03-26-2007, 03:47 AM
the following is from COH's online newsletter:
http://www.hawaii-county.com/weeklynewsletter/index.htm
EPA Invites Entries in Green Building Design Contest
The following article was contributed by Linda Peters, Recycling Coordinator with the County’s Department of Environmental Management, to encourage Hawai`i Island residents to enter their designs in this green building design competition.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, along with GreenBuildingBlocks.com, the Building Materials Reuse Association, the American Institute of Architects and West Coast Green, announce the first Lifecycle Building Challenge, a national competition to develop green building strategies and designs.
Such green building designs would aim at reducing waste and promoting conservation of resources, by facilitating adaptation, disassembly and reuse of materials.
One Big Island resident who recently built his own home incorporating green building ideas defined “lifecycle costs”.
“Most often industry ‘experts’ and owners look solely at the initial construction costs and fail to consider repair/maintenance costs, human resources costs, and demolition costs,” the resident said. “For me the exciting part of this (Lifecycle Building) Challenge is the holistic approach at design and the recognition that the initial construction captures only one aspect of the costs and possibly not the most significant portion.”
What’s the goal of the challenge?
The goal of the challenge is to:
Inspire the green building movement;
To look at buildings as future stocks of resources by developing innovative practices and products;
To maximize material recovery and reduce both environmental and economic costs.
"Lifecycle building innovations are about improving the efficiency of our resource utilization and heading towards a more sustainable environment,” said Wayne Nastri, administrator of the U.S. EPA’s Pacific Southwest Office in San Francisco. “This challenge raises the standard for both green building and environmental protection."
How does someone enter the contest? Who can submit entries?
The Lifecycle Building Challenge is currently accepting submissions and is hoping that students as well as architects, designers, engineers, reuse experts and other building professionals will participate. Ideas that facilitate reuse, minimize waste, support disassembly and anticipate the future use of building materials are encouraged.
What is the deadline to register?
The registration deadline is April 15, 2007. For more information or to enter the competition, visit http://www.lifecyclebuilding.org .
What categories of entries are being sought?
The challenge, open to built and un-built work, has three main categories:
Building — an entire building from foundation to roof
Component — a single building assembly, system or connector
Service — idea, policy, tool or practice
What is the award?
GreenBuildingBlocks.com, the only private sector sponsor of the Lifecycle Building Challenge, is donating $7,500 in award money to be divided among the three winners in the student category.
All winners will be honored at an awards ceremony at the West Coast Green Conference in San Francisco in September 2007.
Why green building practices make a difference
In the United States, buildings consume 60 percent of total materials flow (excluding food and fuel) and account for 33 percent of the solid waste stream.
Building renovation and demolition accounts for 91 percent of the construction and demolition debris generated each year, while new construction accounts for only 9 percent.
Between the years 2000-2030, 27 percent of existing buildings will be replaced and 50 percent of the total building stock will be used for construction.
Reuse of materials is key
These issues can be addressed by planning for a building or building component's eventual deconstruction or adaptation. By creating building components that can be easily recovered and reused, materials are kept at their highest value, resulting in reduced consumption of energy and resources.
About GreenBuildingBlocks.com
Green Building Blocks is the leading online resource for building professionals committed to sustainable home construction and green remodeling. It’s a place where builders, contractors, designers, architects, and others can promote their businesses, find green partners and products, and learn to build a better world.
About the Lifecycle Building Challenge
The Lifecycle Building Challenge is a partnership between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, American Institute of Architects, Building Materials Reuse Association and West Coast Green to change the way people think about, design, construct and deconstruct buildings by developing an inventory of strategies to maximize material recovery and reduce environmental and economic costs.
For further information please contact: Andrea Nieto of Access Communications at 1-(415) 844-6218 or anieto@accesspr.com .
