Winter 2008: High-Performance Schools in Connecticut A Green Building Conference for School Building Stakeholders The conference covered the following topics: Overview of 2007 Green Building legislation  Download/View Presentation The Process of Building a Green School Download/View Presentation Construction of a Green School (case study) Download/View Presentation Design of a Green School (case study) Download/View Presentation Next steps and assistance available to schools Download/View Presentation Q&A with speakers Presentation videos are available by clicking on each speaker   High Performance Schools in CT Bruce Bockstael, FAIA,Chief Architect, CT DPW The Process for building a Green School Greg Bergmiller, AIA SLAM Collaborative New Haven Public Schools Construction Program Tom Roger Gilbane Construction High Performance Buildings Bill Leahy Institute for Sustainable Energy   February 2007: CT GBC Membership Gets LEED-EB Update By Caroline Howe The February membership meeting of the Connecticut Green Building Council featured a wonderful opportunity to meet some of Connecticut’s most forward-thinking engineers and architects working on green design. The meeting’s talk discussed the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards for existing buildings. Summary Report
February 2, 2005  Pfizer Tour, New Haven A tour of the first clinical research facility in Connecticut that is expected to achieve LEED Silver was held on February 2, 2005.  The Pfizer Clinical Research Unit building has many high-performance features including a white, reflective roof; use of recycled steel, cement and ceiling tiles; use of low VOC paint; FSR-certified wood doors; high-effiency glass windows; use of daylight in work and living spaces; and the recycling of C&D on-site during the construction.
February 25, 2005 Green Roofs workshop, New Haven Seventeen people from Connecticut, Massachusetts and New York City recently made the snowy trek from home to the Jones Auditorium at the Connecticut Agricultural Station to hear about green roofs. Green Roofs for Health Cities, a Toronto-based non- profit hosted its "Green Roofs Design 101 - Introductory Course". It was co-sponsored by the Connecticut Chapter of the ASLA and the Connecticut Green Building Council. Participants included landscape architects, architects, contactors, horticulturists, a public health professional and one student. The day-long course, offering up to seven CEUs for landscape architects, focused on three types of green roofs: 1) extensive, which are lightweight in design and have low plant diversity, such as only sedums; 2) intensive rooftop gardens which are heavier weight with greater plant diversity, and 3) semi-intensive which are a combination of the first two. Participants heard about the multiple environmental benefits of green roofs like stormwater control, pollutant removal, increased open space, visual and aesthetic, noise reduction, increased habitat, and cooling and insulating qualities. No one argues the long-term benefits, but upfront costs can be almost double that of a conventional roof. Such costs are predicted to decrease over time as more green roofs are constructed and there is more competition among contractors. In Germany, this is exactly what has occurred. At first, green roofs were heavily subsidized from taxes or fees that are collected in most cities for stormwater management. However, over the last twenty years, as more and more roofs have been constructed because of subsidies and mandates, the costs have come down and are no longer subsidized. Here in the U.S. cities such as Portland, Oregon and Chicago are making significant progress in encouraging more green roof construction. Green roofs won't be the norm overnight. More incentives and wide-spread acceptance based on education and experience is needed. However, we can build upon the experience and knowledge base of our European counterparts. The course which seemed at times a bit too "introductory" left some people wanting more information on the technical aspects of designing a green roof. Green Roofs for Health Cities also offers a symposium type course which features technical information from case studies. For more information contact www.greenroofs.org. Frank Gagliardo

See Photo Essay of the NYC Sustainability tour held on May 20, 2004. NYC has set the standard for Green apartment buildings with the Solaire

The 2004 Connecticut Invention Convention was held on May 1, 2004.
Info and photos here

Low Impact Development: New Site Development Techniques to Reduce Stormwater Runoff And Protect Water Quality and Biodiversity 3/21/03 (Adobe Acrobat pdf file format)

The 2003 Connecticut Invention Convention was held on April 5, 2003. Info and photos here

Friday, March 21, 2003 Let Nature Do the Work! Low Impact Development
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