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. 

 

Happening Tomorrow: Eco-Districts Workshop!

By USGBCMA Communications, More Green Buildings!

Interested in creating resilient, sustainable, and socially just neighborhoods? Come to our workshop! 

Tuesday, August 16 from 8:30am to 10:30am
“Woolf” Room, 18th Floor, 50 Milk Street, Boston

Register here or below.

Our speaker, Eric Corey Freed, is an envoy for Ecodistricts. Join us as we get the latest on how the program is expanding, supporting improved communities and the neighborhood scale. 

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

  • discover a new process for bringing together community leaders, developers, architects and planners to develop sustainable neighborhoods
  • find ways to plan and incorporate district scale, net zero energy and water systems
  • develop a roadmap for planning goals, development targets and methods to galvanize support for your community

 

 

 

Image source: http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/dumai/61765562/47662/47662_original.jpg

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Come Next Wednesday & learn how to Design Net Zero Buildings!

By Rachael Berry, Graphics Associate

Want to learn how to rally your project team to achieve net zero energy on your projects? We'll teach you how to achieve net zero energy on your building projects and more importantly how to sell them to your clients! 

Eric Corey Freed is Founding Principal of organicARCHITECT, is a visionary design leader in biophilic and regenerative design. He brings over 20 years of experience in helping architects, builders and homeowners use sustainability to improve the design and operational savings for thousands of buildings around the country.  Eric has helped thousands of companies monetize sustainability by showing them how to cut their real estate operations costs in half and established himself as a pioneer in sustainable building. You definitely do not want to miss out on the opportunity to gain valuable insigh t from the extremely qualified and inspiring, Eric Freed, at next week's event. 

Wednesday, August 17 from 8:30 am to 12:00 pm
50 Milk Street, Boston (“Meridian”, Floor 5)

Register here or below.

You’ll learn…

  • how to rally your project team to achieve net zero energy on your projects
  • ways to sell your clients on being committed to never having to pay a utility bill ever again

Using specific case studies and stories from the field, you’ll develop an arsenal of ideas you can apply to your current projects right now. We will also include a BONUS discussion of Seattle’s Bullitt Center, called the “greenest office building in the world” and how they achieved net zero with an EUI of 10.

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Who will win Green Building of the Year?

By USGBCMA Communications, More Green Buildings!


See if your building has what it takes! Every year at our Green Building Showcase, we choose a Green Building of the Year (GBOTY), the building that best exemplifies the Chapter’s passion for sustainable design and stands out against its competitors.

If you've recently worked on a project that fits the bill, enter the contest now! Make sure it fits the following requirements:

  • Met a third-party green building recognition or standard (LEED, LBC, Energy Star, etc)
  • Whole building, not components or portions of a building
  • Complete and have a certificate of occupancy by 9/21/17
  • Located in Massachusetts

It costs $250 to enter, and all entrants must have a display board for judges to see. Entries are due by September 8th, 2016

Judges will be on the lookout for a standout project. Previous winners have gone above and beyond expectations: their innovative projects helped pave the way to a more sustainable future.

For inspiration, check out last year's winner! The Green Engineer Inc. won GBOTY 2015 for their project, Summer Star Sanctuary. Read about it on our blog!


If you're looking to enter a contest more focused on specific aspects of your project, consider entering the Green Building Market Leadership Award Series. This award is designed to highlight the leading firms across various market specific sectors and acknowledge their impressive individual strides towards sustainability. Potential award categories are as following: Health/Wellness, Energy Efficiency, Site, Beauty, Materials, Water Efficiency, Resilience, Social Equity.

Winners for each category will be determined by the crowd, so make sure to impress viewers with easy-to-read information to increase your chances of winning.

It costs $250 to enter, and all entrants must have a display board for the crowd to see. Entries are due by September 8th, 2016.

Click here for our Contest Details Page.

Remember to get your tickets and to register your project boards for Green Building Showcase! Click here for our event page.

See you there!

In the meantime, check out this promotional video for the Showcase!

Video of Showcase

Residential Green Building: 8/8/16

By Molly Cox

The Residential Green Building Committee met on August 8th, 2016. We started off with announcements of events coming up, and some advocacy news from Craig Foley. Some highlights include the signing of the Energy Omnibus Bill by Governor Baker on 8/8, and although the energy audits at the point of sale in MA did not pass, we were still able to see improvements such as Commercial PACE finance. There is still much to be done, but this is a step in the right direction!


We had a guest speaker, Michael Chavez, who is an Enterprise Rose Fellow on Greening the Fairmount Corridor. Michael is working with the Fairmount/Indigo Line CDC Collaborative in an effort to improve economic opportunity for residents, and focus on the benefits that this Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) will bring along this 9-mile commuter rail. The line runs between South Station and Readville through neighborhoods such as Hyde Park and Dorchester, so the goal will be to develop more affordable housing in these neighborhoods and take advantage of the proximity to public transit.  

Michael presented on his work thus far, and focused on the Cottage Brook project in Dorchester, which includes energy efficiency improvements for all 147 units spread across multiple buildings. The buildings are owned by the Dorchester Bay Economic Development Corporation (DBEDC), and Michael and his team initiated this mod-rehab, with the end goal of saving money but also increasing energy efficiency. They were able to redo the roof and install new windows, along with reducing airflow through the doors and windows. They actually installed new windows within the existing window frames of the building, which ended up being a reliable watertight solution. Additionally, they wanted to reduce heat loss through the walls, so they installed insulation between the exterior walls and the heating units. CLEAResult, the consultant on the job, will perform HERS ratings for 3 of the buildings. The tenants who will rent these units will receive continued education on incentives for continuing to improve energy efficiency in these units, through LEAN or MassSave programs for example. Feel free to read more about Michael Chavez and the project (biography found HERE, read PowerPoint HERE)

We then continued our RGBC meeting to confirm our goals for the next few months. We have some exciting projects coming up, so stay tuned for our progress!

Keep an eye out for some events coming up: Our next committee meeting on September 12th, where we will have another guest speaker, so stay tuned on who it will be! Also, the Green Building Showcase is coming up on September 22nd (Register HERE).