(go to Contents)
Catherine Dumond
Blue Water Project Management
808 217-7578
http://bluewaterpm.125mb.com/index.html
"We help make building your dream home a reality"
http://www.hawaii-county.com/weeklynewsletter/index.htm
EPA Invites Entries in Green Building Design Contest
The following article was contributed by Linda Peters, Recycling Coordinator with the County’s Department of Environmental Management, to encourage Hawai`i Island residents to enter their designs in this green building design competition.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, along with GreenBuildingBlocks.com, the Building Materials Reuse Association, the American Institute of Architects and West Coast Green, announce the first Lifecycle Building Challenge, a national competition to develop green building strategies and designs.
Such green building designs would aim at reducing waste and promoting conservation of resources, by facilitating adaptation, disassembly and reuse of materials.
One Big Island resident who recently built his own home incorporating green building ideas defined “lifecycle costs”.
“Most often industry ‘experts’ and owners look solely at the initial construction costs and fail to consider repair/maintenance costs, human resources costs, and demolition costs,” the resident said. “For me the exciting part of this (Lifecycle Building) Challenge is the holistic approach at design and the recognition that the initial construction captures only one aspect of the costs and possibly not the most significant portion.”
What’s the goal of the challenge?
The goal of the challenge is to:
Inspire the green building movement;
To look at buildings as future stocks of resources by developing innovative practices and products;
To maximize material recovery and reduce both environmental and economic costs.
"Lifecycle building innovations are about improving the efficiency of our resource utilization and heading towards a more sustainable environment,” said Wayne Nastri, administrator of the U.S. EPA’s Pacific Southwest Office in San Francisco. “This challenge raises the standard for both green building and environmental protection."
How does someone enter the contest? Who can submit entries?
The Lifecycle Building Challenge is currently accepting submissions and is hoping that students as well as architects, designers, engineers, reuse experts and other building professionals will participate. Ideas that facilitate reuse, minimize waste, support disassembly and anticipate the future use of building materials are encouraged.
What is the deadline to register?
The registration deadline is April 15, 2007. For more information or to enter the competition, visit http://www.lifecyclebuilding.org .
What categories of entries are being sought?
The challenge, open to built and un-built work, has three main categories:
Building — an entire building from foundation to roof
Component — a single building assembly, system or connector
Service — idea, policy, tool or practice
What is the award?
GreenBuildingBlocks.com, the only private sector sponsor of the Lifecycle Building Challenge, is donating $7,500 in award money to be divided among the three winners in the student category.
All winners will be honored at an awards ceremony at the West Coast Green Conference in San Francisco in September 2007.
Why green building practices make a difference
In the United States, buildings consume 60 percent of total materials flow (excluding food and fuel) and account for 33 percent of the solid waste stream.
Building renovation and demolition accounts for 91 percent of the construction and demolition debris generated each year, while new construction accounts for only 9 percent.
Between the years 2000-2030, 27 percent of existing buildings will be replaced and 50 percent of the total building stock will be used for construction.
Reuse of materials is key
These issues can be addressed by planning for a building or building component's eventual deconstruction or adaptation. By creating building components that can be easily recovered and reused, materials are kept at their highest value, resulting in reduced consumption of energy and resources.
About GreenBuildingBlocks.com
Green Building Blocks is the leading online resource for building professionals committed to sustainable home construction and green remodeling. It’s a place where builders, contractors, designers, architects, and others can promote their businesses, find green partners and products, and learn to build a better world.
About the Lifecycle Building Challenge
The Lifecycle Building Challenge is a partnership between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, American Institute of Architects, Building Materials Reuse Association and West Coast Green to change the way people think about, design, construct and deconstruct buildings by developing an inventory of strategies to maximize material recovery and reduce environmental and economic costs.
For further information please contact: Andrea Nieto of Access Communications at 1-(415) 844-6218 or anieto@accesspr.com .
(go to Contents)
Catherine Dumond
Blue Water Project Management
808 217-7578
http://bluewaterpm.125mb.com/index.html
"We help make building your dream home a reality"