Minutes from the Joint meeting of the Maryland Green Building Network (MdGBN) and the Baltimore AIA COTE March 7, 2000 - Meeting Minutes
Location: Offices of AIA BaltimoreAttendees
1. Chuck Kines, MD DNR (410.260.8722)
2. Peter Yost, NAHBRC/EBN (301.430.6242)
3. Sherif Wahdan, Design Collective (410.685.6695)
4. Julie Gabrielli, AIA COTE (410.542.0747)
5. C. Hovancik, CS&D (410.539.2080)
6. Janet Harrison, JHarrison Architects (410.266.0987)
7. Kevin Tracy, Greenan, Walker & Billman (301.982.1003)
8. Ron Horston, Nat'l Conf. of States on Building Codes & Standards (703.437.0100)
9. Paul Zeigler, Nat'l Conf. of States on Building Codes & Standards (703.481.2006)
10. Charlie Schlauch, GHK Associates (410.649.1000)
11. Darragh Brady, Ziger Snead (410.576.9131)
12. Michael Furbish, Homeowner/LCM Associates (410.360.3996)
13. Jane Willeboordse, Hard Caplan Macht (410.837.7311)
14. Richard Croke, Marshall Craft Assoc. (410.532.3131)
15. Mare Cromwell, Environmental Consultant/Gunpowder Valley Cons. (410.448.3679)
16. S. Ali Abbasi, Prince George's County DER (301.883.5826)
17. Melanie Hartwig-Davis, AIA (301.386.5387)
18. Chris Whiteley, BP-Solarex (410.981-0274)
19. Tom Paxton, Floortec (301.596.7407)
20. Randy Orloff, Floortec (410.963.7446)
Baltimore AIA COTE Update
Maryland Green Building Program 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. 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, visit the Gunpowder Valley Conservancy website, http://www.gunpowdervalley.org/ or 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 partnering with Mare Cromwell/Gunpowder Valley Conservancy to invite representatives from Oregon Natural Step to lead 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 green building professionals as well as the business community. Date, location and costs have not yet been determined. For more information, contact Mare Cromwell (410.448.3679).
Main Discussion: Port Towns Sustainable Revitalization Project
- DNR Green Building Administrative Directive (GBAD). Chuck Kines announced that the Maryland Department of Natural Resources is in the process of drafting a "Green Building Administrative Directive" (GBAD) that will ensure that all facilities and buildings under the Department's responsibility are constructed, renovated, operated and maintained in manner so as to not adversely impact Maryland's environment, needlessly diminish natural resources, or threaten human health. The GBAD is designed to demonstrate to other State agencies that DNR, which manages the State's Green Building Program, is leading the State by example to ensure that its own facilities and building are sustainable. DNR hopes the GBAD will serve as the model for a statewide executive order in the future. The GBAD concept has been endorsed by the DNR's executive staff who are now reviewing a draft. Chuck distributed copies of this draft to the MdGBN and asked for comments by no later than March 22. DNR plans to issue the GBAD this sometime this spring. For more information, contact Chuck Kines (410.260.8722 phone; 410.260.8709 fax; ckines@dnr.state.md.us)
- DNR's Green Exhibit Building at State Fairgrounds. This idea was presented to the Green Building Network at the December meeting (December) in hopes of assessing potential interest and receiving feedback. This 40' x 80' green building will replace the need for DNR to rent tents each year for DNR's exhibits at the State Fair. The project was put on-hold while internal issues were addressed. DNR's Alexis Grant, who will serve manager of this project, is now prepared to move forward with the project. She informed the MdGBN that DNR has decided to construct a pole structure in time for this year's fair, which then could be retrofitted with green technologies in subsequent years in phases. Several members expressed interest in making this a showcase green building for Maryland and wanted it to at least meet the bronze level criteria under the USGBC LEED rating system. Several members also felt that if a good design was developed, funding from industry likely would follow. Alexis is seeking volunteers to serve on a workgroup to develop a plan that would allow this pole structure to be retrofitted easily in the future, as well as to identify likely product donors for the building. To volunteer on this workgroup and/or for more information, contact Alexis Grant (410.260.8016; agrant@dnr.state.md.us)
