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

Hycrete

Our technologies deliver integral waterproofing that eliminate the need for external membranes, coatings and sheeting treatments. With our solutions, concrete is batched with Hycrete liquid admixtures to achieve hydrophobic performance (less than 1% absorption under BSI-1881 122). Hycrete Admixtures transform concrete from an open network of capillaries and cracks into an ultra-low absorptivity, waterproof, protective building material.

Hycrete Admixture is Cradle to Cradle Certified by MBDC. Cradle to Cradle Certification provides a company with a means to tangibly, credibly measure achievement in environmentally- intelligent design and helps customers purchase and specify products that are pursuing a broader definition of quality.

Source: http://www.mercurynews.com/greenenergy/ci_7889323?nclick_check=1

EcoTimber

Since 1992, EcoTimber has been the leading supplier of high quality
wood products from environmentally sound sources. We offer a beautiful
selection of hardwood flooring from FSC-certified well-managed
forests, fast-growing Bamboo flooring, and hand-scraped flooring.
Offering products made with finishes and adhesives that won't
off-gas harmful chemicals, EcoTimber is the healthy choice for your
home and the planet.

Source: http://www.mercurynews.com/greenenergy/ci_7889323?nclick_check=1

Al Gore's Green House

Putting his money where his mouth is...

By ERIK SCHELZIG, The Associated Press

Published: December 28, 2007

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Al Gore, who was criticized for high electric bills at his 10,000 sq ft Tennessee mansion, has completed a host of improvements to make the home more energy efficient...

The former vice president has installed solar panels, a rainwater-collection system and geothermal heating. He also replaced all incandescent lights with compact fluorescent or light-emitting diode bulbs - even on his Christmas tree.

"Short of tearing it down and starting anew, I don't know how it could have been rated any higher," said Kim Shinn of the U.S. Green Building Council, which gave the house its second-highest rating for sustainable design.

Gore's improvements cut the home's summer electrical consumption by 11 % compared with a year ago, according to utility records reviewed by The Associated Press. Most Nashville homes used 20 percent to 30 percent more electricity during the same period because of a record heat wave.

Shinn said Gore's renovations are impressive because his home, which is more than 80 years old, had to meet the same rigorous standards as new construction. It houses his offices and those of his wife, Tipper, as well as a commercial kitchen for formal events.

EcoLogo Green Products Database - Building & Construction Products

Target’s Economical Eco Furniture - formaldehyde-free

• affordable
• made with FSC/Rainforest Alliance Certified SmartWood
• 100% formaldehyde-free
• 100% nontoxic, water-based glues and stains
• furniture ships flat to conserve packaging and reduce waste
• designed and manufactured in USA (reducing shipping distance)
• and requires no hardware to set up

Fab Tree Hab

National GreenBuilding Conference

November 28 - 29, 2007
Metro Toronto Convention Centre, South Building

Approximately, 50% of green house gas emissions come from buildings and associated activities in Canada. The increasing pressures to reduce green house gas emissions, rising energy costs, and a growing global interest and demand for efficient, responsible growth and development are fuelling the trend towards green building and design and have reinforced the need for a stronger focus on sustainability.

National GreenBuilding Conference will focus on all aspects of green design, construction, retrofit, and maintenance leading to high performance buildings, and will examine best practices and project delivery models that result in more efficient methods of designing sustainability into any project.

AQUS from WaterSaver Technologies

coolest thing (and almost affordable!!!) i've seen in years.

• AQUS can reduce metered water usage in a two-person household by about 10–20 gallons a day – or approximately 5,000 gallons a year - conserving water and helps save money in reduced water consumption charges and wastewater treatment or sewer fees
• tucked inside the vanity below the sink
• reservoir works in conjunction with standard lavatory pipes
• reservoir holds up to 5 ½ gallons of water from the sink

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.