Infill Philadelphia: Soak it Up!

“It’s about the water… but it’s not only about the water.”

In the aftermath of events like Hurricane Sandy, the public is more conscious of the devastating effects that stormwater can have on our communities.  But to paraphrase one of the presenters at the Infill Philadelphia:  Soak It Up! stormwater design competition last week:  stormwater is a problem; rainwater is an opportunity.

The nine finalists illustrated a number of innovative and elegant solutions that turn the problem of urban stormwater into an opportunity.  By integrating stormwater control infrastructure into the existing community fabric of three disparate settings – industrial, commercial, and neighborhood – these talented designers showed the way for others to follow as Philadelphia makes the transition from a city with a stormwater problem to a green city with clean waters.

The Philadelphia Water Department’s Green City, Clean Waters 25-year plan for a sustainable future includes streets, schools, parks, parking, and much more than just the water. 

Visit this website to read the plan:  http://www.phillywatersheds.org/what_were_doing/documents_and_data/cso_long_term_control_plan   

And watch the video channel here:  http://vimeo.com/channels/greencity

As a member of the awards jury, I was impressed by the designers' creativity in incorporating unique site elements into their designs.  For example, one team built trellis supports with the metal mesh produced by the owner of the industrial warehouse.

Congratulations to the winners:

Industrial: Warehouse Watershed | Leveraging Water + Plants in Zero Lot Sites

Roofmeadow, In Posse, m2 Architecture, Meliora Environmental Design, SED Design, Sere Ltd

Commercial: Retail Retrofit| Stormwater reStore

Urban Engineers, Mathews Nielsen Landscape Architects, Spiezle Architectural Group

Neighborhood: Greening the Grid | Meeting Green

OLIN, Gilmore & Associates, International Consultants, MM Partners, Penn Praxis, SMP Architects

Want to see the winning presentations in person?  You’re in luck:  they will be presenting again at the Academy of Natural Sciences on March 21^st.  Click here for details.

Event partners and sponsors included CH2M Hill, City of Philadelphia Mayor’s Office of Sustainability, Community Design Collaborative, EPA Region 3, McCormick & Taylor, Michael Baker Corporation, Philadelphia Water Department, and Urban Engineers.

Green events in March

Spring is coming:  shake off the bleak midwinter blues and check out these local events...

DC Environmental Film Festival, March 13-25 http://www.dcenvironmentalfilmfest.org/

National Facilities Management and Technology conference, March 13-15 http://www.nfmt.com/baltimore/ 

Eco-ball, March 16, sponsored by Baltimore Green Works http://baltimoregreenworks.com/ecoball/

Earth Hour, March 31 www.EarthHour.org 

View more coming events like these here:  http://greeneventsbaltimore.com/ 

Crafty Christmas gifts

Looking for unique gifts made by talented artisans?  Check out the local crafts scene...

Holiday Heap was today in Charles Village, sponsored by the Charm City Craft Mafia
http://www.charmcitycraftmafia.com/holidayheap2011.html

In case you missed it, some of the same vendors will be at the Creative Alliance on Sunday Dec 4th for Merry Mart http://www.creativealliance.org/events/eventItem2784.html


And there's Etsy all year round http://www.etsy.com/

Many of these craftspeople upcycle used materials like clothing, vintage maps, and found objects to fashion their art.  Some of my favorites from the Holiday Heap...

Almanac Industries www.almanacindustries.com  Bookbinding and letterpress studio

Biggs and Featherbelle www.biggsandfeather.com Health conscious body care.  Also available at Whole Foods.

Greenstarstudio, or *might www.mightmight.etsy.com Handmade wonder for all ages

Holland Cox www.hollandcox.com Handmade classic handbags and accessories

Open Eyes Press www.openeyespress.com Eco-friendly handmade goods

Pidge Pidge www.pidgepidge.etsy.com Handwoven scarves and pet portraits

The Littlest Bean www.thelittlestbean.com Mixed media usables

Wooly baby www.wooly-baby.com Handmade and eco-friendly soft slippers

Countdown to the 2011 Solar Decathlon

Are you ready for the Solar Decathlon in Washington DC next month?  The EERE sure is:  they've been profiling a different entry in their e-newsletter each week as they count down to the event.  For instance...

