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Curricula recognized by USGBC 

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has awarded 12 programs its inaugural Excellence in Green Building Curriculum Recognition Awards and Incentive Grants. 

The awards and grants recognize pre-K through college-level curricula that advance the green building ideals of transforming how buildings and communities are designed, built, and operated.  Recognition awards honor existing green building education projects, activities or programs.  The Incentive Grants provide monetary support of $20,000 each for schools or organizations to develop new curriculum. 

Recipients of USGBC’s inaugural Excellence in Green Building Curriculum Recognition Awards and Incentive Grants programs include:
2008 Recognition Awards

• School Building Week: School of the Future Student Design Competition; The Council of Educational Facility Planners (Scottsdale, AZ)
• Kentucky Green & Healthy Schools; Kentucky Environmental Education Council (Frankfort, KY)
• Residential Building Technology Program; Yavapai College (Prescott, AZ)
• Beyond Curriculum: Cross-Campus Sustainability at Grand Valley State University; Grand Valley State University (Allendale, MI)
• The Alley-Flat Initiative; University of Texas Austin
• ecoMOD; University of Virginia (Charlottesville, VA)

2008 Incentive Grants – $20,000 each

• Architecture Handbook 2: A Student Guide to Understanding Buildings; Chicago Architecture Foundation
• Design + Build + Live Green; Youth Learning Academy (Charlottesville, VA)
• Green Building Technologies Course Curriculum; Eastern Iowa Community College District (Davenport, IA)
• Online Course Green Building Off the Grid: A Net-Zero Energy Residence; Santa Fe Community College
• Collaborative Green Building Practice; Cornell University (Ithaca, NY)
• Sustainable Architecture that Teaches (SAT) Curriculum; University of Maine Farmington

For more information, see www.usgbc.org

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Ivies lead in green purchases

WASHINGTON, D.C. – For the second year in a row, the Ivy League wins the crown as the overall champion conference in U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's 2007-2008 College & University Green Power Challenge.

Led by the University of Pennsylvania, the Ivy League's cumulative annual purchase of more than 220 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) has the equivalent environmental impact of avoiding the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of nearly 32,000 vehicles. This year's challenge included 40 competing institutions representing 18 conferences nationwide. 
 
For a complete list of all partner organizations in EPA's Green Power Partnership, visit: www.epa.gov/greenpower/partners/index.htm

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EPA kicks off Green Building Design Challenge

ATLANTA – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and partners are calling on the nation’s architects, builders, students, and others to participate in the second Lifecycle Building Challenge.  The competition seeks designs that facilitate building material adaptation and reuse, minimize waste, and cut greenhouse gas emissions.

The Lifecycle Building Challenge 2 – co-sponsored by the Building Materials Reuse Association, American Institute of Architects (AIA), Region 4 Partner Southface Energy Institute, and West Coast Green – invites professionals and students nationwide to submit designs and ideas by July 31 that support cost-effective disassembly and anticipate the future use of building materials.

The challenge, open to built and un-built work, has two main categories: (1) Building an entire building from foundation to roof and (2) Component, Tool and Service—a building connector, strategy, or other idea.
The winners will be recognized at EPA’s Lifecycle Building Conference in November 2008. For more information, see www.lifecyclebuilding.org

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AIA picks top sustainable designs

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The American Institute of Architects (AIA) and its Committee on the Environment (COTE) have selected the top ten examples of sustainable architecture and green design solutions that protect and enhance the environment.

The 2008 COTE Top Ten Green Projects program celebrates projects that take an integrated approach to architecture, natural systems, and technology. They make a positive contribution to their communities, improve comfort for building occupants, and reduce environmental impacts through strategies such as reuse of existing structures, connection to transit systems, low-impact and regenerative site development, energy and water conservation, use of sustainable or renewable construction materials, and design that improves indoor air quality.

The 2008 Top Ten Green Projects are (in alphabetical order):

Aldo Leopold Legacy Center. The Kubala Washatko Architects, Inc., Cedarburg, Wisc. Completed in spring, 2007, the 12,000-sq.ft. building includes office and meeting spaces, interpretive hall, archive, and workshop. The Center was envisioned as a small complex of structures organized around a central courtyard. This design provides flexibility in managing energy use based on program requirements, creates outdoor spaces for work and gathering, and reduces the scale of the buildings on site. The Aldo Leopold Legacy Center is the first building recognized by LEED as carbon-neutral in operation.

