Envelope Renovation Energy Modeling Comparison Presentation
By Mark Dunn, USGBC MA West Branch
Stay tuned to the USGBC MA as we bring you more presentations of academic research into the science of building performance.
Stay tuned to the USGBC MA as we bring you more presentations of academic research into the science of building performance.
UMass has seen a major investment in new buildings in the past few years.
The tour focused on 3 facilities: 1) the new Integrated Learning Center 2) the scholars center residential complex and 3) the Hampshire Dining Commons.
Thank you to the UMass Amherst Campus Planning Department and members of the USGBC MA West Branch, especially Ludmilla Pavlova and Lorin Starr of the Western MA AIA for organizing this tour.
Below: the Integrated Learning Center – which will hold 20% of the campus' classes next year. It is on track to meet LEED NC Gold and correspond with the state's LEED Plus program.
The ILC has a great green roof – very well established plantings already.
Next we went to the Commonwealth Honors College Residential Complex. This will be a landmark component of UMass Amherst welcoming ambitious students from the entire state university system.
The Honors Complex has numerous sustainability features and you can read more about it at Sustainable UMass.
We ended the tour with a dinner at the Hampshire Dining Commons which has recently been renovated to be a state-of-the-art facility linking local food production to the dining experience on campus. We heard a few brief presentations and enjoyed a great meal. This place takes the concept of a college cafeteria to a whole new level!
Thank you again to to the UMass Amherst Campus Planning Department, members of the USGBC MA West Branch, and Western MA AIA for organizing this tour!
Proposals are due July 20th, 2014
How can you and your community take a lead role on the green building conversation and increase your access to greener, healthier, more efficient buildings? Visit contest page
We have an imported “Green Tea” from the USGBC MA West Branch. On Thursday June 29th at 5:00pm, we'll be hearing from two Green Building Researchers from the UMass Amherst campus. They will present a comparison of energy modeling software. Check it out!
Calling all Volunteers!
http://www.usgbc.org/articles/new-tools-leed-v4-om-projects
This year we will celebrate the over 200 projects that have gone for LEED in the past year and a half.
Here's a great little video of our program from last year.
If you have been involved with a project this past year, please get in touch so you can participate in the Showcase this September!
Thank you,
Grey
Thank you again to EPMA and the project team for organizing this great tour. We had a great pub-crawl around Eastie afterwards, but that is another story entirely. Hello KO!
See you all at the next EPMA event on July 24th.
We have three things going on at the same time. I know it's not the best form, but it's really three partnering organizations who are working with us where each wound up needing to hold forth next Thursday. I hope you find one that you like and can benefit from.
Many of our upcoming events & programs were just announced in our June Event Email – take a look because we are all over the place!
Thursday 6/19/14 and all day on Wednesday 6/18/14, the Northeast Building & Facility Management Show & Conference will rally facility management professionals from across the region to the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center. There are a lot of educational programs and some of our members will be presenting, including Matt Shortsleeve of RGS Energy and Brian Salazar of Entegra Development & Investment. See you there!
At 1pm on June 19th, USGBC MA and the BSA's Committee for the Advancement of Sustainability are hosting a Sustainability Public Policy Forum: Community Strategies for Sustainable Development at Atlantic Wharf in Boston. You will hear presentations from Jim Newman of Linnean Solutions, Ludmilla Pavlova from UMass Amherst Campus Planning, David Straus of A Better City, and others.
Later that evening from 5:30-7:30, we are hosting the Regenesis Group's Bill Reed (presenting with Jim Newman, actually) and an introductory presentation on The Regenerative Practitioner. Come join us to build out a group to focus on regenerative development and take our efforts toward sustainability to the next level. It will be a very good program.
We also have a trio of webinars next week:
Thank you to the team at Perkins+Will for hosting us and especially to Juliette Bowker for presenting on their Transparency Tool! This is a tremendous resource for the many folks who are working to find materials and components of designs that will have better health effects on us all.
As we know, LEEDv4 offers points for reporting on materials through health product declarations and environmental product declarations. Many product vendors are racing to be relevant in this new marketplace where transparency into their processes and materials will become clearer.
