USGBC MA Stories: Jim Newman, Linnean Solutions

By Jim Newman, Linnean Solutions


Thoughts on the future of green building in Massachusetts

In the Boston area, we have a couple of both advantages and disadvantages that drive the market. One of the advantages we have is a very supportive regulatory environment that is moving all of the built environment towards greener, more environmentally sensitive outcomes. We also export architecture. There are more architects than can work on projects locally, so we are actually a net exporter of design – a big exporter. So things that happen here are exported to other places.

Some of the disadvantages are that even with a very supportive market, it's a relatively conservative practice space. Engineering and architecture practice in the Massachusetts area is not super progressive in general. I think that what is happening with green building now is it is becoming ubiquitous within standard design. It is not the realm of leaders at this point, it is the realm of everybody, and so you see it in all of the regular engineering and architecture firms in the area who are all the least bit engaged. Green building has a lot more reach than in the past.

I think that, in the future, there will be two or three primary movers which emerge out of the general green building movement. One of these is a focus on health and healthy places. This is important to how people live and how people work, and how to improve health. Residential developers have figured this out, and they see value in creating more healthy developments.

The second mover is the net zero movement. I think that the industry, as well as consumers have finally gotten it into their heads that we can make our buildings close to net zero, and even net positive. What we are seeing now is that communities are engaging with the idea of net zero communities, housing developments are engaging with the idea of net zero housing at a large scale, and municipalities are legislating net zero towns. This will be transformative. It is going to take a while for it to take hold in the mainstream, but it is already taking hold for the leading practitioners.

The third mover is that the social structures that have underpinned how development is done are being called into question, which sharpens the game. The resilience movement is part of that. Equity efforts are part of that. I think there are a lot of forces that are pushing people who participate in, regulate, and consume the built environment to rethink what they are trying to do. So, I think there is a real opportunity for us, both as practitioners and as an organization to help move these issues forward. We have a lot of opportunities as a chapter, to really help move the market in ways that are pretty substantial

SMMA Fund Grants Scholarship to Hudson Senior

By USGBC MA Communications


The SMMA Fund, the firm's philanthropic arm, has awarded its 2017 scholarship to Daniel Morton, a senior from Hudson High School. Daniel was chosen from a field of applicants based on his academic performance, recommendations from his counselors and teachers, and his stated intent to pursue studies in the field of design that contributes to the built environment.

Each year, the SMMA Fund grants scholarships to outstanding students from high schools that the firm has designed. The Fund has provided more than $36 thousand in financial assistance to 34 students from 13 high schools since its inception in 2010.

In his application, Daniel cited a passion for mechanical engineering, which has seen him lead a team of fellow students in the development of a sports-based prosthetic for a young softball player. The experience, and the knowledge gained in his time at technology-rich Hudson High School, which has been selected for inclusion in the Massachusetts School Building Authority's Model School Program, has fostered his desire to continue studying the discipline at the collegiate level.

“The SMMA Fund is a demonstration of our commitment to social responsibility and directly benefits the communities we serve,” said Marie Fitzgerald, SMMA board member and director of the firm's interior design practice. “We are proud to assist Daniel as he takes the next step in his educational journey.”

 

 

Presently second in his graduating class of 148, with a grade point average of 4.45, Daniel captains the school's golf and tennis teams, participates in its ski and ultimate Frisbee clubs, and has been a member of the National Honor Society for the entirety of his four-year career. He plans to attend the University of Pennsylania or Northeastern University in the fall of 2017.

 

Sustainability in Higher Ed: Southland Science Tour

By USGBC MA Communications

The Southland Science Tour on Saturday, November 11 is a Greenbuild 2017 Green Building Tour you just can't miss! The day trip will bring attendees to two projects south of Boston that demonstrate how higher education institutions can minimize their environmental footprint despite their high energy use intensity. The objectives of the tour are to understand the key strategies necessary to achieve Zero Net Energy in a laboratory building and identify opportunities to simultaneously enhance occupant health and safety while reducing energy consumption. Upon completing this tour attendees will be able to discuss how historic preservation and modern state-of-the-art educational spaces can combine to create unique, sustainable opportunities and how the site, neighborhood and structure of an historic building can impact the sustainability story of a project, including remediation, preservation and meeting the tenets of LEED certified project.


