Remarks on recent events

By Grey Lee, Executive Director

Dear Colleagues in Green Building,

The recent election has generated a lot of emotional energy throughout our communities. My heart is tight.

Many people are excited about change, a practical approach to government, and anticipated efficiencies in getting business done.

Many are frightened and mobilizing about statements coming from our president-elect related to racism, intolerance, antipathy to science, and general capriciousness. There are demonstrations, there is violence & aggression. There is a call to action.

I have been speaking with many of our members. The ABX conference has afforded some great interactions already. Some ask: how can we respond as a community? What is our role – how do we juggle our traditional focus on buildings with the wide range of associated concerns we have? 

Word from the new actors in Washington is that major legal frameworks and federal agency support structures which affect our industry will be diminished. At a meeting last night with colleagues, we lamented how so much progress on sustainability issues seems to be getting simply thrown away. It is frustrating, saddening and angering all at the same time.

Our work may seem more urgent than ever. Many of our peer organizations are rattled, are raging, are redoubling their efforts. 

Let us recall our center. Our core. Our knowing-ness of the long arc toward justice.

Let us use our fundamental beliefs in a better world as a bedrock to build upon. 

Let us use our wholehearted convictions to double down on our work.

We must hit the calculations harder and develop messages that are unassailable – not just aspirational and rhetorical, but defensible against short-term thinking. 

As an organization we are committed to change. Our parent organization arose as a means to disrupt the status quo. We have shifted the way architecture, engineering and construction is done. 

But as one of our Directors said: “What has really changed?  We’re already heading off a cliff.  Now we’re just driving a little faster!”

We have not turned the course of the vehicle, as it were, of our industry. The election may affect some GSA requirements for green buildings, but what else? 

We still have to pitch to clients the science of green buildings, the moral imperative of reduced GHGs and diminished toxicity, the health benefits of better buildings. As Boston's Chief of Environment & Energy, Austin Blackmon has commented: none of our daily work is significantly changed.

Let's take our core convictions, the strength of our arguments, and move forward to offer our communities the benefits of green buildings.

We aspire to drive sustainable and regenerative design, construction and operation of the built environment. We must work together to raise up our abilities and capacities to lead the industry. 

No one else will do this: connect the amazing promise of sustainability to the massively scalable solution that a transformed built environment can deliver. 

We are the solution we are seeking! 

Let us be heartened by our organizational vision:

We envision a thriving and diverse community, creating a built environment of net positive systems of water and energy, of financial and social equity, and of ecological and human health.

Let us respond as brightness to the malevolent and inconsiderate.

Let us respond with rectifying compassion to the shifting culture around us, the emboldened misguided bigots, and the science-averse.

Let us grow our roles and bring more people into our movement. Let us grow our connections with our colleagues across the acronyms and across the aisles. Let us step back and step up as needed, and respond invigorated!

I look forward to working with you in the coming weeks and months.

Thank you for being part of our community,

Grey

[NB the photo above is from Monday night's meeting with the Living Building Collaborative, which we host. The Living Future Challenge is an inspiring message about a better future that I think we can all believe in!]

The Green Donald

By Grey Lee, Executive Director

Donald Trump is a “climate denier” who, among other things, has indicated hostility to environmental and community-beneficial regulations and initiative of the federal government. This will complicate our work to advance sustainability and net positive systems in the built environment (our mission). We will need you help – and I look forward to you participating in our advocacy work, attending our events and service projects and joining us as a member. It will be a lot of work!

 

However, there is hope in the world of green building:


Trump's 1290 Avenue of the Americas is a LEED EB Silver certified building. Nice work TD Bank – a LEED CI Gold certification in the building there!

Trump International Hotel & Tower in Chicago is registered for LEED…we shall see where that goes.

 

Here's a somewhat right-wing yet fascinating take on where Trump may connect on the green building agenda. The thesis being these green building rating systems should be voluntary, but also that climate change deniers shouldn't be ridiculed. I think we all accept the scientific consensus, and if someone doesn't, it is reasonable to help them understand it. Truly, ridicule is not the best way to help someone come around. Trump has announced a $1 trillion effort to rebuild infrastructure and the built environment – this is a big opportunity for us to facilitate those investments being made for the best long-term value.

It is going to be an interesting ride.

 

You can read about his NYC real estate here (#13 is 1290 Avenue of the Americas, LEED EB Silver).

That is all I have to say right now. Be well out there! 

Grey

[Don't go to Daily Kos unless you want to be freaked out by other aspects of the President-elect.] 

