BuildingGreen Report

News Brief

March 1, 2001

The February 2001 issue of the influential publication

I.D.: The International Design Magazine focused on socially conscious design for its annual “

I.D. Forty” selection. Among the many inspiring designers featured were a number of architects and other professionals recognized for their ecological vision. They are (in order of... Read more

Product Review

March 1, 2001
According to a recent study by Ecos Consulting and the Natural Resources Defense Council, two of every three homes in the U.S. have at least one ceiling fan, and—on average—each fan consumes about 130 kWh per year. Ceiling fans can reduce energy consumption for cooling, but they are all notoriously inefficient. Except one. A much more energy-... Read more

News Brief

March 1, 2001
Capital E

is a new company created to provide intelligence on the distributed generation industry, with a particular focus on financial issues and investing. Technologies covered include fuel cells, photovoltaics, microturbines, and cogeneration. Among the company’s three principals are two leading advocates of energy efficiency in buildings... Read more

Feature

March 1, 2001

A lot of finger-pointing is going on in California these days. The rolling blackouts in January were due to deregulation gone awry … or failure to project rapid growth in demand … or permitting delays … or bottlenecks in power transmission. One thing is crystal clear, however: energy is back on the radar screen. People are talking about the oft... Read more

News Analysis

March 1, 2001

Taking just 119 days, the State of California recently passed Assembly Bill 970, which included emergency new standards for energy efficiency in new homes and commercial buildings. According to Don Kazama, the Building Standards Project Manager for the California Energy Commission (CEC), “We worked most holidays and an awful lot of overtime to... Read more

News Brief

March 1, 2001
William D. (Bill) Browning

, Senior Associate of the Rocky Mountain Institute’s Green Development Services, has been named an honorary member of The American Institute of Architects—an honor bestowed on a few non-architects who have made a significant contribution to the architectural profession and to the AIA.

News Brief

March 1, 2001
by Joseph Lstiburek, P. Eng., 2000. Energy and Environmental Building Association, 10740 Lyndale Avenue South, Suite 10W, Bloomington, MN 55420-5615;

www.eeba.org. Spiral-bound paperbacks, 328 to 473 pages, $30 (EEBA members), $40 (non-members)

In 1997 (

EBN

Vol. 6, No. 5), we gave a pretty hearty thumbs-up to Joe... Read more

News Analysis

March 1, 2001

Osmose, Inc. and Chemical Specialties, Inc. (CSI) announced an agreement allowing Osmose to produce and sell ACQ, a copper-based alternative to CCA wood preservatives developed by CSI. This agreement should lead to a significant expansion in the availability of ACQ-treated wood products in North America and elsewhere. Terms of the deal were not... Read more

News Brief

March 1, 2001
Nicholas Grimshaw & Partners

, an architecture firm in the U.K., has become the first firm we know of to adopt the International Standards Organization (ISO) 14001 environmental management standard. The firm applied the standard to an architectural practice by developing a system to ensure that environmental impacts are considered in its... Read more

News Brief

March 1, 2001

Nominations are now being accepted for the first annual

Sustainable Design Leadership Awards from the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) and C&A Floorcoverings. Winners in two categories will be announced on June 18, 2001 at NeoCon in Chicago. The first will recognize a U.S.-based design professional who has... Read more

News Brief

March 1, 2001

The new

International Society of Industrial Ecology has been launched from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. Industrial ecology looks to nature as a guide for making more integrated and efficient industrial processes, such as co-location of industries that can make use of each other’s wastes. The society serves as a... Read more

News Brief

March 1, 2001
Terrel M. Emmons

, FAIA, associate director for professional services at the National Park Service Headquarters, is one of two recipients of this year’s

Thomas Jefferson Awards for Public Architecture. Emmons was honored in the category for public-sector architects who manage or produce quality design within their agencies. Until last... Read more

News Brief

March 1, 2001

EBN Advisory Board members Gail Lindsey and Michael Nicklas have been selected as Fellows of The American Institute of Architects. Lindsey, principal of Design Harmony, Inc., becomes only the second woman from North Carolina to receive this distinction, given for outstanding achievement and service to the profession. Lindsey recently served two... Read more

News Brief

February 1, 2001

The

Earth Day Top Ten design competition that we announced last November (

EBN

Vol. 9, No. 11) has been recast due to last-minute intervention by The American Institute of Architects’ top brass. It is now named the “

AIA Top Ten,” with a new submission deadline of March 31, 2001. Details should be online by the... Read more

News Analysis

February 1, 2001
Austin Promotes Smart Growth

Austin, Texas now has two-plus years of experience with its innovative incentive program to encourage smart growth. With this point-based system, a developer can earn enough points to waive some or all of the city’s development fees and increase the ceiling on city-paid infrastructure improvements needed for the... Read more

News Brief

February 1, 2001
Ray Anderson

has announced that he is stepping down as CEO of Interface, Inc., effective July 1, 2001. He will stay on as Chairman of the Board and Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Board. Succeeding Anderson as CEO will be

Daniel T. Hendrix, presently Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.

In an unrelated... Read more

News Brief

February 1, 2001
The

Cusano Environmental Education Center at the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum, billed as Philadelphia’s first green building, opened on January 20, 2001. Designed by Susan Maxman & Partners, the project incorporates many green strategies and technologies, including geothermal heating and cooling, daylighting, certified and... Read more

News Brief

February 1, 2001
Armstrong World Industries

and

Owens Corning have joined more than 20 other companies in filing for reorganization under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code because of financial pressures resulting from asbestos-related liability. There currently are approximately 173,000 and 460,000 personal claims against Armstrong and Owens... Read more

News Analysis

February 1, 2001
Green Building on the Move

EBN has received notice of quite a few new green builder programs, prompting us to take stock of this indicator of growth in the green building market. The list below includes local and state programs for rating private-sector buildings, primarily homes. There are many more programs—alliances, networks,... Read more

Product Review

February 1, 2001
Recycled-content EPS Insulation from Polar Industries

Polar Insulation Foam Panel Products

Polar Industries of Prospect, Connecticut, manufactures a line of rigid foam insulation building products using recycled expanded polystyrene (EPS). EPS scrap from Polar building product and packaging plant operations, as well as waste... Read more