CHARLESTON, SC – GreenWizard® Inc. and MBDC, LLC recently announced a new collaborative partnership that will help the green building industry identify Cradle to Cradle CertifiedCM products for use in construction projects and in LEED® certifications.
GreenWizard is a Web-based expert system that allows architects, engineers, and contractors to cross-search, compare, and document products for LEED and green commercial construction. Today, 800+ manufacturers and 250+ architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) firms, representing $500+ million in combined project value, actively access the GreenWizard workflow solution.
MBDC developed the Cradle to Cradle® Certification program, a comprehensive, multi-attribute program that evaluates building products for safety to human and environmental health, recyclability, and sustainable manufacturing practices. Currently there are more than 100 manufacturers around the globe with Cradle to Cradle Certified products that would be utilized throughout the construction and maintenance of a building.
Through this new partnership, MBDC and GreenWizard will work to introduce and maintain Cradle to Cradle Certified product data in GreenWizard's searchable green product database. By accessing the GreenWizard database, members of the AEC community who are researching or specifying products will be now be able to determine, at a glance, which products are Cradle to Cradle Certified and what LEED points could be earned by specifying these products in a building.
Cradle to Cradle Certified products can help contribute to LEED points in several ways. Buildings that use a minimum percentage of these products can earn an Innovation in Design credit in all of the rating systems. Cradle to Cradle Certified products also earn points as Environmentally Preferable Products (MR 2.2) in the LEED for Homes Rating System and can contribute toward Sustainable Purchasing points (MR 1.1-1.3) in the LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance Rating System.
"GreenWizard is a great resource for professionals to research and identify architectural and building products with environmental attributes. We are inviting our clients to participate and list their certified products with GreenWizard," says Steve Bolton, Sr. consultant at MBDC.
"MBDC has done extremely admirable work with building products through its Cradle to Cradle Certification program," says Adam Bernholz, GreenWizard's CEO. "Now, through GreenWizard, these products will be prominently identified in our database for AEC specifiers looking for the most sustainable choices. We are honored to be a conduit for the design community to locate these products."
About MBDC
McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry (MBDC) is a global consulting and certification firm that helps clients leave a positive footprint on the planet by implementing the Cradle to Cradle® design framework. The framework is outlined in the book by internationally recognized architect/designer William McDonough and chemist Michael Braungart, Cradle to Cradle—Remaking the Way We Make Things, published in 2002 by NorthPoint Press. Cradle to Cradle Certification is an external, multi-attribute assessment process that can be applied across industries, from building materials, interior building products and furniture, to consumer products and packaging. Cradle to Cradle Consulting helps clients integrate the larger Cradle to Cradle design framework to optimize product life cycles, organizational operations, strategy, decision-making and communications. For more information, visit www.mbdc.com.
About GreenWizard
GreenWizard Inc, is a technology company dedicated to empowering architects, engineers, and contractors to build greener structures for less money in less time. The company offers the only Web-based software platform that allows users to analyze, select, and document green building materials based on a wide array of preferences and inputs, ultimately reducing the time and money spent in the research, procurement, and documentation process. The company employs a Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) software model delivered over the Internet for its process automation tool, communication center, business analytics, and interactive marketplace. The platform allows project participants to efficiently navigate the most comprehensive and up-to-date database of green building products, utilizing the most advanced analytical tools and information available in the market. The Charleston, SC-based company was founded in 2007. More info: www.greenwizard.com.