Environmental Design & Construction articles from July 2006

Environmental Design & Construction archives from July 2006

Lessons learned.(EDITOR'S NOTE)
July 1, 2006... We all make mistakes, personally and professionally As a mother, I have learned a lot of lessons from my son. I made the mistake of thinking life wouldn't change too much after having a baby--I was wrong: I've discovered that putting him on the...

Downtown celebration marks opening of 7 World Trade Center in NY.(New York)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... New York -- World Trade Center Developer Larry A. Silverstein was joined on May 23, 2006, by public officials, architects, builders, artists, downtown residents, local school children and area workers for a celebration to mark the opening of 7...

"2030 Challenge" resolution adopted.(NEWSLINE)
July 1, 2006... Santa Fe -- The U.S. Conference of Mayors has made a commitment to reduce global warming pollution from buildings. On June 5, 2006, the U.S. Conference of Mayors adopted the "2030 Challenge" (Resolution #50) for all buildings. The resolution...

California Gold Sustainable Carpet Standard reduces carpeting into landfills.(NEWSLINE)
July 1, 2006... Sacramento -- As of Sept. 1, 2006, the California state government is requiring that new and most replacement carpeting purchased for use in state buildings must contain at least 10 percent recycled materials. The new California Gold...

Analysis tool released by World Resources Institute.(NEWSLINE)
July 1, 2006... Washington, D.C. -- In conjunction with case studies being released by the World Resources Institute's (WRI / www.wri.org) Climate Northeast project that serve as examples of how corporate energy managers can improve both financial and...

NCSBDC winners announced, sustainable home built by Habitat for Humanity.(N.C. Sustainable Building Design Competition)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Raleigh, N.C. -- Advanced Energy's (www.advancedenergy.org) N.C. Sustainable Building Design Competition (NCSBDC)--a program to engage students in the state's universities and community colleges to learn and apply the lessons of sustainable...

BRE EcoHomes program update recognizes forest certification programs.(Building Research Establishment Ltd)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Garston, Watford, U.K. -- Building Research Establishment Ltd. (BRE), an independent United Kingdom green building program, recently updated their EcoHomes program guidance for responsible sourcing of materials. After a comprehensive review,...

Royal Caribbean receives LEED Gold.(Royal Caribbean International)(LEED Gold certification )(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Springfield, Ore. -- Royal Caribbean International, a global cruise vacation company, has received LEED Gold certification for its environmentally friendly customer contact center in Springfield, Ore. The 160,000-square-foot building is one of...

Green Roof Awards of Excellence crowns record breaking conference.(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Toronto, Canada -- Seven outstanding green roof design teams received Green Roof Awards of Excellence for their exceptional projects from Green Roofs for Healthy Cities--the North-American green roof industry association whose mission is to...

Peter Rumsey named Senior Fellow of RMI.(NEWSLINE)
July 1, 2006... Snowmass, Colo. -- Rumsey Engineers have entered a collaborative alliance with Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation based in Snowmass, Colo., whose objectives include joint development of methodologies,...

Corrections.(Correction notice)
July 1, 2006... In the April 2006 issue of ED+C, the location of New-berg Hospital as referenced in the "Healthcare Pioneer Shows It Can Be Done" article should in fact be the state of Oregon and not Washington as indicated. In the June 2006 article "It...

Roofing granule contributes to energy savings.(NEW + NOTABLE)
July 1, 2006... 1 Camarillo, Calif. -- The White Armor Roofing granule system from National Coatings combines the 25-year-old brand of AcryShield Roof Coating with the very bright white granule to create a system that fully complies with the 2005 California...

Seating line earns GREENGUARD.(NEW + NOTABLE)
July 1, 2006... 2 Spring Lake, Mich. -- The izzydesign seating line, including izzyseating, HAG by izzy and SuperiorSeating by izzy has been awarded GREENGUARD certification for indoor air quality, the company reports, www.izzydesign.com. [ILLUSTRATION...

New business unit aims to reduce construction waste.(NEW + NOTABLE)
July 1, 2006... 3 Federal Way, Wash. -- Using newly developed software and a single-point-of-coordination with expertise to provide custom, optimal solutions for home structures, iLevel by Weyerhaeuser is aiming to reduce construction waste and costs....

Low-profile dimming ballast provides digital fluorescent lighting control technology.(NEW + NOTABLE)
July 1, 2006... 4 Coopersburg, Pa. -- Lutron Electronics Co., Inc has expanded its line of EcoSystem fluorescent dimming ballasts with the EcoSystem T5 HE (High Efficiency) ballast for use with the EcoSystem fluorescent lighting control solution. The new line...

Shading system receives cradle to cradle Silver certification.(NEW + NOTABLE)
July 1, 2006... New York -- MechoShade Systems' Mecho/5 with EcoVeil is the first, complete solar shading system to receive Silver certification from MBDC, the sustainable product development and consulting firm founded by William McDonough and Michael...

