GreenClips

Issue No. 268 | July 6, 2005

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SUSTAINABILITY NO LONGER JUST A TREND

In a study of 557 International Facility Management Association (IFMA) members, the majority of respondents said they have implemented a variety of sustainable practices. Most respondents do not have a master implementation plan, but rather selectively choose different sustainable practices. Many are familiar with "green design," but not as familiar with the LEED rating system or environmentally preferable purchasing. The survey listed common ways to make a facility green and asked respondents to identify those in place in their facility or that they plan to implement in the next two years. The top three responses were: 1) Use of natural daylight: Now in place (78%), Plan to do (6%), No plans to do at this time (16%); 2) Lighting fixture retrofits (other than EPA-directed): 67%, 14%, and 19% respectively; 3) Purchasing recycled office products: 67%, 8%, and 25% respectively. When asked to rank the importance of reasons for greening their facility, the top three responses were: 1) Improved employee health and productivity: 76% very important, 22% somewhat important, and 2% not important; 2) Cost savings, 72%, 24%, and 4% respectively; Environmental responsibility: 65%, 33%, and 2% respectively. The study, which received support from DuPont Commercial Flooring, was conducted by IFMA using a Web-based survey. IFMA sent an email to 5,400 randomly selected U.S. and Canadian members asking them to participate.
Facility Management Journal, May/Jun 05, p 20.

GUIDE OFFERS DETAILS ON DECONSTRUCTION OF BUILDINGS

Detailing for the Deconstruction of Buildings, a guide developed at the University of Dundee, Scotland, encourages designers and builders to use materials and methods that would enable the bulk of buildings to be reused or recycled once they have reached the end of their useful lives. Methods can involve a variety of measures, from using lime mortars and renders instead of cement—allowing bricks and blocks to be more easily separated—to exploring different types of insulation and more durable materials such as reusable ceiling tiles. "The guide's alternative details are designed for maximum 'applicability' rather than ultimate greenness," says Fiona Stevenson, chair of the Scottish Ecological Design Association.

BioCycle, Jun 05, p 3. www.seda2.org/dfd/dfd.pdf

STUDY SHINES A BRIGHT LIGHT ON LEDS' RETAIL APPEAL

The Lighting Research Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute conducted a study with the Los Angeles Department of Power & Water that shows colored light-emitting diodes can cut lighting energy in retail windows by 30 to 50% and attract more attention from shoppers. Researchers installed custom, slim-profile LED fixtures in the windows of three stores owned by a popular retailer found in Los Angeles area shopping malls. To cut energy consumption by 30 to 50% in each window, they eliminated all general fluorescent lighting, reduced the number and wattage of halogen accent lights, and added LED systems to create colored backgrounds. After eight weeks and more than 700 surveys, the researchers found that 84% of shoppers agreed that the LED-display windows were visually appealing. Sales data showed no significant change in sales at the test stores.
The Green Business Letter, Jun 05, p 3

www.lrc.rpi.edu/programs/solidstate

TRANSECT MAPPING SYSTEM PROMOTES SMART GROWTH?

Transect-based codes like the SmartCode developed by Duany, Plater-Zyberk & Co. (DPZ) provide new opportunities for municipalities to promote New Urbanism and smart growth. But the difficulty of applying these codes to local conditions remains a hurdle to widespread implementation. One method for overcoming that barrier is a system called TransectMap, developed by Criterion Planners of Portland, Oregon. TransectMap is a step-by-step procedure for calibrating and delineating a Transect on local geography. The method is meant to help planners tailor T-zones (core, center, general, suburban, rural, and natural areas) to local standards and map them so that they support growth, visioning, comprehensive planning, and neighborhood design objectives. TransectMap is fairly complicated, but it does, for the first time, give planners a set of instructions. In much the same way that DPZ is distributing the SmartCode, Criterion is allowing individuals, organizations, and governments to use and reproduce TransectMap at no charge, provided they acknowledge Criterion's copyright.
New Urban News, Jun 05, p 3.

www.crit.com/documents/transect.pdf

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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. Email or call for more information: chrishammer@greenclips.com; 415.928.7941. GreenClips is edited by Susan Vogt, a Portland, Oregon freelance writer with 25 years of experience in energy-efficient and sustainable buildings.

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