An Intense Passive Discussion at Green Breakfast Club

By Grey Lee

On Tuesday May 13th, the USGBC MA hosted two passive design specialists to present a case study on the zero net energy Weygand Hall at Bridgewater State University in Massachusetts.
 

Yanel de Angel and Jordan Zimmerman of Perkins+Will described the intricacies of a 500-bed dormitory being designed to achieve net zero energy requirements. You can read more about the project at Perkins+Will's research journal.

“Residence Halls provide a unique educational opportunity for students, since they can learn about and experience a lifestyle that embodies sustainable practices and engages them as active participants in reducing energy use for the building. The Massachusetts State College Building Authority (MSCBA) and Bridgewater State University (BSU) took advantage of a Zero Net Energy Building (ZNEB) pilot study to research design strategies and building systems that will advance the planning and design of future residence halls. Perkins+Will led a collaborative design and construction team, which included Rist Frost Shumway Engineering and Bond Brothers Construction.  Working closely with MSCBA and BSU, the team developed a detailed case study that ultimately led to successful identification and implementation of low energy strategies for the Weygand Residence Hall at BSU.”
 

Thank you to Cyrus Dahmubed for organizing this month's Green Breakfast Club! We had a great turnout with many familar faces and some great new attendees, esp. notable was Catherine & Brian from Stone Source – who invited us to present at their showroom nearby sometime. Thanks!
 

 
Topics of discussion and hearty back-n-forth included:
 
  • How seasonal use patterns affect zero net modeling and potential.
  • How a new building's “cool factor” can lead to increased use (over modeled) and overwhelm the zero net intention, but that this actually offsets less efficient use elsewhere on a campus.
  • Will students really tolerate a lack of micro-fridges?? So far, yes and living at Weygand is viewed as a privilege. 
  • How to engage occupants through outreach & education. During the freshman orientation, one of the students asked “well, isn't this how it's supposed to be done everywhere?”
It was amazing to hear that for a $1M premium on a $50M project, you could achieve net zero potential and that was at an 8-year payback. In the mid 2020's, the school will be essentially saving more than $100k per year in energy costs, ceteris paribus. Clearly a design intention to propagate throughout Massachusetts' institutional owners.
 
 
It was great networking following the presentation! These morning events help people connect and spend time delving into a topic: it's a chance for green building enthusiasts to really geek out. Thank you to all who came, and we'll see you at the next Green Breakfast Club!
 
Thank you especially to Jordan Zimmerman and Yanel de Angel, and to Cyrus Dahmubed for presenting and organizing the program.
 
 

BERDO Boost – Advocacy for More Green Buildings

By Grey Lee

[UPDATE: 5/15/14 – the BERDO 120-day extension amendment has passed. We received the following note from Chief Swett:

I just wanted to quickly thank you all for your efforts on this.  City Council unanimously approved Mayor Walsh's amendment to BERDO, and we are now back to work on implementation. This unanimous vote would not have been possible without your outreach and support.

 
Thanks,
Brian

…thank you to our volunteers and peer organization partners for supporting building energy reporting.]

Boston City Council held a hearing to continue to tweak the Building Energy Reporting & Disclosure Ordinance today [5/12/14]. You can read a number of pieces regarding the background of the ordinance at our Advocacy Resources page.

On April 30th, the Council voted to delay implementation of the ordinance, which was enacted in May 2013, for one year. A few entities were concerned that the reporting deadline, of 5/15/14, was coming up quickly and their constituents wouldn't be prepared. Greater Boston Real Estate Board suggested the delay and the council felt that it was prudent.

However, doing so would dramatically change the information gathering process for building energy use, and the major utilities had recently come on board with being able to provide building-by-building data for ordinance compliance. With a one-year delay, the City would lose out on information trendlines regarding greenhouse gas emissions that are needed for the triennial Climate Action Plan Update due later this year.

The City's Office of Environment & Energy worked with the Mayor to create a compromise to meet more stakeholders' needs. They introduced a 120-day delay amendment. USGBC MA is proud to support this amendment.
 

Today, the City Council held a hearing for testimony in support of the new amendment. I represented the Chapter along with Board Member David Straus, who was there on behalf of his constituents at A Better City. The Chapter's testimony can be read here. Tedd Saunders of the Saunders Hotel Group also testified very eloquently on the benefits of BERDO.

