| GreenClips.245 08.04.04 WE'RE BACK FROM OUR SUMMER BREAK WITH TWO NEW JOB ANNOUNCEMENTS! Scroll down to our sponsors' section for details about a position at the Rocky Mountain Institute and Rumsey Engineers and other new announcements on conferences, products, and consulting services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GreenClips.245 08.04.04 NEW REPORT SHOWS NO SIGNIFICANT COST PREMIUM FOR BUILDING GREEN A new report offers evidence that if there is any premium associated with building green, it is far less significant than a range of other factors that affect building cost. The paper, "Costing Green: A Comprehensive Cost Database and Budgeting Methodology," by Lisa Fay Matthiessen and Peter Morris of Davis Langdon Adamson (DLA), draws on DLA's extensive database of cost information for both LEED and non-LEED projects. DLA specializes in cost estimating and cost management in construction. In addition to looking at the cost implications of pursuing each LEED point, the authors provide a macro-level analysis of the cost of green projects. Focusing on libraries, classrooms and laboratories, they compare the cost per square foot of 45 LEED-seeking projects with 93 that are not pursuing LEED certification. They found "no statistically significant difference between the LEED population and the non-LEED population." Matthiessen and Morris conclude that other factors affect cost so much that any possible green premium is, in effect, lost in the "noise" in relation to average cost per square foot. Download the report: http://www.dladamson.com/publications.html Environmental Building News, Aug 2004, p 3, by Nadav Malin. http://www.buildinggreen.com/auth/article.cfm?fileName=130803b.xml VINYL SIDING WITH A TWIST: ARCHITECTS WRAP HOUSE IN OLD BILLBOARDS In Minneapolis, Wynne Yelland and Paul Neseth of Locus Architecture have designed and built a 2,400-square-foot home with a façade wrapped in billboards that once advertised cars and jeans. Billboards used to be paper-based but are increasingly made of nonrecyclable vinyl. "We see value in things that other people might not, and that plays out in our work," Neseth says. Screened by milky, semitransparent polycarbonate siding, the billboard images soften into abstractions; only close examination reveals the shape of a wheel or the outline of a letter. The home's polycarbonate cloak, similar to that used in greenhouses, will outlast paint and cost less than $2 per square foot. The billboards act as a secondary moisture barrier, but equally important, Neseth says, is a 1.5-inch gap between the polycarbonate exterior and the billboard lining. Mesh-covered openings at the base of the walls allow air to pass between the two, reducing potential for trapped moisture. Additionally, as sunlight heats the chamber, the air can be let into the house or vented into the attic as needed, a buffer against the cold Minnesota winters. Metropolis, Aug 2004, p 48, by Joel Hoekstra. [This house is currently for sale. Info: http://www.locusarchitecture.com] FLAWED SPECS FOR VAV BOXES COST TIME AND MONEY Vague language or technically unsound requirements in the specifications for an HVAC system's variable air volume boxes can cause confusion, time delays, and even nonperforming projects. A VAV box varies the quantity of conditioned air from a central source delivered to a control zone. VAV terminal reheat is one of many potential trouble spots. For example, with electric heating coils, is there sufficient discharge static pressure in the design? At least 25 Pa (0.1 in.) backpressure is often required to trip the flow safety sensors in the electric heater. The fan-powered terminals specification will also affect performance. These are generally equipped with permanent split capacitor motors. But electronically commutated motors, which increase a VAV box's cost but use 67 percent less energy, can result in a return on investment in two years or less. Other problems occur when required accessories are not clearly identified or mistakenly required in the specifications. For example, filters are frequently specified for fan terminals, then discarded after construction. With plenum air already being filtered by the primary air system (at least in theory), filters have been shown to be unnecessary. It's important that architects/engineers work with knowledgeable suppliers before a project is released to ensure specifications are clear and technically responsive to the design. The Construction Specifier, July 2004, p 61, by Daniel Int-Hout. SENATORS INTRODUCE BILL TO ENCOURAGE HIGH-PERFORMANCE BUILDINGS In July, U.S. Senators Jim Jeffords, I-Vt., and Frank Lautenberg, D-NJ, introduced legislation to promote environmentally friendly federal buildings and schools. The "High-Performance Green Buildings Act of 2004" authorizes $35 million over five years to support federal buildings and schools that are designed and operated to boost environmental, economic, health and productivity performance over conventional