Environmental Design & Construction articles from October 2005

Environmental Design & Construction archives from October 2005

Rebuilding sustainable lives and buildings.(EDITOR'S NOTE)
October 1, 2005... Hurricane Katrina has affected not only the Gulf Coast region, but also the green building community and the nation as a whole. And as this issue of ED+C goes to print, this natural disaster continues to weigh heavily on our hearts and minds,...

Reader addresses NY legislation for environmental cleaning products.(LETTERS TO THE EDITOR)(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2005... The following is in response to New York governor George Pataki's decision to send the state legislature a bill requiring the use of environmentally preferable cleaning products in the state's buildings and schools. Dear Sir or Madam: ...

Paints: VOC vs. toxicity.(LETTERS TO THE EDITOR)(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2005... Michelle, It seems as though the message I, and others, have been sending regarding the VOC vs. toxicity issue is not being heard. I am referring to the article in ED+C's July 2005 issue "To Platinum... and Beyond" written by Mick...

Disheartening attack of "LEED is broken" authors.(LETTERS TO THE EDITOR)(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2005... Dear Editor, I just finished reading Jerry Yudelson's "Is LEED Broken?" in the July 2005 ED+C. I have heard Mr. Yudelson speak several times and consider him to be not only knowledgeable and experienced, but also thoughtful and insightful...

"LEED is Broken" author speaks out.(LETTERS TO THE EDITOR)(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2005... I'm just tipping the blood from my ears after reading Jerry Yudelson's dirty-bomb critique of the "LEED is Broken" paper I coauthored with Randy Udall. Ouch! I've received dozens and dozens of notes about my paper, including extensive...

Green vacuum cleaner.(NEW + NOTABLE)
October 1, 2005... 1 Chicago, Ill. -- Tornado Industries Inc. (www.tornadovac.com) introduces an all-new canister vacuum cleaner. The company says the vacuum cleaner, called T12/1, is designed to meet two of the cleaning industry's growing challenges and trends:...

Unique office furniture.(NEW + NOTABLE)
October 1, 2005... 2 Muscatine, Iowa -- Meet the Mehes collection from Ahrend (www.allsteeloffice.com/ahrend). An acronym for mobility, efficiency, humanization, environment and standardization, the Mehes collection has withstood the test of time and evolving...

Rooftop air conditioning unit.(NEW + NOTABLE)
October 1, 2005... 3 York, Pa. -- YORK International Corp. (www.york.com) has extended its line of Eco2 packaged rooftop units up through 130 tons. The new models enable owners who require larger-tonnage equipment to take advantage of the same components and...

Revolutionary mesh chair.(NEW + NOTABLE)
October 1, 2005... 4 New York, N.Y. -- Human Scale (www.humanscale.com) reveals the award-winning Liberty chair. Utilizing Form-Sensing Mesh Technology, the Liberty chair combines all the benefits of traditional mesh seating--breathability, durability,...

Intriguing new carpet.(NEW + NOTABLE)
October 1, 2005... 5 Dalton, Ga. -- Patcraft Commercial Carpet (www.patcraft.com) presents two new products: Jealous and Jovial. Jealous balances a handsome visual and physical texture created with tonal variations undulating across the carpet's surface, while...

Nevada law requires public buildings to earn LEED green building certification.(Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design )(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Las Vegas, Nev. -- Nevada has become the second state in the nation, behind Washington, to require that all occupied, state-financed building projects use green building practices that earn them Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design...

Cradle to Cradle Certification launched.(NEWSLINE)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Charlottesville, Va. -- McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry (MBDC) is proud to announce the opening of its Cradle to Cradle Certification program. The program is designed to emphasize human and ecological health, the potential for a product to...

IFMA reports "green" building practices growing.(International Facility Management Association )(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Houston, Texas -- Facility management professionals report a continued increase in the use of green building practices, according to findings from the 2005 Sustainability Study released by the International Facility Management Association...

Test protocol gets Hall of Fame nomination.(NEWSLINE)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Dalton, Ga. -- Kevin Cook, Space Foundation director of brand management, confirmed "Quantitative Evaluation Techniques for Carpet Cleaning Procedures using enhanced XRF Fluorescence Spectroscopy" has been nominated for the 2006 Space...