Councillor-at-Large Michael Flaherty chaired the meeting. Brian Swett and Carl Spector introduced the amendment and described how over 120 buildings have already reported as of this morning. Many are smaller owners and institutions like a catholic high school and a convent that have reported – not the ones you'd expect to have an elaborate energy reporting capacity. Swett described how the amendment includes a provision exempting owners from the original sanctions during their first year of reporting – so if for some reason the reporting is not achievable for a particular building, they will get a pass in the first year on any fines or energy audit requirements.

Chairman Flaherty noted that at the council meeting on 4/30 they were faced with an option of the impending deadline or a 1-year delay. He felt that at the time they had to vote for the delay, but was glad that they now have this 4-month compromise, which will make everyone happy. Councillor Tim McCarthy was also present. Both thanked the supporters of the amendment, the only side to testify, although GBREB was in attendance. I hope that means that their constituents can live with the change. As I testified, BERDO means energy reporting and the EPA has found that will lead to energy savings; who can't be happy with spending less on energy?

The USGBC MA will continue to follow the issue and work, as Darien Crimmin of Winn Development noted, to bring all parties together. Energy efficiency in buildings is good for owners, users, the city at large and of course, the environment. I look forward to working with the owners and operators of buildings in Boston (and beyond!) to create high-performance buildings so Boston can stay #1 in energy efficiency and be a leader on climate response & sustainability.

I will keep you posted!

 

USGBC Chapters Network Annual Report is now available

By Grey Lee

The compendium of stats and updates from all 76 of the USGBC Chapters throughout North America is ready for your review!

Take a look at this massive document outlining the differences, and the commonalities, of the many Chapters throughout our network.
 

 
A couple of highlights:
 
  • Massachusetts has the 4th most LEED certified space per capita
  • We have the 4th most LEED Accredited Professionals in the country
  • We are also #7 in terms of number of national member companies in the state
  • The Chapter is 19th in revenue, having grown 26% from 2012 to 2013
  • We went from #40 in number of members to ranking #17 (out of the 76 chapters)
Let's keep up the great progress for More Green Buildings!

 

Weekly Bulletin to 5/9/14

By Grey Lee

What's Up?!
– BERDO Advocacy on Monday 5/12 at 9:30am at Boston City Hall. Let us know if you can come to testify in support of the building energy reporting & disclosure ordinance.
– Quarterly Combined Committees Gathering will be Tuesday 6/3/14 at our offices in Boston. This is for our active volunteers to coordinate upcoming events and campaigns across the different committees as well as working groups and task forces of the USGBC MA.
– Save the date: Building Technology & Science Fair to be held the evening of 7/24 at 50 Milk St in Boston.

Upcoming Events:

Monday, 5/12, 5:45 – 7:30pm: Residential Green Building Committee “Indoor Air Quality: Why it Matters!” – in Boston

Tuesday, 5/13, 7:30 – 9am: Green Breakfast Club “Passive Design for a Sustainable Future” – in Boston

Tuesday, 5/20, 8am – 12pm: Beyond Buildings “A Review of LEED for Neighborhood Development in Massachusetts” in Boston

Friday, 5/23, 9am – 6pm: Education Workshop “LEED Green Associate Exam Study Prep” in Boston

Thursday, 5/29, 5:30 – 7:30pm: Green Building Tour of Quinn Middle School in Hudson, MA

Tuesday, 6/3 6:30 – 8pm: Quarterly Combined Committees Gathering in Boston

Please spread the word about our LEED Green Associate Study Prep all-day workshop. This is a great way to get ready to take the LEED Exam! Read about our last all-day workshop here.
 

This just in: one of our members, Darien Crimmin of Winn Development, has been participating in the White House's “Climate Push,” and was quoted in the Wall Street Journal:

Obama to Lay Out Proposals on Cutting Carbon Pollution




By Colleen McCain Nelson




President Barack Obama will trumpet new executive actions and public- and private-sector commitments aimed at cutting carbon pollution and improving energy efficiency as he continues to make the pitch that the impacts of climate change must be addressed.


In a speech in California, the president will focus on clean-energy objectives he can accomplish without Congress's help, laying out a list of modest proposals, as well as pledges to expand the deployment of solar power.


The initiatives are wide-ranging but small-bore–from training workers for jobs in the solar industry to strengthening commercial energy building codes and from making federal buildings more energy efficient to setting new efficiency standards for walk-in coolers and freezers. But administration officials argue that cumulatively, the efforts could have a significant impact.


