AIA Dallas Committee on the Environment

The Greenest Building

2012-01-31T13:45:00.000-06:00

We routinely see buildings that could be renovated or retrofitted torn down. Those buildings often have historic value that goes beyond a price-per-square-foot. The National Trust for Historic Preservation has just published an extensive study that compares the avoided impacts of renovation versus new construction across several climate and building types:

The Greenest Building: Quantifying the Environmental Value of Building Reuse

In almost every scenario, renovation is the best option.

Common Threads

2011-12-22T14:10:00.000-06:00

It's probably not news to many of you, but I just came across the Patagonia Common Threads program. The pledge could not be simpler but the implications are profound:

I'd like to become a partner in the Common Threads Initiative to reduce excess consumption and give the planet's vital systems a rest from pollution, resource depletion and greenhouse gases.

Patagonia agrees to build useful things that last, to repair what breaks and recycle what comes to the end of its useful life.

I agree to buy only what I need (and will last), repair what breaks, reuse (share) what I no longer need and recycle everything else.

They show an understanding of the fundamentals of conservation and stewardship that goes far beyond the typical corporate greenwashing and should serve as an example for any corporate citizen. They have even partnered with eBay to help resell their used products. I'm not sure how Yvon Chouinard's efforts are regarded in the business world, but they certainly rank highly with me.

- Sam

Upcoming NCTCOG Public Meetings

2011-12-05T13:28:00.000-06:00

The North Central Texas Council of Governments is holding public meetings next week that may be of interest to the environmentally minded:

Monday, Dec. 12
6:30 pm
Richardson Civic Center
411 W. Arapaho Road
Richardson, Texas 75080

Tuesday, Dec. 13
10:30 am
Ella Mae Shamblee Library
1062 Evans Avenue
Fort Worth, Texas 76104

Thursday, Dec. 15
6:30 pm
West Irving Library
4444 W. Rochelle Road
Irving, Texas 75062

Per their release, topics include:

COTTON BELT INNOVATIVE FINANCE INITIATIVE UPDATE
At the request of Dallas Area Rapid Transit and the Fort Worth Transportation Authority, the Regional Transportation Council led efforts to identify viable funding sources for an innovative funding plan to construct, operate and maintain passenger rail service along the 62-mile Cotton Belt corridor. All agencies were involved in evaluating the viability of funding sources. Staff will summarize potential funding sources and next steps to further refine the project implementation plan.

ELECTRIC VEHICLES NORTH TEXAS UPDATE
The Dallas-Fort Worth area is among the top six cities in the US ready to embrace electric vehicles, according to Ford and GE studies. Staff at the North Central Texas Council of Governments have been working with utility companies, local governments, school districts, transit partners, first responders, local businesses and others to ready the region for plug-in electric vehicles. Staff will provide an update on the initiative.

OZONE SEASON SUMMARY
North Texas faced one of the toughest ozone seasons in recent years. With more than 70 days at or above 100 degrees, the unusually extreme heat may have contributed to the atypical ozone season, following several years of steady improvement. Staff will summarize how the region's air quality fared this year and what it means for meeting current and future air quality standards as set by the Environmental Protection Agency.

PROPOSED MODIFICATIONS TO THE LIST OF FUNDED PROJECTS
A comprehensive list of funded transportation projects through 2014 is maintained in the transportation Improvement Program (TIP). Projects with committed funds from federal, state and local sources are included in the TIP. To maintain an accurate project listing, this document is updated on a regular basis. The current set of project modifications will be presented for public review and comment.

The Road to Abilene

2011-12-02T13:33:00.000-06:00

This summary video is all that is available online, but it still hints at how groups of people often make, or at least assent to, collective decisions that none of them agree with:

In an effort to make sure COTE isn't also on the road to Abilene, we did a somewhat impromptu affinity diagram exercise at the October meeting. I cleaned the results up and this is what we got:

We seem to share an interest in community education and active, hands-on outreach that no one had previously brought to the table.

- Sam

PS: My apologies to the residents of Abilene as the video's authors do seem to imply that no one would ever want to visit your town. I have, if only to compare a Beehive steak to the Fort Griffin original.

Big Picture

2011-11-23T15:57:00.001-06:00

The Boston Globe's long running photojournalism site The Big Picture recently posted a photo set about food and the environment. I found 18, 19, 22 and 28 to be particularly evocative.

Feeding 7 billion and our fragile environment

- Sam

Hold Your Breath

2011-11-17T14:49:00.000-06:00

Architects generally love concrete. It has the flexibility to reflect our differing design intentions while retaining a character of it's own. Concrete does not come without baggage, primarily with respect to cement.

Many of us in North Texas may have thought the voluntary shuttering of four of the dirtiest wet-process concrete kilns in the country by TXI was good news. They've found a way to turn that on end and have used the emissions those plants would have produced to justify added emissions at their dry kilns still in operation. This includes burning types of waste that are technically non-hazardous, but won't find their way into many fireplaces ("shredded car waste, whole tires, carpeting and plastic garbage"). If you think the state should represent it's citizens interests, it appears the TCEQ helped keep this out of any established public review process. If you favor federal intervention, the EPA seems to have taken to keeping lists of violators rather than prosecuting them. The advocacy group Downwinder's at Risk only found about it by chance.

- Sam

Short D-Magazine story: http://frontburner.dmagazine.com/2011/11/15/txi-gets-permission-to-burn-even-more-hazardous-waste/

More detailed Dallas Area Residents for Responsible Drilling post: http://dallasdrilling.wordpress.com/2011/11/15/whores-of-texas-are-upon-you-all-the-live-long-day/

November Meeting

2011-11-09T17:34:00.000-06:00

Our monthly meeting is tomorrow at noon at the DCFA. Please bring a lunch and join us!

Fueling Up

2011-11-02T11:22:00.000-05:00

The national average for gas at the pump has been north of $2.00 per gallon since early 2005. Anything with nearing the $3.00 mark feels like a bargain to me. I'm sure it comes as no news to those of us paying the bill, but our friends at the Ford Motor Company are finally paying attention. A study they commissioned indicates mileage has now become one of the key factors in new car purchasing decisions.

MPG Matters: Study Confirms Growing Desire for Fuel Efficiency (via the PRNewswire).

What does this mean for sustainable building? I'm not sure. My hope is that the corporate mainstream is beginning to see a real competitive advantage in higher energy performance rather than just something they can market.

- Sam

An Accidental Circumstance

2011-09-12T13:11:00.000-05:00

I just finished The Great Bridge, David McCullough's 1972 opus about the building of the Brooklyn Bridge. One quote struck me as particularly relevant. When asked to compare the Brooklyn Bridge to the Great Pyramid of Cheops, young Roebling wrote:

To build his pyramid Cheops packed some pounds of rice into the stomachs of innumerable Egyptians and Israelites. We today would pack some pounds of coal inside steam boilers to do the same thing, and this might be cited as an instance of the superiority of modern civilization over ancient brute force. But when referred to the sun, our true standard of reference, the comparison is naught, because to produce these few pounds of coal required a thousand times more solar energy than to produce the few pounds of rice. We are simply taking advantage of an accidental circumstance.

It is fascinating that, in 1883, an engineer would have such a firm grasp on the energy dependence of construction. Roebling lived to 1926 and I'd love to know what he thought of the nascent petroleum based economy. Perhaps he would have some useful advice for us now that this accidental circumstance seems to be drawing to a close.

UPDATE - Energy Fail - No CBECS Results for 2007, Maybe Ever

2011-07-28T11:56:00.001-05:00

In case it didn't reach your inbox, the AIA Government and Community Relations committee is putting out a call to action regarding the cuts to funding for the Energy Information Administration, CBECS and Energy Star. We mentioned this back in June:

Energy Fail - No CBECS Results for 2007, Maybe Ever

Please take a moment to contact your representatives to prevent what I can only describe as penny-wise and pound-foolish.

Restore Funding for CBECS Now!

WOPR

2011-07-19T08:12:00.000-05:00

WOPR, the War Operation Plan Response computer, was the silent star of my favorite 1983 futuristic-teen-apoclypse-action-adventure movie, WarGames. There were a couple other actors, but trust me, WOPR was the star. He (I'm assuming) would be proud of the work recently completed by SAFE, Securing America's Future Energy. Their recent gaming scenario also ended with the destruction of Western civilization. They simulated a terrorist attack on the mamoth oil processing facility at Abqaiq, Saudi Arabia. Things didn't go well as it was quickly revealed that our entire transportation industry relies on oil! I'm pretty sure they could have looked out any window in North Texas and arrived at the same answer. My conclusion; our society is very much an interconnected web of enormous complexity, much like the ones found throughout nature. We power a great deal of our web through hydrocarbons. That will continue to be a source of instability in ways we may not be able to recognize and certainly can't predict.

National Geographic via Infectious Greed:

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/energy/2011/07/110714-oil-shockwave-war-game-simulation/

DI: New Articles

2011-06-30T14:30:00.000-05:00

Design Intelligence posted six new articles Wednesday morning. I've only had a chance to skim them. However, they all offer insight into green building and sustainability:

From Green Buildings to Green Neighborhoods - Bert Gregory

Sprawl Repair: From Auto-Scale to Human-Scale - Galina Tachieva

Going Green: Taking the Long View - Scott Simpson

Sustainability Leadership: From Stagnation to Liberation - James P. Cramer

Learning From Legacy - Steve Burrows

If I ever get caught up on my reading, I'll post on the individual articles. Until then, please read up and comment away!

Energy Fail - No CBECS Results for 2007, Maybe Ever

2011-06-06T17:09:00.000-05:00

This got lost (at least to me) in the grind of the daily news cycle a few weeks ago, but it could impact architects and engineers trying to raise energy perfomance substantially. CBECS, the Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey, is quite a mouthful. That data undergirds the Energy Star Portfolio Manager program. It is widely used in other energy efficiency programs. Apparently, a cost-cutting gamble taken a few years ago hasn't paid off and the results for the 2007 study aren’t usable.