Students from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville use an iPad to monitor their house's energy systems.

Florida International University's perFORM[D]ance House focuses on sustainability.

University of Maryland's WaterShed entry aims to bring attention to the Chesapeake Bay, which is the largest estuary in the USA.

The next Solar Decathlon will be held Sept. 23–Oct. 2, 2011, at the National Mall’s West Potomac Park in Washington, D.C. Go check it out!

For more information, visit SolarDecathlon.gov


Join the clean energy conversation on Facebook at DOE's Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Energy Savers, and Solar Decathlon pages.

Read about the last Solar Decathlon in 2009 here.

Earth Day deals

Go green this week and reap the benefits!

http://green.yahoo.com/blog/greenpicks/295/earth-day-deals-2011.html

To celebrate Earth Day, many businesses are offering consumers free stuff, good deals, and chances to win valuable prizes. Here is just a sampling of what's available. Check the websites and Facebook pages of your favorite companies to find additional promotions.


At participating Starbucks, you can bring in a reusable mug on April 22 to get free brewed coffee or tea.

Origins is offering a trade-in program on Earth Day. Receive a free full-size face cleanser when you bring one of your empty skin-care bottles (from any brand) to an Origins retail store or department-store counter for recycling. Choose from A Perfect World Antioxidant Cleanser With White Tea or Checks and Balances Frothy Face Wash.

At the Disney Store, you can trade in five disposable plastic bags for recycling and receive a free reusable shopping bag on April 22.

Lowe's is giving away one million trees on April 23.

Kmart is offering discounts on everything from air conditioners to TVs on April 22.

Drugstore.com is giving up to 60% off on green and natural products through April 22.

All 394 U.S. national parks have free admission now through Sunday, April 24.

Travelocity has green hotels on sale for up to 40% off. You can also enter to win two round-trip Virgin America tickets and a couple of nights at an eco-friendly hotel.

The Yoga Journal offers a free digital download of the May issue.

The Sierra Club's Earth Day contest gives a chance to win a trip for two to Vieques Island in the Caribbean -- you just add a green pledge to the map.

On Target's website, you can enter the Refresh Your Nest sweepstakes through the end of the month. The grand prize is a home makeover that's valued at up to $50,000. You can also win a trip to Napa Valley, a Nikon camera, products from Burt's Bees or Tom's of Maine, and more.

Search for more Earth Day discounts, freebies, and deals at your favorite stores...

Earth Hour 2011

Tis the season for Earth Hour!  Come to the dark side with us on March 26th...

Environmental film fest in DC this month

This month, Washington DC holds its 19th Annual Festival, March 15-27


60 Venues, 150 Films, 26,000+ Filmgoers

As the Environmental Film Festival launches its annual celebration of the natural world on screens across Washington, D.C., we explore one of the most controversial and timely topics of our day: the critical relationship between energy and the environment. Please join us in March as we present 150 diverse and engaging films from 40 countries.

Check the listings at their website here (most films are free!):
http://www.dcenvironmentalfilmfest.org/

Time to shine: new location for 2011 Solar Decathlon in September

Energy, Interior Departments Announce New Location for Solar Decathlon 2011
http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/news/progress_alerts.cfm/pa_id=489


February 23, 2011

The Department of Energy and the Department of the Interior today announced that the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2011 will be held at the National Mall's West Potomac Park, on the banks of the Potomac River along the path between the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials. Specifically, the event will be held on the peninsula just south of the new Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial—scheduled to open in August of this year—between the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial and the Potomac River. The Decathlon will begin in late September as originally scheduled.


The event is being moved from its previous location on the Mall between the Washington Monument and the Capitol to balance the many uses and demands on the Mall.