The John J Sbrega Health and Science Building at Bristol Community College in Fall River, MA, is a 2017 AIA COTE Top Ten recipient, and is anticipated to achieve LEED Platinum certification. Designed as a Net-Zero Energy building, numerous strategies were employed to reduce the building's baseline energy use intensity, and cut fossil fuel consumption. The building realized a 67% reduction in hourly air changes and air-handling capacity. Additional strategies triggered a number of capital cost savings ranging from less ductwork and smaller air handling units to decreased floor-to-floor height and building envelope area. The John J. Sbrega Health and Science Building is as a shared resource occupied by multiple disciplines within the Sciences and Health Professions disciplines at Bristol Community College. The facility represents the translation of basic science to its application in the health professions. For the sciences, the building accommodates flexible instructional labs and support space for field biology, biotech, microbiology, and general chemistry.

 

 


The South Street Landing in Providence, Rhode Island, was an abandoned structure formerly occupied by the Narragansett Electric Company that now houses a statewide modern nursing education facility through a joint venture among three universities. The project team has worked to preserve historic features of the original power station including the large, 50-ton gantry crane and the Dynamo concrete pedestal. The site design features stormwater management best practices, and the 4-story dynamo block and hall where the generators churned electricity was reimagined into a commons. The core/shell and interior fit-out of the nursing education center are both targeting LEED-CS and CI Gold certification. The $220 million South Street Landing project represents a major transformation of the Jewelry District that will spur further economic growth and advance academic excellence in the capital city and across Rhode Island.

 

Greenbuild 2017 is just around the corner! Sign up for this tour and many other opportunities today! Greenbuild is the world's largest conference and expo dedicated to green building. The ideals and passion of the green building community come alive at Greenbuild. The buzz is contagious. Greenbuild brings together industry leaders, experts and frontline professionals dedicated to sustainable building in their everyday work, and a unique energy is sparked. Participants are invigorated. Inspired. They find themselves equipped to return to their jobs with a renewed passion and purpose. Register today!

What Does “GOOD” Look Like?

By Communications

The Living Building Challenge asks us to imagine a building that answers the question: “What does good look like?”

As a green building certification program and sustainable design framework that visualizes the ideal for the built environment, the Living Building Challenge (LBC) sets out to create buildings that are:

  • Regenerative spaces that connect occupants to light, air, food, nature, and community.
  • Self-sufficient and remain within the resource limits of their site. Living Buildings produce more energy than they use and collect and treat all water on site.
  • Healthy and beautiful.

Greenbuild is kicking off its Green Building Tours series with “Green Day Out” at 8:00am on Monday, November 6. Green Day Out will bring participants to see three buildings designed to meet the Living Building Challenge, and a fourth that uses the most advanced cross laminated timber construction in the United States! This tour will take you to Western Massachusetts, where you be able to see the application of and implementation of sustainable design frameworks that have resulted in cutting edge projects that are changing the building industry. Here's a sneak peek at the projects:


The R.W. Kern Center at Hampshire College, designed by USGBC MA Chapter Sponsor Bruner/Cott & Associates, is a 2-story, 17,000 SF registered LBC project & 2017 COTE Top 10 Award winner. It generates 100% of its energy on-site and reduces water consumption by 95%. To reach the desired self-sustaining goals, the eco-friendly center has been outfitted with solar panels, composting toilets and a rainwater harvesting system. The Kern Center now functions as a hub for student life with a “community living room” and cafe, and it also serves as a welcome center for parents and staff. Moreover, it also houses a learning and teaching laboratory for both students and visitors. This green building is aiming to bring Hampshire closer to its goal that is to be completely carbon-neutral in coming years.


The Hitchcock Center for the Environment is a single story, 9,000 SF environmental education center and registered LBC project. Designed to be a teaching tool, The Hitchcock Center offers free tours twice monthly to the community. The net zero energy building harvests and recycles its own water, uses composting toilets, and was constructed with responsibly sourced, nontoxic materials. The Hitchcock Center includes educational displays for Pre-K through adults, explaining composting toilets, potable rainwater harvesting & treatment, and greywater systems. The project supports a new approach to achieving environmental literacy in the 21st century.

