve. A former high school in the close-knit mountain town of Hayden, Colorado was transformed into a vibrant community hub offering spaces for recreation, arts, education, sports, and fitness. The project earned Two Green Globes under the Green Globes for New Construction program in September 2025.
By reusing approximately 85–90% of the existing building, the project avoided significant embodied carbon and construction waste, while delivering valued community amenities at a fraction of the environmental cost of new construction. The renovation also preserved the building’s deep ties to local history. This was a meaningful achievement in a community where many residents have personal connections to the original school.
Energy Excellence Specialty Award:
Riachi at One 21
Plano, Texas
The Energy Excellence Specialty Award recognizes projects that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to energy efficiency and renewable energy integration, resulting in meaningfully reduced energy demand.
The 2025 winner, Riachi at One 21, is a multifamily housing complex in Plano, Texas that earned Two Green Globes under the Green Globes for Existing Buildings program in October 2025. The project also achieved recognition under GBI’s Journey to Net Zero program — a distinction that underscores its forward-looking approach to energy performance. Riachi at One 21 demonstrates that existing residential communities can achieve high levels of energy performance through thoughtful operations and strategic sustainability measures.
Carbon Reduction Specialty Award:
BIO Fish Lab Renovation
Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
The Carbon Reduction Specialty Award honors projects that demonstrate leadership in minimizing greenhouse gas emissions through lifecycle thinking, innovative reduction strategies, and frequent emissions measurement.
The 2025 recipient, the Bedford Institute of Oceanography (BIO) Fish Lab Renovation, is a renovation of Canada’s largest center for oceanographic research, located in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. The project earned Three Green Globes under the Green Globes for New Construction program in August 2025. The BIO Fish Lab Renovation exemplifies how research facilities can lead by example — embedding carbon reduction thinking into every stage of a complex renovation project.