Santiago Calatrava's Chicago Spire

Shelbourne Development and Santiago Calatrava Chicago Spire

• aka The Twisted Tower
• Popular Science Engineering Grand Award Winner from their Best of What's New 2007
• 2,000 feet
• 1,193 condos
• the tallest residential building in the world (tall enough to see the curvature of the planet from the top floors!)
• completed in 2011
• green touches:
  
• cooling system that draws water from the Chicago River
• cisterns for collecting rainwater for landscaping
• reflective glass that will prevent migratory-bird collisions
• aiming to earn LEED “gold”
  
• thechicagospire.com

Largest Low-Rise Green Development in Canada

Oct. 24 - The Toronto Economic Development Corporation (TEDCO) and Monarch Corporation announced today that they will develop the largest low-rise green residential community in Canada.

• called Evergreen
• environmentally friendly homes built to the new LEED-H
  
• Toronto's Midland and St. Clair area (Scarborough)
• combined development area will equal close to 24 acres
• eventually encompass a mix of 196 town homes and single-family homes
• cost for green building for each unit could rise by as much as 8-9% or $12,000 of the direct building cost

Canadian green building information sources

Sustainable, High-Performance “Green” Building in Canada

Green building – also often referred to as sustainable, high performance building – has its roots in the energy conservation, healthy building, interior air quality, building envelope, commissioning and integrated design movements. It is international in scope. Here is a list of the major Canadian green building information sources.

Dubai 1st Green City in the World

The instruction issued by His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, that all buildings in Dubai would have to be constructed as per environment-friendly "green building standards" from January next year (2008). come as a major boost to the international climate initiative.

The latest decision makes Dubai one of the first in the world, and the only city in the Middle East region, to go for the "green building standards".

This system also has a plethora of benefits to derive from. For example, a green building, according to the US Green Buildings Council, can save, on an average, 70 per cent of electricity, between 50 and 60 per cent of water, and 36 per cent of energy more when compared to the standard buildings.

OSBBC - Fall Straw Bale House Tour

Saturday October 13, 2007
from 10:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M.
Over 30 homes will be featured

For more information visit the link, call 1-87-STRAWBAL(E) or email info@strawbalebuilding.ca

http://www.strawbalebuilding.ca/gallery.shtml

B.I.M. - the wave of the future

Architects in California say factors such as building information modeling, green building and industry consolidation are changing the way they do business.

For instance, Irvine-based Ware Malcomb has placed a big emphasis on having its project management teams become LEED-accredited, says CEO Larry Armstrong. At the same time, Ware Malcomb is preparing its staff to do BIM projects later this year, he adds.

“(BIM) is a freight train and it’s coming,” Armstrong says.

Peter Devereaux, president of Los Angeles-based Harley Ellis Devereaux, calls BIM “the wave of the future and it will transform our industry.”

BIM also means that design firms will be looking for more experienced, licensed architects and that will mean less opportunities for the drafters and novice architects, Darden adds.

“Everywhere you will see people trying to hire licensed experienced architects,” Darden says. “With BIM, there is no room at the bottom.”

Finding experienced and qualified architects is a concern for Kit Ratcliff, president of Emeryville-based Ratcliff.

There has been a 50% falloff in the last 10 years in U.S. licensed architects, Ratcliff says. “We are running out of architects,” he adds.

Source: http://california.construction.com/features/archive/0710_Cover.asp

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/

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

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

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

Sun Frost refrigerators and freezers

Sun Frost refrigerators and freezers are so outstandingly energy-efficient, powering a home with solar power or other low output energy sources is both feasible and affordable. All models are available in 12 or 24 volt DC, or 110 or 220 volt AC. Even in a home using conventional utility power, energy consumption for refrigeration is typically cut by a factor of five!

(WBCSD) report - "Green" Construction Costs Lower Than Believed

World Business Council for Sustainable Development
Respondents to a 1400 person global survey estimated the additional cost of building green at 17 percent above conventional construction, more than triple the true cost difference of about 5 percent. At the same time, survey respondents put greenhouse gas emissions by buildings at 19 percent of world total, while the actual number of 40 percent is double this.