CBECS home at the Energy Information Administration

New York Times story

What's worse, the 2011 program is in jeopardy. This may leave us with the 2003 data as the last objective benchmark for commercial building perfomance. Many other EIA initiatives are also on the chopping block. ASHRAE has spoken up to defend this funding. You can look at the programs that may be discontinued and decide for yourself if this sounds like a wise way to save money in a world of increasingly scarce energy resources:

Press Release from the Energy Information Administration

Proposed Changes to Landscape and Tree Preservation Ordinance

2011-05-11T13:32:00.000-05:00

A heads-up courtesy of our friends at AIA Dallas Communities by Design:

When: June 2nd, 2011at 12pm
Where: City Design Studio @ Dallas City Hall 2B North, 1500 Marilla St
Lunch: Brown Bag
Cost: No Charge
CEUs: 1 Sustainable Design
RSVP: aiadallascxd@gmail.com

Presented by Mr. Steve Houser, Dallas Historic Tree Coalition

The Urban Forest Advisory Committee serves in an advisory capacity on matters of environmental stewardship, specifically concerning the care and planting of trees and the urban forest by advocating sound arboricultural and urban forest management practices. The UFAC has presented a plan requesting Dallas elected officials to consider modifying Article X: The Tree and Landscape Ordinance. Changes proposed are based on input from developers, architects, the Oak Cliff Chamber of Commerce, multifamily builders, and others. The proposed changes encourage tree preservation, modify tree removal requirements, and allow city staff more flexibility. Come listen to Mr. Houser describe these changes and more. You do not need to be an AIA/D member to attend.

Earth Day 2011

2011-04-22T08:13:00.000-05:00

Loyal readers, please be sure to visit Earth Day 2011 in the Dallas Arts District over the next two days. Our contribution, the H-2-0 Hive, is located at Crockett and Flora, across from the Meyerson Symphony Center.

For anyone visiting us from the event, thanks for avoiding one more hand-out in the trash by following our QR code link. We're excited about being able to participate. You can check out some facts about water bottle use and recycling at The Water Project.

You can also see a counter-point from Bottled Water Matters.

Live Green Expo

2011-04-13T07:55:00.001-05:00

Looking for advice on organic gardening, energy conservation, local crafts or some family fun? Head to the Plano Centre this Saturday (April 16th) for the 2011 Live Green Expo. The event covers most aspects of sustainability but focuses on personal and residential applications. There were over 15,000 attendees last year, and it's free.

Mentorship Opportunity!

2011-04-06T09:42:00.000-05:00

Get involved!

AIA DALLAS – YAF (reverse) MENTORSHIP PROGRAM –

A concept that formed in 1999, by Tom Mathison AIA at the Michigan chapter, a Mentoring Program is an association of architect mentors who voluntarily meet with interested architecture and design students to share real-world experiences and life lessons, develop friendships, and offer guidance as the students prepare for a career in the design professions. The Program identifies students and mentors with like interests and brings them together in a student-mentor relationship. For students, this is a chance to take a glimpse into the world beyond graduation and an opportunity to help develop a preferred career path by using the wisdom and experience of an architect mentor. For mentors, it is a chance to share valuable career and life experiences with the next generation of professionals. The target audience is college juniors and seniors, though no one is excluded. It is entirely voluntary. There is no cost, no college credit, no mandatory assignments, and no promise of a job. It is not a substitute for or a competitor with IDP.

This is also a program intended for architects of all experience levels; from seasoned practitioners to emerging professionals and fellows. The program is intended to promote collaborative learning by bringing people with different career experiences and perspectives together in both structured and casual settings.

Made in the USA: 1SolTech

2011-04-06T08:15:00.001-05:00

Richardson is home to the headquarters and manufacturing facility of 1soltech, one of the very few solar panel companies within the U.S. They source many of their components domestically.

1SolTech

Set Your DVR - Plan B: Mobilizing to Save Civilization

2011-03-30T08:15:00.003-05:00

It's not Plan B from Outer Space, It's Plan B: Mobilizing to Save Civilization. Thursday night, March 31st at 7pm, KERA's Journey to Planet Earth series will air a 90 minute program based on Lester Brown's book, currently on it's third edition. You can also download the full text from the Earth Policy Institute.

Wind Power in 2010

2011-03-25T09:00:00.001-05:00

It looks like the pace of wind power installations took a step back in 2010, as reported at Early Warning. More details are available in the 2010 Global Wind Report. I think it's important to remember that the wind turbine is only half the installation. Each one requires it's equivalent capacity in spinning reserves to help manage the capricious nature of wind.

Heavy Reading

2011-03-24T10:58:00.000-05:00

I promise to take a look at these and post any highlights individually. Topics include "An Action Plan for Cars" and "The Future of Geothermal Energy".

MIT Energy Initiative - Major Studies

A Night at the Energy Modeling Improv: March 3rd

2011-02-18T09:38:00.000-06:00

This popular program has been recently given at the 2010 GreenBuild and other AIA Chapters across the country. It will also be showcased at the 2011 Living Future Un-Conference. It is a lively and interactive demonstration of how architects can integrate energy modeling into their design process to inform their schematic phase design decisions. The architect and engineer presenters divide the audience into competitive teams and engage them as participants in the design process, demonstrating how software can influence building geometry, orientation, daylighting, insulation, glazing, etc. and lay the foundation for truly low energy intensity, high performance green buildings. The winning team will almost certainly conclude the session with a design that exceeds today's codes by at least 20 percent before ever modifying any of the mechanical systems.

$15 per person. Refreshments will be provided from 6-6:30 p.m. before the session begins at 6:30 p.m.

SESSION FORMAT:

Practicum Session - 90 minutes

PRESENTER:

Kirk Teske, AIA, LEED AP

Kirk is a licensed architect and a Principal with HKS Inc., a top five architectural firm headquartered in Dallas, Texas. He currently serves as their Chief Sustainability Officer and directs a studio focused on environmental design. He has spoken at numerous conferences including the first U.S. Green Building Conference in Austin.

Kim E Shinn, PE, LEED AP BD+C, CxA

Kim is a registered professional mechanical engineer and a Principal and Senior Sustainability Consultant with TLC Engineering for Architecture. He has served the green building movement in numerous capacities including the national USGBC Board of Directors.

Wind vs Coal

2011-02-08T14:47:00.003-06:00

Falling turbine prices have allowed wind power to slip below coal in production costs. Natural gas is still the cheapest.

Read more here:

http://www.grist.org/article/2011-02-07-report-wind-power-now-competitive-with-coal-in-some-regions/

TCU Green Chair Lecture in Fort Worth - Daniela Ghertovici (It's Free!)

2011-01-26T15:14:00.000-06:00

Check out the upcoming TCU Green Chair Lecture by Daniela Ghertovici. The Lecture will take place on Thursday, February 3rd from 6:00 to 7:00.

2011 Dallas Bike Plan

2011-01-19T08:00:00.000-06:00

The 2011 Dallas Bike Plan final public meeting is set for tomorrow, January 20, 2011 at Dallas City Hall Flag Room (6E North) from 5 to 8 pm, with a presentation at 5:30 pm in the Council Chamber. At this January meeting the revised network recommendation maps and a full draft of the 2011 Dallas Bike Plan will be available for review.

Green Source DFW

2011-01-13T17:15:00.000-06:00

http://www.greensourcedfw.org/

Green Source DFW is a new collaborative venture to promote green living. Serving the North Texas area, it will be an online resource for current local news about the environment, environmental policy in Texas, and green community events.

IECC 2009

2011-01-13T13:52:00.003-06:00

The IECC 2009 will go into effect April 1^st for the City of Dallas. This is being mandated by the state of Texas, so I would anticipate similar requirements at other jurisdictions. I don’t have a clear word on how much more stringent the 2009 code will be compared to the 2006 code, but we assume that it is more stringent.

Thom Powell, AIA LEED AP

Army adopts ASHRAE 189.1

2011-01-10T14:20:00.004-06:00

http://www.ashrae.org/pressroom/detail/17685

There are a number of new sustainability rating systems emerging these days. ASHRAE 189.1 and the new IgCC are probably the most prominent. These two are written to inter-relate with each other and overlay with typical International code language. The IgCC actually includes an optional compliance path of meeting ASHRAE 189. Look for IgCC hearings in May of 2011 and adoption in 2012. The City of Dallas is likely to adopt the IgCC no later than 2013.

Thom Powell, AIA, LEED AP

LEED for Homes - Midrise Pilot Program

2011-01-03T15:35:00.005-06:00

If you have a project that is considering LEED Certification and is between 4-6 stories tall, consider being a part of the LEED for Homes Midrise pilot. Registration has been extended to January 31, 2011 to be a part of the pilot program. LEED for Homes is much less expensive for your client and you work much more directly with the reviewed than in LEED-NC, CS or CI projects.

Green Globes: A LEED Alternative

2010-12-23T10:42:00.008-06:00

Green Globes is a fast growing building environmental rating system administered by the Green Building Initiative (GBI). While the Green Globes system is in many respects similar to LEED, achieving Green Globes certification costs less and there are no prerequisite credits. Because Green Globes’ interactive and user-friendly approach can differ from LEED’s somewhat less flexible requirements, users may find Green Globes a welcome alternative to the more familiar LEED system. Green Globes encourages an exchange of ideas, user dialogue, and more interaction throughout the process.

To receive a Green Globe rating, a building is assessed in two stages. Stage one begins as the design phase draws to a close and the Green Globes online construction document questionnaire is completed. The project team answers questions about the project, receives feedback, refines their design, answers more questions, and finally submits their documentation for an initial assessment. The Green Globes Assessor assigned to the project compares the answers supplied with the construction documents provided. The architect will receive a letter describing the assessor’s initial findings and a request for any additional documentation. After the project achieves substantial completion, the GBI will arrange for a third party assessor to perform an on-site assessment or audit of the project, during stage two. Once both assessments have been completed, the building will receive a one, two, three or four Green Globe(s) Rating.

150 architects nationwide having obtained Green Globes Personnel (GGP) certification, which is similar to achieving LEED Accredited Professional status. Candidates who seek to become GGP’s must pass one test which is administered online. There are no specialties or continuing education requirements at the time of this writing.

There are currently at least two projects in the Metroplex seeking Green Globes certification: the Pizza Hut & YRI Restaurant Support Center in Plano, designed by Good Fulton & Farrell Architects, and the Museum of Nature and Science, designed by Morphosis.

