Part one (Places) of our three part series, Navigating the Sea of Sustainability Standards explored the role of standards within an expanding green building market. In summary, certifications and standards have ushered in a new era of green building development, by establishing a set of shared principles, which has led to rapid market uptake. Given the success and widespread expansion of rating systems such as LEED and Energy star into the design, construction and operations industry, we ask next what certifications and standards might best apply to an organization and its... 

We may not realize it, but we rely on the process of benchmarking every day. Whether we’re in the market for a new car or simply choosing between cereal options, reviews and product information (think Consumer Reports, Angie’s List, and nutrition labels) help us analyze goods or services. Information shapes our decision making processes and is a powerful tool for consumers and businesses alike. The concept of benchmarking, a term commonly used in the design, construction and building operations industry, involves comparing building performance against industry standards... 

I bet you didn’t know that we are able to use a planet’s gravity as a slingshot to send things into space. It’s true. Spaceships regularly use Gravitational Assist in order to save fuel, time and expense on their journeys. Although not orbital mechanics, we have noticed an interesting phenomenon of gravitational assist with our green building clients. Green building initiatives, the tactile environmental representations of sustainable principles that house their employees round-the-clock, can be used to launch strategic sustainability pursuits and integrate sustainability... 

Strategic Data Use to Stabilize Neighborhoods was a conference I attended December 6-7 in Baltimore. Around 200 were in attendance, all of us connecting with data differently in our work: community leaders, municipal staff from cities across the US, researchers, urban planners, financial and real estate professionals and a healthy variety of folks from other backgrounds. Considering economic trends and the vast technological advances of the past 5-10 years, a significant range of topics within the realm of data and neighborhood stabilization were available for the conference... 

When it comes to making a difference, we’ve all been in a place that gets us feeling like what we are doing isn’t making that big of an impact. Research has shown that when the going gets tough, people change their attitudes, not their behaviors. That is to say: when the barriers to change are seen as too difficult to over come, people are more likely to stop caring as opposed to ramping up their efforts to brake down those obstacles. Yes, this is a bleak realization, but there is hope! While the research tells us that people do give up on things they care about, it also... 

evolveEA continuously evaluates how we help our clients tell their stories and analyze their data in clear and meaningful ways.  We find that translating words and numbers into graphics enable a new level of understanding to any set of complex information and help make strategic thinking easier and more accessible. This is especially true in shaping the sustainability dialogue, with concepts that are often difficult to grasp without a visual reference to present data in tangible terms. As a multidisciplinary environment, evolve is increasingly focused on the integration of... 

When it comes to sustainability there’s a vast sea of information available—and it’s not always easy to parse out accurate claims vs. marketing hyperbole. Phrases such as ‘all natural’ or ‘environmentally friendly’ have been slapped on about everything and anything we buy. First let us acknowledge that everything is relative, and that these claims often exist somewhere along a spectrum, but beyond that, how might an individual better determine the accuracy of a particular claim or make a more informed choice?  One common and effective way to verify such claims... 

Greening Existing Buildings on College Campuses | evolveEA Attending this year’s annual AASHE conference at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in downtown Pittsburgh supported our ongoing efforts in the realm of higher education, one of the leading sectors in sustainability thinking and implementation. We have been particularly interested in helping schools improve their overall performance by way of LEED certification for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance (EBOM). The presentation above explores this concept in-depth, as a method of engaging college... 

Returning from the Food Marketing Institute’s Energy and Store Development Conference in Atlanta, I pondered the unique role that supermarkets play in our daily lives. Trends unveiled at the conference include a blurring of the lines between restaurant and store, as well a move away from hydrocarbons towards natural refrigerants, such as CO2, that cause no ozone depletion. This would be a welcome transition, as Keilly Whitman, Manager of the EPA’s Greenchill program, noted that a typical store’s refrigerant leakage alone has more environmental impact than the store’s... 

Buildings are the most ubiquitous form covering modern landscapes. Their pervasiveness presents a paradox—our built environment is both crucial to and a symbol of modernity—but also a major contributor to degradation that threatens future prosperity. Simultaneously, our buildings define and separate us as human, but require significant yet finite environmental resources. Buildings in the United States are responsible for consuming 70% of all electricity generated, and cover 50,000 square miles of land, an area equivalent to the state of Ohio. Over the past twenty years we’ve... 

Nobel Prize Winning economist Milton Friedman was famous for his statement that, “the business of business is business. “  He believed the best thing a company could do for society was to maximize its profits, and any other activities related to social or environmental causes were unnecessary and possibly detrimental to business and society. Yet, if you have been following the latest business and sustainability related news, you are probably inundated with daily headlines like: “Why Employee Engagement is Critical to Sustaining Sustainability”, “Private... 

Often the first thing we are asked is “Would you do it again…should we attempt the Living Building Challenge?” My personal answer is a resounding YES!  But only if you can accommodate and address the uncertainty that the LBC injects into the normal design, construction and occupancy process. Dealing with this uncertainty is often very frustrating; however the results are a much more sustainable and rewarding project. The effort does result in gain…but the pain is unavoidable. It is like white water rafting on an unfamiliar river; you will never know what is coming... 

Are you a commercial property owner, facility manager or developer? Are you interested in saving money and improving your building or portfolio’s valuation? Do you, your tenants, and employees appreciate efficient operations and greener buildings? If you answered yes to any of the above questions… we can help. Take our Existing Building Entry Point Assessment and obtain a free Green Operations and LEED for Operations and Maintenance Feasibility Report. At evolveEA we understand existing buildings represent the greatest:  Opportunity for investment and cost... 