buildings. The bill, S.2620, would fund numerous activities, including expanding existing green building research and creating an Office of High-Performance Green Buildings at the General Services Administration to promote public outreach, research and development. More: http://www.senate.gov/~jeffords Congressional Record, 8 Jul 2004, and Jim Jeffords press release. ONLINE RESOURCE FOR LANDSCAPES THAT PROMOTE WELLNESS Looking for information about creating therapeutic landscapes? Visit the newly revamped website, http://www.healinglandscapes.org, which founder Naomi Sachs describes as "a resource to provide information, generate conversation, and inspire new design ideas that advance the principles of healing landscapes." Sachs defines therapeutic landscapes broadly, covering related topics such as horticultural therapy, community gardens, and memorials -- "any kind of outdoor space that promotes wellness," she says. Landscape Architecture, Aug 2004, p 22, by Jane Roy Brown. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GreenClips is free of charge thanks to individual members and these sponsors: ARMSTRONG CEILING SYSTEMS http://www.armstrong.com/commceilingsna/article10790.html Armstrong offers an expanding portfolio of sustainable ceiling products. Through the Ceiling Recycling Program, an industry first and only one of its kind, old tiles are shipped to an Armstrong plant, not a landfill; 20 million square feet recycled to date. DECONSTRUCTION AND BUILDING MATERIALS REUSE CONFERENCE 2004 Meet the people who make deconstruction happen! September 1, 2004: "Learn to Reuse" and "Deconstruction and Wood Recovery" tours departing from San Francisco, CA. September 2-3, 2004: Deconstruction Conference and vendor show at Preservation Park in Oakland, CA. To register visit: http://www.DECON04.com PUBLIC REVIEW OF FEDERAL GUIDE FOR GREEN CONSTRUCTION SPECS The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and our Federal partners invite you to participate in a 60-day public review of the DRAFT Federal Guide for Green Construction Specs. Covering over 60 building materials and methods, the on-line tool was developed to allow Federal building professionals to "cut and paste" their way to greener office, residential, laboratory, and other buildings. Your feedback is critical to the tool's quality and success. Please refer to FRL7363-5, EPA Docket # OPPT-2004-0092 for instructions for providing comments on this draft. http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-PEST/2004/July/Day-28/p16946.htm 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. ROCKY MOUNTAIN INSTITUTE JOB ANNOUNCEMENT http://www.rmi.org/ RMI's Green Development Services seeks a senior level team member with outstanding experience, credentials and reputation, to manage and conduct cutting-edge, cross-discipline research and consulting. Applicants must have a masters or professional degree in a building industry field, 10 years' professional experience and demonstrated state-of-the-art technical knowledge of green development. Exceptional collaboration, writing, public speaking, facilitation, project management, and client interface skills are required. The position is based in Old Snowmass, Colorado, and requires extensive travel. Deadline: 8/29/04. Details: http://www.rmi.org/sitepages/pid164.php. RUMSEY ENGINEERS MECHANICAL ENGINEER JOB OPENING http://www.rumseyengineers.com/ Rumsey Engineers is one of the country's preeminent sustainable design mechanical engineering firms. We have an opening for an articulate and innovative HVAC engineer with at least five years of design experience in our Oakland, California office. Please e-mail resume: plaborde@rumseyengineers.com WSU ENERGY PROGRAM http://www.energy.wsu.edu Providing objective research, information and solutions. Washington State University Extension Energy Program in Olympia, Washington. Subscribe to GreenClips and other mailing lists on energy and the environment at http://listserv.energy.wsu.edu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GREENCLIPS NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT! Twice a month GreenClips is distributed electronically to over 10,000 readers interested in sustainable building design. But we can't do it without the financial support of our sponsors and members. If you find GreenClips valuable, please consider becoming a sponsor or voluntary member. Email chrishammer@greenclips.com for details. ABOUT THE PUBLISHER: Sustainable design consultant Chris Hammer publishes GreenClips in San Francisco. Ms. Hammer helps her clients with environmentally responsible approaches to urban planning and development, and to building design, construction, and operation. GreenClips is edited by Jennifer Roberts, author of "Good Green Homes: Creating Better Homes for a Healthier Planet" (http://www.goodgreenhomes.com). To CONTACT THE PUBLISHER: Email chrishammer@greenclips.com or call 415.928.7941. 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