Everyone likes to be recognized for a job well done. Whether you're a farmhand who is occupied with manure handling all day or a business executive with a six figure salary, every now and then you need a little pat on the back to keep you working your hardest. Boise, Idaho recognizes this fact and because the city council wants to keep Boise working its hardest for the benefit of all, they've designed an awards program to recognize an unlikely sector. It's called the Building Excellence Awards.

The Building Excellence Awards doesn't make use of a metaphor. It doesn't reward people who have built excellence in the community - it singles out buildings that have been excellently built or renovated. In this way the entire staff of the recently renovated auto dealer supply shop and the contractors who actually did the work can all share in the accolade. Awards are handed out yearly by the city council and come with a lovely etched glass trophy suitable for display in the lobby of your award winning building.

So what sorts of things could earn you a Building Excellence Award? Well, there are several categories. The most significant to our current situation is "Best Green Project." To coincide with an internal switch to compact fluorescent light bulbs and organic diapers, your renovation project could do some of the following: recycle parts of the old building, refit lighting for more efficiency, upgrade roofing and appliances to Energy Star compliancy, enhance the efficiency of the insulation, install water reducing fixtures, and get your LEED certification.

Other Building Excellence Award categories are: Best Accessibility Upgrade and Best Fire Safety Upgrade. Accessibility upgrades include installing ramps, Braille and sound alternatives to signage, and widening entrance-ways. Fire safety upgrades might come in the form of improving or installing fire suppression systems, upgrading the alarm, and making it easier for the building to be evacuated and serviced by fire engines. All three categories encourage businesses to make their premises safer for people now and in the future. Don't you wish your government would encourage that sort of thinking with the firm that does your search engine marketing in Canada? Then you would have a nice new building to work in.

You might be wondering, if you're planning some renovations, if it's only commercial buildings that qualify for these awards. It isn't. Privately owned residential homes are also eligible. This is a great incentive for home owners to get their Y strainers replaced and do those renovations they've been putting off for so long. If you're renovating your house or commercial building, make sure the city council knows about it and invite them to inspect the finished product if you would like to qualify for an award.