Last Night's EPMA HallOlympics Was a Good Time!

By Alexander Landa


Last night's EPMA HallOlympics event was a blast!

Decked in our best athlete costume (or in the Behr Pro guys' case, Colonial attire), the Peadbody Office floor welcomed our Halloween party. We had good food, drinks, healthy competition, and an informative presentation by Behr Pro on their devotion to creating green-friendly paint products.

Thanks to Peabody Office for hosting the event at your awesome Boston location, and thanks to Behr Pro for sponsoring.

(Thank to Brian Fontaine for the group picture!)






Chapter Member Profile: SMMA's Chris Davis

By Caitlin Forbes


Beginning his career as a mechanical design professional, Chris’s transition to SMMA’s Commissioning Group Leader stemmed from the growing importance of sustainability in the design community. In 2006, as the USGBC was gaining in momentum, Chris was exposed to commissioning and its significance to the LEED process. Since commissioning matters at each stage of LEED, Chris sees it as a critical component for maintaining healthy buildings.

This hands-on, comprehensive approach defines Chris’s goals for the future – he is passionate about communicating and educating the public, a goal he sees the USGBC as critical in maintaining. Only the people on the ground can commit to truly sustainable design practices; they are the ones left to maintain what designers implement. For Chris, commissioning, and its focus on training the right people for system’s maintenance, complements and informs future sustainable practices.

While working at SMMA, Chris acts as the chief liaison with clients, and guides SMMA’s commissioning approach on a day-to- day basis to ensure coordinated responses. He has provided commissioning services for a variety of sustainable schools and commercial buildings, but he cites his work for the Lilla G. Frederick Middle School as one career milestone. A 144,000-square- foot building, constructed in 2001, the Lilla G. Frederick Pilot Middle School was chosen by the City of Boston’s Environment, Energy & Open Space Cabinet and its utility partners—Eversource and National Grid—to undergo a retro-commissioning study. Working in tandem with SMMA’s sustainability group, Chris and his commissioning team were able discover the systems responsible for energy spikes and comfort control issues. Discoveries like these highlight the importance of retro-commissioning and post-occupancy analysis for future energy savings.

Not Only Are Green Buildings Healthy, But They Also Make You Smarter

By Alexander Landa


Researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and SUNY Upstate Medical University had a simple question they wanted to answer: Can better thinking and better health be found in green-certified buildings? Their findings may (or may not) surprise you. Spoilers: Green buildings are even more awesome, and science proves it yet again. All info is taken from the COGfx Study.

The researchers studied 109 workers at ten buildings in five different cities in the U.S. to find out that in addition to being generally healthier, working in green-certified buildings can lead to higher cognitive functioning, fewer sick building symptoms, and higher sleep quality scores.

Green-certified buildings can lead to…

  • 26% higher cognitive function test scores
  • 31% increased strategy skills
  • 38% increased focus
  • 44% higher applied activity level
  • 73% higher crisis response.
  • 30% fewer sick building symptoms.
    • Workers in these buildings had fewer complaints about temperature, air movement, air dryness/humidity, and chemical, tobacco, or other odors.

At ABX 2016, one of the sessions we're sponsoring will cover this in greater detail. Researchers from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health will be presenting.

ABX C21: How Green Building Make Your Clients Smarter – Harvard Study
Thursday, 11/17
10:00 AM – 11:30 AM
Room 107A

See what other sessions we're sponsoring at ABX 2016.

Announcing Our November LEED and WELL Exam Prep Courses

By Alexander Landa


If you missed out on any of our previous LEED and/or WELL exam prep courses, you're in luck – we're holding another session for each in November!

The benefits of these courses are obvious. Yes, you can (and still should) read and study the hard way, but by going through each and every topic, and what to prepare for during the exam, in real-time with a group of other industry professionals and leaders will really help you walk into your exam confidently.

Our LEED exam prep courses have always been incredibly successful. See for yourself with a recap of our October 2016 LEED exam prep course. We have proven success, as evident by testimonials by past attendees:

“I just wanted to say thank you again for organizing the LEED review session last week- it was extremely helpful. I took the GA exam this morning and passed without too much trouble! I look forward to attending more USGBC events in the future,” – C.A.

“Thank you very much for the training!  It was clear and informative–I am looking forward to taking the next steps.  It was also just nice to meet the other people in the training and to be in such a beautiful space. Thank you very much,” – L.S.

“My notes had things in them like 'be sure to know this' and 'expect questions about these numbers.' I focused on those items as I studied material, and they all turned out to be accurate.  Your practice exam questions, too, were very helpful and gave a good feel to what to expect,” – T.H.

Attend our next events and go into your exams prepared!

WELL AP Exam Prep Course
Tuesday, November 22nd, 2016
8:30 AM – 4:30 PM
50 Milk St
17th Floor, Hercules Conference Room
Boston, MA, 02109

LEED Exam Prep Course
Tuesday, November 29th, 2016
8:30 AM – 5:00 PM
50 Milk St
18th Floor, Hemingway Room
Boston, MA, 02109

Thank You For An Awesome Healthy Materials Summit!

