Healthy Materials Sponsor Profile: Goody Clancy

By Alexander Landa


One of the many joys of being a part of the green building community is working with a wide variety of other businesses and organizations in Massachusetts. Companies like Goody Clancy – who were thrilled to have as a sponsor for the Healthy Materials Summit in October – bring significant sustainability to their architecture practices, and we appreciate that immensely. 

As an architectural firm, they perfectly balance the needs of their customers with the large-scale impact possible from innovation and design. These buildings go beyond just serving as locations for employees – each design is meant to really hone in on their customer's defining purpose, to represent them as well as possible. Goody Clancy does+n't settle for what's been done before, rather, they want to push the limit of what they can do, and to raise a customer's expectations of what a building can be.

What really makes us smile is that they aren't just innovative – they innovate with sustainability and preservation in mind, designing new buildings that will stand the test of time, and with a small environmental impact. Currently, over 75% of their staff is LEED Accredited, implementing the LEED for Neighborhoods as one of their core performance standards for neighborhood and district planning. Some of their LEED Platinum designs include the Unitarian Universalist Association HQ in Boston, and the Welcome & Admissions Center at Roger H. Perry Hall at Champlain College in Burlington, VT.

Thank you for your continued support! Shoutout to our friends Jean Caroon and Jerrferson Poole, as well!

Interested in Joining Our Emerging Professionals Committee?

By USGBC MA


Are you in college, a recent graduate, or a millennial kicking off your career? If you answered yes to any of those, then consider joining our Emerging Professionals Committee! You're never too young to start making a difference in the built environment, and now's a great time to start engaging with your peers.

This group works to provide an avenue for all our members to become engaged with the greater green community of Boston and the greater Massachusetts area.
 

EPMA [Emerging Professionals of Massachusetts] strives to provide these connections through educational and career development events, networking gathering, volunteer programs and other events which promote the conservation, regeneration and stewardship of natural resources through sustainable building practices.

The group is particularly interested supporting:

  • Students
  • Recent Grads who are new to professional positions in our industry
  • Women in sustainability in A/E/C
  • Under-represented groups in A/E/C

The EPMA holds meetings on the third Monday of every month.

“The USGBC mentor program successfully brings together people from different professions and in different points in their careers, but with a shared interest in sustainability and green building. My own group consisted of a young professional working at a nonprofit, an experienced sustainability director for a local engineering company, and myself, a civil engineer. Meeting bimonthly gave us a chance to check in with each other, ask for advice, and see how we were all progressing with our professional goals. The support of my group was invaluable this past year, as I transitioned from an engineering career path to one specifically geared toward green building. I am grateful to my group for expanding my network, providing me with advice from an outside perspective, and increasing my self-confidence as a young professional.” -Katie, USGBC MA 2016 Mentee

TheUSGBC MA mentor programs is collecting interest participants for the next cycle to begin in early 2017. Interested parties should email Rebecca Slocum (mentoring@usgbcma.org) to receive further information or sign-up on the website (https://usgbcma.org/mentoring)

Smart Surface Technology Can Save a City Billions of Dollars

By Alexander Landa


Innovation seems to save money, huh. That's no secret, really. It doesn't take a scientist years to figure out that new technologies and strategies have a lot of benefits, include monetary. In a recent USGBC press release, it was noted that smart surface technologies could improve cities on a massive scale, including human and environmental health, and economic benefits.  

Achieving Urban Resilience, a report out of Washington D.C.'s Capital E group, quantified the real, measurable benefits of smart surfaces, such as cool roofs, green roofs, solar PV, and porous pavements. It's possible for the nation's capitol to save $5 billion over 40 years, in addition to enhancing health and livability, especially during the peak of summer.

That's not something to brush aside, and that's a lot more than just saving money and improving health. 40. Billion. Dollars. That's a lot. What that means is that in addition to the inherent properties of smart surfaces, like improving the human experience, millions of dollars a year can be invested into other enterprises, whether for green building, or for other social-good projects.

“This report represents a major step in understanding and quantifying the benefits of adopting cost-effective strategies to manage sun and rainfall at a city level,” said Greg Kats, lead author of the report. “Increasing summer heat and smog threaten city livability and summer tourists. This report provides a powerful framework to combat climate change while improving public health and saving money.”

We're really becoming passionate about smart cities and smart technology. In February 2017, we're going to host the Building Tech Forum – a night devoted to celebrating local achievements in this emerging field. Come join us! Learn more here.

Read the full press release here. 

Well..what is WELL?