Dan Utech, special assistant to the president on energy and climate change, said the initiatives would help cut pollution, save businesses money on energy bills and support working training programs across the country.


Critics of Mr. Obama's climate change push contend that new regulations are a pricey proposition, burdening businesses and ultimately costing jobs.


The White House also plans to a release a video touting the installation of solar panels on the first family's residence. The project, which is expected to pay for itself in energy savings over the next eight years, “helps demonstrate that historic buildings can incorporate solar energy and energy efficiency upgrades,” White House spokesman Matt Lehrich said.


Friday's announcements come on the heels of the release of the National Climate Assessment, an extensive document that details far-reaching consequences of climate change. Mr. Obama and other administration officials have launched an all-hands-on-deck public-relations push aimed at convincing Americans that climate change is an urgent problem, though polls show that they face a steep challenge in the realm of public opinion.


John Podesta, counselor to the president, said at an event in New York that the ultimate goal should be to eliminate carbon emissions from energy production. Right now, carbon-emitting fossil fuels make up about 62% of the nation's electricity mix.


The nation must “ultimately move toward an electric system that is going to have to be literally carbon free,” Mr. Podesta said.


The White House's focus on climate change has been met with a mix of Republican criticism and indifference, as GOP lawmakers have suggested that Mr. Obama should focus on more pressing priorities. The president isn't proposing any major legislative initiatives, and administration officials have acknowledged that the issue hasn't gotten traction in Congress.


Mr. Obama, who is wrapping up a fundraising swing through California, is expected to speak about the burgeoning solar industry, calling for expanded use of solar energy in homes, businesses and schools. Solar power has increased 418% during the last four years, but it still accounts for only 1.13% of total U.S. electricity, according to the Energy Information Administration.


The president will announce more than 300 commitments from private companies and public-sector organizations to advance solar deployment. Companies such as Wal-Mart Stores Inc., IKEA and Apple Inc. have offered an assortment of pledges to increase solar generation at their facilities and in their supply chains.


Darien Crimmin, vice president of energy and sustainability for WinnCompanies, a company which manages affordable multifamily housing, praised the president's efforts to draw attention to these issues.


“If you're paying attention to climate change, it's good to see federal leadership trying to create new programs,” he said.
 

 

Why LEED Matters to Future Generations

By Steven Burke, Sustainability coordinator for Bergmeyer Associates

By Steven Burke, Bergmeyer Associates. Article courtesy New England Real Estate Journal
 
 
We all love babies. Sure, there is the occasional annoying run-in on airplanes, restaurants, and during a speech or ceremony; but they help to secure our advancement as a species. If for no other reason than that, we should do our best to safeguard their future (and cut them slack when they lose it in public).
 
There is an average of more than 10,000 babies born in the United States every day. What almost all parents of those babies don't know, and pretty much nobody wants to think about, is that all of those new infants are certain to test positive for having a long list of toxic and carcinogenic chemicals in their bodies.
 
A study of newborns by the Environmental Working Group found an average of 200 chemicals per child in their sample group. What's worse, they would have likely found more chemicals, but only tested for just over 400 chemicals total. The chemicals found in these babies included flame retardants, pesticides, and industrial compounds. Many are known to cause cancer, birth defects, infertility, immune system disruption, hormone disruption, and are neurotoxins.
 
Those last two impact categories are particularly troubling as they pertain to newborns: hormone disruptors have numerous and sometimes grotesque consequences for reproductive and sexual development, while neurotoxins affect the brain and central nervous system, which are somewhat critical importance in a developing child.
Meanwhile, many childhood and adult cancers are increasing. Autism is also increasing and women are having increased difficulty in becoming pregnant and carrying children to term. Men are experiencing decreased sperm counts. There is one very possible common denominator: the “toxic load” in our bodies, and in our babies.
 
Where are all these chemicals coming from and how are they ending up in our newborns? The short answer is that they come from many exposure points, and then they are passed from mothers to babies in utero.
So what are you to do as an individual? How can you control your exposure levels to these harmful substances and protect your children?  As Americans, we spend 90% of our time indoors (depressing, I know). That means that by removing harmful chemicals from the places we work, sleep, and relax, we can go a long way towards creating a healthier environment.
 
