William McDonough: Cradle to Cradle

Masdar Headquarters, (zero waste, zero carbon emission) Masdar City

• Chicago architecture firm Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill
• 1.4 million sq ft mixed use building
• ground-breaking ceremony on February 9, 2008, will be completed by the end of 2010
• Masdar City will be constructed over 7 phases to be completed by 2016
• buildings solar roof (one of the largest in the world) will be constructed first, and power the construction of the rest of the building
• building will produce more power than it needs
• largest solar thermal driven cooling and dehumidification system
• consume about 70% less water than a typical mixed-use building of its size
• PROJECT ANIMATION
  

Source: http://www.enn.com/top_stories/article/33088

What is missing in LEED? (Rocky Mountain Masonry Blog)

Well written article. Good, thoughtful read.

http://rockymountainmasonry.blogspot.com/2008/02/what-is-missing-in-leed.html

• Life Cycle Assessment
• Repair and Maintenance
• Passive Heating, Cooling, and Lighting
• Embodied Energy and Embodied Water
• Retiring Carbon Credits
• Social Equity Credits

Ontario's 1st LEED Platinum Green Building

• Architect: Montgomery Sisam Architects Inc.
• located in Vaughan, Ontario
• 2-storey, 1095 m2 building: office space for 25 occupants and a works garage
• construction is engineered wood framing with brick and wood siding
• cost premium aprox 10%
• expected to achieve a 66 % annual energy savings
• heating: heat pump system with a slinky ground source loop
• cooling: chilled water fan coils supplimented by cooled floor, using the same tubing as the radiant heating system
• concrete “earth tube” delivers outdoor air to the basement mechanical equipment
• 2 heat-recovery ventilators deliver 100 % outside air to the offices via displacement ventilation
• power: partly by photovoltaic system and remaining needs buying electrical power from a supplier of green (renewable) power—Bullfrog Power
• composting toilets (rarely used in offices) and waterless urinals means that the centre uses no water for wastewater conveyance, , together with low-flow plumbing fixtures throughout the building conserve 80% of the potable indoor water normally used in a building of this size
• 95 % of regularly occupied spaces have an abundance of daylighting and 90 % of these spaces have a view to the outdoors
• furniture is certified as “low off-gassing.”

Source: http://www.trca.on.ca/Website/TRCA/website.nsf/frmNewsArticleDisplay?OpenForm&NoteID=NT0001A1E6

TruStile’s MDF doors

• Available in TruStile’s 350+ door styles
• Certified by SCS (Scientific Certification Systems) to be constructed of 82% recycled content
• Eligible for LEED^® credits for Materials and Resources
• Manufactured with low-emitting adhesives
• No-added formaldehyde MDF option is an ideal choice for builders who are concerned about indoor air quality
• More durable and long-lasting than hollow-core doors

Sources for green furniture (Green Home Guide)

Question: Are there any stores—online or in the real world—that sell affordable green furniture?

Answer: Fortunately, there are—both online and in the real world! Of course, which ones you buy from will depend on what you consider affordable and which green attributes are most important to you.

Depending on the materials used to make a piece of furniture, its green features could include any of the following:
* Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified, sustainably harvested wood;
* nontoxic glues (or no glues);
* nontoxic stains and finishes;
* organic cotton or other natural fibers;
* untreated upholstery or nontoxic fabric treatments for fire resistance, waterproofing, and stainproofing; and local manufacture using local materials.

While it’s rare to find products that meet all these criteria, the number of furniture manufacturers and individual products with green attributes is growing, providing more options in all price ranges... (read more by following the link)

High Efficiency Toilets (HET)

"Thus, the High Efficiency Toilet (HET) is becoming a significant part of the toilet fixture marketplace as manufacturers recognize the compelling need for water-efficient products and water authorities and municipalities incorporate them into their toilet replacement programs. Furthermore, builders participating in "green building" programs, such as the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California's California Friendly Model Home program install HETs to accumulate water efficiency credits or to comply with program requirements.

The HET is defined as a fixture that flushes at 20 percent below the 1.6-gpf/6.0-lpf maximum or less, equating to a maximum of 1.3-gpf/4.8-lpf. This 20% reduction threshold serves as a metric for water authorities and municipalities designing more aggressive toilet replacement programs and, in some cases, establishing an additional performance tier for their financial incentives (e.g., rebate and voucher programs). Previous field studies in the U.S. and Canada have demonstrated that the average flush volume of dual-flush toilets in residential applications ranges between 1.1 and 1.2 gals."

ecohaus

ecohaus = Environmental Home Centre + Environmental Building Supplies (Seattle, Portland, Bend)
"We've spent over 10 years finding, using, testing and selling this wonderful array of items. They're what all building materials ought to be—stellar performers with Expanded Value Performance because they're safer, more durable and more energy efficient."

Changi "green" Airport, Singapore

Features:

• designed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill and CPG Corporation
• began in 1999, at an estimated cost of about S$1.75 billion
• 380,000 square meters (4 million sq ft)
• natural lighting from the 919 skylights
• positioning air-conditioners nearer to floor-level
• 5-storey high wall of hanging plants to regulate the internal temperature of the terminal with the occasional misting
• a butterfly garden
• koi ponds dotted throughout
  

Sources:
http://www.enn.com/top_stories/article/28926
http://www.changiairport.com/changi/en/airport_guide/exp_changi/index.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singapore_Changi_Airport