Environmental Design & Construction articles from July 2007

Environmental Design & Construction archives from July 2007

Education is key.(PUBLISHER'S NOTE)
July 1, 2007... Green is not a movement; it's a way of life. As my knowledge of green building has increased over the years, I have incorporated environmental values in my personal life on many levels: hybrid cars, energyconserving light bulbs, water-saving...

AIA: International Presidents call for global response to climate change.(NEWSLINE)
July 1, 2007... Washington, D.C. -- At the American Institute of Architects (AIA) 2007 National Convention in San Antonio, the presidents of 16 national, regional and international architects associations spoke in one voice to urge the design and construction...

New standard to bring green building practices to the mainstream nears completion.(NEWSLINE)
July 1, 2007... Washington, D.C. -- A proposed new standard that will provide minimum guidelines for green building practices is nearly complete and has been released for public review and comment. Comments will be accepted through July 9, 2007 at...

$1 million commitment to support green building research.(NEWSLINE)
July 1, 2007... Washington, D.C. -- The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announced that it would commit $1 million to green building research. These funds will be targeted at increasing research in areas such as energy and water security; global climate...

Energy-efficiency tax breaks.(NEWSLINE)
July 1, 2007... Washington, D.C. -- Due to an extension of federal tax incentives, home builders and commercial building owners can lower both the energy costs of their buildings for years to come and their federal tax liability through 2008 by incorporating...

SCS expands programs qualifying for Leed points.(NEWSLINE)
July 1, 2007... Emeryville, Calif. -- Scientific Certification Systems (SCS) announced that it is now able to provide select companies with increased opportunities to earn LEED points. Companies involved in the manufacture of office furniture are provided this...

Ecomarket summary released.(NEWSLINE)
July 1, 2007... Reading, Pa. -- TerraChoice recently released its EcoMarkets 2007 Summary Report. The annual research initiative monitors the patterns of green procurement and supply chain management in business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-government...

Solar earth, Gracie Green Roof part of Chicago "Cool Globes" exhibition.(NEWSLINE)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... Chicago, Ill. -- Legat Architects' "Solar Earth" has been selected for the "Cool Globes: Hot Ideas for a Cooler Planet" exhibition in Chicago this summer. The exhibition features 100 5-foot diameter globes decorated by local, national, and...

CIRI releases symposium wrap-up.(NEWSLINE)
July 1, 2007... Hamilton, Ohio -- The Cleaning Industries Research Institute (CIRI) has released a summary "wrap-up" report regarding its symposium held April 30-May 2, 2007, at the University of Nevada. The symposium's primary goal was to identify...

Program to reduce energy use.(NEWSLINE)
July 1, 2007... New York -- President Bill Clinton announced the creation of a global Energy Efficiency Building Retrofit Program, a project of the Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI). This program brings together four of the world's largest energy service...

Half of 2007 R&D budget allocated to sustainability improvements.(NEWSLINE)
July 1, 2007... Philadelphia -- Rohm and Haas Company announced it is allocating $150 million--roughly half of its 2007 R&D budget--for sustainability efforts, including new product development, energy efficiency and process improvements. Many of the new...

Steelcase receives multiple cradle to cradle certifications.(NEWSLINE)
July 1, 2007... Chicago -- Steelcase Inc. received a silver MBDC Cradle to Cradle Certification for three of its products. These certifications follow on the heels of Steelcase's industry-first certification for its Answer powered workstation in 2006. The...

The Home Depot Foundation announces 10-year, $100 million commitment.(NEWSLINE)
July 1, 2007... Atlanta -- The Home Depot Foundation announced a 10-year, $100 million commitment to support efforts to make communities healthier and more stable. The funds will be invested to address two areas of vital concern: Access to affordable, healthy...

First annual Oregon sustainability awards.(NEWSLINE)(Ted Kulongoski)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... Salem, Ore. -- Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski joined Secretary of State Bill Bradbury and the Oregon Sustainability Board to honor businesses, non-profits and government agencies committed to sustainable business practices at the first annual...

New + Notable.
July 1, 2007... FORMALDEHYDE-FREE CEILING PANELS 1 Chicago -- USG's reformulated line of cast ceiling panels are formaldehyde-free, the company reports. According to USG, the panels help improve indoor air quality and feature enhanced antimicrobial...

The AIA's proposal for tax deductions.(STUDIO)
July 1, 2007... AAIA POSITION The American Institute of Architects (AIA) believes that governmental policies, programs and incentives should encourage energy efficiency, especially as it relates to the built environment. To this end, the AIA supported...

Financing green building: an interview with Scott Muldavin.(Interview)
July 1, 2007... It's hard not hearing about green building these days. With increasing awareness about sustainability, it seems that green building has reached a tipping point. Any dabble into the real estate world will yield articles, advertisements and...

