Green Building (Bike) Tour; Emerging Professionals

By Ritchie Lafaille, Office Associate

Join us for another year of green buildings by bike tour.  Biking is one of the best ways to see the city in all its varietal wonder, and this tour is a unique opportunity to hear insights into recent sustainable building and development projects. 

This year we are taking the tour through the East Boston Greenway, as we hit a diverse spread of sights and scenes. 

East Boston is very much a place in transition with various climate exposure risks that need to be considered in the development process.  Come view how some projects are getting that right, and be prepared for an atypical and highly informative exploration of landscape architecture along our bike tour stops.

 Bring your helmet for safety, bike lock for when you go in the buildings and good vibes for this fun event. Sign up now!

 

WHEN:      Saturday, September 17, 2016 from 10:30 AM to 1:30 PM 

WHERE:   East Boston Greenway – East Boston – meeting point TBD 

GreenFest Recap!

By Rachael Berry, Graphics Associate




The 9th annual GreenFest was another one for the books this year!

The festival's  “Showcase of Innovation” allowed people to hang out, share ideas and educate each other on how to make our lives not just greener, but easier. With beautiful weather all weekend, events were able to happen without a hitch. USGBC MA took part in the festivities by partaking in a GreenFest Talks series to  showcase some of the latest and greatest environmental innovators. These stimulating presentations told the stories of breakthroughs that are changing the way we use the resources around us. These talks ( available online), led by Grey Lee and organized by Derrick Duplessy included;

How a Baby Turkey Changed My Life– Derrick Duplessy felt anxiety and stress so great that he considered suicide. He's now on a mission to help other entrepreneurs deal with stress and anxiety. In this talk, he explored how a chance meeting with a baby turkey helped him see life differently and what we can learn from it.

Wastewater can create Beautiful Things– Ugly can beautiful. Imagine all the waste from our buildings being turned into beautiful greenhouses. Lauren Valle on Nu Ecological focused on how transforming waste water can save money, time, and create remarkable resources that improve our buildings.

Biomimicry: Mother Nature's solutions to Human Problems– Peter Lawrence from Biomimicry New England talked about the possibilities of learning from microbes, plants, and animals who have been engineering solutions to biological problems for centuries

The event was free and included music, inspirational speakers, an eco-fashion show with upcycled fashions and opportunities to drive an electric car. Be sure to check out some of the aweosome pictures from the event, and to mark you calenders for next year's 10th GreenFest! Big thanks to GreenFest for hosting an amazing, innovative and flatout fun weekend! 

Get excited, Greenbuild LA is a few months away!

By Rachael Berry, Graphics Associate


Why should you attend the Greenbuild International Conference and Expo?

Greenbuild is the world's largest conference and expo dedicated to green building. The green building community gathers to share ideals and mutual passion at Greenbuild, sparking a contagious buzz throughout the week. 

When industry leaders, experts and frontline professionals dedicated to sustainable building in their everyday work come together, the result is a unique and palpable energy. Participants are invigorated and inspired. They find themselves equipped to return to their jobs with a renewed sense of purpose.

Greenbuild features three groundbreaking days of inspiring speakers, invaluable networking opportunities, industry showcases, LEED workshops and tours of the host city's green buildings. Join thousands of other people who agree that green building is a good idea and good for business. 

What to Expect at Greenbuild 2016


Greenbuild provides the opportunity to visit with more than 600 suppliers and top manufacturers of the latest green building equipment, products, services and technology available in today's market.

Thousands of building professionals from all over the world will come together at Greenbuild 2016 for three days of outstanding educational sessions, renowned speakers and special seminars. Greenbuild education sessions are eligible for continuing education credits for a number of professional credentials and organizations. Click here to find out more about the renowned Greenbuild education program.

Show Dates, Hours & Location

2016 SHOW DATES:

Expo: Oct. 5-6 | Conference: Oct. 5-7

LA convention center 

We will be renting a house for Greenbuild, If you would like to stay with us look at our event page for more information! 

Regsiter here, and form more information visit https://greenbuildexpo.com/Attendee/ShowInfo


Boston as Green Build 2017 Host!

By Rachael Berry, Graphics Associate


Get ready for the largest networking event in Green Building worldwide: right here in Boston! 

