News and Notes

Emily Andrews, Executive Director of U.S. Green Building Council-Missouri Gateway Chapter, has been featured in the St. Louis Business Journal’s “40 under 40” article, which showcases St. Louis’ all-stars in the workplace, in the community and at home. Emily has been recognized as a catalyst in promoting energy efficiency, working on sustainable gardens, talking to communities about adopting sustainable guidelines, and partnering with other non-profits in order to achieve success for the local chapter. Since Emily has been with USGBC-Missouri Gateway the number of LEED certified homes throughout the metro area has risen from just a handful to 85 commercial and 65 residential projects. “She’s not just about LEED, she’s got her hands in the whole community…”

Fred Biermann, Director of Pre-Construction at Kozeny-Wagner, and  U.S. Green Building Council-Missouri Gateway Chapter member, has been featured in the St. Louis Business Journal’s “40 under 40” article, which showcases St. Louis’ all-stars in the workplace, in the community and at home. Fred’s strong drive and passion for building has helped him climb the professional ladder. Impressively, at age 24 he managed the mass excavation project for the new Busch Stadium, one of the largest downtown construction project in decades. “Biermann is a true class act”

USGBC-Missouri Gateway is committed to recognizing volunteers who have contributed significantly to the Chapter, devoting time and talents “above and beyond” on a particular project or program! This month, we are happy to recognize Andrew Raimist of the USGBC-Missouri Gateway Marketing Committee for his myriad accomplishments over the past year!

Andrew Raimist, AIA, founder and principal of Raimist Design, joined USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter and our Marketing Committee in early 2011 and revolutionized the Chapter’s media game: For the first time ever, we published video invitations to monthly programs. We are grateful to Andy, who provided the creative concepts and all production services for the entire video series. He’s helped to establish our YouTube channel as a viable means for getting our message out and communicating the Chapter’s mission and vision to a wider audience.

Andy’s assistance during November was truly above and beyond. He produced a promotional video for the St. Louis Artists’ Guild’s opening of the exhibit “Sustainability and the Built Environment in the St. Louis Region,” an event that the Chapter co-sponsored, positioning it as our November meeting. In response to the Artists’ Guild’s feedback, Andy created an expanded promotional video. While attending the opening, he shot more footage, which he incorporated into a post-event video of the opening and the Chapter’s awards to winning artists in the 2011 Sustainability Art competition. As a thank-you to the Artists’ Guild, Andy also recorded a subsequent panel discussion of sustainability themes.

We are fortunate to have such a talented and generous chapter member as Andy.

JOIN USGBC-Missouri Gateway during our “New Year, New YOUsgbc” campaign which runs through the months of January and February 2012 and you’ll be entered into a drawing to win a FREE 2012 Unlimited Webinar Pass!

JOIN NOW

Shaw Nature Reserve, a division of the Missouri Botanical Garden, is offering its Professional Landscape Series in collaboration with Alberici. “Innovations in Native Landscaping” will be held on February 7^th and 8^th at Alberici. The $50 registration fee/day includes lunch, 6 CEU’s,  and a bus tour. Register online at www.shawnature.org/shawseries. For specific workshop information, click here.

Thomas Taylor, general manager of Vertegy, An Alberici Enterprise and USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter member, has been featured in the St. Louis Construction and Real Estate E-news.  Vertegy helped Volkswagen deliver the first and only automotive manufacturing plant in the world to receive the Platinum LEED certification from USGBC, for both the Volkswagen Assembly Plant and the Volkswagen Academy, located on the same site in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Taylor remarks, “Volkswagen’s commitment to sustainability and environmentally-responsible manufacturing is remarkable and the company is truly deserving of this recognition.”

Click here to read the full article and see all of the environmental highlights of the Volkswagen Assembly Plant

Teri Pesapane, of Growing Green, Inc. and member of the Marketing Committee at USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter, was recently featured in the St. Louis Business Journal. How many USGBC-Missouri Gateway members have hosted an international delegation of leaders in their own industry? Teri Pesapane, founder and president of Growing Green, Inc., an interior landscaping firm, and her husband and co-owner Joel, did just that. More than 65 members of the National Interiorscape Network came to St. Louis in late 2011 for their three-day annual conference, some coming from as far away as London. This demonstration of leadership earned Growing Green the lead spot in Greg Edwards’ St. Louis Business Journal column “Shoptalk.”

Read Edward’s column here

Mary Ostafi, of HOK and Chair of USGBC-Missouri Gateway Program Committee, was featured in an article of the St. Louis Business Journal, Digital records, recycling advance green efforts. Ostafi discusses the new green initiative at Metropolitan Square meant to educate tenants on recyclables, compostables, and reusables. In addition, many paper documents are being switched over to digital files, in an effort to conserve resources. Going green starts with small steps, while “ongoing education is the key to getting people to do the right thing.”

The full article can be found in the January 13-19, 2012 issue of the St. Louis Business Journal

February 2nd marks the grand opening party, unveiling the renovated display home on the 4200 block of McRee.  This redevelopment in the Botanical Heights neighborhood, features 30 LEED registered homes both new and renovated and is just two blocks from the Missouri Botanical Garden!

Sustainable features of the homes include ENERGY STAR rated appliances, low VOC paints, energy efficient lighting, bamboo flooring at entryway, landscaping with drought tolerant plants and rain garden, and much more!

Come see for yourself on February 2, 2012 from 4:30 pm to 7:00 pm. In addition to an open house at 4246 McRee there will be brews from Urban Chestnut for you to enjoy. See what LEED certified homes have to offer!

More info on the open house or specific home features.

WHEN: 
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
9:00 am – Noon

WHERE: 
Harris Stowe State University AT&T Library and Technology Resource Center – Telecommunity Room

Demand for green amenities is growing across all segments of the housing market, including affordable housing. State housing finance agencies across the country are requiring more sustainable features for newly constructed or rehabbed rental units, and more and more affordable housing professionals are recognizing that building green is not only good for the environment but can also drastically reduce operating expenses and provide healthier indoor environments for  tenants and new homeowners. 

Offered in partnership with the Missouri Gateway Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council, Sustainable Building for Affordable Housing Development will describe what sustainable building is, demonstrate the importance of third-party green building standards such as LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) and Enterprise Green Communities, and show how sustainable affordable housing development is making a big difference for low-income residents in the St. Louis area. This training will be beneficial to community development professionals, neighborhood leaders, and any others interested in building healthy, sustainable communities.

Check back soon for information on presenters. Refreshments will be provided.  To RSVP for this training or for more information, please contact Andrew Bradley, Affordable Housing Development Intern.

Jeff Day, architect at Jeff Day & Associates and USGBC Missouri Gateway Chapter member, has recently been featured in an article of the St. Louis Post Dispatch. Day is “trying to take away the stigma of green architecture having to be ultramodern.”

In this article, Day discusses the architectural components of creating an “active house” for the Smith family that is visually indistinguishable from its neighbors in historic Webster Groves. “Active house” construction is a technique that combines energy efficiency, healthy indoor air and a design to take best advantage of sun, shade and breezes; and the Smith’s are the first in the United States to use this type of construction.

Read the full article here.

Additionally, Emily Andrews, Executive Director of USGBC Missouri Gateway Chapter, has been featured in a recent article of the Suburban Journals.  Andrews discusses the growing interest in green building throughout the St. Louis area and the work of USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter in helping many commercial and residential buildings go green!

Read the full article here.