In Honor of St. Patrick's Day, Think Green Building!

Do you wish your home or business could reflect your desire to tread lightly on the planet and live a healthier lifestyle? Consider Green Building. 

Green or sustainable building is the practice of creating healthier and more resource-efficient models of construction, renovation, operation, maintenance, and demolition. Studies have shown that Green Buildings are not only more environmentally friendly, but are also more economical, comfortable, and healthful. Green Buildings include elements such as recycled building materials, energy efficient products, stormwater infiltration, smart growth, water conservation, and reduced operating costs.

The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of green buildings. LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality. LEED certification provides independent, third-party verification that a building project meets the highest performance standards. The LEED plaque is recognized nationwide as proof that a building is environmentally responsible, profitable, and a healthy place to live and work. To learn more about the LEED Certification process, click here.

The new LEED for Neighborhood Development Rating System integrates the principles of smart growth, urbanism, and green building into the first national standard for neighborhood design. If you would like your project to participate in the LEED for Neighborhood Development certification pilot program, click here. The pilot program is an opportunity to participate in the development of a new LEED rating system, and to be one of the first projects to be recognized with the new certification. Pilot program applications must be received by April 6. 

Green Building Case Studies - The F. X. Browne, Inc. website now includes several case studies in green building site design and low-impact site design, including the new Canaan Valley Institute headquarters in West Virginia, the Overbrook Environmental Education Center in Philadelphia, PA, and the East Stroudsburg Area School District site in East Stroudsburg, PA.

US Green Building Council website - includes information on the benefits of green building, registration for LEED certification, and more.

Green Building Costs and Financial Benefits, by Gregory H. Kats, reviews a major recent report on the issue of green building costs benefits, “The Costs and Benefits of Green Buildings.”

EPA's Green Building Website - includes a page on funding opportunities for green buildings

Penn State Center for Sustainability Solar Decathlon Project - a team of faculty and students from the Penn State College of Engineering is implementing the design, construction and operation of a completely solar-powered residence for an international competition in Washington, D.C., in October. The competition home, MorningStar Pennsylvania, will return from D.C. to become a permanent renewable-energy research laboratory and educational facility at the Center.

EPA is co-sponsoring a nationwide "Lifecycle Building Challenge" competition that calls on the nation's architects and builders to create designs that facilitate material reuse and waste minimization. Lifecycle designs are being sought in the following categories: Building (an entire building), Component (a single building assembly or connector), and Service (a policy, tool, or practice).

For more information about green building site design, stormwater management, or Low-Impact Development, contact F. X. Browne, Inc. at info@fxbrowne.com.