CORTEX receives LEED-CS silver pre-certification.(Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design )(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... St. Louis, Mo. -- CORTEX, the Center of Research, Technology and Entrepreneurial Expertise, has received silver pre-certification for CORTEX One in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System for Core...

USGBC reports on new LEED initiatives.(U.S. Green Building Council)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... WASHINGTON, D.C. -- IN A RECENT "SUSTAIN ABILITIES" NEWSLETTER, THE U.S. GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL (USGBC) REPORTED THAT CITIES AND STATES ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE CHOOSING THE LEADERSHIP IN ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN (LEED) RATING SYSTEM TO...

ED+C August issue errata.(NEWSLINE)(Correction Notice)
October 1, 2005... In the August 2005 issue of ED+C, Linda Jeub was not properly credited for the photography of the article "McGinnis Education Center Goes For The Green." Jeub was the photographer who also provided the August issue's cover photo. ...

Greenguard Pub Night during Greenbuild.(NEWSLINE)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Atlanta -- The Greenguard Environmental Institute will host the second annual GREEN-GUARD Pub Night during the Greenbuild 2005 International Conference & Expo in Atlanta. Last year in Portland, more than 350 Greenbuild attendees and local...

PCA showcases industry progress.(NEWSLINE)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Skokie, Ill. -- The Portland Cement Association (PCA) is releasing its first edition of the United States cement industry Report on Sustainable Manufacturing. The PCA says the summary report details an impressive record of environmental,...

J & J facility awarded LEED certification.(Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design )(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... La Jolla, Calif. -- Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development, L.L.C. (J & JPRD) recently announced that its drug discovery facility in La Jolla, Calif., has received Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)...

Armstrong flooring recognized by FloorScore.(NEWSLINE)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Lancaster, Pa. -- Armstrong commercial and residential resilient floor products have been certified to meet stringent air quality requirements for low-emitting building materials by FloorScore, a new voluntary certification program sponsored by...

Wright's landmark utilizes geothermal energy.(Unity Temple Restoration Foundation)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Oak Park, Ill. -- The Unity Temple Restoration Foundation (UTRF) is pursuing an ambitious project utilizing geothermal energy to preserve Frank Lloyd Wright's Oak Park landmark, Unity Temple. Designed in 1905 and opened in 1909, Unity Temple...

Opus to build new SSA complex.(NEWSLINE)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Atlanta, Ga. -- The Atlanta office of Opus South Corp. announced Aug. 1, 2005, that it has signed a 20-year lease agreement with the U.S. General Services Administration for development of a 587,000 square-foot office complex in Birmingham,...

SBIC announces 2005 awards program.(Sustainable Buildings Industry Council )(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Washington, D.C -- Sustainable Buildings Industry Council (SBIC) is now soliciting submissions for the 2005 awards program. This year, as in past years, SBIC members (only) are encouraged to submit their "Best Sustainable Practice" for...

Introducing EcoSystem[TM].
October 1, 2005... EcoSystem[TM] Light control that is simple and cost-effective. [GRAPHIC OMITTED] Using the same basic components, build a system for a single lighting fixture in a single room, or for thousands of fixtures throughout an entire...

Re-imaging the campus: the Student Recreation Center is the first major sustainable facility at Sonoma State University.
October 1, 2005... Sonoma State University, which opened its Rohnert Park, Calif., campus in Sonoma County in 1961, embarked on a sustainability program in 1998. After completing four projects, it now has its first major sustainable facility: a two-story,...

Showcasing Interface: Interface's products and mission are on display in the company's new altanta showroom. Along the way to LEED-CI Platinum certification, several lessons were learned.
October 1, 2005... By now, Interface, its founder Ray Anderson and its transformation into a sustainable enterprise are nearly legend in our industry. Indeed, for the last 11 years, Interface has been on a mission to reinvent its pollution-intensive, petroleum...

Balance the budget with a green roof: university of central Florida addresses environmental quality, water runoff and pollution.
October 1, 2005... For years, Marty Wanielista, director of the Stormwater Management Academy (SMA) for the University of Central Florida (UCF) has been looking for ways to, as he says, "balance the budget"--the balance being, "where the post-development...

