GreenClips.173 08.01.01 CALIFORNIA HIGH-RISE BUILT WITH DUAL PLUMBING SYSTEM A 20-story office building under construction in downtown Oakland, California will become the San Francisco Bay Area's first high-rise to be fitted with a dual plumbing system to utilize recycled water -- treated wastewater from domestic uses -- for flushing its toilets. The recycled water project is part of the East Bay Municipal Utility District's ambitious plans to deliver 2.3 million gallons of recycled water per day to businesses within its service area, thereby saving enough drinking water to serve more than 15,000 homes. The utility district has begun building the distribution system to deliver recycled water from its wastewater treatment plant to dual-plumbed buildings early in 2003. The recycled water will have received extra disinfectant and have been put through three cleansing processes. The 472,000-square-foot tower at 555 City Center, a $100 million venture by the Shorenstein Co., will be ready for occupancy in late March 2002 -- well ahead of the utility district's project. Consequently, the purple-wrapped copper pipes designated to carry recycled water will be run with potable water until the project comes on line. The utility district, which considers dual plumbing for 555 City Center a demonstration project, paid for the extra piping, about $75,000 worth. San Francisco Chronicle, 31 Jul 2001, p A11, by Eric Brazil. [More: http://www.ebmud.com/services/reclamation/reclam.html.] WILLIAM MCDONOUGH + PARTNERS: SUSTAINABILITY IN PRACTICE William McDonough has fashioned a rather unique conglomerate. His activities are threefold -- an architecture firm (William McDonough + Partners in Charlottesville, Virginia), an industrial-product consultancy (McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry), and a public-speaking business. McDonough's organization is perhaps most progressive in its research capacities, which provide the underpinnings of its green ambitions. In some respects, the makeup of William McDonough + Partners resembles a much more old-fashioned firm than its output would suggest. A management triumvirate -- Christopher Hays, Kevin Burke and Russell Perry -- is charged with organizing the firm's vision of sustainability into an efficient practice. Projects are distributed to one of four studios: residential, community design, commercial and institutional, all of which McDonough oversees on a broad basis, while one of six associate partners manages each project. The result is not awe-inspiring architecture in any traditional sense. McDonough's trademarks are good ventilation, energy-efficient heating and cooling, and roofs covered with 6 inches of dirt, grass and wildflowers. But McDonough's organization has attained distinction by marrying a traditional architecture practice with a persuasive line of environmental salesmanship, backed by a formidable technical research arm. Architecture, July 01, p 39, by Peter Hall. [William McDonough + Partners Web site: http://www.mcdonough.com] ALBERTON'S INCREASES COMMITMENT TO ENERGY CONSERVATION Albertson's Inc. is expanding its energy-conservation program, which it began last year in seven Western states, to all of its 2,500 grocery and drug stores in 36 states. The program will save 480 million kilowatt-hours of electricity a year, enough to meet the average energy needs of about 50,000 families. The program involves dimming lights in sales areas of stores by between 25 and 50 percent; adjusting thermostats to 75 degrees in summer and 68 degrees in winter; turning off outdoor and accent lighting during the day and implementing energy audits. "Under our new, nationwide program, we are making a substantial capital commitment to new-age energy management technologies to help us further reduce our energy consumption," says Larry Johnston, Albertson's chairman and CEO. Although the company won't give a cost estimate on the conservation program, Burt P. Flickinger III, a supermarket consultant with Reach Marketing in Westport, Connecticut, predicted a company the size of Albertson's could realize annual savings "well into eight figures" -- more than $10 million a year -- through its energy conservation measures. The Idaho Statesman, 31 Jul 01, by Mike Maharry. SUSTAINABLE CONSULTING DIVISION GIVES BNIM COMPETITIVE EDGE Within architectural firms, "green teams" -- groups of people responsible for going after and servicing green building projects -- have become so ubiquitous they often give a firm no real advantage. To keep its competitive edge, Berkebile Nelson Immenschuh McDowell Architects (BNIM), in Kansas City, Missouri, spun off its green team a little over one year ago as a separate consulting division called Elements. This way, BNIM earns consulting fees that are more in line with the value its sustainable design experts are providing. Elements is also available for hire by other architectural firms, or by building owners. But how can Elements remain competitive when it is sharing all of its knowledge with its client companies and other design firms? One way is by broadening the type of services it offers. For example, Elements has recently begun expanding into renovations. "We can look at. . .existing mechanical systems and central plants and find ways to improve efficiency, save money and reduce pollution," says Jason F. McLennan, director of BNIM's sustainable design division. Another new venture is the Corporate Sustainability Initiative. "We've created the ultimate SWAT team that can green a company from A to Z -- their people, products, operations, facilities, land, everything," says McLennan. This team includes experts in everything from product lifecycle analysis and operational efficiency, to waste management, site remediation and corporate culture. Environmental Design & Construction, Jul-Aug 01, p 50, by Kristin Ralff Douglas. [Full text: http://www.edcmag.com/archives/07-01-4.htm; BNIM Web site: http://www.bnim.com] FLORIDA STUDY LOOKS AT COST EFFECTIVENESS OF DECONSTRUCTION To evaluate the cost effectiveness of deconstruction and salvage compared to demolition, the Center for Construction and Environment at the University of Florida deconstructed six wood-framed houses ranging from 1,000 to 2,000 square feet, which were built between 1900 and 1950. The study assumed an average estimated demolition cost of $5.36 per square foot, including disposal costs. The average "gross" deconstruction cost was $6.47 per square foot. Gross deconstruction is the first cost of deconstruction, including all labor and disposal but not including any salvage revenues. The Center looked at two economic models for pricing the salvaged materials, one that assumes there are no materials storage, inventory and sales personnel costs, and a second model that assumes that the materials are placed in consignment at a reused materials facility. The average salvage value from the first model was $3.28 per square foot, yielding a net deconstruction cost of $3.19 per square foot, approximately 37 percent lower than demolition. The consignment model resulted in net deconstruction costs that were approximately 10 percent lower than demolition. Deconstruction is a complex equation of time restrictions, environmental costs, labor costs, disposal costs, salvage rates and materials types. The economic viability of deconstruction and reuse of salvaged materials is more a function of targeting the highest value materials than of avoiding disposal costs. For the complete report, visit http://www.cce.ufl.edu/past/deconstruction/reuse.html. BioCycle, Jul 01, p 75, by Bradley Guy and Sean McLendon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 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. 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