Inhabitat reports on the grand opening of the China World Trade Tower III, which becomes the tallest building in Beijing at 81 stories. Housing a 270-room hotel, offices, restaurants, meeting and commercial spaces, the tower is also aiming for Gold-level certification according to the guidelines of LEED for New Construction (LEED-NC). Altogether, the building has a gross area of 5.8 million square feet.

Designed by global architectural firm Skidmore, Owings, & Merrill and the engineering company Arup, the 330m-tall tower is built to withstand the Beijing area’s occasional earthquakes, while also incorporating numerous sustainable features into its design. Energy-efficient LED lighting on the exterior structure, and a façade covered in fritted glass and metal fins that act as vertical sunshades, reduce the need for artificial lighting while lessening the building’s heating and cooling needs.

According to the article, the building was opened on the 20^th anniversary of the China World Trade Center, which opened August 30, 1990. The tower has been designed to serve as the Central Business District’s signature feature, and includes a four-story above-grade expansion connecting it to the underground China World Mall, a 1,600-seat grand ballroom and retail podium with rooftop garden, and landscaped water garden. Open courtyards surrounding the tower’s base welcome visitors to the tower while providing respite from the densely populated urban environment that surrounds the site.

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Chris Timmerman
Contributing Writer
Green Education Services
www.greenedu.com

To mark the 5^th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, in conjunction with the Salvation Army’s EnviRenew program, the 2010 US Green Building Council Natural Talent Design Competition is offering the chance for students and emerging professionals to design a small, sustainable, and affordable home for citizens of the Broadmoor neighborhood of New Orleans. According to an article on the competition, all entries are currently on display through the Open Architecture Network, and represent contributions from 31 host USGBC Emerging Professional Committees, which coordinated the local marketing of the competition and the first round of judging.

Each of the homes will be occupied by an elderly couple, and are to be designed to a Platinum level according to the strictures of LEED for Homes. Each home will be 880 square feet, be set 7 feet above grade for flood considerations, and will utilize Universal Design standards, all for less than $100,000.

The top four designs, representing the contributions of two students and two teams of emerging professionals, will be announced shortly. Each of the winning teams will have their designs built for local residents in need. The homes will then enter into a measurement and verification period, to determine the grand prize winner, a year after occupancy. During this measurement and verification period each home will be evaluated on energy efficiency, water use reduction, and indoor air quality.

In the article, USGBC staff member George Hayward, coordinator for the Natural Talent Design Competition national judging and implementation, spoke about the benefits of partnering with EnviRenew for the first time: "Through this competition, USGBC has encouraged students and emerging professionals to utilize and expand their knowledge of the LEED for Homes rating system while also working toward improving the lives of New Orleanians. EnviRenew's incredible efforts to rebuild the City of New Orleans will no doubt be bolstered by the submission of these designs."

For more information on the Natural Talent Design Competition in your area, contact your local USGBC Chapter and the Emerging Professional committee in particular.

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Chris Timmerman
Contributing Writer
Green Education Services
www.greenedu.com

Collaborative business software company SAP recently announced the certification of a new building on its office campus in the town of Newtown Square, Pennsylvania. At 200,000 square feet, the campus, which achieved Platinum certification, is the largest Platinum-certified project in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, according to a press release about the facillity.

Next door to another LEED-certified building on the Newtown Square campus, the new four-story building received the most points possible in the water efficiency and design process categories. Standout water efficiency measures undertaken in the new building include a 50,000-gallon cistern that supplies water for landscape irrigation and the flushing of toilets, as well as low-flow fixtures in the restrooms, all part of a state-of-the-art water management system.

"When we laid the foundation for the new SAP building in Pennsylvania, our goal was to create an inspirational work place for our Philadelphia-area employees and show our commitment to sustainable development and growth in North America," said Bill McDermott, co-CEO of SAP AG, in the release. "We are also a company that lives and breathes innovation for our customers - in how they run their businesses, achieve their sustainability goals, power their business networks and empower their employees. The SAP office building in Newtown Square is among the pioneers in green building design worldwide. This is one of the ways that we role model the strategies that we believe in.”