More information: The Green Building Institute (thegbi.org)

Park 17 Tour

2010-08-12T09:37:00.004-05:00

COTE had the opportunity to tour the newest addition to uptown a few weeks ago. Park17 is a mixed-use joint-venture between Granite Properties and Gables Residential. Both clients are individually familiar with the conventional dynamics of suburban development. They decided to work together to take maximum advantage of a 2.17 acre site that sits at the confluence of Uptown, the Victory District and Downtown. The project consists of two towers above a parking plinth, wrapped with retail. There is also a very large amenity deck at the top of the garage plinth, between the towers. The residential tower features 292 units on 26 floors, ranging in size from 796 to 3,337 square feet. The office tower consists of 361,000 square feet of leasable space spread over 19 floors. There is 15,000 square feet of retail space at ground level, fronting Cedar Springs, Akard and McKinney.

Granite lobby

Of particular interest to COTE are the LEED certifications being pursued. The residential tower is aiming for certification under v2.2 of New Construction. The office tower has set its sights on Core and Shell (v2.0) Gold certification. The office tower is complete. Interiors for the residences are being completed floor-by-floor throughout the summer. Both projects have been submitted and are awaiting the final verdict from the USGBC.

View up Cedar Springs from a corner unit

There aren’t any exotic systems or combinations of materials. Instead, the project takes advantage of its site, a truly mixed-use nature and a careful combination of conventional products and materials. In Sustainable Sites, both submissions maximize credits for alternative transportation and the heat island effect. For instance, the shared garage allowed a reduction of over 150 spaces from what is typically required by the zoning ordinance. Efficient fixtures and landscaping were utilized. Energy & Atmosphere credits were hard to come by in this project. Even with insulated and low emissive glass, it took a painstaking, multi-month long selection process to find glass that would meet the clients’ desire for maximum visual transparency and minimal reflectivity and tint that would not become dated as time passes. All of these typical concerns were exacerbated by the proximity of the two towers, although they are as far apart as some of the adjacent properties. The other area where these projects surpass expectations is in Recycled Content and Regional Materials. Both submissions expect to gain both credits as well as Innovation in Design credits for significantly exceeding the standards. This was in part made possible by having a contractor with significant experience in the process.

View of the amenity deck

As time passes and standards become stricter, this approach to LEED projects may not prove to be successful. For now, Park17 stands as a fine example of how sustainable design can be delivered in a competitive environment while meeting the needs of commercial development.

-SWatkins

Sustainable Showcase Speakers

2010-07-09T07:07:00.002-05:00

This week we are highlighting the speakers that will be present in next week's North Texas Sustainable Showcase. Today we feature Angela Brooks. She even has a cool video.

- DVaughn

Sustainable Showcase Speakers

2010-07-08T07:06:00.001-05:00

This week we are highlighting the speakers that will be present in next week's North Texas Sustainable Showcase. Today we feature Marlon Blackwell.

- DVaughn

Sustainable Showcase Speakers

2010-07-07T07:03:00.001-05:00

This week we are highlighting the speakers that will be present in next week's North Texas Sustainable Showcase. Today we feature Lance Hosey.

- DVaughn

Sustainable Showcase Speakers

2010-07-06T07:01:00.001-05:00

This week we are highlighting the speakers that will be present in next week's North Texas Sustainable Showcase. Today we feature Michael Garrison.

- DVaughn

Sustainable Showcase Speakers

2010-07-05T07:00:00.004-05:00

This week we are highlighting the speakers that will be present in next week's North Texas Sustainable Showcase. Today we feature Brent Brown.

- DVaughn

How Wild is North America

2010-06-29T17:38:00.001-05:00

I found an interesting infographic that I thought I'd share.

- DVaughn

Leaf of the Month 06

2010-06-16T07:23:00.002-05:00

This "Leaf of the Month" comes by way of none other than BP's website. In addition to their logo being a modified leaf, they also tout their own commitment to sustainability by saying, "We are committed to the safety and development of our people and the communities and societies in which we operate. We aim for no accidents, no harm to people and no damage to the environment." I guess since it remains up on their site, they still say it with a straight face. I think this video states things a little more clearly.

Even their commercials exemplify their meager sustainable goals. Unlike the message from William McDonough + Partners that just being less bad isn't good enough, all that BP can say is that they're trying to do things "a little better". It seems that all they can do is make things quite a bit worse. It's not often that your track record becomes so tarnished that a fictitious twitter account is made in your name, all in the name of satire. At least someone out there is being honest about the situation. As for the sustainability claims of this hapless polluter, I don't think there's much doubt about their status on this blog.

Status - Greenwash

Leaf of the Month 05

2010-06-15T21:52:00.005-05:00

Alright, so I missed a month...or two, so this month will bring three leaves from the internet. The first "Leaf of the Month" comes by way of William McDonough + Partners website. This is a full service architectural firm who specializes in innovative and sustainable design where the whole building is designed as a system that significantly decreases energy use, much of it with the help of solar technologies.

The firm describes their design process on their website in this way, "Our work is grounded in the Cradle to Cradle philosophy developed by our founder William McDonough and German chemist Michael Braungart in their 2002 book, Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things. Cradle to Cradle encourages us to step back from the routines of daily problem-solving and rethink the frame conditions that shape our designs. Rather than seeking to minimize the harm we inflict, Cradle to Cradle reframes design as a beneficial, regenerative force..." Essentially, their message boils down to not designing just to be less bad. Instead of trying to cut the energy usage of a building by a certain code or LEED specified percentage, the goal should really be for a building to use no energy that it can't produce itself. That's one tough goal.

"Greenhouse" Factory and Offices

With a client list that includes Ford, Frito-Lay, PG+E, and Google among many other big hitters, they've really found a way to take their message to a receptive marketplace. Instead of simply preaching to companies about how righteous they need to become, they show them how to improve their profits by making real changes in the way they view their own waste products.

You can learn more about the views of William McDonough in his very own TED video. It's a good one.

Status - Verified

North Texas Sustainable Showcase...It's Coming!

2010-06-08T14:10:00.002-05:00

Fire Station 10 Tour

2010-05-17T08:57:00.002-05:00

Please join AIA Dallas COTE for a tour of Fire Station #10. Details below.

-BBrant

Gordon Gill Lecture

2010-04-27T21:31:00.004-05:00

This may sound trite, but my husband and I have the opportunity to hear Gordon Gill speak at the Magnolia Theater in February and I have found myself reflecting back on the lecture ever since. You see, my husband is also an architect, and despite the popular notion that designer / architect couples sit around the dinner table critiquing the architectural designs of the latest and greatest building in Architectural Record, the reality is we rarely have deep or profound conversation around architecture… after a long day at work it’s really too much to take. So, I guess that is why this lecture became so special to me and therefore why I am writing this opinion-editorial piece.

As great as the work of Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture is, it wasn’t necessarily the content of their projects that made such an impact. Instead, it was the fundamental query Mr. Gill left us with that night. That ‘we as architects have a moral obligation to design our buildings and communities in an environmentally responsible way, focusing on the client’s needs in relationship to the local climate and available resources.’ No matter what size your company, a one man shop to a large A/E firm, we must change the way we are designing. After the lecture, the two of us elaborated on what we think the future of our profession should be, or at least what we hope it will become. Being good stewards of our earth’s resources should always be one of the main pillars all of our building's designs are built upon. Consequently, not only should we begin to break down this notion that there are “green” buildings and there are “standard” buildings; we also need to take a step back and look at the bigger picture.

Masdar Ventilation Diagram

As we all know, ‘gone are the days of the master architect…’ Well I would propose, so are the days of hiring a consultant to fit the mechanical, lighting and plumbing into the architect’s plan at the end of design development. Furthermore, when the client comes to the project team and says, ‘I would like solar panels on my building so the public can see that we are green,’ we then say ‘okay sure’ and slap some PV’s on the pre-designed roof with no regard to the consequences of doing so.

Who is going to maintain them? Is there are better on site renewable resource to utilize? And if not, which direction and angle would provide the client the best possible ROI?

We cannot afford to keep this mindset much longer and while faced with this dilemma along with the sometimes daunting 2030 Challenge… What does the needed paradigm shift look like?

I wish I could give you the answer (or even better, if you know have it figured out please let us know). But instead all I can offer is the anecdotal insight we spoke of that night. It seems that Gordon Gill and his firm are on the right track. They have completed so many remarkable works by bringing in all the greatest team members from day one to work together collectively to solve the problem. With all of the technology, scientific data, and expertise needed in designing today’s buildings; we cannot know it all. Therefore, the egos of the past movements were thrown out the window and the team building has begun. Many of their project’s reflect this, but the perhaps the greatest example is Masdar Headquarters project.

Masdar Under Construction

There were so many people that came together with their expertise and without all of them working as a team; this design could not have been conceived. Hence, I would challenge all of us, no matter the scale of our current projects to do the same.

- BBrant

Leaf of the Month 04

2010-03-31T21:13:00.005-05:00

This "Leaf of the Month" comes by way of the great new blog Architerials. They've recently written about a new way to make tires. You see, to make tires you need polyisoprene. Polyisoprene can be obtained from natural rubber (latex) that is purified, or it can be made synthetically using petroleum based isoprene that is polymerized to become polyisoprene which is chemically identical to the natural stuff. The market for the natural stuff is controlled mainly by the price of oil, since the synthetic stuff is petroleum based, so the percentage of tires made form either source is in constant flux. That might all be changing in a few years thanks to Goodyear and Genencor.

Genencor has found a way to manufacture bio based isoprene which requires no petrochemicals. In fact, they've actually found a way to make the bacteria E. coli work for us.

A story in MIT's Technology Review can explain it better than I. "Microbes including E. coli naturally make small amounts of isoprene as part of their metabolism, but not nearly enough to be used on an industrial scale. To improve the yield, bioengineers at Genencor initially made changes to two metabolic pathways that converge to create an isoprene precursor. But yields were still low because the bacteria's existing genetic machinery takes a meandering path to create isoprene from this precursor. In the most recent results, the company added to the E. coli a plant gene coding for isoprene synthase, an enzyme that converts the precursor directly into isoprene.

"Isoprene, which is a gas at room temperature, bubbles out of the cells without damaging them, then out of the fermentation broth. Genencor senior director of business development Rich Laduca says that with no refinement, this system can produce 99 percent pure isoprene gas. Purity is critical because trace contaminants can foul the catalysts used to polymerize isoprene to make synthetic rubber."

