(Washington, D.C)—August 17, 2017—USGBC and Informa Exhibitions are excited to announce American rock band The Revivalists will perform at the 2017 Greenbuild Celebration, scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 9, 2017 from 7 to 11 p.m. at the Museum of Science in Boston.
All over the world, promoting wellness is a priority for employers, builders and city planners alike. Building green using LEED, and other GBCI-administered rating systems such as SITES, enables us all to live, learn, work and play in environments that enhance human health both indoors and outdoors.
LEED has an entire credit category in the rating system for the indoor environment: Indoor Environmental Quality (EQ), which includes prerequisites and credits for design and construction projects, interiors, homes and existing buildings. When it comes to residential, LEED-certified multifamily and single-family homes are designed to deliver a healthier and safer place for residents by providing cleaner indoor air. As of early 2017, more than 112,000 residential units have earned LEED certification. Also, teams are focusing on designing neighborhoods that are more walkable, green and community-promoting, with tools like LEED for Neighborhood Development.
Energy-efficient buildings also help reduce pollution and improve outdoor air quality in major industrialized areas, making LEED a critical tool in reducing smog. Cities are embracing the power of green building to mitigate the effects of climate change and make air healthier and fresher for their citizens.
For office buildings, a healthy indoor environment with clean air and access to daylight makes a big impact on employee engagement. Studies show that LEED-certified buildings demonstrate increased recruitment and retention rates, as well as increased productivity benefits for employers. As global green construction continues to double every three years, the driving factors include not just client demand and environmental regulation, but an increased awareness of the health benefits to occupants.
Learn more about applying sustainable building strategies to human health with this session being held at all three Greenbuild events:
Performance-based IAQ evaluation in LEED v4—a pilot
Greenbuild China: Tues., October 17, 3:15–4:15 p.m.
Greenbuild India: Fri., November 3, 3:30–5 p.m
Greenbuild Boston: Fri., November 10, 8–9 a.m.
In 2016, USGBC tasked a working group with exploring state-of-the-art approaches to evaluating and monitoring the air in our indoor spaces. The group’s work is now complete and available for use in a new LEED pilot credit. Participants will learn about the pilot credit requirements and how to apply it to their LEED projects, as well as participate in a discussion with two experts from the working group, both offering a unique perspective on evaluating indoor air in China.
Register for Greenbuild
Learn how you can integrate GBCI’s SITES v2 rating system into the development and ongoing maintenance of your projects. Register for our SITES workshop at Greenbuild China on October 16, 2017.
Traditional land development and use decisions often undervalue the benefits healthy ecosystems can provide to humans and their health and productivity. Developing land sustainably it is not only cost-effective, it is better for the land and fosters resiliency. Sustainable land development can minimize resource degradation, mitigate climate change, enhance human health and well-being and save valuable resources and money.
As China and other Asian countries continue their leadership efforts on sustainability, looking beyond the building is crucial. Modeled after LEED and administered by GBCI, the Sustainable SITES Initiative (SITES) defines what a sustainable site is and elevates the value of landscapes in the built environment.
The SITES v2 Rating System is a set of guidelines and performance-based metrics that align land development and management with innovative sustainable design, covering areas such as soil, vegetation, water, materials and human health and well-being. To further drive this market change, GBCI has recently brought to market the SITES Accredited Professional (SITES AP) program, allowing practitioners to differentiate themselves as experts in sustainable land development.
Check out the workshop details below. (Please note: workshops are not included in the Greenbuild conference registration fee.)
LD01: Workshop: Exploring the SITES V2 Rating System for Sustainable Land Design and Development
When: October 16, 2017, 9 a.m.–1 p.m.
Where: Greenbuild International Conference and Expo, Shanghai, China–W Shanghai–The Bund
Cost (USGBC members): ¥864 RMB and $125 USD (early bird pricing through September 8), ¥1036 RMB and $150 USD (standard price)
Cost (Nonmembers): ¥1035 RMB and $150 USD
GBCI continuing education hours: 4
Explore the SITES v2 rating system with real-world project examples. Discover important connections and distinctions between SITES and LEED. Engage in live discussion and application of SITES strategies with active projects. You will be among the first in China to be able to speak to the value of SITES, understand the central rating system components and themes, identify the important steps for pursuing SITES certification and set a framework to start studying for the new SITES AP exam.
Please contact us with any questions.
At USGBC, we always say that every story about LEED is a story about people. When USGBC set out to create the LEED standards, we wanted to build something that helped people and made their lives better. After all, we spend 90 percent of our time indoors, whether at work, school or home. Knowing this, wouldn’t we want those indoor spaces to be the healthiest and most comfortable places possible?