"We look forward to holding another world-class Solar Decathlon in a world-class location—the National Mall's West Potomac Park," said Secretary Chu. "Keeping the competition on the National Mall property allows the students to proceed with their existing home designs, specifically tailored for Washington's latitude, temperature, and humidity conditions. The West Potomac site is in close proximity to a number of attractions and will provide an ideal stage to highlight clean energy solutions for thousands of public visitors."



"Solar energy is a key component of President Obama's vision for a new energy future and the solar decathlon is part of that future," said Secretary Salazar. "The National Mall is America's front yard and we have a responsibility to do what is best for the long term health of the Mall. I am pleased that we have been able to find a strong alternate location for the Solar Decathlon and I am looking forward to a successful event."


The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon is a competition that challenges collegiate students from across the globe to design, build, and operate solar-powered houses that are affordable, highly energy-efficient, attractive, and easy to live in. During the competition, 20 homes from 16 domestic and four international collegiate teams will undergo extensive testing and expert judging in ten different contest categories. The winner of the competition is the team that best blends affordability, consumer appeal, and design excellence with optimal energy production and maximum efficiency. This will be DOE's fifth Solar Decathlon; previous events were held in 2002, 2005, 2007, and 2009.


The Solar Decathlon provides participating students with unique training to enter our nation's clean-energy workforce. It is also a popular public event, open to visitors who come to see the designs and learn about money-saving clean-energy solutions for their own homes. The public will be encouraged to meet the students and visit their highly efficient, innovative solar homes during the event. Specific public viewing hours for this year's competition will be published at a later date.


See a preliminary layout of the National Mall's West Potomac Park site here:  http://www.solardecathlon.gov/pdfs/2011_map.pdf


The Solar Decathlon supports the Obama Administration's goal of creating an economy based on clean-energy technologies while saving families and businesses money and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.


For more information, please visit SolarDecathlon.gov

Earth Day cuteness

Now posted online:  winners of an Earth Day poster contest sponsored by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency mid-Atlantic region and the Philadelphia Zoo.

The contest was for students in kindergarten through grade 12 in EPA’s mid-Atlantic region, which includes Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia.  Students submitted hand-created drawings in three categories.  Winning entries and others were displayed at the Philadelphia Zoo for EPA’s 40^th anniversary Earth Day celebration.  Many posters continue to be displayed at the EPA’s Public Information Center in Philadelphia.  

Pretty cute!

Mid-Atlantic (region 3) EPA website:  http://www.epa.gov/region03/index.htm

Earth Hour

Earth Hour is this Saturday, March 27th.  Join millions of people around the world in turning off your lights for just one hour in a call to action against global warming!

Watch this year's Earth Hour video here.

Read more at the official USA website www.earthhour.org 

Building green at Miller's Court

Tonight I toured a fine example of historic preservation and green building at Miller's Court:  this former tin box factory run by the American Can Company in south Charles Village has been reborn as a hybrid office/apartment building that houses non-profit organizations and young teachers enrolled in the Teach for America program.  Marks Thomas Architects collaborated with local developer Manekin on this socially conscious real estate project.  The LEED gold-certified building houses 40 apartments and 30,000 square feet of office space, arranged in a U-shape around a grassy courtyard within walking distance of Johns Hopkins University.

One aspect of the building I particularly like is that the design was intended to encourage social interaction between residents:  historically there is a high dropout rate from the Teach for America program (I've heard teaching in Baltimore City schools compared to trench warfare), but the community spirit fostered in this building gives the residents a sort of support network that has improved program retention.  The easy camaraderie between them makes the place feel a bit like a college dorm, if you overlook the trendy exposed-brick walls and bamboo flooring.  The courtyard, fitness room, and open lounges facilitate gatherings, as well as the copy room that the architects designed in lieu of the laundry room idea rejected by potential residents.

