News

USGBC Issues Report on PVC Use

8 mins

WASHINGTON — A technical advisory committee for the U.S. Green Building Council released a report that does not recommend imposing restrictions on the use of PVC in buildings seeking LEED certification until there is more research on the subject.

The Technical and Scientific Advisory Committee recently published the report that states PVC — also known as vinyl — did not perform better or worse overall than alternative materials with regard to its impact on the environment or human health in commercial building applications.

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New Fairmont Hotel in Pittsburgh Will Be Green

1 mins

PITTSBURGH — Slated to open in 2009, the new 780,000-square-foot Fairmont Hotel will be located at Three PNC Plaza. The mixed-use green building is being constructed by PNC Financial Services Group.

The hotel will occupy 12 floors of the 23-story building, adjacent to the Pittsburg Cultural Center . It will feature 185 guest rooms, 12,000 square feet of meeting space, a 6,000-square-foot ballroom, a lobby and lounge, an 8,000-square-foot spa and fitness center, and a restaurant.

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Palo Alto Officials Debate Green Regulations

1 mins

PALO ALTO , Calif. — The city council here is split over how to encourage the adoption of environmentally sustainable building practices for private projects.

The city currently only requires public projects of more than 10,000 square feet to meet LEED-certification standards. Several council members are pressing for a city ordinance that would require private construction projects to meet LEED standards.

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Community College Uses Green Roof on New Building

3 mins

WILDWOOD, Mo. — A new campus for St. Louis Community College will feature an $18 million building that designers hope will receive LEED gold certification, thanks to several green design features, including a green rooftop designed with drought-tolerant plants.

The 66-acre Wildwood campus will help address rising student enrollment at the college, where no new construction has occurred since 1965.

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Vail Project Could be Largest LEED-Certified Resort

3 mins

VAIL, Colo. — The $1 billion Ever Vail resort village proposed by Vail Resorts could become the largest LEED-certified resort project in North America if it proceeds as planned.

The town council is set to consider a formal proposal for the 1 million-square-foot resort that could include up to 700,000 square feet of mixed-use space. Plans include 225 to 375 condominiums; a 100,000-square-foot hotel; up to 150,000 square feet of commercial space; a 100,000-square-foot ski facility; a new mountain-base portal; and a public park.

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EcoLogo, CleanGredients Streamline Ingredient Selection Process

1 mins

OTTAWA – EcoLogo, a Canadian green certification and marketing organization, has announced that it will make it easier for manufacturers to formulate products that meet its green certification criteria by streamlining the audit for products using ingredients listed on the CleanGredients database.

CleanGredients is an online database of institutional and industrial cleaning ingredients developed to help manufacturers of green cleaning chemicals and products select environmentally preferable chemical ingredients.

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