There's even a video that makes no attempt to explain the process, but it's complete with a person holding a green plant by its dirt covered roots. That's how you know the product's green.

Considering they've gotten Goodyear on board, this product must have some real potential. It's not every day that you here of a product that's able to completely replace the need for petrochemicals with off gassing from bacteria. If they can really pull it off on a large scale...

Status - Verified

Upcoming Earth Day Event

2010-03-25T10:49:00.002-05:00

This comes from a reader:

"I am an active board member for the Texas Discovery Gardens in Fair Park. On Earth Day, April 22, 2010 at 7:00 pm, the Angelika Film Center at Mockingbird Station will host a free screening and Dallas premiere of the independent film, A Chemical Reaction. Donations collected will benefit Texas Discovery Gardens at Fair Park, the state's first public organic garden. A Chemical Reaction is the chronicle of one man's quest to reveal the true story of a pioneering city in Quebec, Canada that took bold action to protect its people and local environment from the dangers of chemical pesticides and herbicides, and succeeded. A Chemical Reaction fundamentally questions the role and safety of services and products we use on our home landscapes. [This is part of a larger] event called "Green Carpet Dallas" and will be kicked off with an Earth Day Farmers Market from 4 pm to 7pm., featuring local growers and businesses invested in a more sustainable environment. All donations for the film screening will benefit Texas Discovery Garden's children's education programming. This Green Carpet Dallas event is underwritten by local small businesses, Preservation Tree Services and Soils Alive. You will also be able to find out more at http://www.greencarpetdallas.org/ later this week."

Sounds like a great event.

- DVaughn

Scott Marble/Tex Fab

2010-03-24T11:36:00.002-05:00

To continue its 14th season of lectures, the Dallas Architecture Forum welcomed the architect Scott Marble on Thursday, Feb. 4. Marble, is a founding partner of Marble Fairbanks and a faculty member at the Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation (GSAPP). Marble Fairbanks is widely known for its innovative uses of digital fabrication in their assemblies and design work. For a moment, many may quickly dismiss the work of Marble Fairbanks as part of another ephemeral trend in the world of design and architecture. But listening to Marble speak on the subjects of digital fabrication and design networks and looking at the quality of his product one just as quickly begins to piece together the importance of this trend. While the architecture industry is enduring the stresses of a ruptured market, digital fabrication is quietly becoming savvy designer’s, like Scott Marble and his camp, panacea. How so? Digital fabrication techniques are allowing them to complete very intricate and often labor intensive projects without huge cost burdens or material wastes. To many that spells a major component of the sustainability pill that the industry so badly needs to maintain margins in a highly competitive global marketplace. In fact, many of Marble Fairbank’s recent commissions have been designed and implemented using computer production technologies. For example, the project Flatform, uses CNC (computer numerically controlled) systems as the very touchstone of the design. The project, which was initially fabricated for an installation was intended to “bring the process of design closer to the production of buildings, merging them through a common language of information”.

ABOVE: Slide Library project installation was completed both as a prototype research project to test computerized fabrication techniques

Marble wrapped up the night by using the design network methodology that his office employs as a talking point to encourage nextgen architects and designers. Marble Fairbanks uses the network of designers to keep his office lean and flexible. Another chunk of that the same pie that many archie offices so desperately need to sustain themselves, oddly enough. “Our working process is based on a highly collaborative team approach”, says Marble. “We combine the creative advantages of collaborative, human, interactive design processes with the expediency and efficiency of digital techniques as a source of constant feedback for decision-making to bring the most effective solutions to the specific needs of our clients”. In other words, Marble Fairbanks makes the most efficient and effective use of his most important capital- human capital, by only bringing in additional participants (hence labor costs and communication delays) through the design network when it can reap the most productivities yields in the project. This process of a flexible, synchronized and productive design team is a model, Marble predicts, will be a turning point for the way projects are designed and delivered.

To check out more of Marble Fairbanks work, or just to see what their up to, follow this link or the others conveniently placed throughout the article.

Architect’s Bio:
Scott Marble, of Marble Fairbanks, received his Master of Architecture degree from Columbia University and his Bachelor of Environmental Design degree from Texas A&M University. Marble Fairbanks is an architecture, design and research office founded in 1990 by Scott Marble and Karen Fairbanks. He is also the Director of the Avery Digital Fabrication Lab and Director of the Columbia Building Intelligence Project Integrated Design Studios.

Contact Information
66 West Broadway
Suite 600
New York, NY 10007
USA
tel +1 212 233 0653
fax +1 212 233 0654
info@marblefairbanks.com

- V Willis

Sustainable Daylighting Strategies at TCU

2010-03-15T14:24:00.000-05:00

Green Restaurants in Dallas

2010-03-15T14:10:00.002-05:00

The Dallas Morning News did a story over the weekend focusing on "green" restaurants in DFW. We recently wrote a blurb on the Green Restaurant Association, and two of their members are featured in the article. Here's the full list:

- State & Allen Lounge (GRA Certified)
- Remington's Restaurant at Southfork (GRA Certified)
- Twisted Root
- Cowboy Chow
- Rathbun's Blue Plate
- Craft Dallas

Jason Boso of Twisted Root and Cowboy Chow puts one of his changes into monetary terms. Changing from styrofoam to greener products upped his "paper products" costs from $12,000/year to $30,000/year. Sometimes "green" isn't cheap, but it's sure nice to see that there's a bit less styrofoam around.

- DVaughn

Meeting Notes February 2010

2010-03-08T17:12:00.002-06:00

Leaf of the Month 03

2010-02-28T21:07:00.003-06:00

This "Leaf of the Month" comes from the much advertised Nissan Leaf (an acronym for Leading, Environmentally Friendly, Affordable, Family Car). It's an all electric car that claims "0 emissions*". The asterisk is their's not mine, and it refers to the statement "*Zero Emissions refers to tailpipe emissions". Where else could there be emissions, you ask? This is an all electric car. Sure it's tailpipe doesn't spew out fumes, and the outlet in your garage that it will plug in to isn't likely to off-gas CO2. However, the electrical generation plants that get the juice to the car are significant polluters, especially those that are coal-fired.

How many of those plants are coal-fired? Here in the US, 59% of our electricity comes from coal, with the remainder coming mainly from wind, hydro and nuclear. Based on that I'll do some calculations to see just how much pollution (measured in CO2 emissions) that the Leaf produces in comparison to it's gas-guzzling cousins. This may take a while, so I'll break it down line by line with information gathered from the Department of Energy (DOE).

Burning 1 gallon of gasoline produces 19.4 lbs of CO2, and creating 1 kWh of electricity from coal creates 2.1 lbs of CO2.

Based on its 100 mile range and 24 kWh battery capacity, the Nissan Leaf gets 4.2 miles/kWh. If a kWh produces 2.1 lbs of CO2, then the Leaf produces 1 lb of CO2 for every 2 miles traveled.

If burning one gallon of gasoline creates 19.4 lbs of CO2, and the Leaf gets 2 miles for every lb of CO2, then its equivalent MPG would be 38.8 miles/gallon. That number would be true if we used 100% coal to produce our electricity, but since just 59% of US electricity comes from coal, that factor increases the efficiency of the Leaf to 65.7 miles/gallon. Electric or not, that's a very good rate for MPG, but this is only a discussion of MPG in terms of pollution (CO2) created.

For a look at the energy production efficiency of the two fuels (electricity and gasoline) then we need to determine the MPGe, or miles per gallon equivalent. We won't get into the calculations for this, but based on its electricity consumption, the Leaf's MPGe is 55.1 miles/gallon. Still pretty dang good, but it may be confusing when you see that the DOE claims an MPGe of 367 miles/gallon for the Leaf. It's confusing because this number multiplies the raw MPGe (55.1) by an arbitrary factor of 6.67. The sole purpose of this is for the DOE to give the car company credit for creating an electric car, so they use this factor to inflate the number and make the car look more efficient. Talk about confusing, not to mention just plain deceptive.

Even without arbitrary efficiency factors, the Leaf looks pretty good with an MPGe of 55.1 and a pollution MPG of 65.7. This would be great if you could actually drive one. If you remember the fate of GM's EV1 as retold in the documentary "Who Killed the Electric Car?", one of the factors that allowed them to be taken off the road was that GM only allowed them to be leased, so the leasees had no say when GM refused to allow lease buy-outs when the lease was up. GM just took the cars back and sent them to junkyards to be forgotten. Nissan is rumored to be repeating the lease only policy that led to the EV1's unfortunate scenario.

An EV1 graveyard

They also plan to have a very limited release in only a few US cities near the end of this year. This is mainly due to the lack of support infrastructure, namely limited amounts of electrical refueling stations. Although the majority of drivers won't have the chance to get behind the wheel until probably 2012, there's no denying this car's fuel efficiency and it's potential for shifting preconceptions about the electric car. Based on those alone, this "leaf" seems to actually be green.

Status - Verified

The Power of Wood

2010-02-22T09:44:00.001-06:00

Movie Night(s) at DCFA

2010-02-11T14:06:00.003-06:00

The last Tuesday of each month will be Movie Night, hosted jointly by USGBC North Texas Chapter, Emerging Green Builders and AIA Dallas COTE. The movies will be shown at 6:30pm at the DCFA (unless noted otherwise).

February 23 – The Radiant City

March 30 – Living With the Trinity

We'll continue to post them on this page's calendar as they are scheduled.

-SShipp

Leaf of the Month 02

2010-01-21T23:02:00.001-06:00

Our second "Leaf of the Month" comes from a sign posted at a long abandoned gas station at the corner of Oak Lawn and Lemmon in Dallas, Texas.

The sign is for Evolution Fuels, which is "coming soon" according to the sign. You have to admire the fact that they're opening locations at previously abandoned gas stations, rather than paving over a park, but there' no word on their website about using any sort of green standards during construction. Their second location is planned for the abandoned 7-11 at Travis and Knox in Dallas. Word is that they're eyeing eight stations altogether, but let's see if they get the first one off the ground.

