Sustainable Design in the New World Trade Center Buildings

Thirteen years ago today the twin towers were destroyed by terrorists, but from the ashes of that terrible day new green World Trade Center buildings have taken their place. Seven World Trade Center (7 WTC) was completed in 2006 and the much larger One World Trade Center (1 WTC) also known as "Freedom Tower" was completed in 2013. These building are models of sustainable design.

Seven World Trade Center

7 WTC is a pioneer in terms of environmental responsibility, energy efficiency, and quality of life. The building has earned the U.S. Green Building Council's (USGBC) gold status under its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)-rating system. This is the first green commercial office building in New York City to have such certification. It is also part of part of the USGBC Pilot Program for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design - Core and Shell Development (LEED-CS).

Event - Smart and Sustainable Campuses Conference

The Smart and Sustainable Campuses Conference will take place on March 3 - 4, 2014, in Baltimore, MD. The sharing economy: no place is this more evident than on our campuses. Students are rethinking vehicle ownership, swapping clothes, trading books, and participating in MOOCs. In other words, finding ways to make their limited funds go further. Campuses must also find opportunities to conserve limited resources, make college more affordable, and make our communities more resilient to economic and environmental change. A sharing economy is leading to more sustainable consumption, operations, services, and lifestyles in our communities and on our campuses.

The UK's University of Bradford Wins Recognition for Sustainable Building

Despite stiff competition, the UK's University of Bradford has won recognition for its sustainable building programme. Although there were many excellent projects entered into the competition, the University won the 'Carbon Champion of the Year,' award for 2012. The award is given out by the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE).

Because green buildings educate while at the same time reducing their environmental impact, schools are the perfect place to lead the green building revolution.

AltBuild Conference & Expo 2012 (Event)

Presented by the City of Santa Monica and U.S. Green Building Council-Los Angeles (USGBC-LA), the 9th Annual AltBuild Conference & Expo returns May 11-12, 2012. It will take place at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, 1855 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA 90401. The event will address: Water efficiency, green building practices, it will involve hands-on workshops, practical skills for professionals and consumers.

Clean Energy Excerpts of President Obama's 2012 State of the Union Speech

Members of the US House and Senate, along with hundreds of distinguished guests, convened at the Capitol on Tuesday, January 24, 2012, at 9 p.m. for President Obama's third State of the Union Address. According to article II, Section 3, Clause 1 of the US Constitution, the President must “give to the Congress Information on the State of the Union and recommend to their Consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.” Here are excerpts of the President's speech related to the environment, the green economy and clean energy:

Major Trends in Green Building for 2012

Claire Easley the senior editor at Builder recently published an article about Jerry Yudelson impressions for the green building industry in 2012. Yudelson has more than 25 years of work in sustainability, he has been a member of the U.S. Green Building Council’s board of directors, a LEED national faculty member, and is the co-founder and director of the Green Building Service consulting unit at Portland General Electric. Last year, Wired magazine dubbed him "the godfather of green."

Inhabitat Interview with the Winning Lead Designer of the 2011 Solar Decathlon

Here is an Inhabitat interview with David Gavin the project design lead for the University of Maryland team that won the 2011 Solar Decathlon. Their winning entry was a solar powered, water conservation-focused home called the WaterShed.
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Greenbuild NEXT Opens in Toronto: First Time Outside of the US

Greenbuild NEXT is the first time the US Green Building Council is hosting Greenbuild outside the United States. Greenbuild 2011 is located in Toronto and is taking place between October 4th and 7th. The event celebrates what's new and innovative in green building.

University of Maryland Wins Solar Decathlon

Students at the University of Maryland won the 2011 showcase for innovative and affordable solar powered homes known as the US Energy Department Solar Decathlon. A total of nineteen collegiate teams from as far away as China and New Zealand traveled to Washington to compete in this year’s event, the fifth Solar Decathlon since 2002.

Green Building Council's World Green Building Week 2011: Powerful Plants

World Green Building Week takes place between the 19th and the 23rd of September. Green Building Week is a global event organised by the World Green Building Council.

Mississippi State University has the first LEED® Certified Chapter House in the US

Mississippi State is the first university to have a LEED-certified (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) chapter house in the US. The 16,000 square foot Pi Beta Phi chapter house maximizes open space, uses indigenous landscaping and bicycle storage. Plumbing and air conditioning systems incorporate water-use reduction features. The use of insulation and window glazing also optimizes energy performance.

