Green Central Blog

By Elsa Perez Dean

One of my most vivid childhood memories takes me back…way back, to a time when playing outdoors meant running free for hours on end knowing you’d be rewarded at the end of a long day with an incredible home-cooked meal.   The moment I am talking about takes me back to a summer day spent in Mexico, visiting family on their modest ranch.  The memory is so vivid I can recall the smell of the animals, the sound of the breeze brushing the corn stalks and the taste of a freshly picked tomato, sprinkled with salt and lime for our afternoon snack.  My mouth waters even as I think of it now. (more…)

by Paul Spivey

Over the past three months, I’ve been planning a much needed vacation and decided to go to Las Vegas for a few days.  My selected destination had nothing to do with gambling, but luck really wasn’t on my side - I had to cancel the trip just a few hours before my departure.  To cheer myself up, I ate a bucket of licorice and tried to see how NOT going could actually be a good thing.  It didn’t take me long; I really don’t enjoy flying.  But aside from my personal experiences with flying, I’ve also learned how significant an impact air travel has on our environment. (more…)

by Sean Keithly

In recent years, colleges and university campuses have emerged as a market with high potential for integrated, leading-edge sustainable development.  It’s no coincidence that some of the most encouraging trends in sustainability and green building are taking place on college campuses, and that much more fertile ground exists for campus sustainability initiatives. With large land areas, single-ownership, and centralized utility systems, the physical sites of college campuses provide the necessary raw materials for creating innovation in sustainability.  Added to this is the intellectual capital of the campus population and the potential for inter-departmental research, pilot projects, and meaningful relationships with off-campus entities. A surprising number of schools have hired full-time sustainability coordinators who, among other things, provide the link between the intellectual resources of the institution with campus operations, capital projects, and planning. (more…)

The United Nations Climate Change Conference began yesterday. The world is watching to see if this meeting will be more fruitful than some of those past, and to see what President Obama is prepared to say. One thing he did say on Sept. 22nd, 2009 was: “Our generation’s response to this challenge will be judged by history, for if we fail to meet it – boldly, swiftly, and together – we risk consigning future generations to an irreversible catastrophe.” You can follow the US participation in the conference at http://www.cop15.state.gov/

An exciting announcement, made during the Phoenix Greenbuild conference last month, should be a lively topic of discussion. The world’s leading green building organizations have teamed together to adopt a common global language for the measurement of the carbon footprint of buildings. These organizations are the UN Sustainable Buildings and Climate Initiative (UNEP SBCI), the World Green Building Council, and the Sustainable Building Alliance, which includes USGBC, BREEAM (UK), UNESCO, and several others.

Today there is a side event hosted by the International Union of Architects called “Sustainability by Design” which focuses on architectural strategies to reduce the man-made carbon footrprint. Other side events include permaculture, smart grid, sustainable and low carbon development, renewable energy, bridging the water and climate change agenda, sustainable living, food security, climate neutral cities, and “place-based” decarbonization strategies. The conference runs through Dec. 18th. You can follow the full conference at http://en.cop15.dk

by Paul Spivey

With winter approaching and the flu season upon us, you may find yourself sneezing or coughing.  But don’t be too hasty!  Even though swine flu is pretty exciting, it’s far more likely these symptoms are actually attributed to indoor air pollution, especially during the winter.  And here’s why:

The leading cause of indoor air pollution is insufficient ventilation - Fact.  While the technological trend for construction assemblies is constantly advancing our ability to create tightly sealed and well insulated exterior envelopes, the interior environment consequently sees fewer air exchanges.  And considering most of us spend an average of 85% of our day indoors, even more time is spent inside during the colder winter months – with the windows shut of all things!  (more…)

by Lucia Athens

Many of you have probably already seen the gorgeous photos that were published in the Metropolis Magazine article in the June 2009 issue. If not, check it out. Of course, it has a LEED Platinum rating (how could it not?). I had the pleasure of visiting there as part of a Green Building Certification Institute Board of Director’s Meeting, where I serve as a Board member.  The words that come to mind when I think of the aesthetic of the office are “sleek” “cool” and “eco-hip”

The vibe is retro mid-century modern crossed with a bit of high tech laboratory chill.  The entry areas make an immediate impression, with classic Eero Saarinen chairs in bright candy colors. The juxtaposition with a huge logo wall encased in salvaged wood creates a warmer feel. The wood is sweet gum that was recovered from the bottom of a river in Tennessee.  The depth of mud it was buried in determines the color variation. Sweet!