Once is it up an running, the station will sell "environmentally friendly" fuel alternatives, mainly ethanol. They have developed a specialized blending dispenser that allows the customer to choose the percentage of ethanol in their fuel, and it automatically adjusts the cost accordingly. From what I've read, this verges on revolutionary, but sounds to me about as exciting as putting shampoo and conditioner in the same bottle. No matter how revolutionary the dispensary process, they'll still be mixing ethanol with gasoline, neither of which are environmentally friendly. Sure, ethanol production boosts the profits of farmers (this is a good thing) by inflating the cost of corn, but it's takes about 1 gallon of fuel to plant, harvest, manufacture and distribute 1 gallon of ethanol. This is not the definition of environmentally friendly, but we'll wait and see what how the actual construction shapes up, and if other fuels will be offered before making a judgment.

Status - Pending

Leaf of the Month 01

2009-12-21T07:29:00.007-06:00

Our inaugural "Leaf of the Month" comes from a sign in front of a Chase Bank construction site at the corner of Greenville and Mockingbird in Dallas, Texas.

JPMorgan Chase as a company has used "green" claims to justify its decision to build a behemoth new hangar at Weschester Airport to house its new corporate jet fleet. County officials even justified giving them the lease by saying it "is the best deal for county taxpayers and the best deal for the environment." They no doubt benefit publicly from talking green, but let's see if they walk the talk.

JPMorgan Chase did make a big splash in 2007 announcing a new headquarters tower at Tower 5 of the World Trade Center site. The building was to be LEED Platinum, but plans have since been scrapped. Also scrapped was the retail building that once sat on the site that has since been scraped clean to make way for the new Chase Branch Bank in Dallas. Although the irony is palpable, the building that will be built will likely follow in the footsteps of it predecessors and shoot for LEED certification.

The company began its green building program with the opening of its first green branch bank in Denver in 2007. Since then the company has regsistered thirty-five buildings, seven of which have been certified. Six of those certified projects are in Texas and five have reached Silver certification. Although that first branch in Denver is still languishing in "registered" land, it seems that this company does back up it's display of the Leaf.

Status - Verified

Leaf of the Month: Introduction

2009-12-16T10:46:00.002-06:00

We're starting a new segment on the blog called "Leaf of the Month".

As Adrian Parr writes in his book Hijacking Sustainability, "The idea of 'sustainability' has gone mainstream. Thanks to Prius-driving movie stars, it's even hip. What began as a grassroots movement to promote responsible development has become a bullet point in corporate ecobranding strategies...[T]he more popular sustainable development becomes, the more commodified it becomes; the more mainstream culture embraces the sustainability movement's concern over global warming and poverty, the more 'sustainability culture' advances the profit-maximizing values of corporate capitalism."

We will explore "green" claims from all corners of the market, and try to determine the viability of each claim by giving each LOTM entry a stamp of "verified", "greenwash", or "undetermined". We hope to create a worthwhile discussion about the commodification of the green movement, and while AIA Dallas COTE has plenty of leafs to discuss, we welcome nominations from our reader as well, so we look forward to hearing from you.

- DVaughn

AIA Dallas Home Tour: Labron House

2009-11-20T14:18:00.004-06:00

This year’s Dallas AIA tour of homes featured many well designed homes; beautifully done with simple modern lines. However, almost certainly… of all the homes visited that fall weekend, one in particular stood out. The Labron Residence is set within a heavily treed 1950’s neighborhood adjacent to many public parks.

view from the street

Living in a sustainable home was so important to the owners’ they not only desired to have a third party certified sustainable home from the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED® for Homes rating system, they also made sure that the original structure helped the environment and not harm it. Deconstructed piece by piece, 95% of the materials were either reused or recycled. In light of this, it’s worthy to note that some of the best sustainable features do not shout out how “green” it is with a brightly colored windmill or glaring solar panel, it can be simply and quietly done for its worthiness alone.

Of course, none of this is observed as you come upon the home. Approaching the front door, the organic rolling waves of Texas Buffalograss are striking next to the clean yet warm brick and wood exterior. Heading up the concrete stepped entry, one may catch a glimpse of the original foundation behind the native plantings. Interestingly, the existing 1,440 square foot foundation was reused, thus saving the need for virgin concrete mix materials and tons of CO2 emissions from the making of cement.

fountain at the front porch

From the back, you can see the owners’ desire to relax and meditate among their low maintenance native garden and under well established Pecan Tree. The entry leads into a naturally daylit stairwell beckoning you to come up to the main part of the house. At the top of the stairs, as architect Kelly Mitchell describes on her website, you do feel like you are in a ‘tree house’. At first glance, all one notices is the large green trees of the neighborhood surrounding them. Next, for those of us who are trained in design, you begin to notice all of the unique and well thought-out apertures in which naturally filtered daylight is allowed to fall into the open living room and kitchen. Adding to this, the white quartz countertops and glass tile walls in the kitchen smoothly reflect light into the fresh yet comfortable dining and living area. Moving to the balcony, wide overhangs allude to how this shaded ‘tree house’ feel is accomplished.

Walking into the art studio, above the separate garage, it is easy to see the owners’ love for art and now how effortlessly it should be for them to get inspired. Finally, while the master bedroom and bath can be closed off from company, it’s hard to imagine why you would want to. Both of these again look onto the serene backyard and fully open onto a patio with plenty of space.

driveway to the back gate

The holistic design by Mitchell Garman Architects earned a LEED for Homes Platinum certification for two passionate owners. But arguably, the best feature of this home it its size. So many well designed “green” homes are also enormous and thus adding to the energy loads to heat and cool the home. The Labron House successfully meets the challenge to design a small sustainable home. Even on the a hot summer day; the home’s large overhangs shade the seamless veranda and patios. The operable doors and windows effectively disappear while providing natural ventilation and therefore minimizing the need for conditioned space.

The rare opportunity to see such a beautiful home was not lost on those who toured it that weekend and being the nature of a private residence, it’s uncertain if we will have another one. Fortunately, the owners’ of the home have created a great website and blog with many photos. Feel free to learn more.

- article and photographs by Beth Brant, AIA, LEED AP

Did You Know There is a Green Restaurant Association?

2009-11-19T13:58:00.003-06:00

The Green Restaurant Association certifies restaurants that meet certain green standards which are different for new restaurants than they are for existing ones. They even certify specific events. Each restaurant needs to gain 100 points for initial certification and then gain 10 more points each year to maintain certification. The point categories are:

1.Water Efficiency
2.Waste Reduction and Recycling
3.Sustainable Furnishings and Building Materials
4.Sustainable Food
5.Energy
6.Disposables
7.Chemical and Pollution Reduction

It's been around since 1990, and at this point, they have certified three restaurants in the DFW area - State & Allen Lounge, Remington's at the Southfork Hotel and the Southfork Ranch. There are four others in Texas and 218 nationwide. To learn more about the certification process, you can check out their educational video that is geared towards restaurant operators.

-DVaughn

Meeting Notes October 2009

2009-11-16T13:10:00.001-06:00

BuildingGreen Top-10 Green Building Products

2009-11-16T09:24:00.003-06:00

BuildingGreen announced its 2009 Top-10 Green Building Products November 12th. This eighth annual award, announced at the U.S. Green Building Council’s Greenbuild Conference in Phoenix, recognizes products highlighted in recent additions to the GreenSpec Directory and coverage in Environmental Building News. Here's the list:

-Pozzotive Plus CMUs and Concrete Brick from Kingston Block
-Thermafiber Mineral Wool Insulation Products
-Invelope Integrated Wall Insulation and Rainscreen System
-Baltix Recycled- and Biobased-Content Office Furniture
-Project FROG Modular Green Classroom
-Rheem HP-50 Heat-Pump Water Heater
-Convia Energy-Management Infrastructure
-Pentadyne GTX Flywheel Energy Storage
-Silva Cell Subsurface Tree Protection and Stormwater System
-Mobile Solar Power Generator

More info on each product is available here.

- DVaughn

City of Dallas E-Recycling

2009-11-09T11:07:00.002-06:00

The City of Dallas has scheduled their "Super Recycling Fall Roundup" for Saturday, November 21st. Bring all of your electronic waste to be recycling to be recycled rather than sending it to the landfill.

DFW Green Architecture Facebook Page

2009-11-05T10:51:00.001-06:00

We're now on Facebook, so please check out our new page and become a fan.

-DVaughn

Zerow House

2009-10-30T17:24:00.002-05:00

The Solar Decathlon Team at Rice University have created the "Zerow House".

From their website summary: "The ZEROW HOUSE is a 520 square foot zero energy home designed for the 2009 U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon by students from Rice University. The house is run completely off of solar power generated on site, through the use of a photovoltaic array and solar hot water system that collects solar energy. The ZEROW HOUSE is not only technologically innovative, it is also affordable, demonstrating that solar power is viable and that zero energy houses can be an attainable goal for many."

There is a great visual explanation of the house and the sustainable design techniques used, as well as some great phots and diagrams.

- DVaughn

Rating Systems: Energy Star

2009-10-15T10:45:00.001-05:00

The Energy Star program is a product designation provided jointly by the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to commercial appliances and products that assist in conserving energy. The on-line calculator requires energy savings information in order to calculate the energy savings. The use of energy star materials and appliances in a commercial application is beneficial; however, the results of the program are difficult to quanitify.

Because a strategic approach to energy management can produce twice the savings — for the bottom line and the environment — as typical approaches, DOE/EPA’s ENERGY STAR partnership offers a proven energy management strategy that helps in measuring current energy performance, setting goals, tracking savings, and rewarding improvements.

DOE/EPA provides an innovative energy performance rating system which businesses have already used for more than 80,000 buildings across the country. DOE/EPA also recognizes top performing buildings with the ENERGY STAR.

In order to receive the Energy Star designation, the project must achieve a score of at least 75. This indicates that the project performs better than 75% of similar building types in the United States. This is also the minimum standard to be qualified for the Green Globes certification.

- TPowell

Rating Systems: 2030 Challenge

2009-10-11T10:25:00.002-05:00

Based on reducing the energy consumption and corresponding greenhouse gas emissions, the 2030 Challenge sets benchmarks by building types for the reduction of energy consumption as compared to 1990 levels.