Making a difference: the 5th annual care conference.(United States. Environmental Protection Agency)
July 1, 2007... It's hard to believe only five short years ago, an historic agreement was signed between the carpet industry, the EPA, and a number of states and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). That agreement, called the Memorandum for Understanding...

Beyond green to brilliant: green building continues to grow in popularity, but what will it really take to mainstream the concept of addressing environmental impact as part of building design?(STUDIO)
July 1, 2007... Research into advanced building design reveals that early adopters of green building design have often been of the "golden green" variety. These are decision-makers with a core ethic around the environment who believe that they should be...

FSC-certified recycled teak and rosewood.(CERTIFIED WOOD)
July 1, 2007... Dallas -- East Teak Fine Hardwoods, Inc., an importer of high-grade teak and other fine hardwood species used as decking, flooring, walls, ceilings and cabinetry, has announced its certification as a supplier of Forest Stewardship Council...

Formaldehyde-free, FSC-certified hardwood flooring.(CERTIFIED WOOD)
July 1, 2007... Danville, Va. -- Columbia Commercial Flooring's PureBond formalde-hyde-free, FSC-certified engineered hardwood flooring in domestic species of oak, maple and pecan, in 3-inch and 5-inch widths, is available for the commercial segment, the...

Search engine simplifies search for certified wood products.(CERTIFIED WOOD)
July 1, 2007... Vancouver -- British Columbia, a supplier of wood building products, has introduced a search engine--available at bcforestinformation. com--that lets customers find certified products from any British Columbia supplier and identifies the...

FSC-certified wood building products.(CERTIFIED WOOD)
July 1, 2007... Alexandria, La. -- Roy O. Martin, the brand name of Martin Companies, LLC, a Louisiana-based manufacturer of OSB, plywood, hardwood and softwood lumber and timbers, offers FSC-certified products in every size and grade, the company reports....

EWP plants certified through sustainable forestry initiative.(CERTIFIED WOOD)
July 1, 2007... Nashville -- With the third-party certification of five LP SolidStart Engineered Wood Products (EWP) plants to the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) standard, all LP SolidStart EWP products can now display the SFI Certified Sourcing label,...

Layers protect roof membranes from extreme temperature fluctuations, UV radiation.(GREEN ROOFING AND STORMWATER MANAGEMENT)
July 1, 2007... Skokie, Ill. -- Tecta America's proprietary TectaGreen living green rooftop system incorporates a specially- engineered system of layers, which protects roof membranes from extreme temperature fluctuations and ultraviolet radiation, the company...

Lifecycle calculator compares costs of green roofs with conventional roof systems.(GREEN ROOFING AND STORMWATER MANAGEMENT)
July 1, 2007... Beachwood, Ohio -- With the first phase of the Life Cycle Costing (LCC) Calculator built by Athena Institue and unveiled at the fifth annual 2007 International Greening Rooftops for Sustainable Cities Conference in Minneapolis, the LCC...

Permeable interlocking concrete pavements.(GREEN ROOFING AND STORMWATER MANAGEMENT)
July 1, 2007... Mississauga, Ontario -- A pavement and a detention facility all in one, SF-Rima permeable concrete paving stone systems provide a structural pavement suitable for pedestrians and vehicular traffic, the company reports, as well as infiltration...

DEQ notes modular green roofing systems are lightweight, improve survivorship.(GREEN ROOFING AND STORMWATER MANAGEMENT)
July 1, 2007... Vernon Hills, Ill. -- According to the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), modular green roofs, such as the GreenGrid System manufactured by Weston Solutions, Inc., are extremely lightweight, and installation can be completed in...

Recycled polypropylene drainage core allows water to flow from all directions.(GREEN ROOFING AND STORMWATER MANAGEMENT)
July 1, 2007... Enka, N.C. -- Developed by Colbond Inc., EnkaRetain & Drain combines a super absorbent, non-woven filter fabric bonded to a three-dimensional Enkadrain 3000R series drainage core for use primarily in green roof and planter applications, the...

PVC-free solar shading fabric.(EXTERIOR SHADING SYSTEMS)
July 1, 2007... Calgary, Alberta -- Designed exclusively for internal and external contract roller shades and Solar Control systems, the Nysan Solar Control division of Hunter Douglas Contract's Green-Screen Platinum--a new addition to the GreenScreen line of...

Motorized screen systems offer screening and shading options.(EXTERIOR SHADING SYSTEMS)
July 1, 2007... Langley, British Columbia -- Remote controlled at the touch of a button and made of extruded aluminum components with stainless steel fasteners, Mirage Motorized Screen Systems reduces up to 55 percent of UV rays and are recommended for large...

New energy study finds that awnings save energy.(EXTERIOR SHADING SYSTEMS)
July 1, 2007... Roseville, Minn. -- A new study, "Awnings in Residential Buildings: The Impact on Energy Use and Peak Demand," conducted by the Center for Sustainable Building Research, University of Minnesota, finds that awnings over windows can save energy...