The engineer in me likes that the mixed-use building program is mutually beneficial to office and residential occupants:  this combination optimizes the limited city parking by allowing daytime office users to share parking spots with the apartment dwellers who only park there on evenings and weekends.  Another plus is that the air conditioned by the building's commercial-grade high-efficiency mechanical equipment often spills over into the apartments, thus reducing their heating and cooling bills.

Speaking of savings, the apartment webpage mentions $300-600 discounts for Baltimore area teachers.

This tour was sponsored by the USGBC Maryland chapter's Young Members group.  Ask me about joining their email list.

Image credit:  http://www.marks-thomas.com/portfolio.cfm?catid=6

Local green events list by HCM

Instead of trying to round up every green event in the Baltimore area myself, I'd like to share the extensive list assembled by Lisa Ferretto of Hord Coplan Macht. Thanks to Lisa for creating and sharing this resource!

The October list is posted here:
http://green.hcm2.com/wp-content/uploads/green-events.pdf

You can sign up for the monthly email newsletter at HCM's website here:
http://www.hcm2.com/resources.aspx?catid=20
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2009 Solar Decathlon report

Final results: Germany won again. California (beautiful architecture winner) and Illinois (gable house, passive house, American vernacular barn-like) rounded out the top three.

Personally, I really liked the houses by Penn State and Minnesota.

Penn State's house featured a row of glass doors along the length of the living space. A water reservoir below the living/dining/kitchen room helped maintain radiant heat despite the cold rainy day, and the living wall in the kitchen contained all the herbs a budding gardener could want for cooking. The deck (of most of the solar houses, actually) included a space for a small kitchen gardening - the ones I saw seemed to follow the square foot gardening method.

The first thing I noticed about Minnesota's entry was its height, and the steel frame - kudos to their civil engineering students for employing visible structure. I imagine the steep roof slope was designed to encourage northern snowfalls to slide off the solar panels, but it also resulted in a cozy alpine feel on the inside of the home. Sleeping nook, bathroom, and closets were nestled along one long side, with a living/dining great space that merged into the end kitchen with large windows overlooking a picnic table and potting area under the roof peak. I could totally live in that house.

Since the entries were limited to 800 square feet, students had to get creative with storage options. Murphy beds were very popular (I heard that under-floor beds were the norm last time). Germany's house had a few twin beds that slid out from a raised floor, and the attached stair steps hinged open to reveal hidden drawers. The Ohio team built its entertainment center into a pullout drawer on one living room wall that stored a futon, dining chairs, and tabletops.

The southern entries tended to feature a breezeway separating living area from kitchen - some of these layouts were set up to transform into one large enclosed space in winter. Iowa used a stacking glass door system to enclose a south-facing sunroom that could be completely opened in summertime.

I wish I'd had time to tour California, Cornell, and Virginia Tech, but the mall was crowded despite the cold rain and mud, so I was happy to keep the day short!

Read consumer information provided from the DOE at this event here http://www.solardecathlon.org/for_consumers.cfm

Link to my photos on Flickr.

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B2B Green Forum in Baltimore

Last week I attended the Baltimore B2B Green Forum organized by TerraChord. This event gathered many prominent members of the local green business community for idea exchange and networking.

Slides from presentations are available at the B2B website here.

Here's a sampling of what I learned at the forum...

Baltimore City is launching a new sustainability website in November at www.baltimoresustainability.com

Zipcar is planning to expand its Baltimore network in the near future.

Green buildings no longer cost more to build than traditional construction, yet the spaces rent and sell for higher prices than those in non-green buildings? Check the green real estate resources on Stuart Kaplow's website, or join his e-newsletter for legal briefs on local green building developments.

The National Aquarium at Baltimore has several conservation outreach programs, as well as a green roof and progressive recycling campaigns with at their Inner Harbor facilities.

Geoff Stack of STACK Coordination shared ideas about sustainable business strategies from his work with Natural Step and from Bob Willard's website

You can attend free online training for EPA's Energy Star programs at https://energystar.webex.com/mw0305l/mywebex/default.do?siteurl=energystar

Johns Hopkins University is continuing their sustainability work on campus with a carbon footprint inventory, green building projects, and sustainable transportation.

