Parsons’ Picks for Top Ten Green Building Trends in 2010 December 23, 2009

Green building is one of the keys to economic recovery.  Not only is it a better way to do business, it drives innovation, improves efficiency standards, makes for happier and healthier people and creates new “green collar” jobs.

Seattle-based Parsons Public Relations has focused on representing clients in the green building sector for the last six years.  We work with some of the leading green architects, contractors, engineers, developers, building projects and trade groups.  We also immerse ourselves in educational opportunities ― staying on top of new research, attending national green building conferences and always keeping the pulse on where the industry is heading.  Along the way, we have developed a deep level of expertise in the world of sustainable building ― enough expertise to share our ideas about some of the top trends for the year ahead.

The trend topics on this list will be no surprise to others who are experts in this area; they are products, systems and concepts that have been around for a little while.  The purpose of this list is to identify those “big picture” trends that we see becoming more mainstream in 2010.

Top Ten Green Building Trends for 2010:

1. Green walls – Green roofs were all the rage in 2009 ― and their numbers will continue to grow ― but why stop there? Incorporating green walls into a building’s design creates additional opportunities to reap the benefits of vegetative surfaces: added insulation; reduced stormwater runoff; absorption of pollutants; natural habitat for birds, bees and butterflies; and reduced outside noise.
2. Living Buildings – More comprehensive than LEED Platinum and beyond net zero, the Living Building Challenge is the highest standard of sustainability in the built environment. Functioning as complete, natural and self-sufficient systems, Living Buildings represent a radical step forward in green building when there is growing consensus that the time for baby steps is past. 2010 will be a big year for Living Buildings; four years after the launch of the Challenge, the first Living Buildings are finally expected to be certified.
3. Green retrofitting – President Obama is planning a new federal economic stimulus plan that will train workers in home energy audits and green retrofits.  New and green is sexy, but the bulk of the opportunity to address energy efficiency lies with our existing inventory of buildings.
4. Indoor Air Quality – With one in four Americans suffering from allergies and/or asthma and with Americans spending 90% of their time indoors, tighter and more energy-efficient homes demand more attention to IAQ.  The EPA has updated rules coming on line with new requirements for remodeling work to reduce the harmful impacts on children and adults.
5. Green neighborhoods – An individual green building is great, but again, why stop there? It’s time to make the whole neighborhood green too. Walkability, transit-oriented development, smart growth principles ― all elements of a green neighborhood.
6. Green modular – Mostly factory-built and assembled onsite, modular housing poses several benefits ― monetary savings, reduced material waste and less time onsite, for starters ― that will propel the green building movement forward in 2010.
7. LED lights – Commercially and in homes, LED lights will become more mainstream in 2010. Previous problems in design and distribution are being corrected. And even though LED lights are still a little pricey, consumers are getting savvier about the life cycle assessment of the products they choose, as well as the long-term pay-off of using a more sustainable lighting alternative.
8. Environmental labels – Like the nutrition labels on food, green building labels offer easy-to-digest data and performance metrics for building materials.
9. Performance counts – We’ve seen the modeling for green buildings, now we want to see some results. In other words, prove it! In 2010, expect to see more and more studies from academia, non-profits and corporate America that document the rental premiums, cost savings, health benefits and long-term investment value of green.
10. Updating community and homeowner association rules – Rules hindering environmentally-friendly behavior are being overturned: clotheslines are back, white roofs are okay, and compost bins and recycling containers are highlighted, rather than hidden away.

Real or Fake: The Christmas Tree Debate December 22, 2009

Health care.  Climate Change.  Paper or plastic.  Did he or didn’t he (you know who I am talking about).

Old news.  The real debate taking root right now is over Christmas trees:  Which is better for the environment – real or artificial?  Okay, so it might not be THAT big of a deal in comparison, but it is something to think about at this time of year.  And Treehugger and the LA Times have weighed in.

There seem to be pros for each (related both to the eco factor and practicality).  An artificial tree can be used for years, doesn’t leave a pile of pine needles to vacuum up and — according to some groups — has a smaller carbon footprint than using real trees (when considering a time frame of 10-11 years).  A real tree absorbs carbon dioxide and produces oxygen as it grows, makes your house smell Christmas-y and, when grown locally, has a relatively small carbon footprint.  That carbon footprint shrinks even more when you use the tree in your garden — rather than leaving it out on your curb, landfill-bound.