For those of you who have had the pleasure of shopping at the Borders bookstore in East Liberty in the last five years, you have been able to experience a nicely appointed bookstore, with music, magazines, coffee and lounge areas, all within a nicely daylit environment with unique urban views in a brand new retail shopping center. If you have had the opportunity to shop at Borders since January of this year, however, the experience was likely overshadowed by the bankruptcy reorganization of the entire Borders retail chain, closing this store in that process. Rather than the... 

When shopping for a product, let’s say a computer, have you ever wondered, what went into it? How much energy, water, toxic chemicals, carbon emissions etc., are embodied in this very innocent computer that you absolutely need for surfing the internet? What will happen to it when you are finished using it? And is the manufacturer a company whose practices I support? Every week, the average U.S. consumer makes dozens of decisions that directly affect the environment, from where and what they eat to what brand of dish detergent they buy. Studies like the ImagePower Global... 

Have you ever seen a familiar place that has been transformed through the lens of a Hollywood film? A few years ago, a Bruce Willis production filmed some of my favorite urban places and reconstructed them in a way that changed how I saw relationships between the neighborhoods of my fair city. Once I looked past the painful dialogue and predictable action scenes, the movie presented a city where one could live and travel on the rivers. The movie sequences allowed me to imagine the city that had been designed to make our forgotten rivers into a fantastical outdoor room. Design... 

Have you ever found an idea that was so interesting that you are compelled to action? What if your friends felt the same way and your singular action multiplied and had a much greater effect? How could we create and harness some of that energy for other causes, like environmentally friendly neighborhoods? Galvanizing a community around a common goal or action can be difficult in any situation. Ecodistricts present further challenges to traditional models of engagement, as the scale of planning and type of commitment that is required is outside of a single development cycle... 

When the USGBC began marketing their 2011 Federal Summit we openly wondered around the office if someone should attend this year’s summit. After all, we’ve been to a number of Greenbuild Conferences among others, but had never attended a Government Summit. As a firm, we’ve collaborated with both the City of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County, worked on a handful of state grant proposals, and helped clients secure funding. Yet, in all–government work represents a surprisingly small portion of our portfolio; especially considering the recent news that one... 

Have you ever wondered how there came to be 67 counties in Pennsylvania? Back in the 1800s the counties were largely delineated by a day’s horse ride, which made a lot of sense 100 years ago. Now we get from county to county within an hour. Today, each county has a different governance structure and priority assessment. Similarly, we have another 130 municipalities within Allegheny County. Beyond that there are innumerable additional regional and local agencies, utilities, and legislative bodies throughout the state of Pennsylvania. As a result, we’ve created many boundaries... 

We’ve been excited to participate in the Living Building Challenge as we help guide the Phipps Conservatory Center for Sustainable Landscapes toward meeting its requirements. Now that construction has begun, we’re excited to see some of the sustainable strategies take shape. Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens has been involved in in an ongoing effort to develop a sustainable campus that has included an implementation of organizational sustainability throughout their operations and facilities over the last decade. evolveEA has helped Phipps successfully integrate... 

Crossing the street in some cities is a matter of following directions. Observe the signs—cross when green, stop when red. In other cities, Pittsburgh included, crossing a downtown street is more of a sociological experiment. A crowd of people stand at a corner with a common goal to be on the other side. At first, everyone observes the signal but soon someone in front becomes impatient and begins to look both ways. If the traffic risk is low, they begin to cross. It is not long before other heads are turning and they too are stepping out. The last group doesn’t even... 

Challenging children to think in new ways can create a new generation of critical thinkers who are ready to solve tomorrow’s problems in revolutionary ways. Someday these children will influence environmental decisions and policy, and we support organizations like the Environmental Charter School and their “Earth Nite” festival that called on kids to use their skills and imagination to vision a new, green future. Pittsburgh’s Environmental Charter School invited evolveEA to participate in their annual “Earth Nite” celebration. Among other sustainability-focused... 

For the first time in human history more than half the world’s population–3.3 billion humans– live in urban areas. This trend is expected to accelerate through 2030 when 5 billion will call cities home. While the sheer numbers are staggering; urban regions must prepare for such growth. How will they provide water, energy, waste and recreational services, ensure access to quality housing and transportation and do so in a cost effective and environmentally sound manner? At evolveEA, we believe effective urban planning will require the simultaneous consideration... 

One of Pittsburgh’s best attributes that has helped bring it to the top of the “livability” list time and time again is its commitment to and connection with nature. The unique thing about Pittsburgh is that, when it comes to sustainability and environmental stewardship, it has support in spades. From for and non-profit environmental groups, government entities, outdoor recreation organizations, and research universities, Pittsburgh has a four tier approach to environmentalism and environmental education not seen in many other cities. While these organizations are mainly... 

This past week, I attended Gordon Gill’s lecture about his firm’s work. He shows a rare concern for an architectural project’s overall life cycle and environmental impact. Although his firm, Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill is only five years old, it employs over a hundred and the partners bring a portfolio of highly notable SOM works, such as the Burj Dubai, the world’s tallest building. The presentation’s signature project was the Masdar Headquarters, the symbolic center of this near-mythical zero impact city being built in Abu Dhabi. The vernacular form of the...