The Green Building Institute in Jessup offers courses in all aspects of green building and living.

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Go solar!

College students from around the world are in DC this month competing in the Solar Decathlon: a solar house design competition. Check out the official US Dept of Energy website, Popular Mechanics coverage, and this photostream on Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/solar_decathlon

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National Building Museum honors visionaries in sustainability

Last week I attended an Honor Award Gala at the National Building Museum in DC to recognize visionaries in the field of sustainability for their progressive leadership on environmental issues, as well as their significant accomplishments in improving sustainability within the built environment and local communities.

Honorees included:

Rick Fedrizzi and the US Green Building Council (USGBC) for 15 years of leadership in green building.

Mayor Richard M. Daley and the city of Chicago for historic commitment to green city planning and design.

Majora Carter, community organizer and environmental activist, for her achievements in green collar job training and advocacy in the South Bronx.

Louis Chenevert and United Technologies for their innovative and sustainable products that contribute to sound environmental performance in buildings around the world, and also their commitment to corporate social responsibility.

Read the NBM press release here.

Note: I attended the USGBC annual conference in 2007 in Chicago and saw some of their green building & community efforts (like city bike routes). Congratulations to all!

More spring green happenings

Just because Earth Day is over doesn't mean the local green events are! Check out some of these activities:

Baltimore Sustainable Speaker series: Michael Pollan, author of Omnivore's Dilemma, on May 16th. This event is sponsored by Baltimore Green Works.

Baltimore City votes on 1+1 recycling and trash pickup schedule: if you live in the city, tell your council representative to vote yes!


Baltimore county resident gardeners, don't forget that you can get free compost and mulch at the Days Cove Road landfill. I'm getting some this very week. Call ahead to 410-887-2000 to check supplies)

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Get your green on

With Earth Day coming up this week, there are lots of green activities going on in the Baltimore area!

Baltimore Green Week kicked off with the Eco-festival this past Saturday at Druid Hill Park. Check out their schedule for more events as the week progresses.

Today I visited Maryland Presbyterian Church to hear Joan Norman of One Straw Farm speak about their organic farming operations and Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, then drove up to the farm for a tour. Saw the infamous chard in baby plant form, and looking forward to getting my first vegetables come June!

Looking for something to do on Earth Day on Wednesday? Check http://earthday.net/search/location for an event near you.

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Earth Hour this weekend

This Saturday, millions of people around the world will be turning off their lights at 8:30pm local time in a call to action against global warming. This event was started by the World Wildlife Federation in Australia, and has been growing since 2007. WWF estimates that more than 27,000 companies and organizations in 84 countries will take part this year.

Read more at the main Earth Hour website.

To get a better sense of the magnitude of this event, watch some of these short videos...

Earth Hour 2009

Vote Earth

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Local green events in March

Spring is coming... and with it, a bunch of green events in the Baltimore area. Mark your calendars!

Environmental Film Festival in Washington DC, March 11-22.

National Facilities Management & Technology conference, which includes Greentech conference & expo, March 10-12.

The Chesapeake Sustainable Building Alliance usually holds a happy hour on the first Monday of each month: this month it was postponed to 3/9 due to snow. Will be held at Earth Alley, a groovy little green gift shop in Hampden.

Our local USGBC chapter (formerly known as the Baltimore chapter, now the Maryland chapter) is hosting the first annual Chesapeake Green Building Expo on March 25-26.

Baltimore AIA's 2009 spring lecture series promises to be another good one. Catch the first lecture on March 18: architect Stefan Behnisch of Germany will discuss sustainable building design.

Also, the Baltimore Ethical Society is hosting speakers on the topic of sustainability this year. I've been invited to speak on March 29 about how you can take action here in Baltimore to shrink your environmental footprint.

Stay tuned for more green events coming in April, like Baltimore Green Week.
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