Green Building Elements

US Green Building Council to Honor Hospitality Design Challenge Winners

Lucille Chi — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:38:02 +0000

USGBC, the Hospitality Industry Network (NEWH) and the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) have admirably joined together to sponsor the Sustainable Suite Design Competition. The goal of this hospitality design contest is to help drive green design practices within the hotel industry.

This competition provides an ideal platform for professional (and student) teams internationally to present their ideas and approaches to green hotel room interior design.

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Smarter Cities ~ Project of the Natural Resources Defense Council

Lucille Chi — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 17:17:43 +0000

Have you heard about NRDC’s Smarter Cities?

“When thinking about the urban environment, more often than not problems come first to mind. Less commonly thought about is the potential presented by cities, potential to rethink and reshape their environments responsibly.

Today urban leaders—mayors, businesses and community organizations—are in the environmental vanguard, making upgrades to transportation infrastructure, zoning, building codes, and waste management programs as well as improving access to open space, green jobs, affordable efficient housing and more. If they succeed in making their cities more efficient, responsible and sustainable, what will result will be smarter places for business and healthier places to live.”

Find out what is smart and green near you. Join the team and start reporting the success of your city!

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Special release of the Green Tax Guide, 2009

GO Media Sponsor — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 22:09:24 +0000

Green tax incentives at the federal and state levels are finally helping to convert our country to a green collar economy. In the wake of the recent Stimulus Package, and economic rescue legislation of 2008, several energy efficiency and renewable tax incentives have been extended to encourage energy efficiency, green buildings and renewable technologies. The Green Tax Guide helps you to understand these incentives and positively impact your bottom line. This useful resource can be downloaded at: www.GreenTaxGuide.net

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Greening Your Home

Kelly Vaughn — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:17:27 +0000

How lessons-learned from a state-of-the-art net-zero project can help us all reduce our impact

Now that everyone is finally talking about green buildings, the question becomes “Where do we need to go from here?”

The answer? Net-zero.

That’s what a panel of experts told an audience assembled last month at Rocky Mountain Institute’s symposium in San Francisco, RMI2009.

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Architectural Firm in Barcelona Drafts Solar Media Screen for Taipei’s New Music Center

Lucille Chi — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:29:39 +0000

Taipei Pop Music Center has opened up an amazing architecture design competition for it’s new building. Nabito Architects has drafted and shared their vision of the new Taipei Pop Music Center composed of a “photovoltaic screen and a wall of LED panels”

The screen of the Pop Music Center may:

have a LED media wall reporting news, weather, event info and ads.
be powered entirely by the sun and set an example for green energy in the city of Taipei
include photovoltaic cell technology, with an LED wall
have controls set by a central computer, to show all events scheduled and more

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Three Rivers Eco Resort in Dominica

Lucille Chi — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 03:43:27 +0000

3 Rivers Eco Lodge is an enchanted sustainable hotel encampment consisting of hillside terraced cottages. Rainforest preservation, indigenous tree planting programs and organic gardens are at the heart of this green resort.

Retreat features include:

solar water heaters
self composting toilets
biodegradable, locally made soaps and furnishings
environmental education through conservation
a yoga studio
indigenous tree planting projects
green globe info
organic gardens
rainforest preservation

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Coco Eco Bed and Breakfast in Australia

Lucille Chi — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 21:58:02 +0000

Coco Eco is an award winning bed and breakfast named both after the area it is located (Coconut Well, Australia) and the ecological principles that it embraces such as:

solar powered facilities
black & grey water recycled and purified in Wastewatergarden®.
plantation & recycled timbers
solar passive design principles
building footprints designed to minimize impact on local flora and fauna
reduced use of chemicals & PVC products
recycling programs
organic vegetable garden & free range eggs

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The Green Elements of CAR Expo 2009

Keith Rockmael — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 09:15:58 +0000

Attending the recently concluded CAR Expo in San Jose CA we could see that things weren’t exactly hopping, especially in the Green seminars and Green expo booths. Who could blame everyone, with the still lingering effect of the economy, unemployment and overall uncertainty? The Expo offered a bevy of economic forecasts, short sale sessions and new DRE laws going into effect but of course we went to check the green goings on. How’s the Green movement within the ranks of the real estate world? If my Green colleague and I would guess from the sparse attendance at the few green sessions and Green display booths then the state of Green Real Estate isn’t exactly on everyone’s radar.

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New York City Starts “One Year, One Thousand Green Supers” Green Building Program

Lucille Chi — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 03:22:16 +0000

New York City plans to train one thousand superintendents on green buildings this year. City managers of commercial and high-rise residential buildings now have the chance reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the city on a sky high level.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg took part in the program, “One Year, One Thousand Green Supers” which was also approved by the U.S. Green Building Council and the Building Performance Institute. It’s also made possible by the Thomas Shortman Training Fund. This is part of NYC’s huge goal to reduce their building-generated carbon footprint.

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West Coast Green 2009 Comes Back to San Francisco

Keith Rockmael — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 09:57:44 +0000

It’s good to have West Coast Green back in SF. Not that San Jose didn’t play a fine host to last years bigger conference but the show lacked something last year, call it a vibe, or energy but something didn’t gel. So, this year’s scaled down but energetic and education West Coast Green found itself a new home at the Fort Mason. Maybe the ocean air and bay views added a green spark to the conference.

The economy definitely had an impact on this year’s West Coast Green with less venders but with less money that mean that people just had to get more creative with less moola such as the floating island, show gardens and even the sustainability built Jewish Sukkoth. The usual green rock stars like Eric Corey Freed and Michelle Kaufman made their presences felt with their energetic personalities.

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