The Greenbuild International Conference and Expo, launched in 2002, is the world’s largest conference and expo dedicated to green building. Greenbuild features several days of inspiring speakers, industry showcases, specialty workshops, tours of the host city’s green buildings, and invaluable networking opportunities. The event has been hosted in major cities across the U.S. and Canada, including Chicago, San Francisco, Toronto, Atlanta, and Philadelphia.

Boston hosted Greenbuild 2008, which brought in 28,224 registered guests, 807 exhibitors, and people from 85 different countries. In November 2017, Greenbuild is coming to Boston for the second time, and USGBC MA Chapter is serving as the host chapter!

Reasons to get excited:

 

It will be hosted in a newly-certified LEED Silver building!
The Boston Convention and Exposition Center (BCEC) just got certified LEED Silver on May 25th of this year for Existing Buildings Operations + Maintenance (EB O+M). 
Congratulations to Vanderweil and SGH (a Bronze sponsor of ours) on this terrific feat! Read more about the BCEC here.
(Bonus: SGH designed the marquee structure at the Summer Street entrance)

It will bring visitors and business to Boston!
We had over 28,000 guests last time, so this is a great opportunity to showcase our city's committment to green building and design.

image source

How you can get involved:

Join the Host Committee (apply here!)
The Host Committee is led by two Co-Chairs who are the primary leaders of our Greenbuild efforts.  The Host Committee Chairs help to plot our overall vision and work with subcommittees to set and ensure they are meeting their goals and timelines. This Committee will also be populated by the Co-Chairs of each subcommittee, the USGBC MA Executive Director, and a board liaison. Read more about the Host Committee and the subcommittees here.
Apply now to be a member of the Host Committee.

Can't wait for Greenbuild? Register for 2016!

Greenbuild 2016 is in Los Angeles! (October 5 – 7) Register now.

We also have housing accommodations! Reserve your spot now.

9th Annual GreenFest begins today!

By Rachael Berry, Graphics Associate

 


It's Greenfest Season in Boston! Stop what you're doing and head to the region's largest multicultural environmental music festival located at Boston City Hall Plaza, Faneuil Hall and the adjacent Sam Adams Park!

Event Details-


Come out for GREENFEST! It's free and fun! August 19-21 at Boston City Hall Plaza.

Event Descirption-

At this free event you can experience live music and dance performances from more than 20 countries, watch an eco-fashion show featuring local designers with models walking the runway in upcycled fashion, create a community-wide art piece, view a green film festival, test drive an electric car, listen to inspiring speakers, take a ride on a bike that generates electricity, taste healthy international cuisines, have a drink at the beer and wine garden, and much more. 

Learning comes in many forms. Boston GreenFest is a community classroom. It allows everyone to learn and explore together. It will bring the innovator out that is in each one of us. 

Boston GreenFest is a celebration of life and possibility, providing you with ideas and experiences that can shape your life and the life of your community. When summer comes to a close, see that it closes by opening a door to a greener future. Turn off your AC, call your friends and neighbors, and come explore Boston GreenFest! 

Also don't miss USGBC MA this afternoon at 3pm at Faneuil Hall for a filmed panel conversation about green building excellence. 

For more information check out the Greenfest event page. 

 

Thinking of taking the LEED Exam? We can help!

By Rachael Berry, Graphics Associate

We are offering an Exam Prep Course for the LEED Green Associate Exam!

Wednesday, August 24 from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm
50 Milk Street, “Hercules” Room

Register here or below.

The day-long curriculum is designed to cover the segments of the Green Associate Exam and to lightly cover the AP specialty exams. If you have specific questions regarding a specialty exam, feel free to bring these questions to class and have the instructor cover these identified areas. 

Come join us for this session! We have only had positive feedback and success stories from previous classes.

The Green Associate preparation course will cover most of the material on the LEED Green Associate exam. You should plan to spend an additional 10-20 hours of study time outside of this class. This time will be best spent reviewing the reading materials listed below while paying particular attention to concepts and terminology. The LEED Green Associate Handbook references hundreds of pages of reading materials, while this class will focus primarily on the 106-page LEED Core Concepts Guide.  As part of this fast-tracked course, we will skim some reading materials and skip other reading materials.  

