Sunday, September 30, 2007

Green Globes Student Housing - University of Arkansas

Architects: Little Diversified Architectural Consulting (Charlotte, NC) with Allison Architects (Fayetteville and Little Rock)
  • 50 apartments on the southeast edge of the University of Arkansas Fayetteville campus
  • 600 sq ft
  • projected to cost $ 16. 28 million
  • 4 three-story apartment buildings - community building with a lounge, office and upstairs exercise room
  • first Green Globes project on campus
  • part of the university’s efforts to become “a model for sustainability”
  • university “mindful of our responsibility to our environment and to our surroundings”. That means implementing the latest standards in “green design” for all new campus buildings.
  • new UA construction projects followed LEED benchmarks since 2004
  • Green Globes is similar to LEED. 90% percent of criteria between the two agree, but Green Globes identifies wood as a renewable resource
Features:
  • wood frame
  • energy efficient lighting, windows and insulation
  • carpets will be made from recycled materials
  • showers and toilets will be designed to restrict water flow
  • landscaping will use native plants that limit erosion
  • Energy Star-approved appliances
Source: http://www.nwanews.com/adg/News/202757/

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Sidwell Friends Middle School (Washington, DC)

architect: Kieran Timberlake Associates
  • the greenest school in the U.S., the first to earn a platinum LEED rating
  • if initial cost of going green is high- savings can be even greater:
    the energy bill for primary and secondary schools in the U.S. is $6 billion--and that's per year (more than spent annually on computers and books combined)

Features:
  • constructed wetland (first in Washington, DC), treats building waste water on site - part of a closed system that recycles water back to the building and lavatories
  • Green roof vegetation holds and filters rainwater; gutters and downspouts direct rainwater to a biology pond, which supports native habitat. Herbs grown by students on the green roof are supplied to the cafeteria
  • Building orientation
  • passive and mechanically assisted ventilation
  • solar chimneys
  • solar panels
    5% of the building’s total electrical load is generated on the roof
  • double-glazed windows
  • Window placement, skylights and reflective panels maximize use of natural light so energy for lighting in this building is 10 – 15% of that of a comparable code compliant building
  • Recycled, rapidly renewable and locally produced materials such as cork, gypsum, linoleum, bamboo and wheatboard substrate
    Exterior cladding is western red cedar (reclaimed from wine casks)
  • Paints, carpets and adhesives were selected for low emission of volatile organic compounds
  • carbon dioxide sensors in the classrooms automatically adjust temperature by detecting how many people are inside
Source: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1663859,00.html

Thursday, September 20, 2007

321 North (Plantation, FL)

one of the country's first green communities will rise:
  • 33-acre development has an environmental focus
  • $350 million project is still under review
  • could begin as soon as 2008
  • 600 residential units, along with office and a revamped shopping mall, all within walking distance to help cut back on car use
  • Eco-friendly materials will be used throughout the project
  • green screens where plants can grow on some outside walls and rooftops
  • tinted glass that will allow for the shading
  • sustainable woods like bamboo and palm and products made of recycled material like the carpets and countertops
  • maximizes the amount of natural light that gets indoors
  • paints, adhesives and other materials will also have a low chemical content
  • part of a nationwide pilot program to expand LEED for Neighborhood Development
    (LEED certified building ends up with 35 percent cost reduction in energy consumption and 40 percent in reduction of water consumption than a non-LEED building)
  • economic data supports the decision to green your facilities
Source: http://www.nbc6.net/news/14151987/detail.html

Monday, September 10, 2007

Course - Carbon Neutral Building Design

  • October 8-9, 2007
  • Vintners Inn north of Santa Rosa, California (Sonoma Wine Country region)
  • 2 day "How Low Can You Go?" training
  • cost $1995, includes all gourmet meals (accommodations and transportation not included)
  • designed for Lead Architects and Design Teams interested in carbon neutral buildings
  • using Revit, ArchiCAD, and our Green Building Studio web service (GBS)
Core topics:
  • fundamental principles of how a building can achieve carbon neutrality
  • how today's BIM tools make it easier then ever to do energy analysis
  • why the earliest decisions an architect makes are the most critical
Prerequisites:
  • Basic familiarity and previous use of either ArchiCAD or Revit and an installed copy of
    one of these BIM tools on your laptop computer
Contact: John Kennedy President & CTO Green Building Studio, Inc. 707.569.7373 x100