West Branch of the USGBC MA – 2014 Recap – Lots of great programs in Western Mass. last year!

By Grey Lee

Letter from Chairs Past and Present  
Dear colleagues,
2014 has come in with blasts of cold and ice, but it would take a lot more than that to temper the passion of local volunteers who are focused on promoting “the design, construction, and operation of sustainable buildings and communities in Massachusetts”!
 
The USGBC MA – West Branch had its best year ever in 2013 and we are all ready to launch another successful year of green building education programs, networking events and service projects!
 
For those of you who couldn't make it to all of the excellent programs we provide, We thought we would prepare a short list of highlights from 2013:
 
We had a variety of Education Programs!  The LEED Green Associate Exam Prep course attracted approximately 45 students and utilized a team-based learning classroom at UMass to facilitate discussion among students and professionals.  We held two Green Eggs networking and education events – the first at David R. Northup Electrical Contractors, Inc. on Point of Use Technology presented by John DeGray of Point Energy Solutions and the second at the EcoBuilding Bargains Store on Energy Modeling presented by Benjamin Todd of Strategic Energy Group, as well as Ted Mendoza of UMass Amherst.
  
Our Summer Social in June attracted almost 30 members and included representatives from NESEA and the Westover Job Corps.

Green building researchers from UMass Amherst presented a map of LEED buildings in Western MA, featuring 27 LEED certified buildings and 60 more projects undergoing registration – a remarkable achievement for our region!
 

UMass Green Building Council Students Group was founded in partnership with the West Branch and is committed to promoting sustainability, innovation, and a basic foundation of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, both on and off campus.  They provide campus-wide initiatives and education for the public on green building practices.  Eight student members attended the GreenBuild 2013 conference in the fall.  A team of students worked with NStar to survey residential halls and educating students on saving energy by distributing 5,000 LED light bulbs.
3 Green Apple Day of Service events focused on engaging local schools took place in September and October: a Green Building Tour of 4 UMass LEED facilities and rain gardens for students from Westover Job Corps, a tour of Tan Brook for students at Wildwood Elementary school in Amherst, and a public tour of the Massachusetts Green High Performance Computing Center in Holyoke, a LEED Platinum Building.  We have also committed to provide LEED Support for the Common School in Amherst.

Thank you for your support,
Ludmilla Pavlova, Immediate Past Chair
Mark Dunn, 2014 Chair of USGBC MA West Branch Steering Committee

 
[[ Congratulations to all the volunteers who have helped to make this success possible! We all look forward to a great 2014 and more useful and fun programming to support the green building community in Western Massachusetts. ]]

Creating a Neighborhood Development Working Group

By Bob Weiss

 
 
by Bob Weiss LEED AP ND
 
Here's and example of “before” good neighborhood planning 
 

If you are reading this, you probably already think about how your lifestyle fits in with a sustainable planet. That’s what neighborhood development is about: living, working, doing business and conducting daily life in a way that sustains our world. It’s not a new concept, but the past decades’ interest in our environment takes all that we have learned about green buildings to the next level: the places where we put those buildings, what elements make up those places and how do we put them together. To this end, the Chapter’s new working group advances neighborhood development and smart growth in Massachusetts communities.

 
And here's “after” good neighborhood development planning
 

Many organizations around the globe value district-scaled development. The Congress for New Urbanism, Enterprise Green Communities, community development corporations and EcoDistricts are among them.  USGBC recognized the benefits of development on a neighborhood scale when it crafted its LEED ND rating system. Now, with LEED ND as a guide, the Mass Chapter of USGBC is assembling a Neighborhood Development Working Group.  The Neighborhood Development Working Group is a sub-committee of the Residential Green Building Committee to examine the nature of sustainable neighborhood development and to promote its implementation in Massachusetts.