“Life cycle analysis shows that 80% to 85% of the total energy consumption and CO 2 emissions of a building comes from occupancy through heating, cooling, ventilation, and hot water use. If we want to make an impact on climate change, we therefore need to tackle this challenge. Combining the right materials when designing a building envelope can greatly reduce a building's energy requirements, increase its life span and ensure consistent performance over time,” he said.

The Report - Energy Efficiencies in Buildings: Business realities and opportunities (pdf doc)

India Tower (South Mumbai, India)

- LEED Gold-rated project
- expected to be completed in 2010
- mixed-use program that changes with each rotation
- least possible impact on the environment
- integrate current innovative sustainable systems and technologies – solar shading, natural ventilation, daylighting, rainwater harvesting, and green interior finishes and materials
– one of the greenest skyscrapers in India

Source:
http://www.inhabitat.com/2007/08/23/
india-tower-indias-greenest-skyscraper/

LEED affordable housing complex (NYC)

• rental community
• located in the South Bronx
• 64 spacious units within 16 three-family and eight two-family houses
• all reserved for families of four earning about $42,000
• LEED for Homes pilot program
• water efficiency, indoor environmental quality and green design process as well as sustainable site planning, energy, materials and resources

Barratt EcoSmart Show Village (UK)

• Chorley in Lancashire
• 7 special homes which feature the latest energy -
  efficient and 'green' technologies, including wind, solar and geothermal power
• testing these and asking homebuyers whether they want them in their homes
• homes aren’t available to buy
• being evaluated by experts from Manchester University
  

LEED for Homes now in Canada

Developed in the U.S., the LEED program has come to Canada in stages, with commercial, institutional, industrial and multi-unit residential certification now in place. With increasing concern over environmental issues, there's been growing demand for the individual homes component, which has been tested in the U.S. for two years and is due to be formally launched in November, said council vice-chair Andrew Pride, also vice-president of energy management for Minto Homes.

"We're going to take the U.S. program and make it Canadian," he said.

The U.S. expected 50 builders and 300 homes to be certified under the pilot project, but ended up with about 400 builders and 6,000 homes, Pride said.

"Rather than trying to market LEED for Homes and create demand for it, they've been trying to manage the demand and grow fast enough to meet it," Satnik said. "There's been no lack of interest. We're already seeing the same in Canada."

Kipling Transit Hub 2010 (Toronto)

City of Mississauga is contributing $5.5 million towards the project. Construction is slated to start next year. GO Transit and the Toronto Transit Commission, through the Province, are chipping in the balance.

When completed in 2010, Mississauga Transit buses will use the terminal to link with GO and the TTC, re-routing from the outmoded Islington station. The facility will also serve as the Mississauga Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system’s easterly connection once it is up and running.

The facility will be fully accessible for persons with disabilities and LEED certified as a “green building.”

Interesting! And good news for a change. Wonder who's going to win that bid?

Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency (US)

DSIRE is a comprehensive source of information on state, local, utility, and federal incentives that promote renewable energy and energy efficiency. Choose one or both databases to search.

2007 Green Building Festival | Toronto

FREE ADMISSION, PUBLIC WELCOME

• October 25, 10:30am - 5:00pm
• Atlantis Pavilions at Ontario Place, Toronto, ON
  
• features over 70 exhibitors representing the forefront of Canada’s sustainable building industry
  

Whether you are a home owner curious about the latest green building technologies, or a corporate leader looking to jump ahead in the drive to sustainability the Green Building Festival trade show is not-to-be-missed event. It’s is the only event focused exclusively on green building and is a key annual event in Canada’s evolution toward sustainable development.

LED Fluorescent Bulbs - EVERLED

• Fluorescent tubes... incredibly toxic, full of heavy metals such as mercury and lead.
• can be fitted on standard fluorescent tube fittings without any additions or changes to the ballasts
• manufacturer claims that the product has a 10 year lifespan
• energy reduction of about 20% from standard installations
• main model comes in a standard length of 4 feet
• $150 a tube (WOW! - would have to see life cycle costing to be able to sell it to a client i'd bet)
  

Source: http://www.inhabitat.com/2007/08/04/everled-led-based-fluorescent-tube-replacement/