Promoting green buildings begins at home, and so the American Institute of Architects (AIA) is offering its advice to President-Elect Barack Obama on how to turn the White House green. “During the campaign, Barack Obama voiced plans to invest in infrastructure, advance energy efficiency and sustainable buildings, and to develop a 21st century transportation system,” said AIA CEO Christine McEntee in a recent press release. “These are all longstanding AIA goals, and we look forward to working with the new administration as they tackle these important challenges.” Among the AIA’s proposals? To create a high-level advisor on green buildings who would coordinate executive branch activities and promote these issues to the public, to develop a White House Office of Urban Policy (which Obama proposed during the campaign), and to focus on making the White House an international model of energy efficiency. OK, we admit that these ideas trump our suggestion that the Obama team draw all energy for the White House from a basement full of Gilligan’s Island-style pedal-powered generators.