Last year, the Chapter invested significant staff and volunteer time to work with a wide range of organizations creating a Host Committee to present the 2013 EcoDistricts Summit in Boston in November. (The growing EcoDistricts framework is globally recognized as one of the key movements promoting neighborhood development as the means to leverage the best practices of sustainability.) The new Neighborhood Development Working Group will join its fellow EcoDistricts Host Committee members in continuing the spirit of neighborhood development in Massachusetts with several happenings in 2014. The Boston Redevelopment Authority will kick things off with its February 4th “Innovations in Sustainability and Resiliency” event in the Innovation District at District Hall.

Our working group will plan an exciting LEED ND event for the Chapter that is scheduled for the late spring. We'd love to hear your ideas on what should be included and who we should highlight. You can join Mike Davis and Neil Angus to help so we can follow up on the original LEED ND New England pilot projects and bring our community up to date on the state-of-the-art aspect, demonstrating how the rating system has grown into a practical tool for sustainable neighborhood development.

Mass Chapter’s Neighborhood Development Working Group is still on the ground floor and we look forward to convening a team composed of the widest spectrum of disciplines and industries. If you can help us build a successful LEED ND event, then you will help us build the new group! For more information on the Chapter’s Neighborhood Development working group contact Bob Weiss at Robertweiss63@msn.com or 617-653-0948.

 

 

Welcome to the Chapter, Electric Film! A New Chapter Sponsoring Partner

By Grey Lee

We are celebrating our most recent Chapter Sponsoring Partner – Thank you for becoming a Bronze Chapter Sponsor, Electric Film, LLC.

Take a look at their website: http://www.electricfilmllc.com/
 

From Kevin Dibasitis at Electric Film:

ElectricFilm is a unique light-harvesting technology that has been developed and advanced over the past quarter century. The lightweight, flexible film has been engineered to capture indoor or low light (50 to 2,000 lux) with high efficiency. The film is manufactured through low cost materials with a roll-to-roll process that allows for custom sizes to work with multiple applications.

This harvesting solution converts light from anywhere into electricity that can power numerous smart building devices including automated, motorized window shade systems to block heat gain, smart thermostats that reduce energy consumption, motion detectors/cameras, and electronic door locks that can enhance building security. The ElectricFilm harvest solution allows these devices to be wireless, reducing the cost of hardwiring and allowing for greater installation flexibility.

ElectricFilm greatly extends the battery life for all of these devices reducing O & M costs for primary batteries (and having to dispose of those batteries in the environment) as well as the labor time and inconvenience of having to change batteries.

ElectricFilm is based in Newburyport, MA, which includes all of our research & development along with our new production plant which is under construction and due to come online by the end of Q1 2014. All production will be performed here in the USA.  While we are a green building technology, we are also Red, White & Blue!

2013 Review – Reprint from the NEREJ

By Grey Lee

It was a great year for the green building industry. The state of Massachusetts was recognized as having the best energy efficiency, renewable energy policies, and incentives in the country by ACEEE (the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy) with Boston recognized as “most energy efficient city” on account of the many programs that have been implemented lately to encourage and achieve significant energy savings. This includes the Greenovate Boston community-engagement brand, the Renew Boston program, and the building energy reporting & disclosure ordinance. As these policies move through the market, they will enhance asset values and improve the end-user experience, attracting better businesses to our region.
 
124 buildings were LEED-certified in Massachusetts this year, capping off with a total of 829 overall. In the past two months, we've seen 15 more projects attain LEED — including 150 Second St. in Cambridge, which earned LEED CS Platinum with the help of Chapter sponsor The Green Engineer. We've seen 117 firms renew or newly join the USGBC as national member firms, including RDK Engineers and Paul Lukez Architects.  The green building movement continues: the Chapter was proud to support Boston Properties' LEED-Platinum targeted Boston Garden Project at a recent Boston Redevelopment Authority hearing.
 
