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It’s obvious that there is growing support for green architecture on American college campuses, especially amid the seemingly omnipresent concerns over global warming. The University of Maryland Baltimore County’s current building controversy is an example of this rise of the green movement.

Though they admitted that they are not pursuing LEED certification, the architects of UMBC’s soon-to-be-built 217,000 square foot Performing Arts and Humanities building announced plans to formulate sustainability goals in all LEED categories in hopes of incorporating these targets into the building project.

This apparent compromise disgruntled much of the university’s student population and led to the instigation of a petition for the building to be LEED certified, which thus far has garnered 450 signatures.

Students’ main concern is that without a solid goal of LEED certification, environmentally-conscious plans involving the building would most likely be abandoned should budgetary issues arise.

This example raises an interesting and important question: Is building with green architecture and LEED-certification in particular becoming a mandate across our college campuses?


UMBC ARTICLE

The new report, "Buildings and Climate Change: Status, Challenges and Opportunities," says many opportunities exist for governments, industry and consumers to take appropriate actions during the life span of buildings that will help mitigate the impacts of global warming.

Citing the example of Europe, the report says more than one-fifth of present energy consumption and up to 45 million tonnes of CO2 per year could be saved by 2010 by applying more ambitious standards to new and existing buildings.

Go straight to the source.

Spring is finally here. The trees are budding, the weather is warming, and the housing market is plummeting.

I am sad to spring reality on you during this season of hope and new beginnings, but there’s no hiding from the truth. Thanks to the sub prime lending frenzy of the past few years, the housing market is tanking, new construction is way down, and people are—understandably—more fiscally cautious.

That’s not all: according to a recent USA Today report, any new construction is now far less likely than ever to be green. Although green building is on the rise in the public sector, homebuilders struggle to entice buyers to shell out extra for energy-saving features and environmentally friendly materials.

This is bad news for the green movement in the U.S. because homebuilders figure prominently in any equation to reduce carbon emissions.

However, we won’t see consumers loosening their purse strings and taking a chance on new technologies until the markets recover from the sub prime lending insanity. At this point, we’re still in free-fall, waiting to hit bottom.


Additional Resources:

Buyers, Builders Idling Until Bottom Seen, Brian Sullivan and Daniel Taub of Bloomberg News, March 18, 2007

Big home builders say most consumers won’t pay for ‘green’ homes , Vinnee Tong, Associated Press – March 8, 2007

Green Building: Virtue and Business Sense Converge , The Kiplinger Washington Editors, March 2007

The Risk in Sub Prime , Ellen Florian Kratz, Fortune Writer, March 1, 2007

CHARLOTTE, N.C., March 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Bank of America Corporation announced today a $20 billion initiative to support the growth of environmentally sustainable business activity to address global climate change. Bank of America's ten-year initiative encourages development of environmentally sustainable business practices through lending, investing, philanthropy and the creation of new products and services.

"Over the last decade, Bank of America has implemented programs that have significantly reduced the environmental impact of our own operations," said Kenneth D. Lewis, Bank of America chairman and CEO. "Today, we have a tremendous opportunity to support our customer's efforts to build an environmentally sustainable economy -- through innovative home and office construction, new manufacturing technology, changes in transportation, and new ways to supply our energy."

Under its environmental initiative, Bank of America will emphasize the business opportunities created by "green" economic growth by providing critical financing to encourage the development of environmentally sustainable products and technology; accelerate the deployment of existing technology; and increase energy efficiency.

Bank of America will continue to track and report on the progress of its environmental initiatives. Click here to see the 2005 Sustainability Report

View the full release.

SOURCE: Bank of America Corporation

CONTACT: Eloise Hale of Bank of America, +1-704-387-0013, or
eloise.hale@bankofamerica.com

Web site: http://www.bankofamerica.com/

The United States Green Building Council’s Technical and Scientific Advisory Committee (TSAC) has just issued its final report on the technical and scientific basis for a PVC-related credit within the LEED® Green Building Rating System™.

To apply TSAC’s findings to a decision about credits within LEED, the report points to a series of policy issues raised through TSAC’s research. These issues include:

• How should risks to human health and risks to the natural environment be reconciled?
• Should LEED offer credits for avoiding less desirable materials, or create credit incentives for the use of preferable, often innovative alternative materials or processes?
• Should LEED address individual materials through its credits, or should it focus on areas of impact?

Rick Van Diepen, LEED AP, Senior Associate at PGAL , says, “This USGBC report on PVC and potential LEED credits… draws some pretty interesting conclusions that will no doubt have an effect on the analysis of other materials that many in the industry consider not green.” Van Diepen would like to hear what others have to say on the subject. “When the consensus balloting comes out, we should all put our 2 cents in. It would be great to have some detailed discussion to help inform our vote.”

Click here to see the USGBC report , and give us your 2 cents. The floor is now open for discussion.

Full text of USGBC press release

Across the nation, an increasing number of municipalities face water shortages from over-development and prolonged periods of drought. According to the Wall Street Journal, new water saving technologies and the Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense program are spurring a rise in “low-use” communities.

As a result, developers are now finding that incorporating water saving features such as irrigation systems and landscaping, allows them to obtain permits more easily and to attract an increasing number of environmentally conscious buyers.

Water saving strategies include certification programs for irrigation professionals and use of myriad water saving technologies including irrigation timers and synthetic grass, eco smart toilets, and water saver shower heads.

As more eco friendly technologies and products continue to infiltrate the market, we will see more of these low-use communities thriving and becoming more affordable for a larger number of homebuyers.

If it takes shortages and desperation to spur change and new ideas, so be it. Perhaps without desparation, there can be no innovation.

Straight to the source (paid subscription required):
Wall Street Journal Online

Before you can design sustainable buildings, you have to build a sustainable business through prudent financial management. Financial Management for Design Professionals: The Path to Profitability by Steve Winter, AIA and Michael Tardif, Assoc. AIA, shows you how to do just that.

Financial Management “offers guidance on everything from developing an annual budget and profit plan to calculating your firm’s overhead and break-even rate.”

This indispensable guide addresses the critical—but often overlooked—aspects of running a successful design firm. So before you get to work on sustaining the built environment, you may want to first make sure you can sustain your business practices and grow your bottom line.

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The SDF green book of the week (and this editor's personal favorite) is Worldchanging: A User's Guide for the 21st Century.

What is the best book on sustainability you have read? How has it affected your work or lifestyle?

Share your thoughts and find out what others are reading.