Maryland DNR - Maryland Green Building Network Minutes

Maryland Green Building Network February 1, 1999 - Meeting Minutes
Minutes from the Joint meeting of the Maryland Green Building Network (MdGBN) and the Baltimore AIA COTE
Location: Maryland DNR, Annapolis
Attendees

Chuck Kines, MD DNR (410.260.8722)
Jack Tawil, MD DNR (410.260.8721)
Danielle Lucid, MD DNR (410.260.8726)
Sherif Wahdan, Design Collective (410.685.6695)
Wendy Bratzel, Green Advantage/Ecological Design Associates (301.854.9540)
Bion Howard, Building Environmental Science and Technology (410.867.8000)
Scott Phillips, CS&D, Baltimore (410.539.2080)
Janie Nall, OCSB (301.856.4431)
Sigi Koko, Down to Earth (703.525.3179)
Julie Gabrielli, AIA COTE (410.542.0747)
John Spears, Sustainable Design Group (301.428.1040)
Anne Pearson, Alliance for Sustainable Communities (410.956.1002)
Chris Staiti, AIA COTE/Environmental Cleaning Systems (410.309.9848, x22)
Paul Zeigler, Nat'l Conf. of States on Building Codes & Standards (703.481.2006)
Darragh Brady, AIA (410.653.6329)
Michael Furbish, Homeowner/ICM Associates (410.360.3996)
S. Ali Abbasi, Port Towns Sustainable Project, PGC (301.883.5826)
Melanie Hartwig-Davis, AIA (301.386.5387)
Polly Houck, DuPont Flooring Systems (410.379.2400)
Tom Paxton, Floortec (301.596.7407)
Baltimore AIA COTE Update
Green Building Tour/Gunpowder Watershed Festival Earthday 2000. The COTE and the Maryland Green Building Program are teaming up with the Gunpowder Watershed Coalition and the Upper Western Shore Tributary Team to organize a tour of green building/development and ecological restoration projects. The tour, which is part of the Gunpowder Watershed Festival Earthday 2000 at Oregon Ridge Park in Baltimore County on April 22nd, will feature four stops: 1) Magers Landing, where Tom Moore of Gaylord Brooks Realty Company, which designed and developed the community, will discuss some of the innovative sustainable community design techniques employed to maximize wildlife habitat values of the landscape as well as techniques to manage stormwater, including cluster development, tree conservation, roadside swales, and ecological landscaping.; 2) Boordy Vineyards to learn about a unique riparian stream buffer project as well as the adaptive re-use of an historic farm building; 3) Broadmead Retirement Center where Keith Bower from Biohabitat, Inc. will discuss a wetland mitigation project that exemplifies a successful public-private endeavor. The wetland -- which features a unique design with a 30-foot grassy walk, 60-foot pedestrian bridge and a wildflower meadow -- was created as part of mitigation agreement by the State Highway Administration when the State constructed the Warren Road extension to I-83; and 4) Oregon Ridge Nature Center where participants will learn about passive solar (maximizing solar orientation, sunlight) building design and woodstove heating systems. Enroute to Boordy Vineyards, tour members will learn about the Gunpowder River and Long Green Valley Rural Legacy Areas (RLAs), two of 22 RLAs in Maryland, and two of the three in Baltimore County. Participants also will be introduced to the county's agricultural land preservation efforts and the State's Rural Legacy Program, one of the main programs of Governor Parris N. Glendening's Smart Growth and Neighborhood Conservation Initiative. The bus tour is free, but reservations will be required. To reserve your spot on the tour, contact AIA Baltimore, 410-625-2585. For more information about the tour, contact Chuck Kines, Maryland Green Building Program, ckines@dnr.state.md.us; 410-260-8722.
Natural Step and the Construction Industry Workshop. The COTE is planning to invite representatives from Oregon Natural Step who would host an all day workshop in Fall 2000 for Maryland's building industry. The purpose of this workshop is to introduce the Natural Step to Maryland's green building community. Date, location and costs have not yet been determined. The workshop likely will include:

Natural Step general training - open to anyone interested in the basic history, science and application (case studies) of TNS. Presented by Duke Castle, one of the organizers of the Oregon Natural Step Network.
How to use TNS in the design and construction of mainstream buildings, presented by architect John Echlin. Includes guidelines for how to implement TNS principles on a construction project, case studies, and a group exercise.
lecture by David Eisenberg on the evening prior to the workshop. There will opportunities for major sponsorships and a location has not been decided. Time is sometime in October.
For more information about these activities or to become involved in COTE, contact Julie Gabrielli, 410-547-0747.
Maryland Green Building Program Update