The Campus Green Builder Online Portal

The Campus Green Builder (CGB) online portal provides information for academic institutions. this is a one-stop online resource on campus green building that is free and accessible to all higher education institutions. Though the information provided is relevant to all higher education institutions, the CGB is particularly geared towards under-resourced colleges and universities. It aims to level the playing field for all institutions of higher education to gain access to funding and technical resources for green building.

Green Training Modules From Green Education Online

Green Education Online provides green educational modules for the adult learner. Here are 21 green training modules:

The Princeton Review's 2012 Top Green Schools Honor Role

The Princeton Review has released its fourth annual Green Honor Role of colleges and Universities in the U.S. These schools were ranked on a scale of 60 to 99, based on a survey that asked questions about academic offerings, energy use, recycling, food, buildings and transportation.

Sierra's 2011 List of Cool Green Schools Points West

For many years early settlers of America went west seeking opportunities and Sierra's 2011 list of green schools once again points west. According to Sierra magazine’s fifth-annual ranking of the nation’s “Coolest” schools, some of the most eco-conscious colleges are out West.

Building Gateways to the Green Economy: Green Community Colleges Summit Coming Soon

The Green Market is a proud partner of the Green Community College Summit. All readers of The Green Market can get a 20% reduction on the summit's registration fee by mentioning the discount code GRMARKET.
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California’s community colleges have launched some of the nation’s largest green building and renewable energy projects and are central to efforts to train workers for the state’s growing green economy. The strategies, best practices and policies behind these innovations will be the focus of the Green California Community Colleges Summit & Exposition, October 17-18, 2011, at the Pasadena Convention Center, Pasadena, California.

Committed to Sustainability: 2011 Green Schools Summit and Expo

The Green Market is a proud partner of Green CA Schools Summit and Expo. All readers of The Green Market can get a 20% reduction on the summit's registration fee by mentioning the discount code GRMARKET.
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The fifth annual Green California Schools Summit & Expo is the place to learn about all aspects of green schools - from funding, to new building technologies, to implementing green curriculum. The Summit takes place October 17-18, 2011, at the Pasadena Convention Center.

25 Blogs Leading the Sustainable Building Revolution

Green building is proliferating around the world, homes schools, hospitals, as well as government and commercial buildings are increasingly incorporating sustainable design. According to Environmental Science Degrees, here are 25 leading blogs that specialize in sustainable building.

1. Green Home Building and Sustainable Architecture: The author of this blog is well-versed in sustainable design, having previously resided in an earthbag and papercrete home that he designed.
2. Inhabitat: Newly and uniquely designed green buildings from throughout the world are displayed, including the beautiful Nissam Villas in Singapore.
3. Greenversations: Green Building Category: Employees of the EPA blog about their experiences and provide advice related to green building.
4. Eco-Business.com: Fittingly, an eco-business site supports sustainable building, providing information about measures being taken to make communities throughout the world greener.
5. Sustainable Industries Blog: The founder of Organic Architect offers his knowledge pertaining to everything from design considerations to efficiency improvements.
6. Green Building Elements: This blog specializes in the “construction of green buildings, ideas and the design behind them.”
7. Campus Green Builder: College students document the efforts of colleges and universities and their students to create eco-friendly campuses.
8. Sustainablog: Green building is one of the many aspects of sustainability covered on Sustainablog.
9. Building Green Blog: Included on this blog is a list of essential priorities in green building.
10. Building My Green Life: The author doesn’t just advocate sustainable building, but also a sustainable life.
11. Sustainable Construction Blog: An architectural engineering student created the Sustainable Construction Blog, which discusses new technology and products in the construction industry that assist sustainability.
12. Sustainable Cities Blog: This blog discusses the actions that cities across the world are taking to become more sustainable.
13. Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce: Building Green Blog: Green building issues in the Pacific Northwest – a notably green area in the US – and beyond are discussed.
14. Environmental Building Strategies: Environmental news that affects contractors and residential professionals is featured on this blog.
15. GreenBuildingAdvisor.com’s Green Building Blog: In this blog, readers can learn how to make their home more sustainable inside and out after perusing through the posts on this site.
16. iGreenBuild.com Blog: An excellent source for sustainable building information, addressing everything from sustainable design to environmental issues.
17. Green Built Blog: This blog contains lots of information pertaining to green housing, including green design trends and green developments.
18. Green Strides: Tips on green dorm living, fencing and eco-friendly garden fountains are offered on this blog.
19. GreenBuilder Blog: Experts from the green building movement offer their two cents of news in the industry and various other issues.
20. 100k House Blog: A blog that began as a journal of quest to build a $100,000 LEED Platinum home has evolved into a full-fledged source for green building info.
21. The Deans of Green: The Deans of Green live up to their name by offering details about green building and living.
22. Sustainable Building Codes: The author is a building code regulator who advocates the revision of modern building codes in order to encourage more sustainable construction.
23. Green Building Law Update: Issues in the green building industry that hinder progress are brought to light by a construction consultant.
24. Green Building Law Blog: Although the blog is run by an attorney based in Baltimore, insight is given into green building law and issues that affect the country.
25. Green Building Law: Green Building Law is based in the Pacific Northwest, but it covers a variety of green building legal issues important to people nationwide – not unlike Green Building Law Blog.


