Minnesota Sustainable Building Guidelines: History, Effectiveness and Path for the Future

The Minnesota Sustainable Building Guidelines is a progressive sustainability program for state funded buildings which serves as a model for sustainability in Minnesota buildings. The program was created by the State of Minnesota in 2001 and developed by a team led by the Center for Sustainable Building Research (CSBR) at the University of Minnesota. Unlike other green building programs, it focuses on measured performance improvements, using a list of required metrics instead of a menu of potential options. The program is structured to provide a feedback loop to the building design, construction and operations industry in the state. Elements of the program are used through all phases of the development of state-funded buildings in Minnesota from pre-design through design, and construction and for ten years of operations. It is continually updated and improved in collaboration with state agencies and industry stakeholders and could serve as a model for localized green building programs.