cently, the Leadership in Energy& Environmental Design (LEED) certification program announced an effort to create a residential program to complement its well-regarded program for commercial buildings. Last month, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and the NAHB Research Center announced plans to create yet another green builder effort called Model Green Home Building Guidelines. While most regional programs helped establish niches for green building, this new effort aims to bring green building to the mainstream market across the nation.
A new set of green building guidelines intends to set a nationally-recognized baseline for determining minimum thresholds for resource-efficient, cost-effective home building that are practical for the entire industry. The new guidelines will be developed by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and the NAHB Research Center to address the mainstream housing market.
"The Model Green Home Building Guidelines will take ‘green’ to the mainstream," said Ray Tonjes, NAHB Green Building Subcommittee chair and home builder. "We will ensure that all home builders, not just a few niche builders, better understand green building techniques and technologies. The home building community around the country can use them for their own specific, regionally distinct green home building efforts."
By Fall 2004, a "stakeholder group" will develop guidelines that address land development, site planning, resource efficiency, water conservation, indoor air quality, energy efficiency, operations maintenance and home owner education. NAHB and the NAHB Research Center will provide the technical expertise in the guideline development process as well as a forum for builders to exchange green building ideas, initiatives and opportunities for potential collaboration.
PATH Unveils "Top 10" Building Technologies
The Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing (PATH) has created a "Top 10" list of building technologies based on their strengths in one or more of the following areas: quality and durability; energy efficiency; environmental performance; safety and disaster mitigation; and affordability. In addition, the "Top 10" are all proven, practical, easy-to-use, and quickly gaining acceptance with builders. The 10 technologies on this list are:
Frost Protected Shallow Foundations
Home Run Plumbing Systems
Engineered Panelized Systems
Tankless Water Heaters
Shared (Community) Waste Water treatment
Air Admittance Vents
Low Impact Development
Integrated Steel/Wood Combination Framing
Pre-cast Concrete Panels (Walls & Foundation)
Visit the PATH Web site for additional information the Top 10 Technologies.
Bonded Logic Plans New LEED-Certified Factory
Bonded Logic, Inc., manufacturer of UltraTouch Natural Cotton Fiber Insulation, plans to make its new manufacturing plant meet Leadership in Energy& Environmental Design (LEED) standards. The 108,000 sq. ft. facility to be built this year in Chandler, AZ, is being constructed to meet the growing demand for Bonded Logic’s natural fiber insulation products.
Green building consultant, Charlie Popeck of Green Ideas, a LEED accredited professional and host of the PBS green building television series “Build It Green,” will oversee the LEED aspect of the building process in conjunction with Bonded Logic.
“We are very excited to become one of the few LEED Certified manufacturing facilities that also makes a product that may contribute to credits within the LEED ratings system,” said Scott Tonkinson, Marketing/Advertising Manager of Bonded Logic. “The standards that we set for ourselves here at Bonded Logic coincide well with the LEED Ratings Program so it seemed logical to take the next step and achieve a LEED Certified rating for our new facility. We are members of the USGBC as well as founding sponsors of our local Arizona USGBC chapter. We look forward to experiencing the LEED Ratings Program from both perspectives, as a supplier of insulation that may assist in earning LEED credits and now as a building owner trying to achieve LEED certification.”
Bond