Cesar Chavez Library. Line and Space, LLC, Tucson, Ariz. To protect the outdoor and indoor space from the sun’s radiation, the building uses extensive overhangs that create a ‘hat’ in the desert. The scarcity of water led to roof top rainwater collection for irrigation while water reducing fixtures are used indoors. The building was carefully cut into the site and the excavated material was used to berm the building for further thermal mass. The windows are also shaded to reduce solar gains.

Discovery Center at South Lake Union. The Miller/Hull Partnership, Seattle. A primary program element for this center, alongside other environmental goals, was to create a building and core that could provide adaptable exhibit space, capable of being reconfigured and reused for the presentation of multiple residential neighborhoods throughout the South Lake Union Region over a long period of time. The building creates flexible interior space and can be separated at three integrated joints to break into four modules for easy transport along surface streets.

Pocono Environmental Education Center. Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, Wilkes-Barre, Penna. Designed to reinforce the mission of environmental stewardship and education, this building uses careful site and materials selection and analysis and design of building systems to outwardly express the principles of sustainable design. The building is a flexible, multi-purpose gathering space for dining, meetings, lectures, and other environmental learning activities. Native grasses were planted to provide a landscape that is low maintenance and integrates the project into its natural surroundings.

Garthwaite Center for Science and Art, Cambridge School of Weston. Architerra, Inc., Boston. The facility is designed to advance sustainability, creating a design process that engaged the entire community. This LEED Platinum design incorporates dozens of green features that students can view as well as measure and manipulate. The result is a compelling model for educational institutions. Fully 55 detailed sustainability goals included renewable energy, no discharge of water to the local sewer, 100% storm water infiltration on-site, artificial lighting designed to less than one watt per square foot, and minimal maintenance for 20 years.

Lavin-Bernick Center for University Life. VJAA, Minneapolis. The existing building was stripped to the concrete frame, expanded by 33%, and redesigned with a variety of environmental systems. The hot and humid New Orleans climate is further tempered with strategies for expanding the comfort zone; including programming for thermal zoning and technically innovative systems for variable shading, moving air and radiant cooling. Despite its high ambitions, the project had a modest budget and was completed for $189/SF, fourteen months after Hurricane Katrina. Since then, Tulane sees the project as a new model for sustainable design in New Orleans.

Macallen Building Condominiums. Office dA Inc. and Burt Hill Inc., Boston. The 140-unit condominium is a conscious and deliberate effort by both client/developer and the architectural and engineering team to incorporate sustainable design measures. It uses green design to market a lifestyle and concern for the environment while simultaneously increasing revenue from the design project as a business strategy. The building, just completed in South Boston, is striving for LEED Gold certification in sustainable design. Some of the green building features include innovative technologies that will save more than 600,000 gallons of water annually while consuming 30% less electricity than a conventional building.

Queens Botanical Garden Visitor & Administration Center. BKSK Architects, New York City. The Garden is the first botanical garden in the country devoted to sustainable environmental stewardship. The goal has been to integrate a beautiful contemporary building into the experience of its varied gardens and landscapes, heightening the visitor experience of the natural environment and conveying the key elements of successful sustainability. A water channel surrounds the building and weaves through the garden, fed by rainwater that cascades off of the sheltering roof canopy.

The Nueva School, Hillside Learning Complex. Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects, San Francisco. The 33-acre campus, located in the semi-rural coastal hills of the San Francisco Peninsula, features a thriving coast live oak woodland ecosystem, a variety of dispersed structures and views of the Bay. The design integrates straightforward, appropriate, and cost-effective sustainable design solutions. Through a variety of simple, observable systems and strategies, it reduces site energy use by at least 65% from the national average for schools.

Yale University Sculpture Building and Gallery. KieranTimberlake Associates LLP, Philadelphia. Situated on a former brownfield site, the complex is comprised of three new buildings. To provide maximum daylight and energy efficiency, a wall system was designed that incorporates solar shading, a triple glazed low-e vision panel, 8-ft.-high operable windows and a translucent double cavity spandrel panel. Consequently, the entire skin of the building admits natural light. The green roof on the gallery and native plant landscaping, which includes mature trees, serves as a connective habitat patch for avian species moving through the urban corridor between the parks.