Q & A: green cleaning and the cleaning professional.
October 1, 2005... The idea of "green" cleaning--and the growing impact it has on the cleaning and restoration industry--continues to evolve. Two of the foremost experts on the matter, Stephen Ashkin, president of The Ashkin Group, and Arthur Weissman, president...

Effective and environmental floor care products: making floor maintenance safer for people and the environment.( )
October 1, 2005... According to some estimates, more than a third of the cleaning products used today to clean offices, schools, medical centers and homes contain ingredients that can have a negative impact on human health and the environment. Some of these...

Go beyond clean ... to green.(building occupants and the environment)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Clean is good, but clean and green is better. Better for building occupants and the environment. Better for business. We can take you beyond clean with a GreenSweep program customized to your needs. GreenSweep options range from the simple...

Biodegradable Carpet Cleaning solutions.(PRODUCT + LITERATURE SHOWCASE)
October 1, 2005... Manufacturer of the INTEGRATED Chemical-Machine System Complete Line. ENVIRON-MENTALLY FRIENDLY, BIODEGRADABLE Carpet Cleaning Chemical Solutions. FOX Truckmounts offer six models with choices of Power in Engines and Blowers to meet EVERY NEED....

Green Solutions.(PRODUCT + LITERATURE SHOWCASE)
October 1, 2005... Spartan's Green Solutions Product Line has been created with current and future global environmental concerns in mind. It is the pro-active choice for the professional selecting environmentally preferred, worker-safe cleaners for institutional...

NAHB announces call for entries for Green Building Awards.(National Association of Home Builders )
October 1, 2005... Washington, D.C. -- The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) invites home builders, remodelers, developers, nonprofits, governmental officials, academics, industry experts and others involved in green building efforts to submit entries...

Sustainable Resource House links forest practices with efficient building materials.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Tacoma, Wash. -- Thousands of visitors to the nation's capital saw firsthand the link between forests, homes and green building practices in North America when they toured the Sustainable Resource House, a 1,200-square-foot wood demonstration...

Shaping a progressive home: designing a family residence to be part of the natural environment.
October 1, 2005... Along a windy, bumpy, country road and nestled in a quiet neighborhood, lies a private residence that represents a true melding of environment and home. A turn down a long wooded driveway leads to this 3,700-square-foot three-dimensional...

Getting on the same page: a Q & A with Steven Winter on the direction of the green building industry.(Interview)
October 1, 2005... When you begin your journey to understand the green building industry, all roads seem to lead to one person--Steven Winter, FAIA. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Winter, previously the chairman of the U.S. Green Building Council and currently...

A "model approach" to sustainable design: using energy simulations to support high-performance, sustainable design.
October 1, 2005... In the design competition for the new $65-million, 232,000-square-foot U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 8 Headquarters in downtown Denver, competitors knew only the location and size of the site, area of the building in square...

BASF Better Home, Better Planet Initiative: Paterson Showhouse.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... BASF, The Chemical Company, is Helping Make Homes Better[TM] in Paterson, N.J. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] BASF and a host of strategic partners are constructing the Paterson Showhouse featuring green, energy conserving practices and...

Designing for sustainability through Life Cycle Thinking.
October 1, 2005... Our modern, highly technological civilization, for all its innovation, sophistication and efficiencies, is not sustainable. We are producing pollution faster than the environment can break it down. We are consuming resources faster than they...

PVC-free shading fabric.(PRODUCT FOCUS: INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR SHADING SYSTEMS)
October 1, 2005... Bessemer City, N.J. -- Hunter Douglas Contract's (www.hunterdouglascontract.com) GreenScreen is a line of PVC-free solar shading fabrics designed exclusively for internal and external roller shades and solar control systems. Greenscreen...

Cradle to cradle solar shade.(PRODUCT FOCUS: INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR SHADING SYSTEMS)
October 1, 2005... Long Island City, N.Y. -- MechoShade Systems, Inc. (www.mechoshade.com) offers a cradle to cradle high-performance product called EcoVeil. Incorporating a material constructed with a thermoplastic olefin-based yarn called EarthTex, EcoVeil can...

