SAN FRANCISCO — The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) Northern California Chapter has launched the Building Health Initiative, a movement to promote green building as a health benefit.
IRVINE, Calif. — Sustainability is part of the culture and history of LPA Inc. With more than 100 LEED-designed projects, green buildings are an integral part of the firm. However, LEED is not the only marker of sustainable practices, said Dan Heinfeld, president of LPA.
WESTFORD, Mass. — A new study by the Building Science Corporation (BSC) analyzes the findings of the Thermal Metric Project, a multi-year collaborative research project. The project, also headed by the BSC, aimed at finding a new metric for the thermal performance of building enclosures that better accounts for known physical heat flow mechanisms and operating conditions.
PORTLAND, Ore. — Portland State University’s (PSU) Green Building Research Laboratory is partnering with Walmart to build a green roof on top of a local North Portland store. The university and Walmart will participate in a two-year research partnership to construct a 40,000-square-foot green roof and collect in-depth data to benefit future projects. The green roof project will be the largest in the city of Portland when Walmart’s new Hayden Island Meadows store opens Nov. 13.
ROYERSFORD, Pa. — In an effort to educate businesses and homeowners on the negative effects of rising carbon, Tad Radzinski, LEED AP, president and co-founder of Sustainable Solutions Corporation, described five strategies on how to reduce an organization or building’s carbon footprint.
Sefaira, a leader in software for high-performance building design, has introduced the first real-time energy analysis software for building design. Sefaira for SketchUp is a SketchUp plugin that provides real-time energy analysis without having to leave the design environment. The product delivers immediate and constant feedback directly in SketchUp while the architect is designing. The energy flows graph details the end uses of energy such as heating, cooling, lighting and appliances.
Windfall Lumber has released the Windfall Engineered Panel in a new lighter and more flexible .25-inch with all the same attributes as the .75-inch product. The panels are manufactured in the U.S. from reclaimed Douglas fir and Hemlock from deconstructed industrial, agricultural and residential buildings in the Pacific Northwest. The thinner panel size allows for easier wall and ceiling applications and also has the ability to wrap around fixtures or rounded surfaces. The Windfall Engineered Panel is offered in a variety of stains and finish options.
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) South Florida Chapter has appointed Sandra Lee, LEED AP+ of Calvin, Giordano & Associates (CGA), as president of the local chapter. Lee has 17 years of professional experience and currently leads CGA’s environmental services division where she coordinates regulatory permitting, environmental planning, site assessment, natural resource management and environmental technical support services.
Somer Spencer, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, has rejoined the Orlando office of SchenkelShultz Architecture as an architect. With seven years of design experience, Spencer was most recently self-employed in Jamaica. She rejoins the company after having also worked in SchenkelShultz’s Tampa office for four years. Spencer holds a master’s of architecture from Florida A&M University and is a LEED Accredited Professional.
