The Green Giants Are Here!

Congratulations to the Green Giants of the green building community in Western Massachusetts.

The West Branch of the USGBC MA Chapter has recognized outstanding contributors to the growth of our movement.

The winners were recognized at a joint USGBC MA West Branch & AIA Western Mass. annual dinner event on Dec. 4th, 2013. Over 60 people came out to celebrate the Green Giants and to hear from a series of presenters on local architecture and planning successes.

The following is a synopsis by Laura Fitch, the organizer of the Green Giants program:

Green Giants - 2013 Green Building Local Hero Awards Program

Sponsored by the US Green Building Council Massachusetts – West Branch (USGBCMA-West)

Committee: Laura Fitch, Aelan Tierney Jon Birtwell, Lawson Wulsin

Jury: Grey Lee, Sandra Brock, Phoebe Beierle, Stephen Muzzy

The Green Giants Award Program was created by our chapter to honor the work of trades people, educators, and owners/program directors who help build, teach about, envision and fund the green buildings in Hampshire, Hampden, Franklin, and Berkshire counties. This program is intentionally distinct from other building design awards in its attempt to look at and honor a wider range of participants behind the sustainable building movement in our region.

Buildings consume a huge percentage of our energy and resources and create a tremendous amount of waste. In this time of global climate change, the USGBC is actively promoting green buildings as part of the solution. This goal however is largely implemented by Trades People, Educators or Building Owners – the true unsung heroes in this critical movement.

We chose to award 7 people in 3 categories. The following summarizes the presentation made regarding these recipients at the awards event:

1. Trades Category

The Green Giants Program sought to recognize individuals from any building trade or maintenance program who have gone the extra mile to ensure that a building (or campus) meets its sustainability goals.

Green Giants - trades

Sean Jeffords, Beyond Green Construction and Western MA Green Consortium

Honorable Mention - trades

Michael Broad, Construction Supervisor

Honorable Mention - trades

Tom Rossmassler, President and CEO of Energia in Holyoke

2. Educational Programs Category

Green Giants sought to recognize any teacher or organization behind an innovative green building program that inspires and actively teaches the next generation of designers, engineers, and trades people who will in their turn advance our green building revolution.

Green Giant - education

Teresa Jones, Greenfield Community College

for her work in developing the Sustainable Practices in Construction curriculum at GCC

[Nice blog entry about Teresa Jones winning the award here]

Honorable Mention - education

Westover Job Corps Center, Chicopee

and Gregory Briggs, Carpentry Instructor

3. Owner Category

The Green Giant program also recognized owners and institutions that envisioned and funded an exemplary green project, knowing that without their vision and money none of this would happen.

for Private Owner

Riverstone Development

for Two Pond Farm Land Co-op and Sustainable Neighborhood.

For Institutional Owner

Bement School

For two dormitory projects (as yet un-named)