Specifying LEED software.(PRODUCT FOCUS: SOFTWARE AND WEB-BASED TOOLS)
October 1, 2005... Salt Lake City, Utah -- ARCOM (www.arcomnet.com) has a new resource tool: "Specifying LEED Requirements." With more than 250 pages of information, this resource book and CD provides: an overview of LEED requirements and a checklist of relevant...

Building energy analysis on the Web.(PRODUCT FOCUS: SOFTWARE AND WEB-BASED TOOLS)
October 1, 2005... Petaluma, Calif. -- Green Building Studio, Inc. (www.GreenBuildingStudio.com, formerly GeoPraxis, Inc.), offers building energy analysis tools and Web-based solutions including the open-source Green Building XML (gbXML) data standard and the...

New AutoCAD Revit Series.(PRODUCT FOCUS: SOFTWARE AND WEB-BASED TOOLS)
October 1, 2005... San Rafael, Calif. -- Autodesk, Inc. (www.autodesk.com) announced the availability of Autodesk AutoCAD Revit Series 7, a tool that combines Autodesk Revit 7, with AutoCAD 2005. AutoCAD Revit Series 7 combines CAD technology building information...

Environmental performance assessment tool.(PRODUCT FOCUS: SOFTWARE AND WEB-BASED TOOLS)
October 1, 2005... Huntington, Vt. -- EarthShift (www.earthshift.com) offers tools for life cycle assessment and modeling such as SimaPro 6.0 US, a life cycle assessment modeling tool for products; OpenLC, an open source tool for LCA and Life Cycle Costing...

NAIMA updates 3E Plus software.(PRODUCT FOCUS: SOFTWARE AND WEB-BASED TOOLS)
October 1, 2005... Alexandria, Va. -- The North American Insulation Manufacturers Association (NAIMA) launched its updated version of 3E Plus, an insulation thickness computer program that calculates the amount of insulation needed to use less energy, reduce air...

Software for facility management.(PRODUCT FOCUS: SOFTWARE AND WEB-BASED TOOLS)
October 1, 2005... Portland, Ore. -- Green Building Services (www.greenbuildingservices.com) has partnered with NorthWrite Inc. to develop a customized software application that helps project managers and facility managers incorporate sustainable facility...

LEED cost benefit software.(PRODUCT FOCUS: SOFTWARE AND WEB-BASED TOOLS)
October 1, 2005... Atlanta -- Greenlight Strategies has formally released ecologic3, a Web-based software tool that performs cost benefit analysis of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Rating System. This patent-pending project analysis tool...

Glare-reducing window film.(PRODUCT FOCUS: WINDOW FILMS AND COATINCS)
October 1, 2005... Martinsville, Va. -- CP Films' LLumar window film is made to control the sun's harmful rays. According to the company (www.cpfilms.com), it rejects up to 79 percent of incoming solar energy, cuts ultraviolet transmission by 99 percent, and...

Chemical-free color coating.(PRODUCT FOCUS: WINDOW FILMS AND COATINCS)
October 1, 2005... Bridgeport, Conn. -- GlassKote USA introduces GlassKote, a permanent, color fixing/coating for glass. Once the color treatment has been applied, it melds to the surface of the glass to form an impervious and durable finish, which retains the...

Polyester film and coating.(PRODUCT FOCUS: WINDOW FILMS AND COATINCS)
October 1, 2005... Houston, Texas -- V-KOOL, Inc. (www.vkool.com) presents V-KOOL 70, a transparent, infra-red reflective polyester film that can be bonded to glass surfaces. The polyester is coated on one side with multi-layers of microscopic metal particles,...

Eco-friendly inn: the Cree Village Ecolodge has become a northern Canadian tourist destination for those seeking a unique look at the Cree culture as well as an environmental setting indoors and out.
October 1, 2005... Cree Village Ecolodge, referred to as Canada's most environmentally friendly inn that is accessible only by water and built at the edge of the sub Arctic, has become a northern Canadian tourist destination. Managed by the MoCreebec Council of...