There is also a business case to be made for healthy indoor environments, one that employers, investors, building developers and owners are discovering. A better indoor environment is better for people—and people are the most valuable resource in most organizations, typically accounting for 90 percent of business operating costs. Even a 1 percent improvement in productivity or in reduced absenteeism can have a major impact on the bottom line and competitiveness of any business. A 2012 study found that companies that adopt more rigorous environmental standards are associated with higher labor productivity, by an average of 16 percent, over non-green firms.
LEED has an entire credit category dedicated to the indoor environment: Indoor Environmental Quality (EQ), which includes prerequisites and credits for design and construction projects, interiors, homes and existing buildings.
The EQ credit category in LEED rewards decisions made by projects teams about indoor air quality and thermal, visual and acoustic comfort. Green buildings with high indoor environmental quality protect the health and comfort of building occupants, enhance productivity, decrease absenteeism, improve a building’s value and reduce liability for building designers and owners.
To have a high-quality indoor environment, you need a high-quality building—one that is holistically developed using a system like LEED. You can’t have a high-performing indoor space if the building itself is wasting energy, water and other resources. You can’t ensure health in a building that is constructed on land unsuitable for development. You can’t ensure well-being in a building that is not optimized for the systems inside. You can’t have a more comfortable indoor environment in a building that is contributing to the heat island effect. All of these components contribute to the LEED rating system and what ensures a high-performing building from the inside out.
The relationship between the indoor environment and the health and comfort of occupants is complex. Local customs and expectations, occupant activities and the building’s site, design and construction are just a few variables that make it harder to measure. However, there are many ways to quantify the direct effect of a building on its occupants. LEED balances the need for prescriptive measures with more performance-oriented credit requirements. For example, source control is addressed first in a LEED EQ prerequisite, and a later credit then specifies an indoor air quality assessment to measure the actual outcome of these strategies.
The EQ category also combines traditional approaches with emerging design strategies. Traditional approaches include ventilation and thermal control, while the emerging design techniques involve advanced lighting metrics, acoustics and a holistic emissions-based approach.
Here is the breakdown of the LEED EQ category for existing buildings:
To learn more about LEED, indoor environmental quality and human health, join us for Greenbuild 2017, being held this year in Boston, India and China.
In Boston, you won’t want to miss USGBC’s session D14, dedicated to LEED credit strategies for healthy spaces:
Course: LEED Credit Strategies for Healthy Spaces
Thurs., November 9, 1–2 p.m.
In LEED, the Indoor Environmental Quality category addresses design strategies and environmental factors—such as air quality, lighting quality, acoustic design and control over one’s surroundings—that influence the way people learn, work and live. LEED subject matter experts will review the credits, discuss how teams can prioritize their time and present strategies for implementation.
California expects to lose 4,194 megawatts of large-scale solar electricity production.
On the road to Greenbuild 2017, we take inspiration from some of the top engineering firms in green building. The work of these companies demonstrates that whether a project is new construction or an existing building, in a domestic or international location, LEED certification is the hallmark of sustainable building everywhere.
Skanska aims to build key infrastructure like schools, homes, hospitals, offices and roads to propel development and economic progress. Their holistic approach to green building continuously evolves, along with their understanding of what shapes and constitutes sustainable societies. For every project, Skanska sets targets for energy, carbon, water, material selection and waste in accordance with an internally developed strategic tool that helps measure and guide its green activities.
101 Seaport, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
101 Seaport is a 17-story, 440,000-square-foot LEED Platinum office building, and the first in Boston to use an active chilled beam mechanical system. Other notable sustainability features include a triple-glazed curtain wall and rainwater reuse system, which cut energy use by 30 percent and water use by 40 percent.
Thornton Tomasetti integrates proven green solutions into the planning, design, construction and operation of buildings. They apply whole-systems thinking and analytical tools to develop solutions that balance triple-bottom-line factors, knowing that sustainability goals are best realized when performance is measured and compared with targets. A USGBC Education Partner with two LEED fellows on staff, Thornton Tomasetti leads by example, demonstrating that education is critical to improving sustainability in the built environment.
Palazzo Lombardia, Milan, Italy
The Palazzo Lombardia (“Lombardy Building”) is a complex of buildings in Milan and the main seat of the government of Lombardy. The project includes five nine-story, wave-like buildings totaling 98,000 square meters, including a 43-story tower. The civic complex also features rooftop gardens, open-air public plazas between the buildings and a large piazza enclosed by an innovative roof structure.
