NeoCon Visitors Win EnvironDesign Prizes

Four industry professionals won complimentary registrations to EnvironDesign7, the premier conference on sustainable design and business practices that is scheduled for April 30 to May 2, 2003, in Washington, DC. They were among the hundreds who participated in the Green Walk, a special program held at the 2002 NeoCon World's Trade Fair in Chicago, IL, which highlighted manufacturers' efforts in the environmental arena. Eligibility for the drawing required NeoCon attendees to visit participating showrooms and/or exhibits and complete a Green Walk passport.Winner of the grand prize, which includes complimentary airfare and hotel accommodations, is Grace A. Daley of Design Management Associates, Atlanta, GA. Additional winners are: Yuki Northington, InVision Architecture, Waterloo, IA; George Melichar, a fashion/textile designer based in Chicago; and Kristen Moran of Environ,Inc., also of Chicago.EnvironDesign is produced by IS and green@work magazines and features two-and-a-half days of keynote addresses, general sessions, workshops, site tours and a Product Learning Center. For more information, see pages 49 to 55 of this issue, or visit: www.environdesign.com. Rethink Training
The City of Portland's Office of Sustainable Development's Green Building Division has launched a green building training series for commercial and residential building design and construction professionals. "ReThink: Innovation in Ecological Design and Construction" is a 16-week course delivering new ideas and technical training around four core modules: water, energy, construction materials and economics. The series brings together leading local, regional and international building and environmental experts to teach both the philosophical framework and practical application of green building practices—from the future of water in the region to choosing environmentally-friendly construction materials. Participants will see first-hand building innovations from case studies and tours of successful projects within Portland. Rethink debuted in early February with keynote speaker David Suzuki. It runs through May 2003. For information, visit: www.sustainableportland.org. Citigroup Supports Green RoofsEarth Pledge has announced that Citigroup has become its first corporate partner to support the Viridian Project, part of Earth Pledge's Green Roofs Initiative. The Viridian Project provides technical and financial support, as well as job training, in the construction of green roofs atop buildings that offer supportive housing to low- and moderate-income individuals. A grant of $25,000 was made by the Citigroup Foundation.Housing Works, Inc., the nation's largest community-based AIDS service organization, is Earth Pledge's first housing partner, providing the pilot roof for the project. With Citigroup's assistance and funds from additional sponsors, Earth Pledge will facilitate the development of a 7,500-square-foot green roof on Housing Works' East Village-based supportive living facility. This green roof, the largest to date in New York City, will cut energy costs and extend the roof's life cycle; it will also provide job skill training as part of the Housing Works Second Life Training Program. Following the completion of this pilot project, Earth Pledge will continue to work with the Second Life Job Training Program, placing graduates in jobs on future Earth Pledge green roof projects. Citigroup Supports Green RoofsThird Creek Elementary School, designed by Moseley Architects/ Moseley Wilkins & Wood, is the nation's first K-12 school to be certified by the USGBC's LEED™ Green Building Rating System at the gold level. The school features a significant percentage of recycled materials, low-flow plumbing, a functioning wetland that also serves as a student learning lab, and many other features that make the school a remarkable example of the sustainable building movement.The new school is 92,500 square feet and serves 800 students in pre-K through fifth grades. High performance design was an explicit goal set forth from the earliest stages of the design efforts, and the school district anticipates reduced utility bills and increased productivity within the building as a result of the design of this facility. Key features at the school are a constructed wetland that will not only slow and cleanse stormwater before it leaves the site, but also serve as an outdoor classroom where students will study science, math, writing and art; and Learning Gardens in each of the classroom wings where children will learn about nature through color, texture and scent. More than 50 percent of the dollars spent on building materials were used to purchase recycled content materials, and more than 50 percent of construction waste was diverted from local landfills and sent to local recyclers. A Construction Indoor Air Quality Management Plan ensured that the construction process did not compromise the future quality of indoor air in the occupied building.