Thank you to our many sponsors and to our many volunteers!  We will be hosting our annual Volunteer Recognition event during our Annual Meeting at EnerNOC on January 29th in Boston.  Also we have lined up a smorgasbord of green building gurus to bring a variety of quick presentations to us that they delivered at Greenbuild in Philadelphia on November. You can find more details on our website's event calendar: www.usgbcma.org/events
 
There are many ways to stay abreast of the burgeoning green building industry through the USGBC. Take a look at our YouTube Channel (USGBC MA) to find a series of short videos describing exemplary projects in Massachusetts such as Grousbeck Hall at the Perkins School and the North Shore Community College – the State's first “Net Zero” academic facility. You can follow us on Facebook & Twitter. Are you keeping up with the discussions on Linkedin? We have a lot going on with our advocacy work and our events!
 
Thank you again for your work to make our region a better place for all by creating more green buildings.
 
Grey Lee, MSc, LEED AP, is the executive director of the USGBC Mass. Chapter, Boston and is a monthly contributing author for the New England Real Estate Journal's Green Building section.
 

Thank you to LDa Architecture & Interiors – a new sponsoring partner!

By Grey Lee

Thank you LDa – you rock!

LDa came into the Chapter Community during our LEED Project Showcase with three certified projects – two homes and a residential community at a college. Great examples of important green design work enabling Massachusetts to continue to be a leader in green building.
 

LEED Platinum – Weston Jesuit Community Housing at Boston College

LDa is committed to finding a meaningful balance between the traditions of New England architecture and the demands of contemporary living. For the last 20 years, their award-winning projects have provided clients with thoughtful and inspired residential and interior design solutions rich in detail, crafted with a focus on lasting value and sustainability. LDa engages clients in a process of collaborative, responsive design that resulted in comfortable, functional, and timeless spaces. LDa is a leader in sustainable design, having completed over a dozen LEED for Homes projects.

You can find more information about LDa at their websiteand on facebookand at their blog!

Thank you to Douglas Dick and Peter Nobile for connecting with us and the Amanda Hanley for coordinating the relationship. We look forward to having you on board and working with us to make more green buildings in Massachusetts!

 
Riverfront Farmhouse in Concord, MA – LEED Silver

The Green Giants Are Here!

By Grey Lee

Congratulations to the Green Giants of the green building community in Western Massachusetts!

The West Branch of the USGBC MA Chapter has recognized outstanding contributors to the growth of our movement.

The winners were recognized at a joint USGBC MA West Branch & AIA Western Mass. annual dinner event on Dec. 4th, 2013. Over 60 people came out to celebrate the Green Giants and to hear from a series of presenters on local architecture and planning successes.
 

The following is a synopsis by Laura Fitch, the organizer of the Green Giants program:
 

Green Giants – 2013 Green Building Local Hero Awards Program
Sponsored by the US Green Building Council Massachusetts – West Branch (USGBCMA-West)
 
Committee: Laura Fitch, Aelan Tierney Jon Birtwell, Lawson Wulsin
Jury: Grey Lee, Sandra Brock, Phoebe Beierle, Stephen Muzzy
 
The Green Giants Award Program was created by our chapter to honor the work of trades people, educators, and owners/program directors.  These members helped to build, educate, envision and fund the green buildings located in Hampshire, Hampden, Franklin, and Berkshire counties. This program is intentionally distinct from other building design awards in its attempt to look at and honor a wider range of participants behind the sustainable building movement in our region.
 
Buildings consume a huge percentage of our energy and resources, creating a tremendous amount of waste. In this time of global climate change, the USGBC is actively promoting green buildings as part of the solution. This goal, however, is largely implemented by Trades People, Educators or Building Owners – the true unsung heroes in this critical movement.
 
 
 
We chose to award 7 people in 3 categories. The following summarizes the presentation made regarding these recipients at the awards event:
 
  1. Trades Category
The Green Giants Program sought to recognize individuals from any building trade or maintenance program who have gone the extra mile to ensure that a building (or campus) meets its sustainability goals.
 
Green Giants – trades
 
Honorable Mention – trades
Michael Broad, Construction Supervisor
 
Honorable Mention – trades
Tom Rossmassler, President and CEO of Energia in Holyoke
 
 
 
  1. Educational Programs Category
Green Giants sought to recognize any teacher or organization behind an innovative green building program that inspires and actively teaches the next generation of designers, engineers, and trades people who will in their turn advance our green building revolution.
 
