Buildings that make energy

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates, Feb. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Masdar announced today that it has chosen Chicago architecture firm Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture (AS+GG) to design its headquarters in Abu Dhabi's
Masdar City, the world's first zero-carbon, zero-waste city fully powered by renewable energy. The headquarters will be the world's first large-scale, mixed-use "positive energy" building, producing more energy than it consumes.

Abu Dhabi, one of the largest producers of oil in the world is building a car free, zero-carbon city with a net energy generating building as its centerpiece.

What do they know that we are not catching onto here? It would seem that the producers of oil know that the age of oil is ending. They don't intend to be left behind.

In any case, this is a resounding affirmation that we (meaning humans) can change the way we make things. Considering that in North America, our buildings contribute 1/3 of the greenhouse gases we produce, when do our office blocks start looking like this? Or looking like any kind of sustainable, inspired design?