WSP believes that they can bring the most influence to creating a sustainable economy through their expertise and customer service. Their “Future Ready” global client-facing program assists with preparing for the future, seeking ways to protect against challenges beyond the horizon. In a world of climate change, mass urbanization and expanding population, WSP ensures projects are ready for what comes next, with flexible designs and lower ownership costs.
270 Albert Street, Ottawa, Canada
270 Albert Street is the first commercial project in Canada to be certified under LEED v4, achieving LEED Gold for O+M. After a 2013 energy audit determined that the 14-story, 164,000-square-foot office tower was already operating efficiently, the building’s energy performance was improved by a further 25 percent through LEED. Despite having been built in 1975, the building achieved an impressive operational energy use intensity of 20 ekWh/sf and an Energy Star score of 91.
Check out this session for engineers at Greenbuild Boston:
Course: Speculative Platinum to Profitable Investment
Fri., November 10 from 8–9 a.m.
Learn how Skanska Commercial Development used a low-tech “clever-building” strategy to achieve a high-performance building and a LEED Platinum certification within recession-era financial parameters. Attendees will hear about specific strategies, including site planning and building orientation, energy efficiency, daylighting, solar controls, new cladding materials and structural design, as well as the community-based planning process.
A charrette-style session that took place at WaterBuild 2016 is helping make Los Angeles more water-resilient. In preparation for WaterBuild 2017, here’s a look back at the part of last year’s program that focused on local issues.
In April 2016, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors directed county departments to create a forward-thinking water efficiency ordinance that seeks to make the county more water-resilient. At the time, only local California governments, such as San Luis Obispo County and the City of Santa Monica, had implemented water-neutral development ordinances. Though the L.A. County Board of Supervisors’ proposed policy was not the first, it would have the largest reach—L.A. County has a larger population than 42 states, and the areas the ordinance specifically targets consist of over a million people.
In partnership with USGBC Los Angeles, USGBC worked with Los Angeles County and the City of Los Angeles to tackle this challenge and kick-start stakeholder discussions. In November 2016, at the inaugural WaterBuild Summit at Greenbuild Los Angeles, a charrette-style session titled “Towards Net Zero Water in Los Angeles County” brought together nearly three dozen Greenbuild participants to help the county brainstorm approaches to reducing water consumption.
Public officials from L.A. County and the City of Los Angeles facilitated tables of lively discussions among Greenbuild attendees. Participants tackled issues such as water data management, the costs and benefits of various water conservation and water reuse strategies, centralized and decentralized system solutions and how best to maximize public engagement throughout the process.
A year later, L.A. County successfully built on the dialogue at WaterBuild and subsequent community conversations and developed a strong draft ordinance. Given the need to further engage relevant stakeholders, the Board of Supervisors granted the ordinance workgroup a one-year extension, to be finalized by April 2018.
The current draft proposes a set of nine enhanced water conservation measures (EWCMs) that may be required of all new development. The EWCMs range from the instillation of water-efficient plumbing, like kitchen faucets and Energy Star dishwashers, to rainwater catchment systems for landscape irrigation.
More specifically, renovations of single-family residences must feature at least one measure, while entirely new construction of single and multifamily residences must meet at least two measures and also potentially pay a mitigation fee to offset water use. In addition, the policy proposes a requirement for all buildings, both commercial and residential, to be retrofitted with water-efficient fixtures at resale, exempting affordable housing projects with the expectation that they build in the most efficient manner possible.
L.A. County’s new water conservation policy promises big results after adoption, and it sets a new standard for local water policy, encouraging governments statewide to make water conservation a California way of life, as it now is for state facilities. The City of Los Angeles, specifically, has prioritized water efficiency through Mayor Garcetti’s OneWater LA initiative, aiming to locally source 50 percent of the city’s water supply by 2035. The ensuing effort from Los Angeles has led to investments in green stormwater infrastructure, water reuse and recycling and new treatment methods.
We look forward to seeing Los Angeles County and the City of Los Angeles take these important next steps implementing some of the ideas discussed at Waterbuild 2016 into smart water policy in California.
USGBC will host the next chapter in our water resilience series at WaterBuild 2017 at Greenbuild 2017 in Boston. Participants will be invited to dive into a local issue focused on a set of land development issues in one of the largest areas in Boston slated for redevelopment.
USGBC is “All In” for Greenbuild Boston. Our movement is driven by passionate and talented individuals, and we want to celebrate and recognize the local leaders and teams who improve their communities. We also remember USGBC’s forward-thinking past leaders who helped get us to where we are today, and are reminded of the dedication of Malcolm Lewis, PhD, who dedicated 30 years to his leadership in advancing the green building industry, market and movement.