Honorable Mention 2008 Top Ten Green Project: Internal Revenue Service - Kansas City Service Center. BNIM / 360 Inc., Kansas City, MO. Natural light and open views of the surrounding urban fabric were salient sustainable design features for this project. Through architectural techniques, including clerestories, skylights, atrium, and building orientation, 80% of workspaces are served by natural light. Internal courtyards provide views of vegetated environments that also serve as workday respites.

For more information on the award winners, see www.aia.org

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High performance buildings chosen

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Sustainable Buildings Industry Council (SBIC) announces the winners of the Beyond Green 2007 High Performance Building Awards Program.

This year, the Council gave awards in two categories: High Performance Buildings and High Performance Initiatives. The Beyond Green awards recognize initiatives that shape and catalyze the high performance building market, as well as the real-world application of high performance design and construction practices.
The winners in each category are:

Category A - High Performance Buildings

First Place:

• Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
• The Molecular Foundry
• SmithGroup, Inc

Award Winners:

• Bronx Library Center
• Dattner Architects
• Desert Living Center and Gardens
• Lucchesi Galati
• Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center
• Lord, Aeck, Sargent Architecture
• The Most Energy Efficient Conservatory in the World
• Phipps Conservatory & Botanical Gardens Inc.
• Northern Guilford Middle School
• Innovative Design, Inc.
• University of California Merced, Central Plant
• Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP
• Water + Life Museums Campus
• Lehrer + Gangi Design + Build

Category B - High Performance Initiatives

First Place:

• High Performance Building: Perspectives and Practice
• Rocky Mountain Institute
• Educational Initiative
• The Athena EcoCalculator for Assemblies
• Athena Institute
• Innovative Initiative

Award Winners:

• 21st Century Schools Policy Initiative and Design Manual
• NJIT for the New Jersey Schools Development Authority
• Policy Initiative
• Federal Green Construction Guide for Specifiers
• United States Environmental Protection Agency
• Program Development Initiative

For more information, see www.wbdg.org

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EPA commends Energy Star partners

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) highlights 74 award-winning organizations across many sectors of the U.S. economy, including schools, hospitals, real estate, manufacturing, chemicals, and home building.

The 2008 Energy Star winners are:

Energy Star Award for Sustained Excellence

• 3M. St. Paul, Minn.
• Advantage IQ Inc. Spokane, Wash.
• Austin Energy, Austin, Texas
• California Portland Cement Co. Glendora, Calif.
• CenterPoint Energy. Houston, Texas
• Food Lion, LLC. Salisbury, N.C.
• Ford Motor Co. Dearborn, Mich.
• GE Consumer & Industrial. Louisville, Ky.
• Giant Eagle Inc. Pittsburgh, Penna.
• Gorell Enterprises Inc. Indiana, Penna.
• Marriott International Inc. Bethesda, Md.
• Merck & Co. Inc. Whitehouse Station, N.J.
• Nevada Energy Star Partners. Las Vegas, Nev.
• New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. Albany, N.Y.
• New York-Presbyterian Hospital. New York.
• Northeast Energy Star Products Initiative. Lexington, Mass.
• Oncor Electric Delivery. Dallas, Texas
• OSRAM SYLVANIA. Danvers, Mass.
• PepsiCo. Purchase, N.Y.
• ProVia Door. Sugarcreek, Ohio
• Raytheon Co. Waltham, Mass.
• Sea Gull Lighting Products, LLC. Riverside, N.J.
• Southern California Edison. Rosemead, Calif.
• Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Inc. Erlanger, Ky.
• Transwestern. Houston
• USAA Real Estate Co. San Antonio, Texas
• Whirlpool Corp. Benton Harbor, Mich.
• Wisconsin Focus on Energy. Madison, Wis.