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The Extraordinary Growth of Green Building

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is celebrating its first billion square feet of LEED certified green buildings. Another six billion square feet of projects around the world are part of the LEED program.

LEED is a widely recognized program that requires reductions in energy and water, it also makes use of recyclable and non-toxic materials. LEED certified buildings save money, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to a healthier environment.

LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. The LEED program was created by the USGBC in 2000. Since its introduction, more than 36,000 commercial projects and 38,000 single family homes have participated in LEED.

Green building continued to grow even through a deep economic recession. The US green building market has expanded dramatically since 2008 and according to a new report titled, Green Outlook 2011, by McGraw-Hill Construction, it is projected to double in size by 2015.
Green construction starts increased from $42 billion in 2008 to $71 billion in 2010, and it is expected to grow to $135 billion by 2015.

In the commercial sector, one-third of all new projects are now built to green standards and it is projected to triple in the next five years.

A survey of building owners indicated that green projects reduce operating costs (13.6% on average for new buildings and 8.5% for retrofits), increase building values (10.9% for new buildings and 6.8% for retrofits) and increase their return on investment (9.9% for new buildings and 19.2% for retrofits.)

The report indicates that the extraordinary growth of green buildings is attributable to the owners' desire for market differentiation and growing public awareness. This growth is also due to an increase in government regulation and legislation. As of September 2010, 12 federal agencies and 33 states had green building legislation and initiatives. Local government initiatives increased from 156 localities in 2008 to 384 localities in 2010.

Harvey M. Bernstein, a vice president of McGraw-Hill Construction, said in a statement. "In today's economy, firms that specialize in green or serve this market are seeing a tremendous advantage."


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2010 Green Schools Summit Workshop & Conference

On October 4 & 5, the Colorado chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council is holding an event known as the Green Schools Summit. The two day event will feature a workshop and conference.


Workshop

On October 4, between 12:00 PM – 4:30 PM, there will be a half-day preconference workshop titled Green Your District, Your Schools, and Your Teaching.

This workshop will capitalize on the experiences of three local experts. Interactive activities will keep participants engaged and provide opportunities for networking with other professionals. This workshop endeavors to help provide the resources needed to improve existing sustainability initiatives or to build a program from the ground up.

Brian Dunbar, Director, Institute for the Built Environment, Colorado State University will present the first segment about how to develop an SMS, SDG, and partner-enhanced integrated sustainable design.

Bill Franzen, SAGE 2 Associates, LLC is responsible for the second segment, he will focus on the process, importance, and benefits of green school design and operations.

Farah McDill, Green School Specialist will conduct the final segment. She will focus on the end-users, the teachers and students, and how they can best understand the built environment of educational facilities, through building-focused sustainability clubs and behavior change.

Reception

On October 4, between 4:00 PM – 6:30 PM there will be an evening networking reception that is open to the public (cash bar).

Conference

On October 5, between 7:30 AM – 5:00 PM there will be a full day educational conference providing professional development and continuing education credits. The conference is called the 2010 Green Schools Summit: Graduate to Green

The conference offers three tracks: Design (for architects, engineers, contractors and those involved in construction), Maintenance (for district personnel including facilities, administrators, energy managers) and Curriculum (for teachers, parents, students and eco-advocates). View Session Descriptions

There will also be updates from U.S. Green Building Council’s national green schools movement, Governor’s Energy Office, and the Colorado Department of Education.

Companies that work with schools are being asked to sponsor a school district to help them attend the Green Schools Summit.


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