And if you’re willing to branch out (I love puns), a third and highly eco-friendly option exists: buying (or renting) a real potted plant, which can be planted (or returned) after the holidays.  Swanson’s Nursery in north Seattle has a great program to re-plant used trees, Trees for Salmon.  Buy a living Christmas tree from them and help restore Carkeek Park’s salmon habitat.  Get a little, give a little.

While you likely have your tree already — all spruced up with ornaments and lights — this is some food for thought for Christmas 2010.

Happy Holidays!

Restorative Design Collective to Create Living Building on Capitol Hill December 21, 2009

We are excited to announce our involvement in The Restorative Design Collective – a team of local green building professionals who are working together to create a new Living Building science classroom at the Bertschi School on Capitol Hill.  Intrigued? Read on to learn more…

Team of Seattle Green Building Professionals Forms to Make an Ultra Sustainable Building a Reality – For Free

 The Restorative Design Collective to Create New Science Building for the Bertschi School

SEATTLE –A team comprised of some of the region’s leading green building professionals have formed The Restorative Design Collective to build a cutting-edge green science building for the Bertschi School, an independent elementary school on Capitol Hill in Seattle. Working pro bono, the team is designing the new science building to meet the standards of the Living Building Challenge, a deep-green building program which encourages projects to achieve self-sufficiency by generating all of their own energy with renewable resources, harvesting and treating all of their own water on site, and operating at maximum levels of efficiency with a healthy indoor environment.

The Restorative Design Collective was founded by Stacy Smedley and Chris Hellstern of KMD Architects. “We were inspired at Cascadia’s Living Future Conference last May and saw an opportunity to use our collective brainpower to gain valuable experience working on a Living Building project while making a difference,” said Smedley. “With The Restorative Design Collective, the team gets to strengthen our skills and build our knowledge, while the next generation of leaders at this local school can learn how sustainable systems work through observation and first-hand experience in their new classroom.”

With only a handful of local construction projects following the Living Building Challenge’s guidelines, Bertschi School’s new science building – slated for completion in November of 2010 – has the potential to be the first Living Building finished in the State of Washington.

“With the integration of sustainability into our curriculum, we encourage students to become engaged as thoughtful stewards of local and global communities,” said Founder and Head of School Brigitte Bertschi. “This science building will truly bring learning to life, offering an unparalleled educational experience to not only our students but the greater community in Seattle and beyond.”

The Restorative Design Collective:

 

Project Team

Architectural Design:  KMD Architects

Landscape Architecture:  GGLO

Civil Engineering:  2020 Engineering

Geotechnical Engineering:  GeoEngineers

Structural Engineering:  Quantum Consulting Engineers

Mechanical/Electrical/Plumbing:  Rushing

Sustainability Consultant:  O’Brien and Company

Food Systems Consultant:  Back To Nature Design LLC

Public Relations Services:  Parsons Public Relations

Preconstruction/Construction Services:  Skanska

Key Collaborators

Organizational:  Cascadia Region Green Building Council

Jurisdictional:  King County GreenTools

Jurisdictional:  City of Seattle Department of Planning and Development Green Building Program

The Living Building Challenge: Since its inception three years ago, the Living Building Challenge has gained global recognition as the most radical and revolutionary green building standard. The Living Building Challenge is a program initially launched and currently operated by the Cascadia Region Green Building Council. It serves as a challenge to builders, owners, architects, engineers, and design professionals to create buildings that are net-zero energy, net-zero water, and use resources efficiently and for maximum beauty. There are currently more than 70 proposed Living Buildings in the design or construction phase, as well as three completed projects awaiting certification.

The Bertschi School:

An independent elementary school known for its integrated, innovative program, Bertschi School has a strong commitment to sustainability and incorporates this focus into both its curriculum and operations. In 2007, the school completed construction on its main building, The Bertschi Center, which is the first LEED Gold certified elementary classroom building in Washington State.

The Restorative Design Collective:

Founded in 2009 by Stacy Smedley and Chris Hellstern of KMD Architects, The Restorative Design Collective is a group of Seattle-area design professionals who share the desire to push themselves and their firms to the forefront of the sustainable building movement. Members of the Collective recognize and endeavor to further the Living Building Challenge, which plays an essential role in raising green building standards, meeting the 2030 Challenge and creating net-zero buildings.