The Malcolm Lewis IMPACT! Award, created in honor of Malcolm’s significant contributions, brings awareness to the amazing work of volunteer teams across the U.S. who are moving the needle for green buildings and communities. To help elevate awareness of each team’s great work, nominations are shared online as videos, picture slideshows or infographics for public voting. The nomination with the largest number of public votes will be recognized during the Leadership Awards Luncheon on Thurs., November 9 at Greenbuild.
In 2016, we recognized the Calvary Women’s Services Volunteer Team in Washington, D.C. Calvary is a nonprofit that empowers homeless women by providing housing, healthcare, employment and education. Their facility serves as a transitional home for 40 women and a space for programming.
The USGBC National Capital Region emerging professionals volunteer team dedicated over 200 volunteer hours and secured over $20,000 of in-kind service and material donations. An anonymous group of volunteers donated $7,500 in memory of Malcolm Lewis to Calvary Women’s Services in support of the volunteer team’s continued efforts. We are grateful to Malcolm Lewis’s friends, who will continue their generous donation in 2017 to further the work of volunteers in support of their project or initiative.
We encourage you and your team, who are making green buildings and communities a reality, to submit a nomination.
| Aug. 8–Sept. 25 | Nominations open |
| Sept. 27–Oct. 13 | Viral voting |
| Oct. 18 | Winner announced |
| Nov. 9 | Leadership Luncheon at Greenbuild |
The USGBC Malcolm Lewis IMPACT! Award recognizes a team of volunteers who have performed a high-impact project or initiative. Although we appreciate the work and impact realized by individuals, only teams of three or more volunteers are accepted for this award.
Submissions must be in digital form and submitted as a video, a picture slideshow or an infographic. Videos and slideshows should be no longer than 60 seconds in length. Nominations should
To share the great work accomplished by the nominees with a greater audience, nominations are posted to Facebook. The online community is welcome to “like” any nomination they feel is deserving of this recognition. The nomination with the most number of likes by the closing of voting will receive the award.
Check out the 2016 nomination gallery.
With Greenbuild 2017 just over three months away, now is the perfect time to celebrate the success of just a few of the green building movement’s most innovative architecture and design firms. We hope their work in LEED and SITES inspires you, as you prepare to come to Boston.
ZGF Architects considers stewardship of both the built and natural environment a core principle of their business. Masters of designing for integrated functionality, aesthetics and sustainability, ZGF’s projects are known for their ability to transform client needs into an experience that transcends expectations.
The Clif Bar Headquarters in Emeryville, California, achieved LEED Platinum for Commercial Interiors in 2012. The multi-use office space is housed in a former World War II valve factory. Making strategic use of the natural light spilling down from the clerestory windows and incorporating four interior courtyards, it is an ideal workspace for nature enthusiasts. With bikes hanging from the rafters as decoration, and more than 12,000 board feet of reclaimed wood, the space is at once elegantly natural and adventurous.
Photo Courtesy of Peter Prato/Clif Bar & Company.
The firm behind sites that are quickly becoming iconic examples of landscape design, like The High Line in New York, James Corner Field Operations weaves together familiar and foreign elements to create places that defy classification. The firm believes in designing urban spaces with people in mind. Working with existing natural elements rather than attempting to control them, the Field Operations team coaxes out the best sensory experience out of every location.
The Woodland Discovery Playground of Shelby Farms Park in Memphis, Tennessee, was one of the first projects to achieve SITES certification. Built on a former greyfield, the playground encourages children to engage with their environment and with each other. Located on the edge of a wooded area, the playground is integrated into its natural surroundings, providing a sense of flow that is rare in constructed outdoor public spaces. The playground reflects best practices in sustainable landscape architecture as well as child development.
Photo Courtesy of James Corner Field Operations.
Michael Maltzan Architecture (MMA) operates with a fundamental belief that the built environment shapes our experiences and interactions. The firm envisions urban and public spaces that alter perceptions, and using space and design to engage entire communities, MMA’s body of work represents a fresh way of looking at architecture.
In 2016, MMA completed the Crest Apartments, a 64-unit affordable housing community with shared social spaces designed for the Skid Row Housing Trust. The project, which houses formerly homeless veterans, is designed to encourage interaction and the provision of support services to reduce the risk of reversion to homelessness.
The project achieved LEED Platinum under the LEED BD+C Multifamily Midrise adaptation in early 2017. Prioritizing natural lighting, energy efficiency and healthy materials, MMA created a space that supports the health and well-being of its residents.
Want to see great examples of creative, sustainable architecture in the Boston area? Check out the Greenbuild green building tours on Mon., November 6; Friday, November 10; and Sat., November 11. You can explore parks, sports venues, neighborhoods and campuses, to name just a few.
The program separates the efficient from the inefficient.