Archive for July, 2011

Save money, ensure occupant health & safety and protect the environment all at once – with Green Building Codes!

In the past several years, we have witnessed Mother Nature wreaking havoc on the built environment humans have created for ourselves – from Hurricane Katrina to earthquakes in Haiti, Chile and Japan to tornadoes in our own backyard. Green building and codes cannot save us from the destruction that natural disasters cause, but they may be able to lend a little extra protection.

Green building and energy codes go beyond basic health and safety. They push us to address social issues, such as accessibility, noise, density stormwater management and more. Best of all, green building and energy codes keep money in our pockets and city coffers by providing an opportunity to save money on energy bills.

So why all the talk about green building and energy codes lately? For one, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 calls for 90% compliance with the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) by 2017. This code addresses wall and ceiling insulation; window and door specifications; heating, cooling and ventilation equipment efficiency and lighting fixtures among other building features. Homes built to IECC 2009 use 18 – 26% less energy than average and can save occupants $337 – $559 per year.

Compliance with IECC 2009 will look different from state to state. Illinois has already adopted IECC 2009 and is on the road towards implementation and energy savings. Missouri does not have a statewide energy code, but several local municipalities have adopted IECC 2009 including Clayton, Florissant, Hazelwood, Kirkwood, Lake St. Louis, St. Charles, St. Louis, Troy and Wentzville.

Adding to the buzz about codes, in 2009 the International Code Council (ICC) launched the development of the new International Green Construction Code (IgCC): Safe and Sustainable by the Book, a model code focused on new and existing commercial buildings addressing green building design and performance. In addition to health and safety of basic building codes and energy use of IECC 2009, IgCC addresses water and resource efficiency; materials use and indoor air quality. IgCC is still under development and will not be published until March 2012.

Want to learn more about IgCC? Join USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter and the St. Louis Chapter of ASHRAE on August 9, 2011 for a lecture by Dave Bowman, Manager of Codes for the International Code Council’s Codes and Standards Group. Dave will explore the theory, intent, and general structure of IgCC. He will also discuss the fundamental differences between mandatory and voluntary adoptions and enforcement as well as how IgCC relates to other green building programs and standards.

Learn more about the program here.

If you’re a local government official or employee and would like to attend the program FOR FREE, contact Emily Andrews at 314-577-0854 or emily.andrews@mobot.org.

Resources:

Green Codes 101: Navigating the Codes, Standards, and Rating Systems Webinar developed collaboratively by USGBC, AIA, ICC and ASHRAE

Missouri Local Energy Code Action Kit developed by the Building Code Assistance Project

US Department of Energy – Building Energy Codes Program

International Green Construction Code




Artwork submission deadline extended to Sept 16 for ‘Sustainability and the Built Environment of the St. Louis Region’ exhibit

USGBC-Missouri Gateway is excited to partner with the St. Louis Artists’ Guild on the upcoming exhibit, Sustainability and the Built Environment of the St. Louis Region.

Sustainability and the Built Environment of the St. Louis Region is an examination of where we stand, as a culture of consumption, and where we may be headed in the future.  Focus on sustainability efforts and opportunities of the St. Louis regional built environment.

Examples of artwork illustrating the biggest consumers and the best conservationists is currently being sought.  The artist’s or designer‘s statement should explain the societal impact of the submission’s subject matter.  Artists, designers, architects, creators and design firms are invited to submit work in various media (including photography, three dimensional design, slides, video/film/digital, drawings, etc.) and are encouraged to consider many aspects of the theme.

CD SUBMISSIONS DUE:
September 16, 2011 • 5 pm

OPENING RECEPTION:
Friday, November 11, 2011 • 6–8 p.m

EXHIBITION ON VIEW:
November 11– January 6, 2012

Click here for more information!

 




Members in the New – 30 Under 30

Congratulations to Tony Ruebsam of S.M. Wilson & Co, who was named to the St. Louis Business Journal’s 2011 30 Under 30 list!

Tony chairs the USGBC-Missouri Gateway’s Higher Education Subcommittee. We’re so proud that Tony’s listed his work with USGBC-Missouri Gateway as his most rewarding volunteer experience!

Learn more here.

Please note that you must subscribe to the St. Louis Business Journal in order to access the full article.




Members in the News

Cindy Bambini of 3 Degrees, Inc. and Linda Goldstein, Mayor of Clayton, are featured in a June 24 – 30 St. Louis Business Journal article about Clayton becoming the first city in Missouri to earn EPA’s Green Power Community status.

Green Power Communities must obtain 3 percent of their energy from alternative sources like wind and solar. Congratulations Clayton!

Read more on the Business Journal’s website or on the City of Clayton’s website.




Share your favorite example of building reuse

The Public Interest Network - a partnership of the Nine Network and the St. Louis Beacon – is seeking your input on buildings that you consider the best example of “adaptive reuse” of once classic buildings in the St Louis area.

Since we all know that the greenest building is an existing building, this seems an appropriate task for green building types! What’s your favorite old building with a new, green life? Respond to the Public Interest Network request here.




Greenbuild Scholarship Applications Due July 25

Greenbuild 2011 is coming up soon on October 4 – 7 in Toronto, Canada. The USGBC Greenbuild Scholarship Program provides all-inclusive trips to the Greenbuild International Conference and Expo to individuals entering into the green building industry.

In order to increase access to Greenbuild, the scholarship program is reserved for low-income individuals without the means to attend. Greenbuild is the ideal setting for those new to the green building industry to learn from green building experts, discover innovative technologies and companies that are transforming the industry, and to form worthwhile relationships within the green building movement.

Learn more about the scholarship or apply here.




Members in the News – 10 Years of Green Building

A plethora of Chapter founders and leaders are quoted in Construction News and Real Estate‘s July/August edition feature article: 10 Years of Green Building. The article looks at USGBC-MO Gateway’s history, growth, effect, and future in the context of local sustainable development over the past decade.

Chapter members Timothy Michels, JoAnn Brookes, Deborah Frank, Marc Lopata, Paul Todd Merrill, and Pat Justis are quoted.

“It has been an astounding decade for advocates of sustainable construction in St. Louis. Ten years ago, when Bob Berkebeile helped people in St. Louis start one of the first local chapters of the U.S. Green Building Council, the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) building rating system had been on the market for only a year.

As of May 2011, there were 139 LEED buildings in the St. Louis area. Several area municipalities had adopted LEED ordinances for public buildings or publicly-financed construction. The local chapter had grown to over 500 members throughout Missouri, and architects, engineers, and contractors were implementing sustainable building practices on all sorts of projects that never applied for a LEED designation. . .”  Read more