The Platinum-certified building in Newtown Square exemplifies SAP’s global efforts to lower the company’s total carbon emissions to 2000 levels by the year 2020, the release explains. To achieve this goal, energy consumption across the company must be reduced by 50% below 2007 levels. The Newtown Square facility features a sensor system that is connected to exterior shading devices, which in turn adjust the amount of natural light entering the building and help control the building’s interior temperature. A hybrid air conditioning system produces ice to cool the building during the overnight hours when energy demands and electric rates are the lowest. Floor-to-ceiling glass exteriors and a green roof, planted with native and regional vegetation, integrate the office with the surrounding natural environment, and improve the work environment for the building’s occupants.

Learn more about the building and SAP’s efforts to green its facilities, here.

Sony Pictures Entertainment announced recently that its studio lot and office construction project, in Culver City, California, has received a Gold rating in keeping with the guidelines of LEED for New Construction (LEED-NC), according to a recent article.

The project involved the construction of two new 100,000 square foot office buildings, and a parking structure located in the heart of the studio’s historic lot in Culver City. Designed by Gensler with developer Georgetown Company and general contractor CW Driver, the buildings were recognized for environmental features including the use of local and recycled building materials as well as diversion of 93 percent of construction waste from landfills; the integration of an onsite filtration system for storm water runoff and low-flow toilets and urinals; use of low-emitting carpeting, paint, sealants, adhesives , and wall-coverings; installation of motion detector lights and energy-efficient light bulbs; implementation of “Green Housekeeping” building maintenance standards; and availability of preferred parking spots for low-emitting and fuel-efficient vehicles, as well as car pools and van pools.

"We are proud to receive this designation for our newest buildings on the lot," said Michael Lynton, Chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures, in a release about the project.  "It's our belief that we have a responsibility to help create a greener world for our community and future generations, and this project is an important part of our overall sustainability efforts."

The buildings’ construction coincides with other measures Sony is taking onsite to reduce the company’s environmental footprint. These include a commitment to “zero waste” on the studio’s main lot. For more information on the media giant’s green efforts, check out their website.

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Chris Timmerman
Contributing Writer
Green Education Services
www.greenedu.com

The new Mueller neighborhood of Austin, Texas recently received a Silver certification from the USGBC according to the guidelines of LEED for Neighborhood Development (LEED-ND), according to a recent article.

The new neighborhood is one of the first developments in the country to earn the designation, which promotes sustainability for whole neighborhoods and larger mixed-use projects. Mueller is at least twice the size of most other pilot projects to be certified under the new designation, according to the article.

Mueller, a master-planned community located on 700 acres of land formerly occupied by Austin’s old airport, is a joint public-private project created by the city of Austin and developer Catellus, and shaped by community input over the course of nearly two decades.

"Mueller's strength as a green community begins with its central location, which helps increase urban density, slow Central Texas sprawl, and, ultimately, reduce commute times and auto emissions," said Gail Vittori, a nationally recognized expert and co-director of the Austin-based Center for Maximum Potential Building Systems, a non-profit education, research, and demonstration organization specializing in life-cycle planning and design."Yet Mueller has also achieved many sustainable milestones along the way in terms of its land use, building design, construction efforts, and property owner commitments. All of these endeavors have resulted in a comprehensive approach to sustainability."

When complete, Mueller will include nearly 4,600 homes, a town center district, four million square feet of commercial space, 650,000 square feet of retail space, and 140 acres of parks and open space. Plans for rail transit in the neighborhood remain a possibility as well, the article notes.

Learn more about Mueller, on the development’s website.

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Chris Timmerman
Contributing Writer
Green Education Services
www.greenedu.com

The new Social Sciences and Mathematics Building at the University of Victoria (Canada) recently received a Gold-level certification from the Canada Green Building Council (CAGBC), according to a University press release.

The building, which provides 9,090 square meters (roughly 97,000 square feet) of classroom and office space for students and faculty in the departments of geography, political science, mathematics, and statistics, becomes the third building on the British Columbia university campus to be certified.

The facility includes four tiered classrooms for general campus use; four lecture theaters; faculty, graduate, and staff offices; research labs, meeting rooms, and classrooms, and a variety of student service and student organization spaces.