Energy Star Partner of the Year

• Allergan Inc. Irvine, Calif.
• ArcelorMittal USA. Chicago
• Arizona Public Service. Phoenix
• Building Owners and Managers Association International. Washington, D.C.
• CB Richard Ellis Inc. Los Angeles
• Colorado Springs Utilities. Colorado Springs, Colo.
• Council Rock School District. Newtown, Pa.
• Energy Inspectors. Las Vegas, Nev.
• Environmental Building Solutions. Matthews, N.C.
• Gresham-Barlow School District. Gresham, Ore.
• ITW Food Equipment Group, North America. Troy, Ohio
• J. C. Penney Co. Inc. Plano, Texas
• Lithonia Lighting, an Acuity Brands Co. Conyers, Ga.
• National Grid. Westborough, Mass.
• Pacific Gas and Electric Co. San Francisco
• Pella Corp. Pella, Iowa
• Providence Health & Services. Seattle
• Rocky Mountain Power. Salt Lake City, Utah
• Seattle Lighting/DestinationLighting.com. Seattle
• Simon Property Group. Indianapolis
• Southern Energy Management. Raleigh, N.C.
• Southwest Energy Conservation, LLC. El Paso, Texas
• The Dow Chemical Co. Midland, Mich.
• The Joint Management Committee representing Massachusetts New Homes with Energy Star. Mass.
• TIAA-CREF. New York
• TRC Energy Services. Windsor, Conn.

Energy Star Award for Excellence

• Best Buy, Co. Inc. Richfield, Minn.
• Bosch Home Appliances. Huntington Beach, Calif.
• Canon USA Inc. Lake Success, N.Y.
• Efficiency Vermont. Burlington, Vt.
• Energy Trust of Oregon Inc. Portland, Ore.
• Forest City Stapleton. Denver, Colo.
• Georgia Power. Atlanta
• Haven Properties. Alpharetta, Ga.
• Ideal Homebuilders. Lexington, Ky.
• Ivey Residential. Evans, Ga.
• Long Island Power Authority. Uniondale, N.Y.
• Lowe's Cos. Inc. Mooresville, N.C.
• Nashville Area Habitat for Humanity. Nashville, Tenn.
• Nationwide Marketing Group. Winston-Salem, N.C.
• Nevada Power & Sierra Pacific Power Energy Star Lighting & Appliance Program. Reno, Nev.
• NJBPU, New Jersey's Clean Energy Program. Newark, N.J.
• Pacific Gas and Electric Co. San Francisco
• The Home Depot Atlanta
• Utah Division of Housing and Community Development. Salt Lake City, Utah
• Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority. St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
• Winton/Flair Custom Homes. El Paso, Texas.

For more information, see www.energystar.gov/awards

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Leading Corporations Cutting Greenhouse Gases

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) commends more than 150 businesses for working to reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and advance the nation's climate change strategy.

GHG reductions pledged through Climate Leaders are estimated to prevent the emissions equivalent to more than eight million cars annually. In addition, three corporate partners in Climate Leaders were recognized for recently achieving their long-term greenhouse gas reduction goals, and extending their commitment to climate change management by pledging aggressive follow-on goals:  

• Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (Sunnyvale, Calif.) pledges to reduce its global GHG emissions by 33% per manufacturing index (unit of production) from 2006 to 2010. AMD achieved its initial goal by reducing its emissions by 53% per manufacturing index from 2002 to 2006. 
• Roche Group U.S. Affiliates (Basel, Switzerland) pledges to reduce its total U.S. GHG emissions by 15% from 2001 to 2010. Roche achieved its initial goal by reducing their emissions by 11% from 2001 to 2006. 
• Xerox Corp. (Stamford, Conn.) pledges to reduce its total global GHG emissions by 25% from 2002 to 2012. Xerox achieved its initial goal by reducing emissions by 18% from 2002 to 2006. 

In addition, 14 companies announced aggressive new greenhouse gas emissions reductions goals: 3Degrees Group Inc., San Francisco; Abbott, Abbott Park, Ill; Applied Materials, Santa Clara, Calif.; Casella Waste Systems Inc., Rutland, Vt.; Coors Brewing Co., Golden, Colo.; Dell Inc., Round Rock, Texas; Johnson Controls Inc., Milwaukee; Lincus Inc., Tempe, Ariz.; Merck & Co. Inc., Whitehouse Station, N.J.; National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colo.; PPG Industries Inc., Pittsburgh; Tetra Tech EM Inc., Pasadena, Calif.; Travelers Cos., St. Paul, Minn.; and Unilever, Englewood Cliffs, N.J. For the complete list of Climate Leaders partners and goal, visit: epa.gov/climateleaders/partners

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Best green companies

NEW YORK– Working Mother Magazine has named the 20 Best Companies for America’s Children.
These companies include NAU, Aveda, Burt’s Bees, Herman Miller, Discovery Communications, S.C. Johnson & Son, Proctor & Gamble, Linda Loudermilk, and PNC Financial Services Group. For more information, see www.workingmother.com

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