Review Article 37 at Our Boston's Evolution to Green Event 12/7

By USGBC MA


Come join us to connect with the City of Boston and to learn about their quest towards carbon neutrality. We will convene a discussion in the City's efforts through policy, reviewing Article 37, present ambitions towards net-zero and looking at the market's appetite for green real estate. 

Register for Boston's Evolution to Green event here!

The event intends to convene the real estate sector with policy makers and those who are stakeholders in the the transition towards a more environmentally friendly and marketable downtown. 

Stay tuned for presenters and event schedule.

Wednesday, December 7th, 2016
5:30pm – 7:30pm
Boston City Hall
1 City Hall Square
Boston, MA, 02201

Some information on Boston's environmental policy:

In January 2015, Mayor Martin J. Walsh updated the Greenovate Boston Climate Action Plan, reaffirming long-standing goals to reduce community greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent by 2020 and 80 percent by 2050 and establishing new goals to ensure that Boston is prepared for the effects of climate change, including rising sea levels and more frequent temperature extremes and precipitation events.

Boston Zoning Code Article 37, Green Buildings (Article 37) and the Boston Climate Change Preparedness and Resiliency Policy (Resiliency Policy) and Checklist (Resiliency Checklist) ensure that major building projects are planned, designed, constructed, and managed to minimize adverse environmental impacts; conserve natural resources; prepare for climate change; promote a more sustainable city; and enhance the quality of life in Boston. All proposed projects subject to or electing to comply with Zoning Article 80B, Large Project Review are subject to Article 37.

Register here!

Come to the Biomimicry & Living Building Exploration Event Sat. 11/5

By Biomimicry New England


Our friends over at Biomimicry New England are holding an event this Saturday, November 5th in Amherst, MA, entitled Biomimicry & Living Building Exploration. Instead of spending your Saturday sleeping or catching up on YouTube, make it a productive weekend (and save sleep for Sunday!) by attending this informative event discussing and touring living buildings.

From 9:30AM to 4:00PM, this day will feature lectures as well as tours of two new living buildings, followed by a panel discussion on bio-inspired planning.

The program will include a lecture and tour of the Hitchcock Center by architect Sam Batchelor of designLAB architects. Jason Jewett of Bruner/Cott will discuss the design of Kern Center at Hampshire College and lead a tour of that building. This will be followed by a panel discussion about biomimicry and urban planning.

Panelists will include: Josh stack, Counselor at law & Resilience; Jim Newman, Linnean Solutions and Elisha Long, CV Properties & Biomimicry Professional. Moderator, Peter Lawrence, Biomimicry New England.

Register for the event here!

Did You Know That Green Buildings Promote Human Rights?

By Alexander Landa


According to an article by the Journal of Human Rights and the Environment, it turns out that there's a solid connection between human rights and the built environment. Essentially, humans should be guaranteed at least a bare minimum of living in a quality environment; there's a case to be said that there would be legal ramifications should a person not be surrounded by buildings that meet certain health requirements.

This dilemma is emerging, though. These provisions are historically meant to say that a human should be safe in the natural environment, not the built environment. The USGBC and other organizations are working to amend this to include indoor requirements as well.

A major claim by the article is that humans have the rights to the environment, health, housing, water, and sanitation, and that this is all affected by the indoor environmental quality (IEQ) as well as the outdoors, natural environment.

There's a bright side, at least! The report also details that green buildings are combating this, as these designs are meant to address and fix many IEQ issues, considering anything from indoor air quality to lighting and acoustics. This means that LEED buildings are essentially built and designed with IEQ in mind.

Information was taken from Josh Gellers, PhD at GBIG/Journal of Human Rights and the Environment.

HUD supporting Green Building with insurance rate reductions

By Anthony Lucivero, Advocacy Fellow


Julian Castro, the Secretary for the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), announced a measure last week to support green and affordable housing. Federal Housing Administration annual insurance rates for energy efficient green housing will be given a 20-45 point reduction.  Also announced were insurance rate reductions for affordable housing units.  HUD cited numerous studies showing decline in home ownership and income, and an increase in the home rental market. This is another important victory in promoting energy efficient building design!

You can read the original news story here.

 

Newly-Certified LEED Buildings in MA! (July)

By USGBCMA Communications, More Green Buildings!

We love hearing about all the Green Building that's going on! Here are some of the buildings that were LEED Certified in July.

Maybe we'll see some of these buildings at our Green Building Showcase this year!

Click here to learn more about LEED.