Green Giant – education
for her work in developing the Sustainable Practices in Construction curriculum at GCC
 
Honorable Mention – education
Westover Job Corps Center, Chicopee
and Gregory Briggs, Carpentry Instructor
 
 
 
  1. Owner Category
The Green Giant program also recognized owners and institutions that envisioned and funded an exemplary green project, knowing that without their vision and money, none of this would happen.
 
for Private Owner
Riverstone Development
for Two Pond Farm Land Co-op and Sustainable Neighborhood.
 
For Institutional Owner
Bement School

 

For two dormitory projects (as yet un-named)
 
 

USGBC MA Chapter Co-hosts 2013 Meet Massachusetts Networking Event @ ABX

By Grey Lee

On November 20th 2013, the USGBC MA Chapter, in partnership with the Massachusetts Chapter of the American Planning Association, Boston Society of Architects, Boston Society of Landscape Architects, and the Massachusetts Association of Consulting Planners, hosted the 5th annual “Meet Massachusetts” networking event. Neil Angus, Vice Chairman of the USGBC MA Chapter Board of Directors, welcomed attendees and spoke briefly about the purpose of the event: to bring together planning, design and construction professionals. Green building is all about integrated design and no other event really brings together the multitude of disciplines that this event does. 
Neil Angus, Vice Chairman of the USGBC MA Chapter, welcomes attendees.
 
Over 50 planners, engineers, architects, landscape architects, interior designers, energy planners and contractors came together to talk about sustainable design and development, to share ideas and meet new people. This years' event was made possible through the generous support of the New England Chapter of the International Furnishings and Design Association and Keith LeBlanc Landscape Architecture. This was the second time the event was held in conjunction with the ABX Conference. 
 
Neil Angus from the USGBC MA Chapter and Rob Henry from the New England Chapter of the International Furnishings and Design Association @ Meet Massachusetts.

 

Attendees at the 5th Annual Meet Massachusetts networking event.

 

 
 
We hope to see you at next year's event!

Green Building Update – Mid November

By Grey Lee

Green Buildings continue to become the standard practice in the real estate industry.  We do have a long way to go, but that is our mission and that is where we're heading. Energy-efficient, high-performance buildings are good for users, managers and owners. LEED certification is one way to achieve a green building. The GSA has concluded that LEED saves the government money. The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory found LEED buildings, on average, use 25% less energy and cost 19% less to operate.
 
In the last two months, the state has seen 17 newly certified buildings.  This lncluded the Dassault Systemes Boston Campus in Waltham, which attained LEED Commercial Interiors Platinum and One Beacon Street earned LEED Existing Building Platinum through Cassidy Turley. The Northampton, MA Police Department attained LEED New Construction Gold as did Worcester Polytechnic Institute's Recreational Facility. Congratulations to the many teams that earned LEED certifications in recent weeks.
 
Let's welcome new USGBC member firms in the last two months: Green Footprints Commissioning Inc., Sustainability Roundtable, Inc., The Princeton Review, G.C. McGowan Design LLC, Sustainability Services Group LLC, Mashpee High School Environmental Club, Communications Design Associates, Inc., Paul Lukez Architecture, and Derosa Environmental Consulting. Thank you for being a part of the green building community!
 
The Massachusetts Chapter of the USGBC would like to recognize our new partnering sponsors Levi + Wong Architects, LDa-Architects, and Rubenstein Partners/CenterPoint Waltham. Together we are enhancing the real estate of Massachusetts.

Ecodistricts Among Us

By Jim Newman

By Jim Newman, USGBC MA Board & Linnean Solutions
 
The annual EcoDistrict summit was held for the first time outside of Portland, Oregon this year at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center (BCEC) in the city’s Innovation District. This area of South Boston’s waterfront, also known as the Seaport, has thrived because of elements most valued by the EcoDistricts organization such as public-private partnerships, the entrepreneurial spirit, and an emphasis on collaboration. 
 