Wishes come true: Foundation continues to grant wishes to children as wishes are granted for a new green building in Texas.(Make-A-Wish-Foundation)
July 1, 2006... North Texas has seen recently garnered attention with the development of a few grand-scale sustainable buildings, such as the new $200-million 600,000-square-foot RadioShack campus in Ft. Worth, and the new Wal-Mart in McKinney. Additionally...

Green lease: creating an incentive to effectively design, build and manage high-performance and sustainable buildings through a green lease.(STUDIO)
July 1, 2006... The term green lease is often bandied about in conversations regarding office buildings, yet it's a term without a real definition. This might be because so few of the people have ever negotiated a green lease. Some believe you can "green" a...

Welcome to the 6th annual LEED[R] guide!(Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)(Editorial)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... ED+C's LEED Guide highlights the latest from the U.S. Green Building Council's (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED[R] Green Building Rating System[TM]. LEED celebrated it's sixth anniversary this year and has come...

USGBC: education, leadership and people.
July 1, 2006... Summer, to me, signals endless possibility. It must be a holdover from childhood, when the end of the school year meant that three months of freedom--three months confined only by our imaginations--stretched before us. Although it's been a long...

First green data center: Fannie Mae's Urbana Technology Center confronts unique challenges to earn LEED certification.
July 1, 2006... LEED certification distinguishes building projects that have demonstrated a commitment to sustainability by meeting the highest performance standards, according to the USGBC. Fannie Mae's Urbana Technology Center (UTC), located in Maryland, is...

Different by design: Keystone Community Church, the nation's first LEED-certified church, is "different by design" and proud of it.(Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (United States Green Building Council))
July 1, 2006... With a website declaration of "No hymns, no pews, and no excuses not to come," Keystone Community Church celebrates being different. Stepping outside the traditional church box, Keystone leaders embraced the sustainable design opportunity as an...

Save time with LEED on-line.(Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (United States Green Building Council)
July 1, 2006... Much of the building industry is well aware of the benefits of green building. But until recently, the process of achieving LEED certification could be intimidating for smaller projects and too time consuming for major developers or architects...

New building standard: bringing green building to the mainstream by partnering with ASHRAE, IESNA, AIA.
July 1, 2006... Promoting sustainable design and construction practice is at the heart of the USGBC's mission. The LEED Green Building Rating System was created by USGBC in 2000 as a leadership standard for green building: LEED's technical rigor, scientific...

Calling all interior designers and facility managers: LEED Accredited Professional program expanding.(Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (United States Green Building Council))
July 1, 2006... LEED Accredited Professionals (AP) now number more than 24,000--and 20 new people add the words "LEED AP" to their business cards each day. First launched in 2001, the accreditation program distinguishes professionals with the knowledge and...

Inspiring change through education: demand for LEED workshops mirrors industry growth.(Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (United States Green Building Council))
July 1, 2006... "The goal isn't just more LEED certified buildings," says Rick Fedrizzi, president and CEO of the U.S. Green Building Council. "The goal is to help people understand why they should build LEED buildings. Market transformation means changing the...

The green American dream: LEED for Homes is currently being piloted.(Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (United States Green Building Council))
July 1, 2006... Owning a home is the cornerstone of the American dream. Recently, however, we've realized that keeping that dream alive for future generations means making some changes to how we live today. Today's consumers have more choices than ever before;...

Cutting the ribbon: BASF opens its LEED-H, Near-Zero Energy Home in Paterson, N.J.(Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Homes)
July 1, 2006... In a celebration of the total efforts culminating in the BASF Better Home Better Planet: Near-Zero Energy Home, Paterson, N.J., BASF hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony on April 26, 2006 in the Paterson neighborhood to dedicate the LEED for Homes...

Green begets green: Marketing potential through sustainable design, such as Gateway Commons; Catching on with developers eyeing bottom line.(Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)
July 1, 2006... Have you ever had your client suggest, as though a new idea, what you have been proposing all along? Recently we had this experience when, midway through the design process, the client for a mixed-use housing project mentioned in a meeting that...

Racing into the development market: the new LEED Core and Shell Rating System encourages high-performance real estate development.
July 1, 2006... Forget everything you know about LEED. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] That's how the members of the LEED Core and Shell Committee view the results of our five-year effort to bring to life the newest LEED Rating System--officially known as the...

A future for our children: LEED facilitates success for K-12 schools.
July 1, 2006... Today in Homewood, Ala., middle school students are learning about green design from a very effective teacher: their newly constructed 190,000 square-foot school building. As they walk through the main corridor of the school, they pass by a...