Students who have passed the exam have reported that local study partners and/or study groups have been very helpful. This is your chance to meet local professionals in the same boat as you!

Hope to see you there. LEED on!

 

John W. McCormack U.S. Post Office and Courthouse

By Ritchie Lafaille, Office Fellow

The John W. McCormack U.S. Post Office and Courthouse underwent an extensive rehabilitation, by the U.S.
General Services Administration, completed in 2009, which transformed this 1933 Art Deco building into a model of sustainable design in the federal government. The rehabilitated building retained its function as a federal courthouse, while repurposing the former post office areas into space for several other federal agencies. Achieving LEED Gold certification, the building combined several sustainable features, including a green roof, efficient lighting, low-flow plumbing fixtures, and energy-efficient heating and cooling systems. Improvements in the heating and cooling system reduced the space needed for equipment on the roofs, thus allowing more space for green roof plantings.

The green roof is located on top of the 5-story base of this 22-story building. Because it is tucked into the set back at the base of the tower, the roof is generously shaded. All plants on the roof are native plants chosen for their ability to thrive in the urban climate of Boston. Ferns and mosses occupy the extensive areas, grasses and shrubs were planted in the semi-intensive area, with scrub oaks in the intensive area. The depth of the growing medium ranges from about 6 inches in the extensive areas to a couple of feet in the intensive areas. Due to the additional weight of the green roof, the structure of the 4th and 5th floors was supplemented. Since these spaces were previously altered, no historic fabric was affected by the introduction of new structural supports.

Water is filtered through the green roof and then stored in cisterns for later use. Initially a large cistern on the 17th floor was used to collect water from the higher roofs for use during periods of drought. Problems with leaks forced the building owner to discontinue the use of the rooftop cistern, and it was discovered that the green roof had become virtually self-sufficient with the local cisterns and no extra irrigation was needed.

The roof is accessible to building users, and due to its location it is visible from many floors of the building, providing a pleasant view for office occupants to look down upon.

Early Bird Showcase Special Ends This Week- Don't Miss Out!

By Rachael Berry, Graphics Associate


Listen Up! 

This week is your last week to purchase discounted EARLY BIRD Tickets to our upcoming Green Building Showcase. Tickets are going fast, so get yours at a discounted price while you can. After Friday ticket prices will be:

  • $120 for Non- Members
  • $85 for Members

We are beyond excited to be hosting this year's Green building Showcase for the 9th year in a row at 888 Boylston St, Boston. This is the Chapter’s premier fall event to showcase and celebrate exceptional green buildings conceived, designed, built & operated by our community of practitioners over the past year. Over 100 projects will be on display. More than 300 leaders in our industry will be in attendance for this open bar reception and entertaining collection of green buildings.

Want More Information on this spectacular event and networking oppotunity? Check out our website page to learn more about sponsorship opportunities and our annual awards competition! 

Also be sure to look at this video, highlighting some our favorite Green Building Showcase moments from the past few years.

 

Upcoming WELL Events

By Rachael Berry, Graphics Associate

Event Description

When: Aug 23, 2016 8:30 AM

Where: “Aristotle” Room – 50 Milk Street 15th Floor, Boston, MA 02109

 

You are invited to join the building commuity for an introduction to WELL. The Introduction to the WELL Building Standard presentation provides an overview of the WELL Building Standard ideology, structure, and certification process. The medical basis for the concept categories is introduced along with design and construction strategies to create healthy buildings. The time has come to elevate human health and comfort to the forefront of building practices and reinvent buildings that are not only better for the planet—but also for people. This presentation will introduce how to do this using the WELL Building Standard as the framework.

Objectives

  1. Articulate the financial, societal, and environmental benefits of WELL certification
  2. Identify the role of the International Well Building Institute and the WELL Building Standard
  3. Recognize the structure of the WELL Building Standard
  4. Explain the 7 concepts of the WELL Building standard, the strategies to achieve them, and the health impacts they address
  5. Summarize the certification process of the WELL Building Standard

 If you are interested in having this session count towards your LEED credential, please self-report at USGBC.org and use GBCI: 0920003583 when referring to the session.

 

Fees

$65.00 for Non-Members

$50.00 for Chapter Members

$50.00 for Students

Only students and chapter members qualify for the lower ticket price. We will be verifying this.

