GreenDigs Blog

Plain Green 10 was a kick. Now we’re sifting through all the bytes of information needing organization and wrap-up, and the headless snowman napkin sketch I woefully described during the “good morning welcome” has emerged. Had we been able to bring this simple diagram up on the screen, it would have illustrated our intent and mission for the day.

It was a quick illustration by Brian Dunbar from the Opening Party the night before. Brian was explaining three very different places in the way we design our world.

Degenerate. The bottom of the illustration is where most of us reside, and usually design if that is our profession, and if we’re being honest.

Sustain. The middle is really a misnomer, but worthy target.

Regenerate. At the top is what the future holds for those who truly dream, stretch and look long into the future when designing and making our world.

The ‘belly button,’ by the way, is where Brian sees green building these days.

Hate to bring up Doom & Gloom topics, but here’s an article regarding US Forest Land.

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/2010-04-27-forests27_ST_N.htm

Clearly an issue which doesn’t recieve a lot of press, but still should be attended to. The largest human culprits are urban sprawl and havesting of non-sanctioned forests. These can both be alleviated through sustainable practices on urban development and responsible harvesting of forests and woodlands. The Council for New Urbanism provides examples on building smarter communities, and the Forest Stewardship Council provides a means for responsible timber harvesting.

http://www.cnu.org/

http://www.fsc.org/

I’m sitting at my kitchen counter.  It’s 4 a.m. and there are whirling details and to-dos riding around in my head. It happens every year at this time, why should this year be any different? We have some incredible speakers coming to Sioux Falls from 8 states, both coasts and varied disciplines. I was recently telling my son who is an art major at USD about Dr. J (Dr. Mitchell Joachim) who has been artfully and architecturally dreaming about future possibilities for our cities, how and where we live, and what we drive – envision fluffy lamb cars that bump into you instead of squash you. I told him about Dr. J’s education spanning from Columbia to Harvard to MIT and that he’s coining words like carborexic, but I didn’t really get his attention until I mentioned that Dr. J has dreadlocks down to his a**… err, a passle of dreads. Now he is looking for a ride from Vermillion to the Washington Pavilion on Thursday April 29. I’m his mother afterall, and what do I know that might interest young creative types?

Gee whiz.

A colleague of mine sent me this clip regarding setting the ‘thinktone’ for incoming architecture students for the new School of Architecture at SDSU next fall.  It is about 15 minutes of an outside-of-box view of the progression of technology and how we use it.   Technology’s Epic Story  Bernard Tschumi said, “We have to teach both the technology of construction and the construction of technology.”

Btw, TED is the organization of the not-so-famous but very cool TED Prize, of which one and possibly 2 of the Plain Green 10 speakers has won.  Check out Cameron Sinclair April 29 at the Washington Pavilion, registration is http://plaingreen.org/ .

One of the more difficult credits to earn in the LEED rating systems can be MRc2: Construction Waste Management.  Paticularly in more rural areas of the state and country, where it is often difficult to find recycling facilities.  Moreover, there is no prominant recycling facilities for used and waste drywall in the entire state.  For the most part, projects simply trashed this excess drywall to the local landfill, where tipping fees are cheap and transport is easy. 

Within the past few years, alternative means for wasted drywall and gypsum have developed.  The following site proposes numerous alternatives:

http://www.drywallrecycling.org/

The Report from Vermont is paticularly helpful.  Hopefully the industry can take a look at these measures and apply them to building projects in the area.  The new addition at the Game, Fish & Parks project in Pierre is looking to apply these strategies to redirect waste content.  Drywall consists of most of the waste product on this project  By recycling the waste/unused product, construction waste diversion has increased from roughly 15% to 85% by initial estimates.

Part 2 of 2 (still working on the costs, but there’s some good ideas here)

ENERGY

1.  Evaluate Falls Center energy use, determine EPA ENERGY STAR rating EnergyStar Target Finder

2.  Conduct an energy audit of the office, install metering as needed to monitor and continually decrease energy use (haven’t figured out how to do this easily yet)

a.  Rezone lighting for photometric daylight harvesting meaning the lights nearest windows will dim or shut off when enough natural light enters the space

b.  Install test LED lamping in our corridor recessed can and track light lobby fixtures

c.  Investigate technology to enhance equipment and computer rest times for highest energy savings

3.  Conduct a corbon footprint audit of the office, re-audit annually to track reduction progress

a.  Purchase greentags to offset our annual carbon footprint Renewable Choice Energy

b.  Conduct carbon footprint audits on an individual basis for awareness Carbon Footprinting

i.  Encourage using alternative forms of transportation

ii.  Purchase greentags to offset office-sponsored travel events (such as going to Greenbuild in Chicago!)