By Grey Lee, Executive Director


Wow! What a great day. Thank you to all who participated. We had a healthy conversation ranging widely across the territory of healthy materials.

It all comes down to demand. We need market participants to care enough to demand and pay for healthy options. It was noted, repeatedly, that healthy materials do not need to cost more than conventional materials. We may just need to adjust our aesthetics and functionality requirements. Not lower our standards, but morph toward more suitable applications for non-toxic materials.

But I digress! 

Overall, we had an excellent event. Hats off to our content organizing committee of Blake Jackson (who also served as MC), Steven Burke, and Shawn Hesse. They convened an excellent panel which people intently listened to for over 2 hours. 

Thank you to the speakers: Greg Norris, Denny Darragh, Brent Ehrlich, Doug Brown, Barbra Batshalom, Monica Nakielski, and Rebecca Callahan Klein. Each was able to provide insight into how researchers, producers, and end-using owners are addressing toxicity in materials. And not just removing toxic components of buildings, but also looking at health holistically – how materials and design choices influence and require new strategies.  It was exciting to hear from them and learn.

We had a great selection of demonstrating partner organization who were meeting and greeting people all morning – including Sustainable Minds, Beachstone, Cold Spring, Purline, Armstrong, and Tremco. It was important to have real healthy materials right there for everyone to check out.

I was especially happy to face the audience – half full of familiar faces, but half full of new members of our Chapter community. People who are all working on health in buildings, who came from places as far as Portland Maine and New Haven Connecticut. I asked: how are we using the built environment, which we have roles in designing and developing, to result in net positive outcomes for our communities?


How are we going to stimulate demand for non-toxic products in buildings? The manufacturers are getting on board – they have the technology to switch the chemistry in their products. And the Living Product Challenge helps identify what to do. Let's push for greater adoption.

The poll we took at the end indicated that we know the products are out there, we just need owners to fit them into project budgets. It is an exciting time to be working on this stuff.

Thank you again to our sponsoring producer partners – lead sponsor Forbo Flooring, and Cold Spring, Shaw, Mats Inc, USG, Beachstone, Sustainable Minds, Armstrong, Triumph, and Tremco

We had great support from our practitioner side sponsors, including: Brightworks, HDR, Perkins+Will, Bergmeyer, Goody Clancy, Linnean Solutions, SPI/Building Ease, Prellwitz Chilinski, and WSP

For four hours in the afternoon, Greg Norris of the International Living Future Institute provided an in-depth workshop on handprinting under the auspices of the Living Product Challenge. There were about 25 participants who took away a much more solid understanding of how their firm can embrace the Challenge for their products and for designers, how to communicate with and look for producers who can get in the game.

We then proceeded to Ryles Jazz Club for a fabulous evening reception hosted by Mohawk Group! They really know how to treat people right – it was awesome. We had great food and a generously open bar, and incredible conversations. It was really the cream of the crop from the community of practitioners – Harvard, USG, Partners, Commonwealth of MA, Bruner Cott, P+W, HMFH and a lot of leading consultants that we all know. The Mohawk team was there in force and shared a brief presentation highlighting their commitment to healthy materials. We also watched their catchy “Believe in Better” video. Thank you to Mohawk for connecting with the Chapter and the ILFI Collaborative here in Massachusetts – we, too, Believe in Better!

During the cocktail reception, a number of us agreed to continue to grow this conversation around healthy materials in buildings. We will start an opt-in list and curate a discussion leading to a follow-on event in three months. I look forward to supporting this effort to shift our built environment to net positive outcomes for health. Stay tuned, thank you all, and keep up the great work!

See more photos at our Flickr page.

USGBC MA Sponsored ABX Session B25: Transforming Inertia

By Alexander Landa


Coming up November 15th to 17th will be ABX 2016! As part of the Northeast's largest building industry conference and tradeshow, Architecture Boston Expo, the USGBC MA Chapter will be sponsoring multiple panels this year. This year, we're hosting multiple panels, so let's take a look Wednesday's panel, B25: Transforming Inertia.

There is a huge opportunity for practitioners to learn how to change firm culture and overcome inertia in order to pursue sustainability in their projects. The presentation will cover the insight of those outside of a firm but working on this issue with firms, as well as the perspectives of those in an architecture and engineering firm. The client just cares about cost. The principal isn't really interested in integration. Half the project team has bought into sustainability and health goals, and half hasn't. We hear the same complaints from even the most progressive designers year after year. In this session, we'll identify and then design the behaviors and processes that we actually want. Not just another session about integrated design (“won't work here”) or trickery (“what's this broccoli doing in my chocolate?”), you'll go home with specific, easy, fun, collaborative, momentum-building wins for your practice.

Speakers

Barbra Batshalom LEED AP, BD+C Founder & CEO Sustainable Performance Institute

Jacob Knowles LEED AP Director of Sustainable Design BR+A Consulting Engineers

Andrea Love AIA, LEED Fellow Director of Building Science Payette

B25: Transforming Inertia
Wednesday, 11/16
10:00 AM – 11:30 AM
Room 109A

Register here!