Enter LEED, short for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. LEED is a national and increasingly international green building standard. This green building certification system is operated through the nonprofit U.S. Green Building Council. In July 2013, the newest version of LEED, LEED version 4, was voted into adoption. One of the most controversial and key aspects of the updated system is a focus on materials transparency.
In practical terms, this means that future green building projects seeking LEED certification can score points for having building product manufacturers publish the ingredients and source materials that went into the assembly of their products. Already, some product manufacturers are evaluating their supply chain and seeking help with adjusting to materials transparency requirements. LEED v4 has empowered some leading architecture firms to notify product manufacturers that if they don't carry certifications for materials disclosure, then they will stop using their products in new projects beginning as early as January 2015.
 
These results are starting to create a spillover effect into transparency in the chemical manufacturing industry, which handles many of the inputs into building products. This is nothing short of revolutionary: the fact that a nonprofit is indirectly reforming one of the most powerful global industries is almost unfathomable.
 
Government regulation and market oversight have largely been reactionary mechanisms for managing chemical manufacturing. Proactive and precautionary tools are needed to increase consumer protection from potentially hazardous substances produced by this industry. At 38-years-old, the law designed to regulate chemical manufacturing in the United States, the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976, has proven itself ineffectual. Now LEED is successfully applying pressure where many others failed.
Of course, all of this has not been without controversy. The chemical industry is understandably resistant to this new version of LEED. Lobbyists are attempting to remove LEED as the building standard in new federal buildings, which includes children's schools. Industry proponents have even been funding an alternative green building rating system, called Green Globes, as a response to the challenges posed by LEED. Thankfully though, it appears the movement towards materials transparency has been set in motion and it is unlikely to reverse course.
Ignorance is not always bliss and sometimes what you don't know can hurt you. So let us thank LEED for working towards a world that will be healthier for our children and for pushing the market boundaries out of a comfort zone of toxicity and secrecy towards transparency and public health.
Steven Burke, LEED AP BD+C, ID+C, is sustainability coordinator at Bergmeyer Associates, Inc., Boston, MA.

Weekly Bulletin to 5/2/14

By Grey Lee

Hello Everyone,

Are you interested in IAQ? Passive design? LEED ND? Taking the Green Associate Exam before it changes? Well we have a program for you!

We've decided that I should put up a weekly bulletin on the blog to capture the latest news of the Chapter's activities.
 

Is it a “summer breeze” yet?

What's been happening this week? Well, we've been working on a lot of things.
 

  • The Building Innovation & Technology Science Fair will be in mid-July and I'm forming a committee to help me organize it. Email me if you're interested!  We'll be seeking innovators, service providers, and product vendors who can show off really cool stuff. It will be fun! 
  • Passive Design for a Sustainable Future” is our Green Breakfast Club on Tuesday 5/13 at 7:30am in Boston. Please come for an in-depth conversation with Perkins+Will's Yanel de Angel and Jordan Zimmerman.
  • Our Green Schools Committee recently met and is moving forward with preparations for the Green Apple Day of Service in September. We are creating a “mini-grant” system to connect sponsors to worthy projects. Talk to Steve Muzzy for more info (smuzzy@usgbcma.org)
  • Crazy news from Boston City Hall on Wednesday night: within minutes, the council drafted and voted to approve a delay in the implementation of the Building Energy Reporting & Disclosure Ordinance (BERDO), which otherwise would require reporting starting 5/15/14. We are following the situation closely. Let me know if you have any inside information to share!
 
Other Events Coming Up:
  1. The Residential Green Building Committee is hosting a talk about indoor air quality on Monday 5/12
  2. Beyond Buildings – LEED ND symposium on 5/20
  3. We are holding a LEED Green Associate Exam Prep all-day workshop on 5/23
  4. Our Worcester Committee is holding a Green School Tour in Hudson on 5/29
 
I hope you read about the recent EPMA Earth Day Service Project – here's the screenshot from google maps of the site: quite green!
 
 

Our Board just had our annual retreat to examine our strategic priorities. These are:

  • Advocacy
  • Education
  • Collaboration
  • Leadership

We spent time examining what constituencies we want to priorities. These are:

  • Architecture/Engineering/Construction (AEC)
  • Building Owners & Managers
  • Planners and community developers
  • Legislators, other electeds and government officials
  • School building stakeholders
  • Product & services of the green building industry

We want to be more than a trade association.  After all, we have a massive and important social mission. Whereever these stakeholder populations overlap and where they intersect with our priorities, we will find the richest and most important programming opportunities. With high-value programming, we will build our membership and sponsorship base and grow our capacity to serve Massachusetts as a social benefit organization. 