At the summit, more than 90 speakers shared their visions of vibrant, healthy, equitable neighborhoods and how urban leaders can support these cutting-edge communities. From microgrids to green infrastructure to the sustainable transformation of London’s Olympic Village, inspiration came from all corners. It was this very diversity that tied the summit together.
 
Diversity discussions focused on more than race and ethnicity, although major disparities based on zip codes were discussed in a poignant presentation from Bay Area educator and innovator Antwi Akom. As part of the same first-morning plenary, April Rinne's talk on collaborative consumption underscored how we stand on the cusp of a diverse new economy–sharing cars, tools, and decision-making about how we build communities. 
 
During the individual education-session periods, there was an equally exciting array of topics.  For example, the Wednesday afternoon sessions covered how the world’s megacities are responding to climate change.  EcoDistricts in the Innovation District (this featured Linnean Solutions’ work) discussed issues such as social equity, resource boundaries, and district energy.
 
Both before and after the summit’s BCEC program, events took place around the city that allowed attendees to see how Boston is also embracing the EcoDistricts principles in diverse ways. The first event was a legacy project charrette in Dorchester’s Talbot-Norfolk Triangle (TNT)Eco-Innovation District, which has a LEED-ND Platinum rating as its main goal. 
 
 
 
Four site tours were held, as well as a training and research symposium at Northeastern University. The site tours explored the TNT as well as Jackson and Eggleston Squares in Jamaica Plain, Kendall Square and MIT in Cambridge, and a walking tour of the Innovation District. 
 
Each of these provided visitors with views of potential ecodistricts at various points in their evolution.

 

The diversity of people, places, and ideas represented at the 2013 Summit paralleled what makes a great EcoDistrict: many different individuals coming together with the common goal of building a vital, sustainable, and just community.  
 
 

Congratulations to our new LEED Fellows in Massachusetts

By Grey Lee

We are proud to announce that two heroes of the USGBC MA Chapter have been honored as LEED Fellows in 2013. 
 
Congratulations to Leo Roy of VHB and John Dalzell of the BRA. Leo most notably worked heroically to bring Greenbuild to Boston in 2008 and is piloting LEED volume certification processes. John is a stalwart supporter of the MA Chapter and has helped guide to fruition our PACE Finance Forum and many other programs.

The LEED Fellows program recognizes exceptional contributions to the green building community as well as significant achievements within a growing community of LEED Professionals.

 
The two new LEED Fellows join existing members with the distinction of Chris Schaffner of the Green Engineer and Steve Benz of OLIN.
 
More professional bio info on Leo and John:

Leo Roy: Roy has more than 30 years of experience, has led several sustainability-oriented committees within Vanasse, Hangen, Brustlin (VHB), and is directing the LEED EBOM certification process for the firm’s Watertown headquarters.  He has worked on such exemplary projects in the past such as an award-winning waterfront redevelopment project for Columbia Point neighborhood in Boston— one of the first municipal planning projects in the country to encourage rooftop solar and/or roof gardens— and the development of USGBC’s Roadmap to a Green Campus. Another project he worked on was helping to develop the USGBC LEED Retail rating system and participated on the Market Sector Committee for Retail.  Leo Roy actively promotes sustainable development and manages projects and programs in green building, ecosystem restoration, waste management, and renewable energy systems. Roy earned his Bachelors of Arts degree from Harvard University.

John Dalzell: At the Boston’s planning and economic development agency (BRA), Dalzell leads Green Building and Sustainable Development initiatives such as public and internal sustainable development as well as green building policy development; these included the January 2007 enactment of Boston’s Green Building Zoning regulations, which made Boston the first major city to require private developers to build green for LEED standards. Dalzell represents the BRA on the city’s Inter-Agency Green Building Committee, organizes staff green building trainings, and provides sustainability and green building guidance to internal project planning and review teams. Additionally, Dalzell focuses city resources on sustainable development through community-based area, district-planning initiatives, and programs in Boston’s neighborhoods.