 


The Bechtel Environmental Classroom, a 2,300 SF single story building designed as a field station for Smith College, was the fifth Certified Living Building in the world and first in New England. Designed by Coldham & Hartman Architects, the classroom is a wood-framed building that serves as a field station for a 233-acre forest and pasture property. It doubles as a classroom and seminar space. The building uses solar panels and an innovative septic system involving composting toilets to fit the consumption imperatives. Since the building’s opening in September 2012, students have monitored a range of data points of electricity and water usage to demonstrate that the building operated over its first year of occupancy as a net-zero facility. “The design and construction of this remarkable building has been a great way to engage our students’ cross-disciplinary abilities and put them in a position where they were making production decisions,”  said Drew Guswa, professor of engineering and director of Smith’s Center for Environment, Ecological Design and Sustainability (CEEDS) in a press release. “The building has been, and will continue to be, an invaluable teaching tool.” 


The University of Massachusetts Amherst Design Building is a 4-story, 87,500 GSF building pending LEED Gold. Its heavy-timber wood structure demonstrates how the industry can address climate change by building with wood. UMass says its new Design Building is the largest modern wood building in the U.S. – and the most advanced cross-laminated timber (CLT) building in the country. Designed by Boston-based architects Leers Weinzapfel Associates, the $52 million building is among the first in the U.S. to use a wood-concrete composite floor system. The building saves the equivalent of over 2,300 metric tons of carbon when compared to a traditional energy-intensive steel and concrete building, says the university.

 

Join us! Monday, November 6 from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Meet at Tour Meet Desk (Lobby). This is a tour you just can't miss! Upon completing the tour, you will be able to discuss 1) why building with wood is critical for the building industry and addressing climate change; 2) the fundamentals of mass timber buildings and structural systems; 3) the basic requirements of the Living Building Challenge; and 4) the collaborative approach and engagement strategies used in Living Building Projects to ensure goals are met. 

Greenbuild is just around the corner. Register today and take a look at the schedule for all of the exciting events Greenbuild 2017 has to offer!

Massachusetts: A Spark in the Net Positive Revolution

By Communications

We are amidst a paradigm shift in the building sector– a shift that is completely necessary in the face of our changing climate. One significant tool in the emerging design strategies toolbox for sustainable building construction and operations is the principle of “Net Positive”. A positive energy building is one that produces more energy from renewable sources than it consumes.

Why is this significant? According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, about 40% of total U.S. energy consumption was consumed by the residential and commercial sectors in 2016. From space heating and cooling to electricity use, addressing energy consumption at the building level has the potential to make a significant impact on reducing total national energy consumption and thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Massachusetts is very much a part of this movement!

As a part of Greenbuild 2017, the Green Building tours program is showcasing Massachusetts net positive efforts in a full day tour on Monday, November 6 from 8:00AM to 4:00PM. The tour, “Net Positive Revolution” will explore LEED-certified, net positive and passive house buildings that clearly show revolution is afoot again in Massachusetts! Attendess will gain insight on the philosophy and design attributes of the Passive House certification system as well as the building site design, envelope, MEP and renewable energy systems that contribute to net zero building design. In addition, tour attendees will be able to better define how the use of wood as a sustainably-sourced and local material can enhance a project's sustainability.


The tour visits include: an office in Newton MA, with a passive and net positive design that confronts the challenge of retrofitting an existing building to meet Passive House standards; a passive house in Wayland MA which can be heated and cooled by the equivalent of a single burner on a stove; a net positive farmhouse in Lincoln, MA; and Walden Pond Visitors Center (image at right), a net zero energy building that also demonstrates what can be achieved with locally sourced materials and integrating a building into its landscape. Process and detail strategies will be shared by both design professionals and contractors responsible for these projects.