Aspuru-Guzik Laboratory (LEED Gold)

12 Oxford Street, Cambridge
LEED-CI v2009
Registered December 8, 2014; Certified July 28, 2016
63/110 Points (Gold)
4,664 square feet

Nichols College Academic Center ( LEED Gold)

Nichols' year old Academic Building
image source
124 Center Road, Dudley
LEED-NC v2009
Registered November 18, 2013; Certified July 27, 2016
61/110 Points (Gold)
29,339 square feet

New East Bridgewater Jr/Sr High School (LEED Silver)

image source
11 Plymouth Street, East Bridgewater
LEED FOR SCHOOLS v2009
Registered November 22, 2010; Certified July 25, 2016
51/110 Points (Silver)
213,584 square feet

TripAdvisor Center 128 (LEED Silver)


image source
400 First Avenue, Needham
LEED-CS v2009
Registered August 13, 2013; Certified July 25, 2016
58/110 Points (Silver)
288,092 square feet

Western MA Regionial Women's Correctional Center (LEED Gold)

image source
701 Center Street, Chicopee
LEED-NC v2009
Registered June 10, 2011; Certified July 18, 2016
63/110 Points (Gold)
28,477 square feet

22 Federal Street (LEED Gold)

image source
22 Federal Street, Nantucket
LEED-NC v2009
Registered October 27, 2014; Certified July 14, 2016
60/110 Points (Gold)
5,597 square feet

265 Franklin Street (LEED Gold)


image source
265 Franklin Street, Boston
LEED-EB:OM v2009
Registered November 20, 2009; Certified July 12, 2016
65/110 Points (Gold)
368,061 square feet

In TWO Days: We're touring a Zero Net Energy Lab!

By USGBCMA Communications, More Green Buildings!

Join us to tour and learn about the recently completed John J. Sbrega, Health and Science Building at Bristol Community College (BCC) in Fall River, MA. 
 
August 4th 2016, 5:30 PM – 8 PM
John J. Sbrega, Health and Science Building (777 Elsbree Street, Fall River, MA 02720)
 
Agenda: 
5:30pm to 6:30pm – Social Hour 
6:30pm to 7:30pm – Building and Lab Tour 
7:30pm to 8:00pm – Networking 
 
Organized and hosted by I2SL New England.
The 50,000-sf building brings together currently disparate programs from across campus, including chemistry, biology and medical and dental education. It holds an energy-dense program, including 18 fume hoods, high plug loads and specific ventilation and lighting requirements. 
  
Initially designed to meet the statutory requirement of Massachusetts LEED Silver Plus, BCC doubled-down on their commitment to achieving carbon neutrality for their entire campus operations by the year 2050. This new campus goal encouraged Sasaki Architects and BR+A Consulting Engineers to develop a zero-net-energy (ZNE) design in parallel with the high-performance design. 
  
A synergistic combination of old and new technologies was chosen. The ZNE design relies on a hybrid ground-source/air-source heat pump system, 13 filtered fume hoods, enthalpy wheel heat recovery, central air quality monitoring, fan-coil units with EC motors, 50% lighting power density reduction, a high-performance envelope with thermally broken assemblies and natural ventilation systems. 
  
Come hear the challenges, lessons learned and outcome of this first ZNE lab design in the Northeast as the architects and engineers lead the tour! 
  
We look forward to seeing everyone!
 

888 Boylston: Our Showcase Venue!

By USGBCMA Communications, More Green Buildings!

Are you excited for Green Building Showcase 2016? We are– especially because we get to host it in the newly-renovated 888 Boylston Street!

Don't forget to register for the Showcase here!


888 Boylston Street is a 17-story office and retail tower near the Hynes Convention Center and the Shops at the Prudential Center: it has a distinguishable glass facade that is visible from the Commonwealth Avenue Mall and other Back Bay landmarks.


As it nears completion, the project is seeking LEED Platinum Certification.


Check out the Green Wall of Plants inside!


Want to spend an evening in this building? Come to our Green Building Showcase! Click here to learn more.

The Moment You've Been Waiting For: Showcase is Back!

By USGBCMA Communications, More Green Buildings!

Our annual Green Building Showcase attracts and unites over 300 leaders in the building industry in our love for green buildings. Join us in celebrating all that our community has achieved in the past year!

Thursday, September 22 from 5:30pm to 8:00pm 
888 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116 

Register here or below. ***Early Bird Discounts end August 20!!***

Check out the video we put together from last year's Showcase:

 

Green Building Showcase 2015! from USGBC MA on Vimeo.

For more information, please check out the links below!

General Info
What is this event? // Who attends this event? // Event Details // Board Details

Registration
Package Selection Process

Sponsorship Opportunities
Packages and Deals

Contest
Details & Award Categories // Past Winners // Voting // Why Enter?