 

USGBC MA offers an introduction to the WELL Building Standard presentation once every month. If you cannot attend this specific session, please take a look at our calendar for upcoming opportunities.

 

New Balance HQ earns LEED Platinum v2009 Core and Shell

By Ritchie Lafaille, Office Fellow


Massachusetts continues to excel in the green building industry!

The New Balance World Headquarters building has earned LEED Platinum certification under the U.S. GreenBuilding Council’s (USGBC) v2009 Core and Shell rating system. Located at 100 Guest St. in the Allston-Brighton neighborhood of the city, the 250,000 s/f facility is the first in the U.S. to achieve all possible credits in the Indoor Environmental Quality category under this rating system. There are only two other buildings in the world that have achieved this – one each in Italy and Thailand.

“NB Development Group is proud, in conjunction with our project team partners, Elkus Manfredi Architects, Transwestern, and John Moriarty Associates to have delivered to New Balance Athletics, Inc. a world-class headquarters facility that has garnered this LEED Platinum Designation,” said Jim Halliday, managing director of NB Development.  “This designation is in keeping with not only the mission of New Balance, but also as the initial flagship project of Boston Landing, it highlights the spirit and energy we envision for this newly emerging district and ongoing commitment to our neighborhood.”

New Balance’s building secured LEED Platinum certification because it has not one but two green activities that achieved outcomes of energy efficient design, water use reduction, sustainable site selection and development, responsible materials selection and waste management, and enhanced indoor environmental quality.

Additional project achievements include:

  • 26% annual energy cost savings when compared to a code-compliant building 
  • 35% reduction in water consumption of plumbing fixtures when compared to a code-compliant building 
  • 76% waste diversion during construction 
  • 86% reduction in site runoff post-development when compared to pre-development
  • 28% of material used in construction derived from recycled content
  • 74% of material used in construction derived from a regional source
  • 100% of wood used in construction was Forest Stewardship Council certified
  • 30% higher ventilation rate when compared to a code-compliant building
  • All Regional Priority credits achieved
  • All Innovation credits achieved.


“Prioritizing the benefits of exceptional indoor environmental quality is exactly the kind of responsible leadership you’d expect from a company dedicated to health and performance,” said Rick Fedrizzi, CEO and founding chair, USGBC. “Improved comfort and well-being, enhanced productivity, decreased absenteeism, and improved valuation of the building are all aspects of green building that are on par with energy efficiency, water conservation and waste reduction.  Congratulations to New Balance for this significant achievement and for helping us move one step closer to sustainable buildings for everyone within this generation.”

“This certification exemplifies our strong commitment of responsible leadership to our company’s associates and consumers, our local community and the environment,” said Rob DeMartini, New Balance president & CEO. “We are extremely pleased to be able to call our new world headquarters a truly global leader in sustainability.”

The New Balance world headquarters facility broke ground in August 2013 and was completed in September 2015.  It was designed by our sponsoring partner Elkus Manfredi Architects of Boston, built by John Moriarty Associates of Winchester, Mass., and managed by Transwestern through their Boston office.

NB Development Group is a commercial real estate company based in Boston. The group’s professionals bring Boston-based experience in the fields of development, permitting, construction management, asset management, leasing, and marketing.  NBDG is currently managing the development of Boston Landing, a mixed-use project located along the Massachusetts Turnpike in Brighton.  Through expert entitlement and permitting strategies, Boston Landing is transforming a vacant industrial area into a vibrant, transit-oriented district. Boston Landing encompasses more than 15 acres of land and will include uses such as office, retail, hotel, recreation, parking, commuter rail, and residential with a total build-out of more than 2.5 million s/f. 

New Balance, headquartered in Boston, MA has the following mission: Demonstrating responsible leadership, we build global brands that athletes are proud to wear, associates are proud to create and communities are proud to host. New Balance is the only major company to make or assemble more than 4 million pairs of athletic footwear per year in the USA, which represents a limited portion of our US sales. Where the domestic value is at least 70%, we label our shoes Made in the USA. New Balance owns five factories in New England and one in Flimby, U.K. New Balance employs more than 5,000 associates around the globe, and in 2015 reported worldwide sales of $3.72 billion.