Site selection for LEED CI projects: integrating sustainable design objectives with business objectives--at the outset.(Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (United States Green Building Council) Commercial Interiors)
July 1, 2006... "Don't start in the middle," says Frank Delfino, President, Canadian and International Markets, Teknion. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In the case of a LEED for Commercial Interiors (CI) project, starting at the beginning means defining the...

Top 5 reasons not to use LEED-EB: dispelling the perceived obstacles to achieving compliance.(Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design - Existing Buildings)
July 1, 2006... The USGBC has performed a great service for our industry by calling attention to and codifying ways to reduce the environmental impact of buildings. Thanks to LEED for New Construction (LEED-NC) and Existing Buildings (LEED-EB) certification...

Adobe's headquarters conserves resources and money: software giant implements 41 conservation strategies, applies for LEED-EB certification.(Adobe Systems Inc.)
July 1, 2006... In 2001, Gray Davis, then governor of California, asked large electricity users to conserve their energy use by 10 percent because of the state's energy crisis. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Cushman & Wakefield, commercial property management...

Two sets of eyes on a project always pays; Enhanced Commissioning LEED Credit (EAc3): is it worth the investment?(Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (United States Green Building Council))
July 1, 2006... Formerly known as the Additional Commissioning Credit (EAc3) under Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for New Construction (LEED-NC) version 2.1, this credit has been under scrutiny by many of our clients asking the basic question:...

Certification impacts private sector: LEED offers a return on investment across all markets.(Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design )
July 1, 2006... Green building design rapidly has been gaining momentum as a design protocol and measurement standard for a building's environmental performance. Up until recently, specialty, educational, and municipal projects were the majority of buildings...

USGBC to tackle certified wood/bio-based materials credits in LEED rating system.(United States Green Building Council)(Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Washington, D.C. -- The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) Board of Directors announced that it has directed the USGBC's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Steering Committee to address two proposed changes to LEED's wood and...

Landing on the green: Old Greenwood is the first golf facility in the U.S. to earn the LEED distinction.
July 1, 2006... Old Greenwood, a year-round resort community in Truckee, Calif., recently became the first golf facility in the United States to receive LEED status for its Natural Resource Management Center. The only other building in the Lake Tahoe area with...

Building again, building better.
July 1, 2006... "If you can change a lightbulb, you can change Louisiana," asserts a sign that hangs prominently in the ArtEgg Studios, a hurricane-damaged building in New Orleans. In early May, the USGBC Board of Directors, including myself, and other green...

AIA announces "Show You're Green" awards.(NEWSLINE at home)(American Institute of Architects Housing and Custom Residential Knowledge Community)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Washington, D.C. -- The American Institute of Architects (AIA) Housing and Custom Residential Knowledge Community announced the winners of the "Show You're Green" awards at the AIA 2006 National Convention and Design Expo. Eight projects were...

NHCC report compares green building guidelines and healthy homes principles.(NEWSLINE at home)(National Center for Healthy Housing )(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Columbia, Md. -- The National Center for Healthy Housing (NCHH) has released a report that compares major national green building and indoor air quality guidelines with its own set of recommended healthy housing criteria to assess the extent to...

Computer allows "Green House" visitors to compare home energy costs.(NEWSLINE at home)
July 1, 2006... Skokie, Ill. -- In an effort to help cut utility costs and increase structural efficiency, Portland Cement Association (PCA) has developed a touch-screen computer system that shows how the building materials used to construct a home's exterior...

Zero-energy residence on track to achieve LEED Platinum rating.(NEWSLINE at home)
July 1, 2006... Los Angeles -- Boasting goals of "zero energy, zero water, zero carbon, and zero emissions," LivingHomes' model home in Santa Monica, Calif., is slated to be evaluated by the U.S. Green Building Council's pilot Leadership in Energy and...

Helena residential high-rise garners LEED Gold.(NEWSLINE at home)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... New York -- The Helena, the first voluntarily sustainable high-rise residential building in New York City, has been awarded a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold rating by the U.S. Green Building Council. The 37-story...

Donated jeans to be used in insulation for five-story habitat for humanity building.(NEWSLINE at home)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Chandler, Ariz. -- Through collaboration between Bonded Logic Inc, The Polo Ralph Lauren Foundation's "Get Involved. Volunteer. Exceed." (G.I.V.E) campaign, and Habitat for Humanity NYC, Chandler, Ariz.-based Bonded Logic announced the donation...

ED+C's 2006 Excellence in Design Awards.(Environmental Design + Construction, Nathan Good Architect)
July 1, 2006... SINGLE-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL HOME CANNON BEACH RESIDENCE Environmental Design + Construction magazine's Fourth Annual Excellence in Design Awards recognize commercial spaces and offices, institutional facilities, government buildings,...

Growing demand for healthy homes: attic ventilation and green/cool roofing are key.(STUDIO)
July 1, 2006... Construction practices and products have changed dramatically over the past 20 years. Windows and doors have tighter seals, insulation levels have increased and the use of house wraps and vapor retarders is commonplace. Houses are more airtight...