 
Thank you for helping us in this important work. I look forward to seeing you at an upcoming event!
 
Cheers
Grey

Do you know when this would have been taken? Sorry about the glare – thank you Boston Properties, Cambridge Center, loved the decor at your Kendall Sq. HQ.

EPMA Earth Day Service Project

By Kristin Malyak, EMPA; Designer & Workplace Strategist at Gensler

By Kristin Malyak, EPMA; Designer & Workplace Strategist at Gensler
 
 

A handful of chapter members braved the cold, damp weather this past weekend to participate in the 15th Annual Charles River Cleanup. The group was assigned to clean up a section of the Cambridge riverfront near Buckingham Brown & Nichols and covered a lot of ground in a short time! You may be familiar with the area – also known as “Hell's Half Acre” – just south (though going upriver) of the Eliot Bridge and the BB&N boathouse. The largest freshwater marsh along the Charles in either Boston or Cambridge.

Our work was part of an exercise in dividing and conquering – in the way that the Charles River Watershed Association organizes over a hundred different volunteer groups to help out at various sites along the Charles. It is truly a testament to the power of strength in numbers. By each making our own small contribution, we are all able to enjoy the rich, vibrant outdoor space the Charles provides us with so close to our urban centers.
 

We found a lot of amazing trash. It was a great chance to catch up with people and you can have interesting conversations while trying to figure out what strange object you've just confiscated! It felt good to give back to the community and make our natural areas a little bit nicer for others.

Thank you to those that coordinated and attended the event this year and hopefully we can make it an annual chapter Earth Day tradition for years to come!

 

Beyond Buildings: LEED ND presented by USGBC MA

By Robert Weiss, Neighborhood Development Working Group

Since its inception, LEED ND has been guiding many communities toward sustainability. The upcoming May presentation BeyondBuildings: LEED ND will showcase the importance of LEED for Neighborhood Development as both a certification and a tool for guiding sustainable community developments.
 
 
We will hear from some of the original USGBC 2008 pilot projects in Massachusetts about their progress toward attaining LEED ND certification now that they are six years into their development. We will also hear from new projects, including neighborhood developments that are pursuing LEED ND certification or have taken the elements of the program to guide them toward sustainability. A discussion of how LEED ND can be used by communities as a development guide will complete the agenda.
 
The Box District
Located as an infill project and surrounded by compact neighborhoods, Chelsea’s Box District is walkable to civic, commercial, recreation, parks and transit amenities. It has created affordable and market rate rental and condominium units, retail and new green spaces. Working with The Neighborhood Developers of Chelsea was a partnership from the private, non-profit, municipal and state sectors illustrating the cooperation required to create new living spaces for a mix of incomes.
 
Old Colony Housing

 

By Robert Weiss, Neighborhood Development Working Group

This major renovation of a traditional South Boston public housing project replaced outmoded housing with townhouses and four-story elevator buildings. New streets were created to make the grounds more walkable and integrate the housing with the surrounding neighborhood. Families can stay in their own neighborhood with its schools and access to public transportation. The project meets criteria for Enterprise Green Communities, LEED Building and Neighborhood Certifications, and Energy Star Homes certification. The units will be smoke-free.

 
Old Colony Housing Development in South Boston

 

Jackson Square
Jackson Square is located in the Roxbury and Jamaica Plain neighborhoods of Boston. The project is led by Jamaica Plain NDC and Urban Edge (non-profit developers); the Jackson Square Partners, which includes private corporations, non-profits, municipal and state public agencies. Two key components of the project’s green strategy are on-site generation of renewable and low-carbon energy from sources such as solar, wind, biofuel co-generation, geothermal and green roofs on each building. The 11.2 acre transit-oriented project includes 438 units of housing, 60,000 sq. ft. of commercial, 30,000 sq. ft. retail with recreational uses as well. It is a mixed-income development built on previously developed land. Because it is an infill project within a compact area, the new mixed-use development connects with its surroundings and enhances an even larger area.
 
 
The Village at Taylor Pond
Located in a suburban situation, this green living development is a great example of neighborhood development’s residential/jobs connectivity. Its site plan shows loads of green space that is simultaneously a human amenity and an environmental feature. There are connected paths of wooded walkways, a large space reserved for dog park, a rain garden and wetlands. Its 60,000 sq. ft. of office space and 27,000 sq. ft. of retail is an opportunity to walk to work and to commercial life. These amenities help eliminate use of cars for commuting and convenience.  Sited on an infill area that was previously developed, Criterion Development Partners designed the project to encourage a healthy lifestyle.
 