DNR's Green Exhibit Building at State Fairgrounds. For several years, DNR has been showcasing its programs at the State Fair. Exhibitions have taken place in a 40'x80' tent at the same location each year. DNR staff have proposed replacing the tent with a permanent structure that would showcase green building materials and technologies. This idea was presented to the Green Building Network at the last meeting (December) in hopes of assessing potential interest and receiving feedback. Many members expressed interest in the project and provided us with comments on the process, management, and planning. These comments have been taken into consideration and DNR has held internal meetings to discuss this project. Several major issues were raised such as up-front capital costs, overall project management, and code requirements. The project is currently on hold until these issues can be resolved.
Maryland Home and Flower Show. The Green Building Program will showcase its Green Building Exhibit at the Home & Flower Show, March 3rd through 5th, and 10th through 12th at the State Fairgrounds in Timonium. The Exhibit will showcase a variety of products and technologies that promote energy efficiency, water conservation, sustainable materials, and environmentally sensitive design. Several new features will be added, including a 3'wX4'hX2'd strawbale demonstration wall system being designed and constructed by Sigi Koko of Down to Earth, a Northern Virginia firm specializing in natural building design. If you want to learn more about the exhibit, donate materials or products, or volunteer time to work the exhibit please contact Jack Tawil at 410-260-8721 (jtawil@dnr.state.md.us).
Main Discussion: Outreach Center for Sustainable Building (OCSB)
A presentation was made by Janie Nall, Director of the Outreach Center for Sustainable Building (OCSB). The mission of the OCSB is to provide interdisciplinary outreach resources for the educational community to increase public awareness of the benefits of building structures and communities in a manner that sustains natural resources and promotes the preservation of the environment.
The OCSB will work through an internship program focusing on the Maryland and immediate vicinity university community. The program will encompass hands-on internship opportunities for students from a variety of fields including, but not limited to, environmental science, architecture, urban planning, computer and information systems, and pre-service education majors. Positions would also be available for teachers in the K-12 system. The goal of the internship program is to increase awareness of environmentally sustainable practices in the built environment to the next generation of home owners, builders and other professionals within the industry; as well as to the next generation of teachers, who can carry an enthusiasm and awareness of green building to the K-12 classroom. The Program would be broken down into two parts, a full-time summer internship, or a part-time academic year internship. The more intensive summer program will feature a weekly speaker to expose the participants to the broader issues of community, state, regional, national and global sustainability. The speakers will be drawn from the Maryland and regional green building community, as well as some national figures and experts.
There would be partnership opportunities with the Maryland Green Building Network in a variety of ways, either through placement opportunities with current projects, networking with members to share interns, corporate sponsorship of interns, serving as a speaker, and developing ties with the various universities to assist with establishing courses of study in sustainability issues. For more information, contact Janie Nall (rain@ari.net; 301-856-4431)
Green Products Presentation: Recycled Rubber Flooring/Bamboo and Cork Flooring The products presented were ECOsurfaces, (rubber floors made with recycled tire) cork and bamboo. Bamboo, because of its quick growth cycle (5years from shoot to harvest) is considered a sustainable product. It can be stained to many colors, is harder than Red Oak, can be used below grade (where wood cannot). Concerns were raised about the glue used in the product. (FYI Samples are being sent for testing and I will update you when I receive the results) Pricing for residential use is around $9 - $11 sf.
Cork is also sustainable, made from the bark of the Cork Oak tree. The bark is removed without harming the tree and used to make corks for wine bottles. The scrap is ground up and used for flooring, wall coverings and other uses. Cork flooring is available in different patterns and colors, and can be stained as well. Its comfortable, warm, quiet and makes an elegant floor. Pricing for residential use is around $8 - $14 sf depending on style.
An ECOsurface is a category all its own. It is made from recycled tires, reprocessed EPDM rubber and a non toxic binder. Our ECOnights series is 80% recycled tire and uses no heat or water in the production process. The floors are also comfortable to stand on, wears like a tire, has high ESD properties and a static load limit greater than 2000 psi. ECOsurfaces can be used indoors or outdoors. This product is more commercially focused. Commercial budgets are from $4.50 - 7.50 sf. For more information about these products, contact Floortec's Tom Paxton at (301-596-7407; tom@floortec.net)
Next meeting
March 7th, 6:30 pm at the offices of Baltimore AIA. Main discussion topic: TBD. Green Product Presentation: TBD. Additional information forthcoming.
The Maryland Green Building Network and the Maryland Green Building Program are funded through the Maryland Coastal Zone Management Program, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, pursuant to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Award No. NA87OZO236.
Environmental Design Home
DNR Home

This page last updated March 24, 2003.