Architecture 2030 has issued The 2030 Challenge asking the global architecture and building community to adopt the following targets:

· All new buildings, developments and major renovations shall be designed to meet a fossil fuel, GHG-emitting, energy consumption performance standard of 50% of the regional (or national) average for that building type.

· At a minimum, an equal amount of existing building area shall be renovated annually to meet a fossil fuel, GHG-emitting, energy consumption performance standard of 50% of the regional (or national) average for that building type.

· The fossil fuel reduction standard for all new buildings and major renovations shall be increased to:
60% in 2010
70% in 2015
80% in 2020
90% in 2025
Carbon-neutral in 2030 (using no fossil fuel GHG emitting energy to operate).

These targets may be accomplished by implementing innovative sustainable design strategies, generating on-site renewable power and/or purchasing (20% maximum) renewable energy and/or certified renewable energy credits. The difficulty is in compiling meaningful data regarding current building consumption rates. Once this is accomplished and documented, a certificate stating 2030 challenge compliance is awarded.

If the project’s energy efficiency meets or exceeds a 50% reduction (of similar buildings, based on 1990 standards), then the remaining 20% (required to meet the 2015 goal) could be purchased in the form of certified renewable energy credits to meet the 2030 challenge.

-TPowell

Dallas Green Building Code

2009-10-09T10:17:00.002-05:00

On October 1st of 2009, the City of Dallas launched their Green Building Code that includes Energy and Water Efficiency prerequisites consistent with the minimums established for LEED 2009. The Phase I plan of the code requires all commercial construction to meet 85% of the credit totals required by LEED (based on NC version 2.2). They do count the 7 prerequisites as credits. The city has opened a division for Green Building Enforcement and this division has been charged with establishing the requirements for demonstrating compliance. The requirements are closely modeled on the USGBC LEED Rating System.

In Phase II of the City of Dallas Green Building Code, set to launch in October 2011, the minimum requirement for a building permit will be compliance with the LEED Rating System (based on NC version 2.2). Projects that meet the LEED 2009 Certification levels will meet the Phase I and Phase II requirements for the City of Dallas.

-TPowell

Rating Systems: Green Globes

2009-10-08T15:03:00.001-05:00

Green Globes comes from the England based Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM), which is used to certify homes (and is now mandatory in England). Green Globes was adopted in Canada in 2002, and then was adopted in the United States in 2005 by Portland Oregon based Green Building Initiative (GBI). In April of 2009, the Green Building Initiative (GBI) entered into an agreement with the AIA to promote the Green Globes Rating System.

Green Globes projects are awarded points for scores of at least 75 from the EPA’s Energy Performance Rating. EPA’s rating system compares projects to similar buildings nationwide. For example a score of 75 in the Energy Performance Rating system means that the project performs better than 75% of similar building types in the United States. This is the standard that must be met for your building to receive the “Energy Star” rating.

Green Globes includes a series of points that can result in a certification of either One, Two, Three of Four Globes, with Four Globes being the highest level of certification. Many proponents of Green Globes point to the simpler and less expensive methodology for achieving certification as an advantage of Green Globes. Opponents of Green Globes point to its lack of prerequisites as not setting the minimum requirements high enough. Drexel University has recently certified their new Integrated Sciences Building with both LEED and Green Globes Certification. The Green Globes process includes design feedback during the design process.

To date, there have been about 40 buildings certified through the Green Globes Rating System in the United States. Of these, there are none certified in Dallas. Green Globes Certification would be unique in Dallas, but would not necessarily be considered a higher level of green construction than LEED Certification.

-TPowell

Wind + Sun = Energy

2009-09-09T16:42:00.005-05:00

Solasta (Newton, Mass.) is using a novel cell design based on an amorphous-silicon “nanocoax” structure, which increases current and lowers materials cost by shortening the path charge carriers must travel to the cell’s conducting wires. This approach effectively decouples the optical and electronic pathways. If successful, Solasta will deliver 15 percent efficient, 100-cm2 pre-production cells at the end of the project.

Solexel (Milpitas, Calif.) plans to commercialize a disruptive, 3D, high efficiency mono-crystalline silicon cell technology, while dramatically reducing manufacturing cost per watt. Through a series of novel yet low cost processing steps, this project will manufacture a solar cell architecture, which efficiently traps light using minimal material. At the end of this project, Solexel plans to deliver a 17-19 percent efficient, 156x156 mm2, single-crystal cell that consumes substantially lower silicon per watt than conventionally sliced wafers. Solexel aspires to be a gigawatt-scale PV producer within five years.

Spire Semiconductor (Hudson, N.H.) plans on opening up the design space for three-junction tandem solar cells by growing differentiated bi-facial cells on a Gallium Arsenide substrate. This approach will allow spire to better optimize the optical properties of their device layers to better match the solar spectrum. Spire Semiconductor is targeting cell efficiencies over 42 percent using a low-cost manufacturing method.

In February 2009, 1366 Technologies reported that the grant from the DOE was finalized. In fact, 1366 Technologies hopes to show within 18 months that it can churn out 6-inch-square PV cells fast enough to build a 3-megawatt solar plant, as the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) award requires. “That forces you to automate critical parts of the process,” says 1366 Technologies president and CEO Frank van Mierlo. “You can have innovative cell architecture and produce it in the lab with tiny cells that are 1-by-1 inch, and show that the physics works. But by the time you do a 3-megawatt plant, you have to have truly solved all the scaling problems and have a handle on the true economics. That’s what the DOE program is about.”

The 1366 Technologies report is indicative of the timeframe required for the development of cost-effective solar PV energy resources. If successful, 1366 Technology will be able to demonstrate an economical process for PV cell production by late 2010. The NREL grant will oversee the process along the way and 1366 Technologies will have to perform about 20 or 30 intermediate milestones to complete the research process.
Wind Energy

The Texas State Energy Conservation Office (SECO) monitors wind energy production within the state. They report that for the past two years, Texas has been the top wind producer in the United States, with over 3,953 wind-generated megawatts (MW) installed. Texas is also the first state to achieve the milestone of one Gigawatt of wind installations in a single year (2007). Texas widened its lead over states by installing almost 2,700 megawatts of wind power last year. Only two countries in the world installed that much wind in 2008. In fact, if Texas were a country—an idea never entirely out of fashion in the Lone Star state—it would rank 6th in the world in wind power capacity. The demand for additional wind power has grown so rapidly that the Texas electric transmission grid has a critical need for expansion. In July 2007, the Texas Public Utility Commission announced its approval for additional transmission lines that could deliver as much as 25,000 megawatts of wind energy from remote areas in the state to urban centers by 2012, depending on how many wind farms are built. New transmission infrastructure will allow all Texans to access the the state's vast wind resources.

DOE's Energy Information Administration (EIA) reports that wind power is the fastest growing renewable energy technology, growing by 45% in 2006 due to strong demand, investment of private capital, and the support of federal and state governments. Electric utilities have shown an increased interest in wind project ownership, and wind industry sales to power marketers have become more common. Wind power has consistently remained at or below the average price of conventional electricity such as coal, nuclear, and natural gas.

American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), the industry’s trade group, has determined that two-thirds of the predicted growth of wind energy generation in the U.S. will occur in Texas, as three of the five largest wind farms in the nation are located in Texas. Texas already holds the record for the world's largest wind farm, Horse Hollow Wind Energy Center, which was completed by FPL Energy, Inc. in late 2006. It also is the site for the nation's second-largest wind farm, the 504.8-megawatt Sweetwater wind project, the fourth phase of which attained commercial operation in May, 2007.

“There is plenty of wind out there and plenty of energy to be tapped. It's just like an oil field that doesn't run out.” Tom Gray, AWEA

The Horse Hollow Wind Energy Center in Texas remains the largest wind farm in the world with a total capacity of 735 megawatts (MW) spread across approximately 47,000 acres in Taylor and Nolan counties near Abilene in west central Texas.

The wind plant consists of 291 1.5-MW wind turbines from General Electric and 130 2.3-MW wind turbines from Siemens.

One MW is enough electricity to serve 250 to 300 homes on average each day.

“Sound economic principles are driving wind energy development in Texas. The fact that wind energy is clean, reliable and inexhaustible is icing on the cake.” Jerry Patterson, Texas General Land Office Commissioner

Despite the slowdown this year in the wind industry, the U.S. is still ahead of schedule to generate 20% of its electricity from wind by 2020, according to a new report by the AWEA. Wind power has thrived because Texas is wide-open—both geographically and politically. There are plenty of open spaces to put wind farms and few barriers to building them.

Texas has optimal conditions for both wind and solar power. With the continuing development in wind power and solar technology, alternative energy resources should continue to be on the rise for the foreseeable future.

TPowell

Rating Systems: SB Tool 07

2009-08-20T10:27:00.002-05:00

SBTool, formerly known as GBTool, is designed to assess the environmental and sustainability performance of buildings. SBTool is the software implementation of the Green Building Challenge (GBC) assessment method that has been under development since 1996 by a group of more than a dozen teams. The GBC process was launched by Natural Resources Canada, but responsibility was handed over to the International Initiative for a Sustainable Built Environment (iiSBE) in 2002.

The SBTool is a generic framework for rating the sustainable performance of buildings and projects. However, users are expected to use other software tools to simulate energy performance, estimate embodied energy and emissions, predict thermal comfort and air quality, etc. Results of the tool require that benchmark values be established for reference. Without the established base of benchmark values, this rating system tool can only be considered a good sustainable guideline.

- TPowell

NTSS: Bercy Chen Studio

2009-08-18T22:05:00.004-05:00

Thomas Bercy of Bercy Chen Studio traveled from Austin to share his firm’s sustainable design strategies with a few Dallasites. The presentation was broken into segments water efficiency, energy conservation, materials & resources, and density.

The Peninsula House in Austin exemplifies many of these strategies. Rather than tearing the place down, Bercy Chen worked with the client to salvage the bones of the house, while adding more efficient shading techniques, xeriscaping, and water features throughout the property to help cool the site naturally. All this work does have its rewards, like a shout out from Kanye West who seems to like the place alright.

The Peninsula House

Water efficiency measures like rainwater harvesting were discussed. Many of their projects include water collection systems from the roof and the site to be used for water features. These features not only supply beauty, but also provide much needed cooling effects in a hot Texas climate. Another water reduction tool, and a passion of the firm, is xeriscaping. Native plantings are used throughout their projects and provide a dazzling array of color while replacing water guzzlers like St. Augustine lawns. The reduction of impervious surface is also important for ground water recovery, and their three story River Gardens project in East Austin helps provide large adjacent areas of permeable land simply by making do with a smaller footprint.