 
Talbot Norfolk Triangle
Located near Dorchester’s Codman Square, the Talbot Norfolk Triangle area has been the focus through years of environmental, economic and residential development led by Codman Square Neighborhood Development Corp. and TNT Neighbors United. Codman is using LEED ND as a reference to drive quality of life improvements for residents. It is an Eco-District and is an illustration of input from the public as well as non-profit sectors. The neighborhood’s activism has resulted in the area being transit-oriented today and a leader in urban environmental stewardship.
 
 
Talbot-Norfolk Triangle in Dorchester, Boston
 
LEED ND is a valuable tool for sustainable development in our communities. When you attend Beyond Buildings: LEED ND, you will hear first-hand from the people who make these projects work and their analysis of their successes and shortcomings. GBCI, 3.5 CE hours, LEED ND specific are approved and AICP CM hours are pending. The presentation is from 8:00AM-12:00 P.M. on May 20 at the Atlantic Wharf Community Room, 290 Congress Street in Boston. For more information, learn about our sponsors and registration see: http://www.usgbcma.org/civicrm/event/info?reset=1&id=572.
 
 

The inside scoop about the Green Building Awards

By Grey Lee

Want to know more about the many entries in our Green Building Awards contest? Want to see more from the many excellent sponsors? You can read through the 20-page printed program of the Earth Day Gala using this link. It's like “Sports Illustrated” for green buildings…seriously!

Thank you to the New England Real Estate Journal for publishing this great summary of the event and highlighting all the contestants for the Green Building Awards!

Here is my intro article about the awards, with an added paragraph about the event in general:

US Green Building Council Massachusetts Chapter Celebrates Building Performance and Green Innovation with 7th Annual Green Building Awards

In honor of Earth Dayeach year, the USGBC MA Chapter community gathers to recognize superior achievement in the green building industry. We have two awards: the Green Building of the Year and the Green Innovation Award. The Chapter seeks to recognize and encourage higher-level performance in buildings. Thank you for your interest and your work for green buildings!

High-performance buildings are all around us because we see them every day. However, they don't always get the attention they deserve considering the effort that has gone into their creation and into their ongoing management. Our awards program is designed to highlight these achievements and provide recognition to the parties responsible for the green buildings in our communities which are making the world a better place.

The Green Building of the Year is a competition among buildings that are saving energy, conserving water, and improving the user experience. Achievement on these metrics also results in a building that costs less to operate and is more beneficial to occupants than conventional structures. By comparing buildings against each others' measured performance, we help push the entire industry towards improved performance and value.

Similarly, the Green Innovation Award acknowledges that significant creativity and expertise can go into a component of a building project, which can set the stage for future superlative performance.

Green buildings are a significant part of the Massachusetts “innovation economy.” Our members are working with new technologies, new design, construction and facility management techniques to configure buildings in better ways with improved results for all.

This year's entries include a wide variety of buildings designed, built and operated by Chapter members and sponsors. The industry of green buildings brings together teams from a wide variety of disciplines.

Our entries for Green Building of the Year include major downtown office towers, residential facilities and academic centers. Each has demonstrated incredible attention to detail on the part of the facility managers.

In Massachusetts, we have a tremendous amount of talent in the building industry as well as many individuals and firms committed to sustainability. Working on thousands of projects here and beyond, our community of green building professionals is pushing the envelope on achievement in the built environment.

Our Green Innovation Award helps to recognize and reinforce this collective effort. This year we highlight innovations in rainwater management and building project re-use. These are just a sampling of the way Massachusetts is a leading innovator in the green building and real estate arena.

The community that coalesces around the USGBC is expert, exacting and passionate. We share a common engagement on green building projects and a common vision of the future. Our mission is to promote the design, construction, and operation of sustainable buildings and communities in Massachusetts through education, mutual support, and advocacy; this helps with enabling an environmentally and socially responsible, healthy and prosperous environment that improves the quality of life.

As an organization, we welcome anyone interested in sharing this mission to join us and participate in our many programs and activities. We support professional development and general green building education.  Our organization advocates for state & local regulations and legislation which will support our green building industry.  At the end of the day, we convene the community to facilitate relationships and connections that can help solve the challenges we face in the building industry.