Juliette led us through a great presentation about why we should care about environmental effects of materials in buildings, about how we can figure that out, and how we can then use that information to make better choices as designers and building creators so our communities are safer, healthier and stronger. She mentioned how she was really learning a lot about chemistry and health.
One stunning concept was “We are sharing this with everybody – there's no competitive advantage for us to hold onto this information” – so take a dive into the tool and learn more about materials and their impact on health!
Some of the staff at Perkins + Will were on hand to chime in about the tool and how they are using it to enhance the sustainability of their designs. Also, how it is helping their product vendors figure out how to be more relevant when selecting materials becomes more rigorous than just function, appearance and cost.
Juliette referenced the old “rubber duckie” and how examining that innocuous seeming toy could lead to an exploration of human health effects of common materials. And that we want to get to where the duckies really are cute and innocuous.
One of her quotes was from Dr. Claudia Miller, a renowned immunologist and a dean at the University of Texas School of Medicine: “Architects have a greater ability to improve public health than medical professionals” – due to the capacity of designers to remove health-threatening components from our buildings and thus reduce popular exposure.
Perkins+Will has this great infographic related to their transparency tool:
Thank you again P+W! We'll see you soon! (Nice view of Post Office Square, too)
Let's get to know Jenna who's another of our active EPMA members!
USGBC MA: What is your current job and how does it differ from past jobs in Sustainability?
JENNA: As an Assistant Project Manager at Suffolk Construction, I am currently working on the historic renovation of the Filene's Burnham building in Downtown Crossing. I contribute to the project in many ways including managing the financials, quality control, document control and workflow of several trades. Prior to working the construction industry, I attended Brown University. My current line of work relates more to sustainability and green buildings because my previous jobs included being a math tutor and coaching several elite ice hockey camps!
USGBC MA: When did you first become interested in Sustainability?
JENNA: When I started at Brown University, I was interested in majoring in engineering but I was unsure what track to pursue. I have always loved animals and had a dream to work with animals as a Vet; therefore, I pursued the bio-medical track. However, when I spoke with my adviser, he suggested that I try something different and take a class in Sustainability and Green Buildings. Thank goodness for that suggestion because that class made me fall in love with green buildings and steered me towards majoring in civil engineering. Buidings with sustainability in mind just made sense to me because green building is efficient, creates a healthier indoor environment and ultimately helps reduce our impact on the exterior environment! The engineer in me is always geared for efficiency and the athlete in me is always game for being healthy. It's a win-win! To this day, I am always trying to find out new information about how people are making buildings green and how I can be more sustainable.
USGBC MA: Why are you a member of the MA chapter and how did you get there?
JENNA: When I moved to Boston from the Chicagoland area, I joined EPMA group to find out more about Boston's sustainable initiatives and hoped to be a part of those initiatives! I am also curious to learn more about green buildings in the area and why they are green. I also wanted to build connections with people who had similar interests in Sustainability.
USGBC MA: How are you an environmental steward?
JENNA: At work I bring my own cup for water and coffee instead of using water bottles or paper cups. I take the T to work and usually walk or take the T everywhere in Boston unless I have to drive. I strive to reduce printing by looking at drawings and documents on my computer or iPad. Even though I live in an apartment and cannot change my appliances and light fixtures, all my lamps have energy efficient light bulbs. I hope someday, through sustainable actions, I can help the construction industry have less of an impact on the environment.
USGBC MA: How do you help raise environmental awareness?
JENNA: I am part of the Green Team at Suffolk Construction and we strive to promote environmental awareness within the company. I also hope that my actions at work and with friends will inspire others to be more green. If I see someone not recycling, I will call that person out. I am still learning about sustainable technologies, particularly relating to buildings, and hope I can use my knowledge to raise environmental awareness in the near future.
USGBC MA: If I needed to find you on a Saturday afternoon, where would it be?
JENNA: On nice saturday afternoon, I enjoy outdoor activities such as biking or kayaking. I also like to venture into Boston and walk around the city. A recent hobby of mine is photography and I enjoy taking photos with my DSLR camera. In the winter months, I may be out on the pond playing hockey!
By the looks of it, Jenna is a serious ice hockey player! You go girl!
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