By Alexander Landa


There still seems to be much confusion regarding the WELL Building Standard. The WELL Building Standard was recently created to help design buildings that are better for human health. We anticipate that this building standard will greatly impact the building process and the types of buildings that are constructed in the future.

What makes WELL unique is the focus on the most important part of a building – and ultimately why they're created – for the inhabitants. What would be the point of a building if it didn't have a purpose? As evident by the recent growing trend in healthy materials, the industry of health and wellness is growing rapidly, ultimately leading to WELL being created.

WELL provides the framework for designers to plan ahead with a human-centered approach. If employers spend 90% of their annual operating costs on people, so even a small health improvement goes a long way.

To bring as many people up to speed with this new standard, we have organized an introductory session at our headquarters. This session will be beneficial for professionals from all sectors of the building industry: owners, engineers, builders and occupants interested in the new standard are encouraged to attend!

For those interested in learning more about the WELL Building Standard – or becoming WELL AP accredited, please attend our day-long information session. We cover everything you need to become, well… WELL knowledgeable! 

Register here
Tuesday, December 20th, 2016
8:30am – 4:30pm
50 Milk St., 14th Floor, Dali Room
Boston, MA, 02109

New Rating System: LEED for Cities and LEED for Communities – Who Will be the First in MA?

By Alexander Landa


LEED is taking over the city! No, really. Announced in a USGBC press release, there's a new certification in town – LEED for Cities and LEED for Communities. The USGBC created these new pilot certifications to promote more than just an individual building – but a city as a whole, as we need communities to work together now more than ever.

These programs connect to the new Arc platform, which supports continuous progress for communities and cities. LEED for Cities and LEED for Communities ask the city or community as a whole to set goals and work together to support these goals, with city/community-wide performance data tracking.Arc considers energy, water, waste, transportation, and human experience. 

Now the question is – who will be the first city in Massachusetts to obtain a LEED for City achievement? There are a lot of emerging hotspots in the state, so let's have some fun with it!

Read the full press release here.

Read more about Arc here.

Greenbuild 2017 Session Proposals are Due in One Month

By Alexander Landa


In exactly one month from today, January 13th, proposals for Greenbuild 2017 educational sessions will be due. This is a really exciting opportunity for anyone interested in getting more involved with green building, as over 20,000 people attend the conference every year. If you're involved in sustainable design, construction, and operations practices for buildings and communities – and their impact on the environment, people, and the economy – then you this is a great time to get involved. This is the world's largest green building conference and expo – and it's coming to Boston! Don't miss out on this opportunity. To make matters more exciting, Greenbuild will be co-locating with ABX next year!

Interested individuals can go HERE to submit a proposal and learn more.

When you consider a proposal, the Greenbuild website lists a few format styles, such as flash charrette, rapid fire, structured discussion,debate, and a lecture.

Recently, the steering committee for the conference identified two new important priorities:

·        Academic Study: Greenbuild has a firm commitment to the role of academic studies in advancing the mission of transforming the built environment. We are seeking proposals that highlight ongoing or recent research that impacts the built environment, the health of building occupants, our communications about it, or human behaviors that relate to it.

·        New Voices: Greenbuild is a place for industry leaders, novices, and a new generation of leaders alike to gather. We are seeking to provide opportunities for new voices to share their experiences, thinking and work with the Greenbuild audience.

The subject areas of focus are: 

  • Health and Well Being
  • Existing Buildings, with a focus on Historic Preservation
  • Innovation in Energy
  • Resilience
  • Social Responsibility, Community Action & Engagement

Residential Green Building Committee Meeting: 12/12/16

By Molly Cox


The Residential Green Building Committee met on December 12th, 2016. We reflected on our accomplishments in 2016, and looked to set new goals for the new year. In case you missed it, we had a building tour of the distillery at the beginning of December, and our own Bill Womeldorf put together a great blog (after reading it, you will feel like you were there!). I encourage you to read it HERE.

We had some new faces at the meeting tonight, including Barbara Passero, founder at Meadowscaping for Biodiversity. This is an environmental outdoor education program which works to enhance biodiversity and the use of native plants in landscapes. Based in Waltham, this program is for folks of all age, see their website HERE. We love to learn from new members, and always look forward to seeing both familiar and new faces each month.

We are looking forward to all the events we have coming up in 2017, including some exciting building tours! Stay tuned for more information.

We have a Green Breakfast coming up on Thursday, 12/15, see HERE  for event details. Later that night, there will be a Greenbuild kick-off event, see HERE for tickets!

Upcoming December and January USGBC MA Events

By Alexander Landa


Read the full December 2016 events note!

