Meet our Members: Chris Meier

By USGBCMA Communications, More Green Buildings!


Chris is an active member of our Events Committee and takes on a variety of projects in her work! Read her profile below:

 

For quite a few years, Chris Meier has had an avid interest in sustainability and recently elected to shift her career path in that direction. After investigating different avenues to achieve this goal, she pursued activities to provide a related foundation. In 2014, Chris graduated from MIT with a M.S. in Engineering and Management, as well as a Certificate in Sustainability. She has also earned LEED AP BD+C accreditation and has been a volunteer for the USGBC MA chapter as an events committee member for close to a year. Although her most recent efforts have been focused on sustainability, her previous diverse background also provides added value.

Most notably, she directed corporate programs at different stages of maturity—an accessibility program at BMC Software and ergonomics program at Ameriprise where she applied her PhD in Human Factors Psychology. Chris created the program at BMC Software, with the crucial involvement of multifunctional internal and external stakeholders, to provide accessible technology to those with disabilities. By addressing related U.S. and global laws and standards, hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue were saved. On the other hand, Chris managed an already mature program at Ameriprise, affording public relations opportunities to proclaim its achievements. She collaborated with the U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) in their investigation of the ergonomics program, which was deemed successful based on financial and operational factors, culminating in a report to congressional requesters.

In terms of sustainability on a personal note, a key impact has been her move to Harvard Square, where she resides with her husband, Floyd, and dog named Smudge. Chris relishes the easy access to public transportation and amenities, as well as scenic outdoor space in the area to accommodate long walks.  

 

The First LEED-Certified Building in Santo Domingo is a Green Mall

By USGBCMA Communications, More Green Buildings!

This story was originally written by Amanda Sawit for USGBC National. Read the full article here.

Ágora Mall is the first LEED-certified building in Santo Domingo, the Dominican Republic.

Large retail spaces are notorious for being huge energy consumers, and this was not lost on the project team behind Ágora Mall, Santo Domingo’s first LEED-certified building. Minimizing its environmental impact through energy- and water-saving strategies was a key priority for this project. 

Ágora Mall was awarded LEED Silver under the Building Design and Construction (BD+C) rating system for Core and Shell. While the mall doesn't control the entire design of the tenants, the achievement highlights the complexity of systems that converge within the building. Its domed roof is a 2,000-square-meter structure made of steel and pneumatic ETFE pillows supported by a lightweight structure. The pillows are filled with low-pressure air for insulation and resistance to wind loads. This helps the building save energy by maximizing sunlight while maintaining thermal control over the space; it also creates a more natural indoor environment, which can directly increase employee productivity and boost visitor moods. 

“This certification has a direct impact that goes beyond complying with the requirements of efficient design and construction,” said Dariela Linares of the Landmark Realty Corporation, the owner of Ágora Mall. “Our commitment goes beyond the technical operation of the building.” The mall’s status as a green building also inspires change in people’s lifestyles to raise public awareness about the need to save energy and water and how individual behavior influences our ecological footprint, she added. 

The project team also implemented a recycling and waste management plan, which has become an environmental management program with key sustainability indicators that include the treatment, reuse and disposal of potable and wastewater; energy savings; and the correct handling and disposal of hazardous materials. 

Read the full article here.

Welcome Keith Construction, our New Sponsor!

By Ritchie Lafaille, Office Fellow

Thank you to our newest Chapter Sponsoring Partner: Keith Construction! They are our new Silver Sponsors. It is great to have another dedicated high-performance construction company as part of our sponsoring partner network. 

Keith Construction is a general contractor and construction manager specializing in multifamily residential construction for clients throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic United States. For over three decades, they have steadily grown and expanded our geographic range and scope of services to become a leader in residential rehabilitation, adaptive reuse, historic renovations, and new construction. They have done this by:

– Bringing a sense of urgency and attention to detail to all facets of the project
– Professionally managing, estimating and purchasing to give our clients the best value
– Ensuring our clients are treated fairly and doing what we promised.

They understand your building program and management needs to guarantee construction is fully integrated with accomplishing your goals.
The proof of this commitment can be found in talking to their many satisfied clients. Based in Canton, Massachusetts, Keith Construction incorporated in 1993. Keith Construction is registered to do business in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.