Green Building tours are one of Greenbuild's most popular and exciting features, providing the opportunity to explore green buildings ranging from higher education facilities to sports venues. In addition to the tours, Greenbuild has a whole week of exciting events (Nov. 6 – Nov. 10) including workshops, education sessions and networking opportunities. Be sure to check out the schedule and sign up today!

Stantec leading sustainability in Boston

By Elizabeth King, Stantec

Stantec is a process driven firm and we believe that sustainability goes well beyond the building’s footprint. Sustainability considers stewardship of the physical, social and financial health of an institution within the broader context of its environment and community.  Our design ideas are embedded with energy efficient principles in mind—from the orientation of the building masses to building technologies—we take advantage of both building systems and client engagement to help build a sustainable future. 
 
Designed in hyper-collaboration with Massachusetts College of Art and Design students, professors, staff, alumni, and trustees, the MassART “Tree House” Residence Hall has become a landmark in the Boston skyline. The 21-story residence hall for 476 freshmen includes a café, living room, health center, communal kitchen, game room, laundry room, fitness center, and 17 floors of residential semi-suites with a lounge or a workroom on each floor. Inspired by Gustav Klimt’s 1909, ‘Tree of Life’ painting, the building is designed to promote healthy lifestyles, sustainable practices, and to culturally connect to its vibrant surrounding community of art and the Colleges of the Fenway.  The MassART “Tree House” is LEED Gold Certified.


The Eddy is a highly sustainable, mixed-use building located along the waterfront in East Boston. Standing 17 stories tall, the building consists of 259 apartment units, a suite of amenities, restaurant space and unrivaled views of the Boston skyline. Numerous site improvements reinforce the building’s connection to the water which offers recreational opportunities as well as transportation alternatives to East Boston residents. The development of The Eddy extended the Harborwalk, creating nearly one acre of publicly accessible waterfront space as well as open space used for community events.  By leveraging the natural assets of this unique site, a host of benefits are now available for the East Boston community to enjoy. The Eddy is LEED Gold Certified.

Special author: Elizabeth King, Associate at Stantec

SMMA Welcomes Back Nick Koulbanis

By USGBC MA Communications


SMMA is pleased to welcome a former SMMA employee, Nick Koulbanis, AIA and LEED AP, to its Architecture Practice. As a senior associate at SMMA, Nick will join the firm's Higher Education studio, bringing his significant expertise to projects throughout New England. Prior to joining SMMA, Nick led Tsoi/Kobus & Associates’ Higher Education studio, and most recently completed a joint medical simulation project for Rhode Island College and the University of Rhode Island's nursing programs.

Nick’s past work in higher education architecture, coupled with his experience in sustainable design and design research, will contribute to the detailed approach he’s taking in his first SMMA project: Brown University’s School of Engineering. As a past SMMA employee, Nick is especially looking forward to re-connecting with some of his co-workers and being part of a firm with such a diverse portfolio.

In addition to working full time, Nick is also a member of The Boston Society of Architects and The Society for College and University Planning. He earned his Bachelor of Architecture from Roger Williams University.

 

Boston Properties Declares Regular Quarterly Dividends

By USGBC MA Communications

— Boston Properties, Inc. (NYSE: BXP), a real estate investment trust, announced today that its Board of Directors declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.75 per share of common stock for the period July 1, 2017 to September 30, 2017 payable on October 31, 2017 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on September 29, 2017.

The Board of Directors also declared a regular quarterly cash dividend for the Company’s 5.25% Series B Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock (the “Series B Preferred Stock”). The cash dividend of $0.328125 per depositary share is payable on November 15, 2017 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on November 3, 2017 and covers the period from August 16, 2017to November 15, 2017. Each depositary share represents 1/100th of a share of Series B Preferred Stock.

Boston Properties is a fully integrated real estate investment trust that develops, redevelops, acquires, manages, operates and owns a diverse portfolio of primarily Class A office space totaling 48.4 million square feet and consisting of 164 office properties (including six properties under construction), five retail properties, five residential properties (including three properties under construction) and one hotel. The Company is one of the largest owners and developers of Class A office properties in the United States, concentrated in five markets – Boston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco and Washington, DC.

