LBC Public Presentation on Nov 6th 6-8pm in Boston

What is the LBC?

The Living Building Challenge (LBC) is a building certification program; advocacy tool and  philosophy that attempts to dramatically raise the bar from a paradigm of doing less harm, to one in which we view our role as steward and co-creator of a true Living Future. The Challenge defines the most advanced measure of sustainability in the built environment possible today and acts to rapidly diminish the gap between current limits and the end-game positive solutions we seek. It is the world's most rigorous design and construction standard.

The LBC’s goals overlap with the various leading industry groups out there, but also has its differences and benefits. The International Living Future Institute (ILFI) recently released version 3.0 of the challenge. 

The local affiliate (the Boston Collaborative) is hosting an informational event on November 6th, 2014 at The USGBC MA’s new office at 50 Milk St (15th floor). Mark your calendar!

The local Collaborative meets monthly. Come join the conversation and don’t miss out by signing up for our distribution list here.

2014 Green Apple Day of Service

by Steve Muzzy

We are wrapping up the 2014 Green Apple Day of Service campaign and are excited to share that we had 60 projects this year in MA, exceeding last years total! We also piloted a Green Apple Day of Service Mini-Grant program that awarded 14 grants to well deserving schools. These schools will be submitting blogs to the Chapter soon. In the meantime please check out the following blogs for a sampling of this years projects:

• 18 Boston Public Schools Participate in Green Apple Day of Service
• Hull Public Schools - Green Apple Day of Service connects High School and Elementary School
• Brooke Mattapan Charter School's Huge Green Apple Day of Service Collaboration

I also want to recognize the efforts for the Bunker Hill Community College USGBC Student Group and specifically their President (and Chapter volunteer) Steven Fitzgerald. Steven and his group have coordinated 10 projects ranging from collecting cell phones for veterans to LEED tours.

Boston Green Academy

The Center for Green Schools reports that Green Apple Day of Service 2014 brought together hundreds of thousands of volunteers participating in 3,760 service projects in all 50 states and in 42 countries throughout the world. Thanks to everyone for making the 3rd Annual Green Apple Day of Service a success!

Thank you again to our generous Green Apple Day of Service Mini Grant sponsors and their support of healthy, sustainable schools.

Granny Smith

Honey Crisp

Pippin

USGBC MA Chapter's Green Breakfast Club presents "Bring the Outside In"

by Matt Smith, Chapter Member; The Green Engineer

“Bring the Outside In”

with:
Gunnar Hubbard (Thornton Thomasetti)
Dan Nall (Syska)


Congregating amidst a buffet of hot coffee, muffins, and bagels, local design and construction professionals met with Gunnar Hubbard of Thornton Thomasetti and Dan Nall of Syska as they presented “Bring the Outside In”: a presentation originally put together for Greenbuild 2013, graciously adapted and brought to 50 Milk St. to our Chapter’s morning meet-ups dubbed USGBC MA’s “Green Breakfast Club.”

The presentation provided a series of key figures outlining the economic impact as well as the indoor environmental benefits that can be achieved through the ventilation system designs within our buildings. The means by which teams are including the ever-important outside air within their ventilation system designs have become more common, and with these full, or partial, natural ventilation strategies (such as air-side economizers or night-flushing/pre-cooling), different climate zones are able to investigate and implement systems that are effective for their specific climate parameters. Charts and graphs indicating these climates and their most effective methods showed impressive energy use savings, relative to the conventional or ‘baseline’ mechanical ventilation systems that would typically be designed within the buildings.

Mr. Nall continued with case studies that demonstrated key design problems, and their subsequent solutions, that allowed for these project teams to incorporate passive ventilation strategies and, in turn, demonstrate substantial energy use savings as well as improved indoor air quality. Without giving away too much detail, all of the projects demonstrated issues that could be commonly found on projects in different climates, and had successfully incorporated these passive ventilation strategies: contrary to conventional thought that may suggest otherwise.

Many thanks to Mr. Hubbard and Mr. Nall for taking the time to share this wonderful presentation with us, and helping our Chapter move even closer towards More Green Buildings!

The 2014 LEED Project Showcase

It was a great LEED Project Showcase last night with the USGBC MA Chapter. We convened over 150 people to review LEED projects and hear from a few specific sponsors who are champions of our mission of green buildings and sustainable communities for all.

Take a look at the awesome collection of photos that our media partner, New England Real Estate Journal, has produced - really wonderful to see so many great people together.

Thank you to all that came out to celebrate the LEED project achievements that professionals based in Massachusetts have worked on in recent months. It was great to see the almost 50 boards highlighting the work of outstanding leaders in the green building industry.

Below we see part of the Events Committee setting things up at the beginning.

We heard a few words from the team leader, Kate Bubriski, and then the Genzyme building facility manager Lou Capozzi and the Platinum Event Sponsors, National Grid and NSTAR (Mark Stafford and Kim Cullinane). The crowd loved it - it was short and sweet!

Here we see Grey Lee with Tracey Beckstrom and Mark Stafford from National Grid

Here's the team again: Steve Muzzy, Phoebe Beierle, Alana Spencer and Kate Bubriski (Tiffany King must have been helping someone out, and John Picard was doing some filming in the back hall).

At the end of the evening, many of the "regulars" of the Chapter were in a good mood after seeing so many great LEED Projects. Here we see folks from Suffolk Construction, Boston Public Schools, Arrowstreet, emersionDESIGN, Linnean Solutions, the Boston Redevelopment Authority and Boston University.

Thank you to Genzyme for hosting us at their awesome LEED Platinum facility in Cambridge. 

You can read more about the many projects by taking a look at the electronic version of the Showcase Spotlight magazine, produced by NEREJ. 

Thank you everyone for participating and we'll see you next year!