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by Andy F.

 I’m sure a lot of us are getting ready to head into the wilderness for the Labor Day weekend. I’m itching to get out to Leavenworth for a few days of camping and river tubing. And while I love being up in the mountains there is nothing like being in the city. So, as a parting note before my venture in the Cascade Mountains, I will leave you with my top 3 (illustrated!) list of reasons why I love the city.

#1: Being able to walk to the grocery store.

Nothing beats the sheer convenience of having a supermarket just a few blocks from home. Sure, I’m not a big fan of carrying those 12-packs of soda three blocks back to my apartment, but it’s a small price to pay for what’s probably the best urban amenity.

#2: Community spirit and shared ownership.

When you live in the city you have a lot less personal space. We all have to share the sidewalks, the parks and the restaurants that function as our de facto living rooms. I love living in the city because of the respect that urban dwellers have for each other and their shared spaces. The mural shown in this picture, recently painted on a building in my neighborhood, is just one example of people taking it on themselves to make their urban environment a better place for themselves and their neighbors.

#3: Street vendors.

Ok, this one I picked because I’m really hungry right now. But I also think that street vendors are an amazing, essential and often overlooked aspect of city living. Besides being a convenience (especially for you night owls) they also provide unique opportunities both in terms of food access and economic development. What easier way to get healthy food into underserved neighborhoods or help someone start a business with minimal start-up capital? Major supermarkets are great, but I think we’ve relied on them too much and it’s time to think more seriously about the role street vendors can play.

by Andy Fenstermacher

I love recycling. Composting is great too. So why are they so darn difficult to do in an urban setting?
I live in a new 100-unit building in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood. It’s also a Built Green project no less. But recycling and composting in my building are an utter pain and it really comes down to one primary issue: The building was not designed nor equipped to adequately deal with modern waste disposal. The only thing the building has is a traditional garbage chute on each floor; recycling has to be carried by hand to the common waste room.

Well here is one way to deal with the recycling issue in high-density (especially high-rise) residential buildings.

Recycling Chute

It’s called the Wilkinson Hi-Rise Recycling Chute. You can watch a nifty demo of it here. I’d pay good money to have one of these in my building. So how do design professionals go about convincing developers that this type of technology is worthwhile?
Now, dealing with composting is an entirely different issue. Unlike most buildings, mine fortunately does have a shared compost container. But, just like with the recycling room, it’s inconveniently located for someone like me who lives on the 5th floor. Who wants to keep a jar of rotting vegetables in their apartment then carry it downstairs every few days?
There’s got to be a better way to compost in an urban setting, especially when space is limited and odor is a major concern. Here is one architect’s solution. But at $1,500 it’s pricey. Plus, I think a better approach would be to create something more fully integrated with the building and the rest of the waste system.

I’m going to ponder this issue with my CollinsWoerman colleagues and get back to you with some design ideas for tackling urban composting.

Check out the latest news from Neal Peirce on breaking down the boundaries of federal government silos, all geared towards increasing our sustainable communities options. Mayor Greg Nickels, who was just elected as president of the US Conference of Mayors, is also referenced.

http://citiwire.net/post/1023/

I just returned from Washington DC where the Finnish Embassy hosted a GBCI Board meeting. Ambassador Pekka Lintu of Finland welcomed us to the amazing, and very green, building. The space is filled with natural daylight and has amazing views to trees and nature that make you feel like you are in the middle of the forest, even though its right in the middle of embassy row and across from the Vice President’s home on Massachusetts Ave. The entry is flanked by two large living walls. The building was recently upgraded to meet Energy Star standards, and according to the ambassador, uses ½ the energy it did previously. The project is now also seeking LEED for Existing Buildings certification. Once achieved, Ambassador Pekka plans a social event with all the other ambassadors residing in DC, and will challenge all of them to do the same with their embassy buildings. Way to go, Finland! According to the embassy website, Finland ranks as the 4th cleanest country in the world. A tough act to follow, but if they can do it, why can’t we?