River Gardens

As the presentation moved into a discussion about the importance of urban density, some attendees couldn’t help but question the large secluded residences that made up much of the firm’s portfolio. Thomas Bercy answered that they’re able to experiment with sustainable strategies on these expensive homes, so they can hone them for use in their larger, more dense multifamily and mixed use projects. One of those mixed use buildings included in their recent work is their own office in Austin. These metal clad building blocks are stacked precariously atop one another creating a dynamic visual affect. An art studio and retail are housed on the ground floor while office and residential spaces take up the top two floors.

Bercy Chen Studio

Other high density projects include a design competition entry for a highly sustainable mixed use tower in Dallas entitle Re:Vision Dallas. The sustainable practices proposed are too many to list, so refer to the diagram below.

Re:Vision Dallas

Bercy Chen is an example of how a firm can design with sustainable methods in mind while always keeping high quality design as their goal. These strategies together are quickly placing Bercy Chen at the forefront of green design demonstrated by their inclusion in the 2006 Architectural Record Design Vanguard.

- DVaughn

Rating Systems - ASHRAE 189

2009-08-15T09:31:00.002-05:00

ASHRAE 189 is an American National Standards Institute (ANSI) – accredited standard that has been established with the intent of generating an increase in energy efficiency and developing a higher standard to be adopted by the LEED Rating System. This standard is specific to the issues of the American Society of Heating Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) and the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA). As such, it represents a standard for green building, but not a complete rating system.

Proposed Standard 189, Standard for the Design of High-Performance Green Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings, will provide minimum requirements for the design of sustainable buildings to balance environmental responsibility, resource efficiency, occupant comfort and well being, and community sensitivity. Using USGBC’s LEED Green Building Rating System, which addresses the top 25% of building practice, as a key resource, Standard 189P will provide a baseline that will drive green building into mainstream building practices.

Originally completed in 2007, the standard was intended to apply to new commercial buildings and major renovation projects, addressing sustainable sites, water use efficiency, energy efficiency, a building’s impact on the atmosphere, materials and resources, and indoor environmental quality.

Standard 189P is an ANSI-accredited standard that can be incorporated into building code. It is intended that the standard will eventually become a prerequisite under LEED, so its language is very compatible with the LEED Rating System. Currently, it has not been incorporated into the LEED rating system

-TPowell

NTSS: City of Dallas Green Building Code

2009-08-13T16:56:00.003-05:00

On July 16, 2009 at the Frontiers of Flight Museum, AIA Dallas COTE teamed with USGBC North Texas and CSI Dallas in hosting the second annual North Texas Sustainable Showcase. While the USGBC and CSI secured 90 vendors presenting their sustainable products, COTE selected speakers to present issues pertaining to sustainable design practices.

Zaida Basora is the Director of Building Inspection and Chief Building Official for the city of Dallas. She led the task force that developed the green building ordinance for all residential and commercial construction adopted by the Dallas City Council on April 9, 2008. The Dallas ordinance will become effective on October 1, 2009. She is responsible for the implementation of the ordinance, including the development of training, education and compliance resources.

Ms. Basora presented the City’s goal of being thegreenest city in America. This will be achieved by instituting a new building code that will require allcommercial buildings over 50,000 square feet to incorporate components of the USGBC LEED-NC rating system in addition to requirements for waterand energy savings and agreeing to allow utility companies to share the energy use of the building with the City of Dallas. Residential buildings will be required to demonstrate water and energy savings, but will not be required to incorporate additionalconcepts from LEED until the second phase of implementation, estimated to be October of 2011.

The City of Dallas is developing tools to facilitate oversight of the green strategies being employed in each project. While LEED Certification will not be required, a LEED Certified project will meet the goals of the city’s building code. The design and engineering professionals involved with the projectwill be able to indicate the intention of the buildingto meet specific criteria of green building strategiesand the city building inspectors will include thesecomponents of the project into their regularly scheduled inspections. The plan is designed to enable green building without the sometimes burdensome amount of paperwork required by the USGBC.

As far as mandatory green building goes, Dallas will now be a part of a handful of cities that require consideration of sustainable practices beyond the minimum required by state and federal building codes. Ms. Basora states that there will be several other cities that will be watching closely to see how well the process works for the City of Dallas. Since the initial task force included representatives from the development sectors, there is optimism that the standards will be attainable without incurring significant costs.

- Thom Powell, AIA LEED AP, AIA Dallas 2009 COTE Chair

Rating Systems - Living Building Challenge

2009-08-13T16:49:00.003-05:00

The Living Building Challenge is attempting to raise the bar and define a closer measure of true sustainability in the built environment, using a benchmark of what is currently possible and given the best knowledge available today. Projects that achieve this level of performance can claim to be the ‘greenest’ anywhere, and will serve as role models to others that follow. Although it may be difficult to achieve the Living Building Challenge, understanding the standard and documenting compliance with the requirements is inherently easy: Just sixteen simple and profound requirements that must be met.

· Responsible Site Selection
· Limits to Growth
· Habitat Exchange
· Net Zero Energy
· Materials Red List
· Construction Carbon Footprint
· Responsible Industry
· Appropriate Materials / Services Radius
· Leadership in Construction Waste
· Net Zero Water
· Sustainable Water Discharge
· A Civilized Work Environment
· Healthy Air – Source Control
· Healthy Air – Ventilation
· Beauty and Spirit
· Inspiration and Education

The ideal of the Living Building continues to be mentioned within the green building movement, although a true Living Building has yet to emerge. That said, every single aspect of the Living Building Challenge has been implemented successfully in multiple projects. Indeed, it has been proven that the concept is possible today; it was only the specific standard that unites the requirements that was missing until now.

Meeting the Living Building Challenge would undoubtedly be considered the pinnacle of green building construction, however, due to the requirement for net zero energy it would be expensive to obtain. Consequently, if the project were unable to achieve any of the prerequisites, it would not receive certification from the Living Building Challenge. Measuring the project against the Living Building Challenge criteria would demonstrate the project’s strength in environmental stewardship as compared to the highest set of criteria.

- TPowell

NTSS: The Rebuilding of Greensburg, Kansas

2009-08-11T07:12:00.003-05:00

Dan Rockhill is a principal at Rockhill and Associates and a professor at University of Kansas’s School of Architecture and Urban Planning. Every semester he leads his graduate students who have taken the moniker Studio 804, to design and build an affordable building in a period of 4 months. Most of those in his class come with no previous experience in construction. The students get to be part of a process that starts with an integral design approach that requires them to understand not only the standard disciplines (structural, mechanical, electrical and plumbing), but they are also exposed to sustainable strategies, building code and zoning officials, hiring third party inspectors, communicating with neighborhood associations, signing contracts and performing estimates.

Modular 1

Rockhill’s passion for quality in design and construction with an inherent sustainable approach to the environment has driven him to keep as much control as possible over the construction process. In the design-build program, he transfers this passion to the students in every discussion. At the beginning of the program back in 1995, most of the work was done on site. It slowly morphed into prefabricating modules in a warehouse which allows not only for more control over the quality of the finished product, but produces less waste and makes it more efficient to work in a controlled environment.

Modular 4

In May of 2007, the town of Greenburg Kansas was decimated by a tornado. Dan Rockhill’s commitment to the community lead him to use his graduate class to help this community. Following the tornado Greenberg’s City Council passed a resolution requiring all publicly funded buildings to be rebuilt to LEED Platinum level of Certification. Studio 804 designed and built 5.4.7 Arts Center, which received LEED Platinum Certification. Even though it was not a publicly funded building, Rockhill and his team felt that providing an example of sustainable practices would strongly support the City Council’s determination.

5.4.7 Arts Center

Rationalism is expressed in modern architecture through functionalism and abstract rectilinear shapes. Rockhill cleverly guides his students along these concepts. He inspires them to react to the natural environment and capture the sensibility of the site within the context of the community.

- Maria A. Gomez, AIA, LEED AP
2009 COTE Committee Member

NTSS: Sustainability and Design Awards - Case Studies

2009-08-10T21:31:00.004-05:00

Todd Howard, President of AIA Dallas, acted as moderator for a series of brief presentations followed by a panel discussion with Dallas-based architects whose recent work has won sustainability design awards. Participants were Robert Meckfessel, FAIA, LEED AP, who presented the Urban Reserve Master Plan, Dallas, Texas, which won the 2007 AIA Dallas Urban Edge Excellence in Sustainable Design Award; Brent Brown, AIA, LEED AP, who described the Congo Street Holding House, Dallas, Texas, which won the 2008 AIA Dallas Urban Edge Excellence in Sustainable Design Award; and Gary Cunningham, FAIA, whose design for House on Cedar Hill, Dallas, Texas won the 2008 AIA Dallas Merit Award.

Urban Reserve is an infill subdivision of 50 lots in north Dallas constructed on an irregular, previously neglected wooded site. The Master Plan for the Urban Reserve maintains the existing character of the site through the insertion of a single road, Vanguard Way, which unifies the neighborhood. Design guidelines require modern design and high-performance building envelopes; within these guidelines individual expression and diversity in design is encouraged. Meckfessel focused his presentation on the “sustainability steps” incorporated in the project: storm-water recycling with rain gardens and retention ponds, maintenance of tree cover and topography, reduced pervious surfaces, full cut-off streetlights, small lots oriented to breeze and sun, and the promoted use of regional, recycled, and renewable materials.

The Congo Street Initiative is an effort by the Building Community Workshop to restore six owner-occupied homes along Congo Street in the East Dallas/Fair Park neighborhood of Jubilee Park. The project developed out of a desire to preserve a tight-knit community and to respect the opportunity afforded by land and home ownership to the residents. Despite the fact that their homes were in dire need of repair, the residents of Congo Street deferred plans that would displace them - even temporarily. Brent Brown presented the “Holding House,” which was the first home constructed by the Community Workshop on Congo Street. Built between existing homes on an empty lot donated by a resident Fred Bowie, the Holding House provides families with a place to live while their home undergoes renovation.