The building’s design combines passive energy-saving measures with high-tech green attributes, ranging from occupancy sensors in classrooms to low-flow toilets and sensor faucets in the building’s restrooms. The design provides a high-efficiency building envelope, external overhangs on south-facing windows, trickle vents and operable windows.

Other sustainability-enhancing features include extensive natural ventilation; energy-efficient lighting; green power investments to offset building energy consumption; use of treated wastewater for toilets and urinals; on-site bike parking; proximity to transit; the incorporation of locally sourced building materials including on-site clay, and pine-beetle-damaged wood; the integration of native plant landscaping; topsoil salvage for use in other campus projects; permeable paving on walkways and driveways abutting the building; central recycling stations; and the use of biodegradable, phosphate-free cleaners and microfiber cleaning systems, part of the Campus Green Cleaning system.

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Chris Timmerman
Contributing Writer
Green Education Services
www.greenedu.com

A new 75,000 square foot fitness center at Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida opens tomorrow. Built to LEED specifications, it is expected to earn a Platinum rating under the auspices of LEED for New Construction, according to the article. If the Platinum certification is granted, it will become the first Defense Department building to earn such a high certification.

The new building, which cost $18 million to construct, includes an energy-efficient roof, a  photovoltaic solar array that will help produce nine percent of the facility’s energy needs, regionally-sourced products, and water saving features that will reduce the facility’s use by 40 percent, compared with a conventionally constructed building.

“The design of the structure was recognized by the Air Force Center for Engineering and the Environment with a Merit Award for Concept Design,” said Brian Allen, 325th Civil Engineer Squadron mechanical engineer and project manager, in an article about the facility. “The facility will account for $45,000 in annual energy cost savings, compared to a similar sized building without the same energy saving features.”

The “Fit to Fight” fitness center features two basketball courts, racquetball courts, male and female locker rooms, a massage therapy room, a parent-child area, and a Health and Wellness Center, which will provide personal counseling on healthy eating habits, quitting tobacco use, and healthy lifestyle advice supporting the Air Force’s focus on Airmen being “fit to fight.” The facility will be staffed by 15 personnel and is expected to serve more than 900 people per day, according to the article.

The building is also built to withstand Category 3 hurricane winds—an important design consideration in Florida’s Panhandle, where the base is located.

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Chris Timmerman
Contributing Writer
Green Education Services
www.greenedu.com

The Hormel Foods Corporation recently announced the certification of its Progressive Processing LLC production facility, according to a recent article. The facility, located in Dubuque, Iowa, joins an elite group of manufacturing plants across the country that have earned the certification.

“We are very proud of the fact that Progressive Processing is LEED Gold certified, which sets a new standard for the food industry,” said Jeffrey M. Ettinger, chairman of the board, president and chief executive officer at Hormel Foods. “When we decided to open Progressive Processing, we saw an opportunity to build a state-of-the-art sustainable facility that aligns with our strong commitment to corporate responsibility.”

The facility will use at least 25 percent less energy and water than a conventionally designed and built plant, according to the article. The facility was also built using materials that had more than 36 percent recycled content. Other green features of the facility include a sustainable site, with non-irrigated landscaping, planted with native, low-maintenance vegetation; lighting controls that monitor the amount of light needed based on daylight, occupancy, and time schedule; skylights in nonrefrigerated areas of the plant, which work together with multilevel lighting to provide light to the building’s interior; and heat and water recovery mechanisms, that recover heat and water from the boiler, which is then reused for flushing the building’s toilets.

Progressive Processing’s LEED certification demonstrates tremendous green building leadership,” said Rick Fedrizzi, president, chief executive officer and founding chair at U.S. Green Building Council, in the article.“Buildings are a prime example of how human systems integrate with natural systems. The Progressive Processing project efficiently uses our natural resources and makes an immediate, positive impact on our planet, which will tremendously benefit future generations to come.”

The 348,000 square foot facility opened in late January, 2010, and its cost will total $89 million when complete. It currently produces microwave meals and prepared chicken for Hormel.

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Chris Timmerman
Contributing Writer
Green Education Services
www.greenedu.com