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... 

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... 

This study was commissioned by the Heinz Endowments in tandem with the David L. Lawrence Convention Center (DLCC) in Pittsburgh, and led by evolveEA as part of our Building in Operation Case Study for the DLCC. The purpose of the benchmarking study was understanding how increased demand for sustainability has affected the industry. The study’s focus is on the actions individual facilities are taking to address these demands while increasing their overall performance. We have gathered this information with the intention of sharing best practices and understanding the... 

Upon its completion in 2003, the David L. Lawrence Convention Center (DLCC) received LEED-NC Gold certification, was the world’s largest green building (at 1.5 million sq-ft), and was the first LEED certified convention center. Since its opening in 2004, the DLCC has generated more than $673 million in direct local spending1 to Pittsburgh businesses, much of which has resulted from events attracted by the DLCC’s sustainability focus. To capitalize on the support of the Convention Center’s operations, evolveEA and its consultant team was hired by the Heinz Endowments... 

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... 

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... 

Alcoa, a global leader in mining, refining and smelting Alumina, has been committed to corporate wide sustainability initiatives since the 1980’s. Alcoa began to report and actively reduce emissions as early as 1993 and has reduced absolute greenhouse gas emissions 37% as of 2010 against their 1990 baseline targets. They’ve won numerous global sustainability leadership awards and have begun to effectively implement strategic sustainability initiative across the corporation. The management staff at Alcoa’s corporate headquarters has similarly been committed to sustainable... 

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... 

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... 

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... 

Listening to Bill McDonough on Commonwealth Club/Climate One/NPR in November inspired me to share with the rest of the team some exciting developments around his launching of the nonprofit Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute during 2010. McDonough is trying to do for products what the US Green Building Council did for buildings when it developed LEED: promote green and sustainable practices by providing a clear, rigorously-based and recognized rating. evolveEA was early to see the promise of LEED and has managed dozens of LEED certification projects across the... 

Greenbuild, the US Green Building Council’s annual conference took place in Chicago in November. Attended by 28,000 people from 114 countries, the conference is the largest tradeshow dedicated to green building, with over 1,800 active exhibit booths. Three days, six sessions and 16 concurrent tracks (you do the math) provided an array of content encompassing all aspects of green building, materials, energy, sustainability and, of course, LEED. The largest change in content I noticed was the long overdue and necessary emphasis on building metering and performance. I taught... 

Carnegie Mellon University has a strong record of creating and implementing environmental initiatives that come from both top-down mandates and bottom-up efforts.  These initiatives result from the creative collaboration between the faculty and students, the facilities team, and leading professionals in the field.  evolve has been a strong partner in these efforts, working with the university since 2004 to be a significant driver of University-wide environmental change. evolveEA has helped in the design, construction and operation of over 100,000sf of facilities renovation...