2016 Retrospective – USGBC MA Year in Review
By Alexander Landa
We surpassed 600 dues-paying members and tripled the size of our Emerging Professionals Committee. We rolled up our sleeves for service projects in Dorchester, Roxbury and Mattapan, and along the Charles River.
We continue to connect sustainability-strong professionals to work together to create more green buildings and smart cities. We have over 900 LEED certifications and 2 Living Buildings in Massachusetts. We're proud of our community and our successes.
We are energized to drive sustainable and regenerative design, construction, and operations of buildings. We want net positive results for our communities through a better built environment.
Thank you
Now that 2016 is coming to a close, we again want to say how thankful we are for such a passionate community of green building leaders and advocates!
We would genuinely appreciate an end of the year donation to help us strengthen our advocacy campaigns, educational opportunities, and to connect more industry leaders to make Massachusetts that much greener of a state. For the remainder of 2016, PayPal is matching 1% of all donations to our chapter, and any support you can give us truly does make a difference.
There are other ways you can help! One of our primary objectives is of course advocacy. Between contacting legislators directly, attending our meetings, and anything in between, you can help shape our environment. Learn more about advocacy.
Another great way to get involved is in our mentorship program. If you have knowledge to pass on, please consider mentoring a future green building leader. Those looking for guidance themselves can be matched with one of the volunteering mentors. Learn about mentoring.
Annual Meeting
The beginning of the year started off in a big way. We celebrated our victories, planned out the rest of 2016, elected new board members, and had a really fun evening aside. If there's any time to see what being a member of our Chapter is like, then this is the event to attend. Our next Annual Meeting is January 26th, and you can register for the big day here, and see the full recap of the 2016 meeting here.
Policy Podium for Net Metering
One of our most pivotal advocacy campaigns involves net metering, and aiming to grow solar development and work with legislation directly. In effort to eliminate net metering caps, we brainstormed that we need to modernize the grid, focus more on transparency, and decide what steps building developers can do directly. Full recap.
Building Tech Forum
This was a really exciting night for everyone in our community. We're all about innovation and trying to raise the bar for what green building professionals can do, so we decided it was time to take a deeper dive into emerging technological advancements to support sustainable design. This unique event focuses on smart cities, and what can be done now to work towards a more advanced future and what steps we can take now to make it happen. Full recap, and sign up for 2017's Building Tech Forum.
Charles River Cleanup
We get out there and we get our hands dirty. If we're going to help make more green buildings, we should be surrounded by a greener surrounding environment. It's only fair to make everything healthy! Full recap.
Green Building Showcase
Obviously, a major component of what we do is supporting designers and architects who create more sustainable buildings. At the Showcase, we shine the spotlight on those who are willing to put the extra effort in to create a healthier building for the environment, and for the inhabitants. Read the full recap, see the winners, and read more about the Building of the Year award winner, Elkus Manfredi for their New Balance HQ design.
Healthy Materials Summit
The building as a whole is incredibly important, but we need to start paying more attention to the materials that go into creating them, and ensuring more transparency is disclosed regarding the materials. The Healthy Materials Summit focused on materials transparency, and what developers can do to work with it. Full recap.
Greenbuild
We're sure you already know, but Greenbuild is coming to Boston in 2017! This year, Greenbuild was in Los Angeles, so we flew out there to enjoy the world's largest green building conference with our peers. We went to educational sessions, networked with like-minded individuals, and learned how we can make 2017's event that much better. Full recap.
ABX
In November in Boston, we attended the Northeast's largest architectural expo, and learned quite a lot from a wide variety of industries in the world of architecture. We met with materials manufacturers, designers, green building advocates, and people from all around the world. On Monday, we held our own little pre-mixer with ILFI's Amanda Sturgeon, and on Wednesday we worked with the Quebec Delegation to have an engaging party, celebrating our new partnership with them. Full recap.
Greenbuild Kickoff & Volunteer Night
Just last week, we held our kickoff party for Greenbuild 2017. We're going all-in for the next year to make sure this is the biggest one yet! We set up working groups and volunteers of eager, enthusiastic green building professionals to work together to make magic happen. Full recap.
Let's start making 2017's retrospective
Our journey and mission will never end. We have some really exciting events coming up that we'd love to see you at. We want to imagine ourselves at the end of 2017 and say “Wow, we really started off the year well!”
- 1/19 – Project Mapping Workshop with SPI: What IP steps do we need to consider when planning a new design?
- 1/26 – Annual Meeting: Let's all celebrate the victories we achieved in 2016 together, as well as nominating the next Board of Directors.
- 1/31 – Grid Modernization in Massachusetts: Learn how we can plan a grid designed for the future.
- 2/16 – Building Tech Forum: Now's the time to explore advancing technologies and Smart Cities in the mission for a more sustainable future.