Seattle has one of America’s best city parks December 17, 2009

If you have never visited Cal Anderson Park in the heart of Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood, you are truly missing out on one of our emerald city’s crown jewels.  It has everything you could ask for – from the playfield and playground to the water feature and perfect mix of sunny and shady spots – and is certainly one of the reasons Seattle is a great green city, at least according to Treehugger’s standards.

And Forbes.com agrees.  The Seattle DJC recently reported that Forbes.com named Cal Anderson Park one of the 12 best urban parks in the United States.  Other parks on the list include Boston Common and Golden Gate Park.

A brief history lesson for you:  The southern half of Cal Anderson Park (that would be right across the street from the delightful Oddfellows building) opened in 1907 as Lincoln Park and was the first park developed by the Olmsted Brothers under their 1903 parks and boulevards plan for Seattle.  The Lincoln Reservoir occupied the northern half of the site.

In 2003, the 11-acre site was named Cal Anderson Park, after the state’s first openly gay legislator.  In 2004, after Seattle Public Utilities covered the reservoir, Parks worked with a design team headed by The Berger Partnership to create new open space on top of the lid and connect it to the surrounding area, a project supported by funding from the 2000 Pro Parks Levy.  Fun Parsons fact:  Our very own Kathleen Warren was one of the 28 citizens on the Levy committee – in addition to serving on the Parks board.

The park, which re-opened in 2005, features a Shelterhouse, water feature, jogging paths, playground, wading pool, tennis and basketball courts, and five outdoor chess/checker boards.  Look for the Chinese Scholar Tree, which marks the NW corner of the park – it was designated a Seattle Heritage Tree in 2002.

This August, Joanie Parsons and I had the fabulous opportunity to tour Cal Anderson Park with Jonathan Morley and Guy Michaelsen of The Berger Partnership, and get the inside scoop on the design process, as well as the back story of some of the design elements.  If you are curious about how you can tell where the perimeter of the covered reservoir lies, let me know and we can go for a walk in the park…

Also, check out the Cal Anderson Park Alliance for fun events in the park.  I was one of over 1,000 people who attended this year’s Capitol Hill Independence Day Community Picnic, which featured live music, food, and fun activities for kids big and small.  I enjoyed hula-hooping and the pet look-alike contest (no, I didn’t win).

The last of the parks to receive a make-over through the Seattle Public Utilities effort to replace open reservoirs with underground, lidded structures is Maple Leaf Park.  The Berger Partnership is heading up the design of this one as well.  For more info, click here.

Will the proposals from COP15 really make a difference? December 9, 2009

You can stay abreast of what’s happening at COP15 (aka the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen) that runs through December 18th by perusing the UN’s COP15 website regularly or following COP15 on twitter. But another interesting way to track what’s happening is to visit The Climate Scoreboard on ClimateInteractive’s website. The scoreboard  calculates the long-term climate impacts of the proposals introduced at the conference. The site also has a ticker tape of commitments from each country. For instance, China proposes a 20% reduction of energy consumption per unit GDP by 2010 and to increase the forest cover rate by 20% by 2010, whereas India says its per capita emissions rates will never exceed those of rich countries. And the United States? TBD.

An energy-saving gift idea December 1, 2009

Got an old frig or freezer—one of those dinosaurs that dates back 10 or 20 years? Okay, so it may not sound sexy or fun, but how about surprising your significant other with a new frig or freezer for the holidays? Ho ho hum, you say. Think of it this way: you’ll be saving the environment and saving money at the same time. In California where energy prices are high, the dollar savings are significant. If you replace a 20+ year old, 19 to 21 cu. ft. frig with a new one of the same size, you’ll save more than $900 over five years. In Washington where energy prices are much lower, the savings are lower too, but still significant. Over five years, you may save over $500 (depending on your rate tier). When shopping, compare the Energy Star label on each brand to find the most efficient model, choose the smallest frig that’s practical (the most efficient models range from 16 to 20 cu. ft.), and skip the through-the-door dispensers and automatic icemakers, which jack up the purchase price and increase energy use by 14 to 20%. Some counties also offer rebates for purchasing energy star appliances, so don’t forget to check online before you shop. And of course recycling that old one is a must. In fact, Seattle City Light will actually pay you $30 to get rid of your old one. Let’s see, if I buy my honey a new frig it will help the environment, I’ll save money on my utility bill, and I might get a rebate or get paid $$ to recycle it. A new frig or freezer sounds like a pretty good present to me! Hmmm…I wonder what I can do with all of the money I’ll save?

