Cote Committee

AIA Connecticut Committee On The Environment Co-Chairs

George Fellner , AIA

Gwen Emery

This committee promotes the chapter's involvement in sustainable and energy-related issues and educates its architect members in environmental matters.

Connecticut Green Building Council First Annual Awards Feature article on biophilia Reconstruction Plan For New Orleans Sustainable design resources

The Connecticut Green Building Council announces their First Annual Awards! Get ready for your walk down the “green carpet.” Don’t be modest. Share your green building success with us. If your new or renovated building has been operating for at least one year, you can apply. Complete details on the award applications at www.CTGBC.org/awards.htm Submit a quick and easy online application at http://www.ctgbc.org/awards_submit.htm. All award applications must be filed online by May 16th, 2008. There is no fee to apply. The four basic categories are: • Most Intriguing Residence • Most Intriguing Commercial Structure • Most Intriguing Public Building • Most Appealing Submission Of course, intriguing and appealing includes environmental attributes such as energy efficiency, wise resource use, and thoughtful site design among others. The prizes will be a plaque for the Winners and certificates for Citations. The awards will be presented at a CTGBC luncheon on June 4th. The location will be the Sculpture Building (LEED Platinum) at Yale University in New Haven.

*July 2006 issue of Environmental Building News, which includes the feature article on biophilia*: http://www.buildinggreen.com/auth/article.cfm?fileName=150701a.xml

Buildinggreen Poses Bold Reconstruction Plan For New Orleans In an in-depth editorial in the October, 2005 issue of Environmental Building News (EBN), BuildingGreen president and EBN executive editor Alex Wilson lays out a bold plan for how to approach the reconstruction of New Orleans in a way that protects the environment while respecting the city's culture and the well-being of its residents. Only twice before in our history-with the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 and with the San Francisco earthquake of 1906-has this nation faced such wholesale reconstruction of a city. The rebuilding of New Orleans offers an opportunity to address sustainability on a scale that has not been tried before. A press release describing this bold plan can be found here: http://www.buildinggreen.com/press/index.cfm The full article from the October issue can be found here: http://www.buildinggreen.com/auth/article.cfm?fileName=141002a.xml

Essential Resources

The following resources are suggested by the AIA Connecticut Committee on the Environment to help you with sustainable design.

BOOKS:

The GreenStudio Handbook, Environmental Strategies for Schematic Design by Alison G. Kwok, AIA + Walter T. Gronodzik, PE

Your Green Home, A Guide to Planning a Healthy, Environmentally Friendly New Home by Alex Wilson (Forward by John Abrams)

Green for Life by Victoria Boutenko (Forward by A. William Menzin, M.D.)

Econological Design by Sim Van der Ryn and Stuart Cowan

Good News for a Change, How Everyday People are Helping the Planet by David Suzuki and Holly Dressel

The Sacred Balance, Rediscovering Our Place in Nature by David Suzuki with Amanda McConell

WEBSITES:

Sustainable Design:

Environmental Building News
www.buildinggreen.com

Geothermal Systems:

Geothermal Heat Pump Consortium
www.geoexchange.org

International Ground Source Heat Pump Association
www.igshpa.okstate.edu

AIA Connecticut, A Chapter of The American Institute of Architects