- Maryland Home and Flower Show. The Green Building Program is currently showcasing its Green Building Exhibit at the Home & Flower Show through 12th at the State Fairgrounds in Timonium. The Exhibit, which was completely redesigned by DNR's in-house construction staff for the show, showcases a variety of products and technologies that promote energy efficiency, water conservation, sustainable materials, and environmentally sensitive design. Several new features have been 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 (410-260-8721; jtawil@dnr.state.md.us)
The Port Towns are comprised of the towns of Bladensburg, Colmar Manor and Cottage City in Prince George's County. The three towns are highly urbanized communities near the intersection of MD Rt.450 and Alt. Rt. 1 that are working cooperatively with the Prince George's County Department of Environmental Resources to revitalize their declining communities and enhance their quality of life, while also incorporating sustainable "green" techniques and materials. In 1994, a Revitalization Action Committee was formed which prepared a plan to strengthen and improve the Port Towns through partnerships, economic investment, political empowerment and community involvement. The Plan calls for the construction of the historic Bladensburg waterfront park; redevelopment of a brownfields site as an Ecoindustrial Park; restoration of the Anacostia River floodplain and wetlands; streetscaping which would utilize bricks from deconstructed buildings in the area; bioretention ponds and raingardens to remove excess nutrients from stormwater; the creation of green spaces and bike/pedestrian paths; an Ecogarden which would include native plants for Bayscaping, solar traffic lights. The Port Towns also plan to recruit/attract environmentally responsible teachnologies for its Ecoindustrial Park. Likewise, Prince George's County Department of Environmental Resources (DER) is currently conducting a feasibility study for green roofs (see minutes from December 1999 MdGBN meeting) for all new buildings in the Ecoindustrial Park. For more information about the Port Towns Sustainable Revitalization Project and/or to obtain copies of the green roofs feasibility report when it becomes available later this year, contact Mr. S. Ali Abbasi with Prince George's County DER (301.883.5826; saabbasi@co.pg.md.us)Green Products Presentation: Environmental Building News
Environmental Building News (EBN) has a number of resources for professionals working on green building design, construction, and operation. A brief description and update follows for each--for more complete information, check out EBN's web site: www.ebuild.com1) Green Building Advisor - GBA is an interactive software program that helps you identify actions to reduce the environmental impacts of a building project, while ensuring healthy and productive indoor spaces. It is a revolutionary way of learning about green design and the cutting-edge techniques and technologies to accomplish it.
2) GreenSpec - GreenSpec Binder is a comprehensive and up-to-date guide that provides easy access to information on green building products and materials. This two-part tool features the 300-plus-page GreenSpec Product Directory and Guideline Specifications plus more than 135 pages of manufacturer's product literature, organized in a large, 3-ring binder.
3) Feature Article on the latest issue of EBN: "Building Materials: What makes a product green?" The article is currently available to review from the EBN web site. Thoughtful and thought-provoking piece.
Also, NAHB's 2nd Annual Green Building Conference is being held April 5 - 8 in Denver at the Adams Mark Hotel. Nadav Malin of EBN, Michelle Randall of Harward Lumber Co., and Greg Norris of Sylvatica will all be speaking in a session on materials selection. Look for Greg to introduce a prototype of a completely new software tool to give guidance on assessing the determinants of the environmental performance of common building materials. For more info on the conference, visit the NAHB website at www.nahbrc.org or contact Peter Yost (pyost@nahbrc.org; 301-430-6242).
Next meeting
April 4th, 6:30 pm at DNR offices in Annapolis. Main discussion topic: Barriers to alternative residential building practices (building a strawbale home) in Maryland. Green Product Presentation: Photovoltaic technologies and products (BP-Solarex).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.
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