Environmental Design + Construction - December 2008 - (Page 43)

PERSPECTIVES are becoming clear. We must push for and use even more sustainable materials so they become more affordable and available — even standard — for the entire building industry. Strategies such as public policy change and public-private partnerships are essential to helping us move beyond the status quo. And we must create “living buildings,” meaning buildings that generate all of their own energy with renewable resources, capture and treat all of their water, and operate efficiently and for maximum beauty. The Cascadia Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council has challenged developers and builders to meet the standards of a living building, considering the site, energy, materials, water, indoor air quality, plus beauty and inspiration. As we move beyond LEED Platinum, we must ensure that our buildings are not only easy on the environment, but also an asset to community, enhancing the lives of all who interact with them. The future is buildings that produce more energy than they consume, and consume more waste than they generate. We’ve seen important steps toward this as more builders use on-site solar panels, wind turbines and even membrane bioreactors, and it’s an area we need to continue developing. We are looking at solid-waste processing and mining sewers for residual heat as future possibilities. If we look at green building less as a planning and construction technique, and more as a vision for a place that will thrive — economically, socially and environmentally — it will become a community asset far more valuable than its balance sheet. It can enhance city services, spark creation of retail and cultural gathering places, connect people with LIVABLE PLACE INDEX PLANET Annual Savings Gerding Edlen Development ENERGY 58,675,734 KWH | 5,350 homes AIR 21,122,811 LBS CO2 | 1,950 cars WATER 37,000,949 GAL | 1,850,047 showers LEED 39 BLDGS*Certified and Registered | 5 Platinum, 25 Gold, 7 Silver GERDING EDLEN’S LIVABLE PLACE INDEX (LPI) MEASURES A BUILDING’S IMPACT ON PEOPLE, PROFIT AND PLANET. SHOWN IS THE LPI FOR THE CASEY, A GREEN HIGH-RISE RESIDENTIAL BUILDING IN PORTLAND, ORE. public transit and shared open space — and do it all with a tiny or even positive footprint at a cost comparable to conventional building. DENNIS WILDE IS PRESIDENT OF GERDING EDLEN SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS. GERDING EDLEN SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS OFFERS CONSULTING EXPERTISE ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE AND ENERGY OPTIONS. IT IS A DIVISION OF GERDING EDLEN DEVELOPMENT, A NATIONAL LEADER IN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, MIXED-USE PROJECTS AND URBAN RENEWAL. BASED IN PORTLAND, ORE., GERDING EDLEN’S WORK STRETCHES FROM L.A. TO SEATTLE AND BEYOND. Designing High-Performance Buildings? Don’t forget to make your entrances high-performance, too. Specifying run-of-the-mill entrance systems in your exterior openings can leave holes in your best green designs. But when you choose flush doors that eliminate regular repainting, don’t off-gas VOCs, and provide a good thermal barrier, they can help you earn LEED points— and make points with facility owners, too. Superior performance reduces life cycle cost Independent lab testing proves Special-Lite flush doors deliver superior thermal and emissions performance. Plus, the durability of our custom entrance systems provides longer life with far less maintenance for the lowest possible lifetime cost—even in the toughest applications. For product literature, test results and specifications, visit our website at: www.special-lite.com/sustain. Us e F R P f lus f rom h Sp e c ia do o rs l-L ite Reader Service No. 182 www.EDCmag.com/webcard EDC05074Spec.indd 1 www.special-lite.com/sustain 1-800-821-6531 www.EDCmag.com 4/3/07 1:05:49 PM 43 http://www.special-lite.com/sustain http://www.special-lite.com/sustain http://www.special-lite.com/sustain http://www.EDCmag.com/webcard http://www.EDCmag.com

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Environmental Design %2B Construction - December 2008 Contents Web TOC Editor's Note Newsline Living Lab Sustainable Perspectives Resources Products Trade Names Suppliers 2008 Top Products Shedding Light on Energy Advertiser's Index Marketplace %2B Classifieds Parting Shot

Environmental Design + Construction - December 2008

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