GreenClips.171 07.04.01 BREATHING EASIER IN LUNG ASSOCIATION OFFICES The American Lung Association (ALA) of Virginia opened the ALA's first "Breathe Easy Office" in Richmond in September 2000. The site, which houses ALA offices, a training facility and a Lung Health Resource Center, was designed to reduce indoor air pollution (IAQ) and raise awareness of IAQ as a public health issue. From foundation to landscaping, the project features materials and techniques that promote a better indoor environment. A conditioned crawlspace with a soil moisture barrier and slight positive pressure helps to eliminate radon. Low- or no-VOC sealants used throughout the building minimize chemical exposure. A seven-zone HVAC system features a HEPA-filtered outdoor air supply, humidity control, and mechanical ventilation with slight positive pressurization. During construction, workers' respiratory health was protected through the use of vacuum-fitted drywall sanding, and by selecting products such as prefinished wood flooring. The landscaping features allergy-free plantings. Several other ALA chapters have Breathe Easy Office projects underway or under consideration. More: http://www.lungusa.org/breatheasyoffice. Environmental Building News, Jun 01, p 3, by Peter Yost, and ALA Web site. ALTERNATIVE PAVING MATERIALS MAKE INROADS Aggregate binders derived from plant byproducts provide environmental benefits compared to asphalt and concrete paving, and are gaining prominence due to their use in projects from Central Park to Alcatraz Island. Unlike asphalt, these binders don't contain petrochemicals, making them suitable for use in environmentally sensitive areas such as bird sanctuaries and riparian corridors. Two plant-derived aggregate binders are Road Oyl, from Soil Stabilization Products Co., and Stabilizer, from Stabilizer Solutions, Inc. Road Oyl, a liquid binder made from pine pitch and rosin, combines with aggregate to form "Resin Pavement." This nonporous surface behaves much like asphalt yet has a slightly loose surface. It can be used for roads, parking lots and pathways. Stabilizer binds aggregates together with a nontoxic powder derived from the byproducts of plantago (Indian wheat), and creates a pervious paving surface that looks and behaves like well-compacted aggregate. According to tests conducted by Stabilizer Solutions, Stabilizer paving can be 20 degrees cooler than asphalt, because its lighter color reflects light and reduces heat re-radiation. Resin Pavement can cost as much as or more than asphalt while Stabilizer costs about a third of the price. In comparison to installed concrete, Resin Pavement is less expensive while Stabilizer is about a third of the cost. More: Stabilizer Solutions, http://www.stabilizersolutions.com; Road Oyl, http://www.sspco.org. Landscape Architecture, Jul 01, p 24, by Elizabeth Gourley. CALIFORNIA EPA HEADQUARTERS MAXIMIZES ENERGY EFFICIENCY At 950,000 square feet, the Joe Serna Jr. California Environmental Protection Agency Headquarters may be Sacramento's biggest building, but it uses 25 percent less energy than the maximum level mandated by state regulations. The building's ventilation system contributes to energy savings by using fresh outside air. On each of the 25 stories, two corners have no windows; instead, air is pulled in through vents on the building's north side, put into use and then expelled on the east and west corners. "In California, many months, you can use outside air without using air conditioning, if you do things right," says David Martin of AC Martin Partners, the building's designers. "But most developers haven't been interested up until now. They want corner windows." While conventional towers have one or two large chilling machines for the air-conditioning system, the EPA building has three of varying sizes. That way, the smaller ones can be used when demand is low. Despite the project's efficiency achievements, Martin regrets that they sacrificed the use of motion sensors to control lighting. "We pushed to get those sensors in, but the project couldn't afford it," says Martin, who puts the added cost at about $250,000. Among the building's other green features are a photovoltaic system that generates roughly 30 kilowatts of power each day, and 150 parking spaces for bicycles, not cars. San Francisco Chronicle, 25 Jun 01, p A-3, by John King. [More: http://www.calepa.ca.gov/epabldg] COLLINS PARTICLEBOARD NOW GREEN CROSS CERTIFIED Collins Products LLC has received Green Cross certification from Scientific Certification Systems that its particleboard is manufactured entirely from postindustrial waste fibers. While most particleboard manufactured today contains a high percentage of wood waste from other manufacturing processes, Collins is committed to using no virgin fiber in its particleboard. More: http://www.collinswood.com. Environmental Building News, Jun 01, p 9. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GreenClips is free of charge thanks to individual members and these sponsors: C&A FLOORCOVERINGS We choose not to just make carpet but to also make a difference. http://www.powerbond.com EPA'S ENVIRONMENTALLY-PREFERABLE PURCHASING PROGRAM Greening the government, one purchase at a time. http://www.epa.gov/opptintr/epp GREEN BUILDING SERVICES http://www.greenbuildingservices.com Green Building Services offers environmental design and energy efficient consulting services to help you design, build and market high-performance commercial buildings, through design charrettes, energy analyses and the entire LEED certification process. INTERFACE, INC. More than a carpet company. 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