Cradle to Cradle: an environmental evolution.(product profile)
July 1, 2007... Although a relatively new approach, Cradle to Cradle thinking has already made a significant impact on the way products are being designed and developed. Cradle to Cradle design philosophy, and the more recent product certifications, are not...

USGBC: fluency in the language of green building.
July 1, 2007... Americans are learning a new language: GHGs (green house gases), carbon footprints, sinks and offsets--words that were foreign to us just a few years ago are now a familiar part of our lexicon. And, the more we learn about climate change, the...

USGBC: LEED--immediate savings and measurable results.
July 1, 2007... Humans spend more time indoors than anywhere else--in fact, 90 percent of our time is spent inside. Buildings are human habitat--so shouldn't the spaces where we live, work, play and learn enhance our quality of life and the health of our...

Where are all the leed projects?
July 1, 2007... As of May 2007, there were nearly 4,800 LEED for New Construction (LEED-NC) projects registered for certification, and only about 600 certified projects--roughly 12.5 percent of the total. In all other rating systems, there were 1,120 projects...

Everything begins with a tight envelope.
July 1, 2007... Building a home with concrete--the Romans did it, why shouldn't we? Though the Romans might have been less concerned with energy efficiency than we are today, they certainly understood the flexibility and durability that building with concrete...

Smart growth, New Urbanism and green building: working to change the way we think about developing our communities.
July 1, 2007... BEYOND BUILDINGS The shift to green building and the LEED Green Building Rating System began with commercial office buildings, as owners and employers learned about the tremendous benefits to their employees, the environment, and their...

Increased R&D essential to Green building.
July 1, 2007... Green building is an immediate, measurable, and cost-effective solution to the complex and interrelated issues of climate change, energy dependence, and human health. In many cases, simple changes and existing technologies can make a tremendous...

Schools going green.
July 1, 2007... We know that buildings have a profound impact on human health, and we know that buildings are responsible for 39 percent of U.S. [CO.sub.2] emissions. Given that 20 percent of America goes to school every day, and that school buildings...

Chapters and LEED: making green building local.
July 1, 2007... If you want to see the face of the green building movement, you probably don't need go very far. Chances are there's a USGBC chapter near you--one of the 70 chapters across the country working to change the way their communities think about...

It's what's inside that counts.
July 1, 2007... The old saying about not judging a book by its cover holds true for buildings. Although LEED and green building first gained traction in the new commercial construction market, an increasing number of organizations are using LEED to guide the...

USGBC: LEED for retail.
July 1, 2007... Today's consumers have discerning taste. From purchasing only farm-fresh foods, refusing to wear anything but organic cotton, and buying only advertised sweatshop-free merchandise, customers demonstrate that the brands they purchase must...

USGBC: local and state incentives.
July 1, 2007... As climate change and energy concerns continue to make the front page of newspapers and lead television news shows, more and more communities are looking for ways to save energy, consume less water and produce less waste--not only to reduce...

Building and climate change: a global opportunity.
July 1, 2007... There's good news and bad news when it comes to buildings and climate change. First, the bad news: climate change is real, and buildings are a major contributor to the problem. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC),...

Group identity: information supplied by environmental dynamics.
July 1, 2007... Environmental Dynamics, Inc. (EDI) is based on the vision of integrating building systems with green technology and sustainable resources to create desirable living and working environments. Its new Eco-Office (eo) will function as an adaptive...

LEED green design strategies.
July 1, 2007... Green design, virtually unheard of 15 years ago, has entered the mainstream design lexicon. What was only the purview of a few experimental architects looking to minimize buildings' environmental impact is today a standard part of most...

Green embassies: Leed certification for the U.S. embassy compound in Sofia, Bulgaria.
July 1, 2007... The first LEED-Certified U.S. embassy occupies a 9.65-acre brownfield site in urban Sofia, Bulgaria. Since his appointment in 2001, Major General (Retired) Charles E. Williams, Director/COO of the U.S. Department of State (DoS), Bureau of...

First Mesa Elementary School.
July 1, 2007... Situated in the vast expanse of the Hopi Indian Reservation, First Mesa Elementary School was the first LEED-certified school built in Arizona and has been selected by the state as a green school case study to advocate the construction of...

Virtually designed in 3D: Sweetwater Creek--a Leed Platinum building.
July 1, 2007... The Sweetwater Creek State Park Visitor Center near Atlanta stands out not only for being an exceptional model of green building architecture, but also for the manner in which it was designed. Sweetwater Creek is one of only a few buildings...

The LEED integrated design process is not enough: more tools are needed if the integrated design process is expected to deliver the double-digit cost savings and productivity improvements demanded by enterprises today.
July 1, 2007... "It starts with the CEO," said Dean Matsumoto, an interior designer by trade and principal, Kasian Architecture, Interior Design and Planning, Toronto. CEO's are putting demands on their organizations--demands to reduce a building's...