Thank you for being a part of our work, participating in our mission, and coming together for the Earth Day Gala to celebrate the best work of our peers through the Green Building Awards!

We held a great Earth Day Gala at the LEED Gold Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. Congratulations to the winners of the Green Building Awards!  Green Building of the Year: One Beacon Street by CBRE-NE. Green Innovation: Waltham Watch Factory rainwater management by Richard Burck Associates. Thank you to all the entries and to all who attended. It was a fabulous gathering of our community!

See you at an upcoming event soon!

EARTH DAY GALA

By Grey Lee

On Tuesday April 22nd, the USGBC MA hosted the 2014 Earth Day Gala & Green Building Awards at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. Thank you again to Paul Gusmini of the Fed for contributing the venue. It was a great night had by all!
 

 
 

Congratulations to the winners of the Green Building Awards:
 

  • Green Building of the Year: One Beacon Street by CBRE-NE 
  • Green Innovation: Waltham Watch Factory rainwater management by Richard Burck Associates 
 
 
The team at CBRE-NE won Green Building of the Year (affectionately known as GBOTY) for their project at One Beacon Street in Boston. The judges thought this was a great example of something we should see more of. They thought it was commendable to set out to do LEED for Existing Buildings on a 1970s building and achieve LEED Platinum. They were impressed with the LEED recertification in 2013.

 

 
 

Philip Laird of ARC / Architectural Resources Cambridge was on hand to receive their Special Recognition for the Colby College Cogeneration Plant project – which they originally entered as a GBOTY project, but was really impressive as a Green Innovation. The judges were very impressed with the project’s innovative use of biomass as an efficient fuel source. Colby College is the fourth college nationwide to achieve carbon neutrality and the biomass plant is helping to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 70%. Nice!
 

 

Here's presenter Tracey Beckstrom with Green Innovation Special Recognition award winners from BH+A Ben Wilson and Adrienne Cali for their entry Factory 63 in Boston. The judges were very impressed with the level of energy performance in an historic building. They appreciated the densities the project achieved and how the smaller-sized “Innovation units”, which traded personal space for shared occupant spaces, helped to control energy use.  
 

Tim Mackey from Richard Burck Associates picked up the award for Green Innovation. The project was to manage rainwater at the Waltham Watch Factory. They have taken something as prosaic as roof drainage and reintegrated it into the site in a manner that is absolutely prevalent.  It is a perfect combination of innovation and experience.
 

 
 
Congratulations again to all the winners and to the many good folks who entered their projects into the 2014 Green Building Awards Contest — nice work!  Thank you for your work to advance the mission of green buildings for all within a generation. 
 
The evening was a great gathering of green building professionals and their guests, who no doubt are at least green building aficionados. We had a great cocktail reception on the roof deck of the Federal Reserve and then went in for dinner and speeches. We had posters of the many entries to the Green Building Awards in a gallery sponsored by RS Means / Reed Construction Data. 
 
 
The weather was just perfect – 68F and a light breeze. It was just fun to be up on that roof deck with the great views of the Fort Point Channel.
 
 
A lot of wonderful people came out – many familiar faces and it was great to reconnect with so many.  On the right, we have Mark Stafford representing the event's Platinum Sponsor, National Grid.
 

 
Thank you to John Picard (not pictured) for taking all these photos of the friendly attendees!
 
 
 

 

Then, inside, we had a great dinner.
 

 

No one minds a major-funder group selfie, right?
 

 
 
But let's recall why we were here for a moment – the Green Building Awards. Really good stuff all around!

 

 

 Nice work, Gold Event Sponsors, AHA Consulting Engineers!
 

 

And at the end of the evening, there were still a few Chapter stalwarts hanging out – just couldn't say goodnight. Thanks for always being ready to support this community. You guys rock!
The Late Show with John, Mark, Phoebe, Caitriona, Jim, Emily, Jenn and Suzanne!

 

Special Thanks to the many Event Sponsors of the 2014 USGBC MA Earth Day Gala: National Grid, Boston Properties, AHA Consulting Engineers, NStar, Structure Tone, SMMA, Columbia Construction, A Better City, DTZ, Chapman Construction, Robinson & Cole, Suffolk Construction, Entegra, WB Engineers, IRONWOOD Design, The Green Engineer, RS Means, as well as media sponsor NEREJ and venue sponsor The Federal Reserve Bank of Boston