Celebrate a locally grown Thanksgiving November 25, 2009

Yesterday I went on a massive grocery-shopping trip, since my family was heading to the mountains for Thanksgiving. I always bring along most of our food, since healthy options are limited at the one local store in the town where we stay (you might recognize the kind—it has those sloping wooden floorboards that identify the building as a survivor of the old West). That meant accumulating food for the Thanksgiving feast, as well as for the several other days we’d be there (it also meant an overcrowded car stuffed with lots of bags on the trip up…and cranky passengers—something to look forward to!). So as I was gathering produce, I reflected on the bounty in front of me. I could purchase almost anything I wanted for our feast—green beans, melons, and red peppers from Mexico, grapes from Chile, mixed baby greens from Texas, and pink grapefruit from Florida, all proudly identified on the produce signs and the colorful little stickers that adorn some of the fruit. As much as I yearned for those sweet, succulent flavors of summer past, I bypassed them. Now that I know about carbon footprints, I just couldn’t bring myself to purchase produce shipped a thousand or more miles (not to mention that many of these non-organic products are on Environmental Working Group’s list of highly-sprayed items to avoid). Fortunately for us Westerners, there are plenty of other, more local (and organic), options, including pears, apples, potatoes, Brussels sprouts, avocados, locally grown lettuce and citrus, and, of course turkeys. So I made my way around the produce department, reading glasses in hand, identifying the countries and counties of origin. I must admit, I felt little OC, but I know it was the right thing to do both for the environment and the local economy. Happy Thanksgiving!

Goodwill Seattle’s Annual Glitter Sale Boosted by New Blog November 12, 2009

Glitter Sale

Seattle Goodwill, now in its 86th year, is a non-profit that provides free job training and education programs to help low-income and disadvantaged people in the community. Its retail stores generate the necessary funds to run these important programs. A really great annual event, The Glitter Sale, is coming up this weekend, November 14 and 15. This famous two-day sale features racks, rows and cases of glitzy and glamorous Goodwill bargains, all in one place. Quality merchandise is collected year-round for the big sale, including gowns, men’s formalwear, jewelry, shoes, purses and much more. The event raises vital revenue for Goodwill’s mission. The newly established blog is a great example of how to really pump up excitement about an event in advance - check it out!

Plastic Diet: It’s time for a purge November 9, 2009

I’ve had it with plastic food storage containers. Glass makes much more sense since there’s no chance it will react with food. I should have purged a long time ago. Plastic is convenient (it doesn’t break for one!), but there are too many potential downsides. We just don’t know the full story when it comes to chemical leaching, particularly when the containers are used to microwave food. And it’s obvious that the story keeps changing (check out the recent news about BPA in plastic water bottles). Plus we certainly don’t need any more plastic in the world (remember, it never really goes “away,” and sadly, much of it ends up polluting the environment). Glass can be used in the microwave and freezer, and some types (Pyrex) can even be placed in the oven. Okay, so most of these containers do have plastic lids (glass lids aren’t air tight), so just make sure the food doesn’t come in contact with them. You can avoid plastic altogether, by storing leftovers in empty pasta sauce (and other food) jars with metal lids. Small glass containers are also great for stowing cheese and foods that you might otherwise wrap in plastic bags. Sur la Table sells a number of different glass containers. The Glass Grid Bowls with Lids are a favorite. My husband likes the French Working Glass since they’re dual purpose (Sur la Table doesn’t sell the lids online so I ordered the glasses and lids from Fishs Eddy in New York City; but beware, you may spend hours online looking at all of their cool stuff). So what should you do with all of those leftover plastic containers? Don’t throw them away. They’re great for storing anything other than food, such as sewing items, nails, coins, or whatever.

Help Parsons give PJs to deserving foster kids November 5, 2009

Every child deserves to be warm at night in their own cuddly pajamas, which is why Parsons Public Relations is helping Treehouse with their pajama drive this year.

Treehouse provides unparalleled services to over 4,300 foster kids in the Seattle community.  Wouldn’t it be great if every kid served by Treehouse had pajamas to call their own this winter?  It’s a lofty goal, but with your help, we can reach it.  If you feel as inclined as we do to help these children stay warm this holiday season, please donate money and/or new or slightly used pajamas.

Make checks out to Treehouse.  Donations can be sent to/dropped off at the Parsons office:  6517 Phinney Ave. North, Seattle, WA 98103.

For additional information about Treehouse, visit www.treehouseforkids.org.