USGBC MA Sponsored ABX Session B04 – Ask the Experts: Live up to the Living Building Challenge

By Alexander Landa


Coming up November 15th to 17th will be ABX 2016! As part of the Northeast's largest building industry conference and tradeshow, Architecture Boston Expo, the USGBC MA Chapter will be sponsoring multiple panels this year. This year, we're hosting multiple panels, so let's take a look Wednesday's panel, B04: Ask the Experts: Live up to the Living Building Challenge.

As designers and builders lead the charge to create low-energy, healthy buildings, owners remain hesitant to commit to new standards in sustainable design. The Living Building Challenge (LBC) is a certification program, advocacy tool and philosophy that defines the most advanced measure of sustainability in the built environment possible today. What can help advocate building owners to pursue LBC Certification? What does the owner expect from their design and construction teams to guide them through the process? Relating early expectations to end results, what are the lessons learned? How do we find (and encourage) those who are asking 'What's beyond LEED?' In this three part plenary, owners with local projects pursuing LBC certification will share their experiences of rising to meet the challenge. A brief overview of each project will precede a facilitated panel discussion, followed by the audience leading the closing conversation.

Speakers

Deborah Frieze Owner Old Doak Dojo

Shawn Hesse RA, LFA, LEED BD+C, O+M Boston Office Leader emersion DESIGN

Julie Johnson Executive Director Hitchcock Center for the Environment

DiAnn Mroszczak LEED BD+C Designer Prellwitz Chilinski Associates

Carl Weber Interim Director Facilities & Grounds Hampshire College

B04: Ask the Experts: Live up to the Living Building Challenge
Wednesday, 11/16
8:00 AM – 9:30 AM
Room 109A

 

Quebec is Quality Reception + USGBCMA Project Showcase Nov. 16

By Alex Landa


ABX 2016 is next month! While the focal point of the Northeast's largest building industry conference is the plethora of session options you can choose from, there's more than that. In addition to the ABX Pre-Mixer on November 14th with Amanda Sturgeon, you can also sign up for the Quebec is Quality Reception + USGBC MA Project Showcase November 16th.

Join several of Quebec’s finest manufacturers of quality construction products for drinks and hors d'oeuvres at a complimentary reception. This partnership will highlight the top materials from Quebec and award winning designs from leading firms in Massachusetts.

Québec’s harsh and intense climate has shaped the robust character of its construction industry and led to the development of a unique set of skills and products.

Learn more about:
structural elements and trusses, insulation products and membranes, green products, exterior siding, historic restoration, windows and doors, cabinets and countertops, millwork, stairs, flooring and, of course, all things wood!

See what sessions the USGBC MA is sponsoring here.
Monday, November 14th, 2016
Boston Convention and Exhibition Center
415 Summer Street, Boston, MA, 02210
6:00PM-7:30 PM
Learn more about Quebec is Quality and register here!


 

 

 

 


 

USGBC MA Sponsored ABX Session – A44: Beyond Inspiration: Implement A Successful Biophilic Project

By Alexander Landa


Coming up November 15th to 17th will be ABX 2016! As part of the Northeast's largest building industry conference and tradeshow, Architecture Boston Expo, the USGBC MA Chapter will be sponsoring multiple panels this year. This year, we're hosting multiple panels, so let's take a look at Tuesday's panel, A44: Beyond Inspiration: Implement a Successful Biophilic Project.

Biophilia is becoming an increasingly popular global topic. The design community recognizes the importance of our human connection to nature and of bringing the beauty and wonder of nature into the built environment. But how do designers go above superficial references to nature and use of natural materials to design environments that are truly connecting, inspiring, and regenerative? The Living Building Challenge is a certification and advocacy program designed to address these needs and look at how buildings can go beyond standard sustainable design and become truly 'living.' This session will inspire participants and give them a working understanding of the biophilic design process, from the history and techniques used in successful biophilic projects, to elements of a biophilia focused design charrette, to the importance of hands-on research with a project site's natural features as well as looking at the Challenge as an attainable way to achieve beautiful biophilic design.

A44: Beyond Inspiration: Implement a Successful Biophilic Project
Tuesday, 11/15
1:00PM-2:30PM
Room 109A

ILFI's Amanda Sturgeon will present.

Register here!

October 31st is the Last Day to Register Any LEED Projects Under the 2009 Rating System

By Alexander Landa


October 31st is the last day you will be able to register any projects under the LEED 2009 rating system. From there, only LEED v4 is the only rating system that will be available for new LEED projects. The USGBC national chapter has thoroughly explained everything you need to know to be prepared, as well as the next steps you can take to move forward with your designs. They outlined five major components:

1) You must register any existing or upcoming LEED projects by October 31st if you want to use this rating system. Otherwise, you will need to use v4 moving forward.

2) By visiting LEED Online, you can register a 2009 rating system project before 10/31. Pre-existing projects that are already registered should note additional deadlines regarding certifications here.

3) You can upgrade your LEED 2009 project to LEED v4 by going here.

4) Sunset for LEED 2009 rating systems is June 31, 2021.

5) There's no need to worry if you miss the 10/31 deadline for LEED 2009. Registration is open for v4 until the next version arrives.