We know you believe in sustainability. We know your world view fits with the dominant trends in global business, science, and politics. We are glad you've found us and we can provide you these opportunities to connect. 

There's only a few weeks left in the final month of the year, but it's packed with good stuff. I hope your upcoming holiday plans are fun, and if you have time in there, I'd love to see you too!

Outside of events and news, we're ramping up for the 2017 Mentor Program! Help out an emerging professional, or get help from an industry leader.

Keep an eye on our calendar for any other upcoming events!

As a reminder – USGBC MA Members get discounts on every event we hold! Learn more about the benefits of becoming a member here.

Personally, I'm EXTRA excited for this Thursday's Greenbuild Kickoff & Volunteer night. We're going to be setting up working groups to get prepared for Greenbuild 2017 coming to Boston next year. Come join your fellow green building enthusiasts and get ready to go ALL-IN! Register here.

If you didn't get our event note, subscribe to our monthly newsletter here.

Upcoming Events:

Dec 14: LEED Exam Prep Course
Dec 15: LEED for Homes vs Passive House
Dec 15: Greenbuild Kickoff & Volunteer Party
Dec 20: WELL AP Exam Prep Course
Jan 19: Project Mapping Workshop
Jan 26: Annual Party – Oh, by the way, we're unveiling something big here. You don't want to miss this.
Feb 16: Building Tech Forum
 

Congrats to Harvard on Hitting Green Milestone!

By Alexander Landa


Congratulations are in order to Harvard for achieving a massive milestone! The prestigious University in Cambridge, MA, reached its goal of a 30% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions – a goal set from a 2006 baseline. In only 10 years, the combination of innovative design changes, educating the students, professors, and staff on better practices, and LEED designs, Harvard raised the bar for how a University can make a difference beyond the classroom. 

In their report from December 8th, Harvard's achievement and process is outlined. What makes this milestone even more special, is that it was achieved through innovation and growth, rather than just modifying adjusting systems. The image to the right shows what components went into the 10-year efforts.

Harvard is proof of how a legacy design can modernize existing structures, and coupled with new concepts and buildings, can make a massive impact with a series of carefully implemented – yet simple – design concepts. Across 25 million square feet of campus, it's amazing how geothermal wells, solar panels, and fuel switching can go. 

In Harvard President Drew Faust's message to the community, she mentioned of the goal, “This common purpose has brought our community together in exciting new ways…making the world better through research and teaching, through everyday actions and lifelong commitments.”

What's especially impressive about Harvard is their overall commitment to sustainability and green design. In 2015, they hit a major milestone of their 100th LEED certified design, with the Esteves Hall at the Business School obtaining a LEED Platinum renovation as lucky number 100.

100. LEED. Buildings. That's a lot. One can only imagine how Massachusetts would transform if other universities followed Harvard's example! If every university in the state did this – even a fraction of this – the results would be exponential. It's up to higher education facilities to become leaders in more than just academics – these are the institutions that facilitate change, create future leaders, and are looked upon for guidance by their surrounding communities. 

Harvard developed their own Green Building Standards to ensure that all future designs consider the climate and the health of inhabitants. These standards include consideration of healthy materials & transparency, feasibility of Net-Zero and Living Building Challenge certification for major projects, and a requirement for LEED v4 Gold certification.

Achieving a net positive, sustainable future is a team effort. It can't be done alone in an afternoon. For Harvard, it took an entire university and the surrounding community 10 years to make this change. We have to work with our friends, families, schools, work, and everyone else in our communities. This is greater than just one person, one group, one week. It's inspiring to see Harvard be a leader in green design, and it's exciting to see what they will do next.

Beyond this, Harvard is planning a 25-year Net Zero Action Plan with Cambridge.

We want to thank our friends Joel McKellar, Emil Quevas, Jaclyn Olsen, and Adam Meier for be part of an amazing team for making all of this happen. Let's keep up the good work!

Image and original story are from Harvard Sustainability – see the full report here.

Final Reminder! LEED Green Associate Exam Prep Workshop This Wednesday!

By Alexander Landa


Register here!

Tomorrow is our next LEED Green Associate exam prep course! The holidays are busy, sure, but furthering your career is timeless. Becoming LEED accredited gives you a massive advantage at your current role, or any future jobs you may be interested in. Our all-day training session covers everything you can expect during an AP exam, so you can go into testing day confident. 

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!

Register here!
Wednesday, December 14th, 2016
8:30AM – 5:00PM
50 Milk St, 17th Floor, Hercules Conference Room
Boston, MA, 02109