 

Rooftop Garden Tour and Networking Night

By Aminah McNulty


Wednesday evening, we gathered in the inconspicuous parking lot of the Facilities & Maintenance building for Boston Medical Center (BMC). A few feet above us, just out of sight, the 7,000 square-foot rooftop farm resides, overlooking 180 degree views of South Boston.

Lindsay Allen, farm manager for the BMC farm, Brendan Shea, Director of Operations at Recover Green Roofs and David Stickler with the Boston Area Beekeeping Association led our tour. Lindsay introduced the site to us and explained the context of urban farming and local food in the area. She personally wheels all of her produce through the hospital into the demonstration kitchen so no fossil fuels are used to bring fresh food to patient’s plates. There is a strong symbiosis between the farm and demonstration kitchen at the hospital, which includes a “farm medley” served to patients, CSA shares for new families and dietary specific cooking classes.


Brendan unpacked the technical side of how the farm was constructed. A modular system of milk crates filled with a porous lining and top-grade compost from the Vermont Compost Company made the operation simple and straightforward to install. The irrigation system has a weather sensor to monitor sound, atmosphere, temperature and precipitation. Irrigation will shut off if rain gauge reads above ⅛ of rain or there is more than ⅛ of rain in the forecast. Specific roof-top site constraints include the weight of rainfall, waterproofing the roof system and withstanding wind speed. The team had to come up with specific solutions to address these issues.

David walked us through some common misconceptions about urban beekeeping and explained the simplicity and importance of living close to pollinators. Interestingly, urban bees find more diversity in pollination sources than rural bees because of the wider variety of what people plant in their urban gardens and flower pots.

We gathered at Stella Restaurant in the South End after our tour for a networking event kindly sponsored by Vermont Compost Company. This tour was the first in a series of USGBC programming around urban agriculture, green roofs and food justice. Stay tuned for our next event!

 


USGBC MA Stories: Ellie Hoyt

By Ellie Hoyt, Linnean Solutions


I am relatively new to this whole world. I got my undergraduate degree in geology with a minor in math from Colby College in Maine. When I graduated, like a lot of people, I had no idea what I wanted to do.

I ended up getting a job as a staff geologist for a company in Framingham and stayed there for about three years. I was working in their environmental remediation group, which was really just a fancy way of saying cleaning up other people's messes. Most of our clients were oil and gas companies with contaminated properties, and I spent my time traveling around to various sites sampling soil and groundwater and eventually overseeing drilling and excavation projects. While I learned a ton in that position, I ultimately started to feel that I was just helping to clean up a mess rather than actually trying to prevent the mess in the first place.

While I was there, especially towards the last year, I started spending more and more time on active construction sites. The sites had contaminated soil, and I had to be the annoying person telling the construction crew where they could and couldn't dig. In a way, that was my first introduction to the built environment. Before then, I had never seen a building go up, I had no idea how that worked. I realized I was more interested in watching those processes than actually dealing with the contaminated soil that I was supposed to be watching. That spurred me to make a change.

This is the weird part – after that job I went to western Kenya for 6 months. It was completely unrelated, but I had this really incredible opportunity to volunteer at a community hospital through Massachusetts General Hospital’s Division of Global Health and Human Rights… which is a mouthful. I was not working on projects directly related to the built environment, I was doing more coordination and support of MGH’s teaching and research efforts at the hospital. But my work in Kenya exposed me to a different type of sustainability, in terms of understanding how different cultures use their resources and how any type of change or plan, as well-intentioned as it may be, won’t be successful without real community input.

While I was over there I started thinking about graduate school and how I could pivot myself into the world of sustainability. I ended up finding a masters program at Northeastern and applied before I got home. The faculty actually didn’t want to let me in at first… with reason, because I’m not an architect and I’m not an engineer. They felt that I was qualified for the program, but they weren’t sure what I would be able to do with it afterwards. But I was motivated enough, and I convinced them I would figure it out by the time I was done. I graduated in May, and while I was there I met Jim Newman, who I work for now. He encouraged me that it was an asset to be able to speak the languages of both architects and engineers without being on either side. He showed me there could be a different path through the consulting lens, and he has since given me a really fantastic opportunity to work with him at Linnean Solutions.