Digital design: software and web-based tools support green design.(AutoCAD)(Autodesk Architectural Desktop)(MicroStation)
July 1, 2006... In today's corporate world, almost everyone uses a computer. ED+C's 2006 Green Building Industry Awareness study, asked of green building professionals "Do you use the web to find work-related information?" There was a resounding "Yes" (96...

Submersibles tap hydro wood sources.(PRODUCT FOCUS: CERTIFIED WOOD)
July 1, 2006... Saanichton, British Columbia -- Using its newest fleet of Sawfish submersibles, Triton Logging Inc. recovers standing trees flooded by hydro reservoirs in Canada, with plans to expand internationally as well. The wood holds SmartWood...

Environmentally-certified hardwood plywood.(PRODUCT FOCUS: CERTIFIED WOOD)
July 1, 2006... Portland, Ore. -- Columbia Forest Products Inc.'s new line of hardwood plywood and veneered particleboard is certified by SmartWood, one of two agencies accredited by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) to forest management certification in...

Full line of FSC-certified wood products.(PRODUCT FOCUS: CERTIFIED WOOD)
July 1, 2006... Portland, Ore. -- CollinsWood from Collins, a family-owned forest products company since 1855, features a full line of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified wood products, including: TruWood Siding and Trim, softwood lumber, hardwood...

Recycling rainwater irrigates plant medium.(PRODUCT FOCUS: GREEN ROOFING AND STORMWATER MANAGEMENT)
July 1, 2006... Wadsworth, Ohio -- Soprema, Inc.'s Sopranture system features Jardin; a highly water retentive, lightweight, versatile system for semi-intensive green roof applications, the company reports. Jardin makes it possible to grow a wide range of...

Green roof conveyance/drainage medium for water and air.(PRODUCT FOCUS: GREEN ROOFING AND STORMWATER MANAGEMENT)
July 1, 2006... Golden, Colo. -- Manufactured by Invisible Structures, Inc., and made from 100 percent recycled plastic, Draincore2 is a high-efficiency, flexible plastic ring and grid system used as a conveyance/drainage medium for water and air, the company...

Green roof system insulates, saves energy from the rooftop down.(PRODUCT FOCUS: GREEN ROOFING AND STORMWATER MANAGEMENT)
July 1, 2006... Chicago -- A division of Weston Solutions, Inc., GreenGrid's easy-to-install modular Green roof system insulates roofs, the company reports, reducing the heat load from the building's roof by as much as 50 percent. GreenGrid green roofs are...

Linear actuator receives UL certificate for USA and Canada.(PRODUCT FOCUS: EXTERIOR SHADING SYSTEMS)
July 1, 2006... Poessneck, Germany -- The Econom 0 linear actuators from elero GmbH Linear Technology Division are self-contained weather resistant linear actuators that carry the UL test mark, the company reports. Connected to a bus-controlled building...

Sun control product.(PRODUCT FOCUS: EXTERIOR SHADING SYSTEMS)
July 1, 2006... Terrell, Texas -- Vistawall Architectural Products' Solar Eclipse, a sun control product that is engineered to effectively reduce solar heat gain while withstanding substantial structural loads, is easily installed into its CW-250 and Reliance...

External shades enhance natural light while saving energy costs.(PRODUCT FOCUS: EXTERIOR SHADING SYSTEMS)
July 1, 2006... Upper Saddle River, N.J. -- Nysan for Hunter Douglas Contract's external shading systems provide a solution for solar control, reflecting light and heat before it reaches the building envelope. Nysan external roller shades, external venetian...

Photovoltaic modules receive UL Class A fire rating, feature weather barrier system.(PRODUCT FOCUS: SOLAR PRODUCTS)
July 1, 2006... Billerica, Mass. -- Available with power ratings of 285, 300, and 315 watts, RWE Schott Solar, Inc.'s ASE-300-DGF/50 photovoltaic modules feature large surface areas that require fewer interconnects and structural members and all...

Commercial inverters used in higher education PV system.(PRODUCT FOCUS: SOLAR PRODUCTS)
July 1, 2006... Lawrence, Mass. -- Solectria Renewables' PVI13KW commercial inverters are DSP-controlled inverters for grid-connected commercial and utility 2-phase PV systems. The PVI13KW were incorporated into a photovoltaic (PV) system at the Springfield...

Solar roofing membrane system wins PCBC 2006 "Cool Product" award.(PRODUCT FOCUS: SOLAR PRODUCTS)
July 1, 2006... Solana Beach, Calif. -- Open Energy Corporation's Solarsave Roofing Membrane series of products has received a 2006 "Cool Products" Competition award from PCBC (Pacific Coast Builders Conference). The roofing membranes are building-integrated...