4.  Create and implement an Equipment Maintenance Program for Falls Center (our building) energy systems

a.  Provide annual training for maintenance staff (maintained systems are more efficient)

MATERIALS – we recently updated some of the finishes in the office to green standards so we’re a little light for planning in this area

1.  Conduct a Koch Hazard waste audit and track improvements on an annual basis

a.  Include recycled materials and garbage

2.  Audit existing lighting, find alternatives to mercury-containing lamps

a.  Content goal is 80 picograms per lumen hour of light output on average – I will need to look up picograms first…

INDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY

1.  Test office air quality and take corrective action if needed

a.  Ensure ventilation air meets ASHRAE 62 requirements or a minimum of 10 cfm per person

b.  Test for pollutants such as formaldehyde, particulates, total VOCs, 4-phenylcyclohexene, and carbon monoxide – note to self to look up 4-phenyl also

2.  Issue a thermal comfort survey in summer and winter to uncover issues, take corrective action as necessary

3.  Optimize use of air quality compliant materials inside the building

a.  Adhesives/sealants, paints/coatings, carpet systems, and composite wood products

4.  implement a green cleaning program with maintenance stall – use Green Seal as a guide for chemicals and methods

OTHER

1.  Investigate LEED O+M certification for Falls Center

2.  Join and make available a social equity or environmental giving network for optional payroll deductions.  Two examples:

a.  Chicago Global Donors Network

b.  Earthshare

3.  Implement a company volunteering program

a.  Study example programs from other similarly sized companies

b.  Partner with staff to encourage volunteerism

Lots of good ideas, now the work begins – rounding up estimates, policy writing, scheduling, budgeting….  Why do I suggest these things?  I secretly really like all this stuff.

We’ve been thinking about the home shop and how it could be greened even more in 2010.  Our digs are an updated grocery warehouse from the turn of the century and inherently green being a preservation project, but there’s always room for improvement right?  And being home to the GreenDigs blog… well you get the connection.  This will in fact be the first GreenDigs series, two here of six total.  Stay tuned.

A GREENER SITE

1. Plan and implement a green site and building exterior management program.

a.  Address pest management, de-icing, building exterior maintenance (painting and sealants, etc).

2. Provide a bike rack (novel idea) and a publicly accessible shower/changing room to promote alternative transportation and fitness.

3. Plant native grasses in the tree planters (currently filled with landscape bark).

4. Assess site lighting, create a plan to replace fixtures causing light pollution (bright uplights and light tresspass).

WATER USE

1. Install a demonstration rain barrel on the back deck for watering our deck plants.

2. Install low-flow (or no flow?) fixtures in our offices 2nd floor restrooms.

3. Conduct a whole building water audit to create a baseline for water usage.

Our site is downtown and consists of building, concrete, and asphalt thus no need to irrigate.

Now that we’re only a week away from Christmas we’re well into ‘Holiday Party’ season. How green have you been? Check out these tips I found at the City of Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability website (www.portlandonline.com):

• Avoid disposables. Instead, use dishes, utensils, glasses and serving dishes made of glass, metal or sturdy plastic that can be washed and reused year after year.
• If you use a caterer, ask that they provide reusable dishes; or, biodegradable paper plates and utensils they can take back to their kitchen’s compost barrel.
• Take advantage of the delicious food available locally. Buying regionally grown food reduces CO2 emissions and supports the local economy.
• Consider your guest list when preparing or ordering food so you’ll have the food people most enjoy in the right quantities.
• Put recycling and food waste boxes or buckets in plain sight where guests can easily see and use them.
• Donate unopened food and beverages, and any leftover food prepared in a commercial kitchen.
• Ask guests to bring Tupperware containers for taking home leftovers.
• Use the same decorations year after year, such as pinecones dusted with glitter, colorful ornaments and serving baskets.
• Recycle party platters purchased from delis and grocery stores. (They aren’t acceptable curbside, but there are local recyclers and a few grocers that accept them.)
• Celebrate community. Get friends together to volunteer at the local food bank or at a local shelter; coordinate a blanket or coat drive; make food baskets for gifts. 

Happy Holidays!

In line with the Christmas season, the staff at All Modern is feeling pretty generous and is giving away a $75 item (your pick) from their eco-product line. Their site features green items ranging from accessories and lighting to furniture and fireplaces, and of course, it’s all stylishly modern. Check out the AllModern.com website; you might be surprised that some of the famous classic furniture pieces have green attributes, or discover a new item which may become your classic piece… either way, it’s green and we love it!

To enter the contest, leave us a comment below with the name & location of your favorite green building, and why you like it. The contest runs from 11/20 to 11/27, and ends at midnight CST. Good luck and happy shopping!

Today I found an interesting article relating to LEED projects and acoustics (sound quality), featured on another green website. It noted how acoustics are often overlooked or improperly addressed, even though Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) credits are intended to improve them. (A webinar I participated in also reiterated this statement.) 

So if you design or assist on LEED building projects, this article is definitely worth checking out.