Gary Cunningham opened his presentation of a lakeside residence in Cedar Hill, Texas with an acknowledgement that "an 8000 SF house with 4 bedrooms is not, cannot be sustainable." The design for the home, while large, does employ some sustainable strategies: 8-10 ft overhangs shade the dominant west-facing facade of the house, which is oriented to take advantage of views toward Joe Pool Lake. Attention to the site over the course of construction included setting mulch out under the existing trees during the design phase and continuing to add mulch over time to further strengthen them and deepen topsoil. The home recalls contemporary design of the 1960s, with a material palette that includes natural stone.

The panel discussion centered around sustainability in terms of economics, community, and design. One member of the audience asked the panelists if they felt they had ever been asked by an owner or caused by circumstances to design something that went against their principles. The panel agreed that trade-offs occur in every project, but that by and large they felt positive about the direction of their work. The panelists observed that increasingly eco-conscious clients are interested in building sustainable projects.

- Alli Dryer, Assoc. AIA, LEED AP, COTE Member

Twitter Updates from North Texas Sustainability Showcase 2009

2009-07-17T08:51:00.004-05:00

HINT: start at the bottom of the post!

Anne Schopf from Mahlum Architects is the keynote speaker and I am signing off for now bc I have no power. Check the cote blog later!

I am very tired from incessant twittering but there is one more speaker and I will be finished - unless my battery gives out.

http://yfrog.com/c94hwj about

"an 8000 sf house with 4 bedrooms is not, cannot be sustainable."

8-10 ft overhangs shade the dominant west-facing facade of the house (it is oriented toward Joe Pool Lake).

They set mulch out under the trees they wanted to retain during the design phase and over time to strengthen them and deepen topsoil.

Gary Cunningham to speak next about a design for a house in Cedar Hill Texas.

Visit bcworkshop.org for more info

They built a house on an empty lot for people to live in while their houses are being remodeled.

Oops I meant Congo Street not Congress.

Brent Brown is speaking about his work on Congress street with the building community workshop.

On the dry side of the street the ground is covered with granite gravel and desert willow.

A series of rain gardens on the east side of the 22' wide street collect stormwater and prevent it from entering nearby white rock creek.

The development is for-profit

Back at ntss for a series of speakers - including Bob Meckfessel - discussing the urban reserve project (a 14 acre infill subdivision of 50 lots in north Dallas).

They recycle or reuse construction waste: wood drops from a deck were used to create a table, benches, and a trellis.

Retractable accordion glass wall creates ambiguity about where the house stops and the yard begins

You can combine geothermal systems with hydronic heating and cooling to maximize efficiency. Hyronic systems last longer than air-to-air.

Bercy Chen is a design-build firm looking at the ecological challenges we face: water shortages, growing populations, among others.

Add an inch of precipitation every twenty five miles moving west to east across Texas.

Next lecture is Bercy Chen studio http://www.bcarc.com/

The Frontiers of Flight Museum is the home of Apollo 7. http://yfrog.com/7bd94j

Air washing - want to learn more about this.

The Conead N. Hilton Foundation bldg uses concrete chimneys all along the perimeter as structure and for ventilation.

Ted mentioned that a growing market for architects could be going back to older buildings and retuning them to perform more efficiently.

Every ton of cement is equivalent to one ton of carbon dioxide, according to Ted.

The building uses chilled beams and ventilation is decoupled from cooling.

http://bit.ly/NML17

Doss and Ted are presenting a project for the J. Craig Venter Institute. The goal is for it to be the most sustainable lab building in the world.

It's not necessarily more expensive to build green buildings.

Next speakers at the Ntss are Doss Mabe and Ted Hyman - they will discuss Net-zero energy use.

http://yfrog.com/9eptnpj USGBC gave out a memorial scholarship.

Projects under the Living Building Challenge, The Natural Step, and 2030 Challenge aspire to Net-zero energy and net-zero potable water use.

Fun fact: Rockhill has not seen the show about Greensburg yet.

Most popular item in the project was the Dyson "Blade" hand dryer in the restroom.

Kestrels are South African wind turbines. Wind in Greensburg is relentless and ferocious. Caused problems with green roof.

Recycled wood from the 40's couldn't be used for framing because it is not FSC certified. FSC was required to get LEED points.

Greensburg Kansas - project for an arts center. Long thin bldg on a plinth with wind turbines photovoltaics passive systems geothermal etc.

Prefab projects - constructed in a rented warehouse in sections and trucked to site in Kansas City, KS. Modern arch revitalizing urban areas

Recycled "reasonable" materials.

Rockhill also teaches in Studio 804 at Kansas. It's a design-build studio that partners with affordable housing programs.

Rockhill's firm began with residential work - uses passive solar, natural ventilation, sod roofs.

Soil Building Systems brought soil and mulch mixtures to the expo - they use locally sourced dairy compost for higher moisture retention.

Second speaker Dan Rockhill is principal of the firm Rockhill and Associates.

Showcase sustainability expo is now open. Going to check it out.

Vision: Dallas as the greenest city in the US.

Reference guide for users of the new req'd checklist, which is based on the LEED checklist. See greendallas.net

The changes to the Dallas building code are being rolled out in phases over the next few years. City staff are being trained in green bldg

She is presenting the updated Dallas green building requirements. New commercial bldgs over 50k sf must meet 85% LEED certified compliance.

First speaker Zaida Basora is Director of Building Inspection and Building Official for the Dallas dpt of Public Works and Transportation

This place has entire airplanes parked in the lot along with cars! http://yfrog.com/671bpj

Apparently the Frontiers of Flight Museum is near Love Field, not at Fair Park as some people might assume. Glad I bought gasoline yesterday

So glad that they are providing breakfast as I am ravenously hungry from having to wake up at the crack of dawn (7:15)!!

On my way to the Frontiers of Flight museum for the North Texas Sustainability Showcase (hereafter ntss).

The Expo

2009-07-16T13:28:00.001-05:00

The sustainable product expo.

Dyson Blade

2009-07-16T13:17:00.000-05:00

Daniel Vaughn demonstrates the Dyson Blade installed at the Frontiers
of Flight Museum.

Sunrise Solar

2009-07-16T11:34:00.000-05:00

This is a fiber glass wind turbine by Sunrise Solar. You can see one
in action at El Centro College. They are Dutch but distributed from
McKinney, TX.

North Texas Sustainability Showcase

2009-07-16T09:20:00.002-05:00

I'm here at the Frontiers of Flight Museum near Love Field in Dallas for the North Texas Sustainability Showcase. Follow me on Twitter at Twitter.com/AlliDryer for live updates or check back here for reports over the course of the day.

Green Dallas

2009-04-30T09:22:00.002-05:00

The City of Dallas has a website dedicated to Green information that relates to Dallas. A portion of this website includes information about Green Buildings in Dallas with links to helpful presentations. Check it out.

- DV

LEED V3 (2009)

2009-04-30T08:38:00.003-05:00

A few days ago, on April 27th, the USGBC launched LEED Version 3. This LEED version is now in effect, and you can read about it on the USGBC website. For more information, please peruse a copy of the presentation given to the Dallas COTE a few months back entitled "Uncovering LEED 2009". Enjoy.

- DV

NTX Sustainable Showcase

2009-03-11T09:17:00.001-05:00

The USGBC North Texas Chapter, the CSI Dallas Chapter, and Dallas AIA’s Committee on the Environment have joined together to host a showcase of the latest green building products and technologies for commercial and residential use. This showcase is for Architects, Engineers, Interior Designers, Developers, Contractors, Owners, Facilities Managers and others interested in the sustainable building industry.

The showcase will be held at the Frontiers of Flight Museum in Dallas on July 16, 2009. For more information, go to www.ntxsustainableshowcase.com

Tour of T5 House

2009-03-05T18:31:00.003-06:00

The Committee On The Environment (COTE) has, as it’s primary role the education of the architectural constituency on the role of the built environment’s effect on the long-term state of the natural environment. The committee distinguishes itself in its primary view of architectural design as an aesthetic response to the environmental science of sustainable building.
On January 31, 2009 AIA Dallas COTE hosted a tour of the T5 House. The house was designed by Maria A. Gomez, AIA, LEED AP, and is located in the Urban Reserve area of Dallas.

The structure is nestled between 5 existing mature trees that provide the house with protection from the sun during the warm months of the year. Full height windows bring the exterior in on all sides of the clean stucco box that unfolds into a plane to create the 12 ft cantilever protecting the master bedroom on the second floor from the western sun. The largest of the 5 trees is contained in a courtyard that allows north light into the stair and corridor.

Passive features consisting of deep overhangs and operable sliding doors have a significant effect on the amount of energy needed to warm and cool the house. Flooring material choices were made with a minimalist approach using sealed concrete floors in the living areas and loose basalt stone under the stair.

The Urban Reserve was the recipient of the AIA Dallas 2007 Urban Edge Excellence in Sustainable Design award. The T5 House is one of the initial ten projects that have been developed in the Urban Reserve. The enclave has emphasized its role in the area’s watershed patterns with a system of ponds and vegetation that thrives in a wet environment. It connects to the White Rock Trail and the DART light rail system to promote alternative transportation use. Each house has a zero lot line to the north and is open to the south to maximize the open space of the property.

-TPowell

What is COTE?

2009-02-24T22:11:00.000-06:00

The committee that represents the AIA's commitment to sustainability is the Committe On The Environment or COTE. Our mission is:

The Committee on the Environment (COTE) works to advance, disseminate, and advocate—to the profession, the building industry, the academy, and the public—design practices that integrate built and natural systems and enhance both the design quality and environmental performance of the built environment.

The committee reflects the profession’s commitment to provide healthy and safe environments for people and is dedicated to preserving the earth’s capability of sustaining a shared high quality of life. The committee’s mission is to lead and coordinate the profession’s involvement in environmental and energy-related issues and to promote the role of the architect as a leader in preserving and protecting the planet and its living systems.

COTE provides the AIA with knowledge about environmental issues and advises the Institute on environmental policy matters affecting the practice of architecture. The committee supports cooperation with educators and institutions of learning, manufacturers, government agencies, environmental organizations, and industry groups in advancing environmentally sound design processes and standards as well as environmentally innovative materials and integrated systems.

-DV