Keith’s satisfaction is derived from developing long-term relationships and consistent delivery of projects. They welcome the opportunity to further talk about how they could be of service to your company.

 

Read more about Keith Construction on its website.

Advocacy Update: PACE Amendment

By USGBCMA Communications, More Green Buildings!

Last week, a combined residential (R-) and commercial (C-) PACE amendment was filed as part of the House Energy Bill (H4377).  It was one of only 6 amendments (of approximately 70 in all) to pass and ultimately be included in the existing energy bill.  The bill was then passed in a vote of the full House.  The amendment would establish a PACE program for both residential and commercial properties (with different structures appropriate to each market sector).  Notably, renewable energy was eliminated from the bill’s language as requested by the Administration.  The bill will direct Mass Development toward the responsibility of developing an energy efficiency-focused PACE program to serve a broad cross section of the residential and commercial market statewide (pending adoption of the program by municipalities individually).

The bill will now go to the Senate for approval (and potential amendment).  If the Senate passes the energy bill, it will go to Conference Committee to iron-out any discrepancies between the bills before advancing to the Governor for signature into law.

The Advocacy Committee of the USGBC MA Chapter has closely monitored the development of this bill and the C-PACE Coalition which it has led stands ready to support the bill’s passage in the Senate and execution by the Governor.  While the Chapter and the Coalition would like to see the renewable energy language added back into the bill, the Chapter will be pleased to see the efficiency-focused PACE amendment stay in the energy bill and will support the development of a PACE program to meet the goals of such legislation.

Next Week: Learn about the Living Building Challenge!

By USGBCMA Communications, More Green Buildings!

Imagine a world where buildings are contributing members of the ecosystem. This vision wouldn't be too far from reality if more people took on the Living Building Challenge, the world's most rigorous building standard.

If you are new to the standard or have a few unanswered questions come visit this session. We will be breifly covering projects in the Commonwealth and will have mediated discussion after the comprehensive presentation. Email celis@usgbcma.org if you're interested in scholarships that are available for students and those working in the non-profit sector.

Register here or below:

We need your talent! Volunteer at our Design Charrette!

By USGBCMA Communications, More Green Buildings!

Interested in helping to “green” a local classroom? Join us for a design charrette on June 30th to brainstorm for our newest community service project: the transformation of a Boston classroom from status quo to super green.

Thursday, June 30, 6:00pm – 7:30pm
Boston/Cambridge area (exact location TBA)

To receive updates on location and specific details,
RSVP here to this free event.

Possible areas for improvement will include maximizing daylight, minimizing energy use, and improving air quality. We will benefit from those with an expertise in design, construction, and products, so please pass the invitation along if you know a prospective volunteer who can be a positive contributor to our team!

You can get involved by signing up as a volunteer or a sponsoring organization! Please join us with your ideas, expertise, material donations, or just a willingness to help out!

To learn more and to RSVP, click here!

image courtesy of http://sageclassroom.com/

Residential Green Building: 6/13/16

By Molly Cox


The Residential Green Building Committee met on June 13th, 2016. We discussed our home building tour a couple of weeks ago, which was a success. It was great to see these LEED certified homes up close and personal, and ask the homeowners any questions we had. More to come on these visits!

Some networking events coming up include the USGBC MA Summer BBQ on June 23rd, 2016, in Cambridge. We will hear a presentation from Eva Leung of Terra Cura Inc., and she will tell us more about Permaculture in the Northeast and sustainable design. The Farmer’s Market Kitchen will be catering!  

On the policy front, we look forward to seeing some updates in the energy omnibus bill, including some updates regarding Green Banks, and residential and commercial PACE financing.

Mark Pignatelli and Peter Sun are also pushing forward on the Energy Efficiency Programs and Building Departments Initiative. This will merge the efforts of permitting offices and building departments, at the point when the builder pulls a permit, to allow increased awareness of rebates and incentives that are available to said builder.  

In other news, GreenBuild is also coming up, you can sign up HERE! Stay tuned for some more Committee updates.