It's certainly no surprise that, in the depths of the downturn, with increasing vacancy rates, declining rents, the high costs of doing business and mounting competition from surrounding states, New Jersey was burdened with its share of economic woes. Given the employment crisis, the credit crunch and the fight to salvage profitability, high-concept initiatives like sustainability and reducing one's carbon footprint often fell by the wayside.

Until now. Renewed confidence in the state's office market has led to a resurgence in green building. And few places reflect this better than the New York City-based Rockefeller Group's latest project: the 325,000-square-foot North American headquarters of BASF Corp., located at the Green at Florham Park, a 268-acre masterplanned development in Morris County. After opening amid much fanfare in May of this year, the building—home to some 1,400 workers—has already hit a major milestone: LEED Double-Platinum Certification by the US Green Building Council. Not only is it one of just five buildings across the nation to receive such a designation, but it also sets a new standard for the state and the entire CRE industry.

"This is a new class of building," Clark F. Machemer, vice president and regional director of development for Rockefeller Group Development Corp., tells BETTER BUILDINGS. "Class A is still class A, but this goes beyond that. You walk into a building that was built in the '80s or '90s that you thought was first class, then you walk into this building and there's a noticeable difference. It's raised the bar, not only for Morris County, but across the country."