Welcome to the U.S. Green Building Council
Northern California Chapter

• Ms. Johnson recently announced GSA's goal of zero environmental footprint
• GSA has spent more than $4.5 billion on modernization and retrofitting, and are spending $1 billion on new green buildings
• GSA planted its first roof in 1975
• GSA's first renewable energy purchase was in 1991
• In just one of 11 regions, GSA has replaced over 50,000 light bulbs with new, energy-efficient bulbs
• Compared with the private sector, GSA has 22 percent higher occupant satisfaction and 16 percent lower operating costs
• GSA's first LEED certified building was completed in 2002, and, by 2007, they had 22 LEED-certified buildings; they now have 47 LEED buildings and counting

About Martha Johnson, GSA Administrator

Martha N. Johnson was appointed Administrator of General Services on February 7, 2010. As Administrator, Johnson presides over the nation's premier federal acquisition and procurement agency.  Johnson brings to GSA a combination of experience and a record of leadership in both the public and private sectors. Most recently, Johnson served as co-lead for the Obama Presidential Transition Agency Review Team for GSA. She served as GSA Chief of Staff from 1996 to 2001, under then-Administrator David Barram. From 1993 to 1996, she was Assistant Deputy Secretary at the Department of Commerce. Under the Clinton Administration, Johnson also served in the Office of Presidential Personnel.

About Stephen Leeds, GSA Senior Counselor to the Administrator and the Agency Senior Sustainability Officer

*Source: Johnson, Martha. Remarks at the U.S. Green Building Council Federal Summit. Washington, DC, May 18, 2010.

Read more about the Gala, sponsorship opportunities, and purchase tickets!

If you are interested in providing local LEED project photos, content ideas, or would like to advertise in this issue, please email us.

USGBC-NCC held a local competition and a jury of green building and LEED for Homes professionals judged the designs and awarded winners in each category.

And the winners are...

Emerging Professionals:

The first place winner in the Emerging Professionals category is Green Phoenix Rising by Justin Mikecz. This design both honors the historical context of New Orleans and symbolizes the re-emergence of the city like a phoenix rising from the ashes. The front of the home--with its deep, wrap-around porch, narrow facade, large windows, and gable roof--fits in with its Broadmoor neighbors while paying homage to the architectural history and the inherently sustainable nature of shotgun houses in New Orleans. The back of the house rises up to enclose the small second floor in a modern interpretation of the historic camelback style while also facilitating stack ventilation and daylighting; and providing roof access that would offer peace of mind for Katrina survivors. Check out the design!

The second place winner in the Emerging Professionals category is Elevated Living by Joanna Zhang, J. Alan Miller, Sabina Shiu, Eric Chang, Krista Raines, and Kezhan Cao. The Elevated Living design is a derivative of the classic camelback shotgun style composing the neighborhood. The building massing reflects the emphasis placed on the public 'living' area as a social element to mitigate the loneliness of retirement while taking into account the pragmatics of universal design. Becoming a destination in itself, the ramp is a functionally interwoven design element offering a unique experience as the user progresses from the street to the front door passing of autochthonous plants and flowing into the central volume of the residence elevated to safety above the flood line. The house has been oriented so that the side becomes the front, turned towards the neighbors in a gesture of privacy and intimacy while promoting an sense of connection with the exterior and community. The simplicity and efficiency of the shed roof reflect an economy of construction and suggest that this house is one half of a whole; that it is part of development reminiscent of the nearby double shotguns specific to the area. This connection is further solidified through the use of reclaimed/recycled materials and a sensitive respect to the environmental impact. Check out the design!

The third place winner in the Emerging Professionals category is Integrated Response by Breck Baird, Ian Wulfson, Karolina Pormanczuk, Elaine Kabala, Todd Taniguchi, and Clancy Simon. The team explained their design concept: When we think of New Orleans, the first two words that come to mind are community and liveliness. The Integrated Response house is designed to connect the public facing front porch with the more private backyard to provide a strong relationship with the community. The design also focuses on maximizing energy, water and construction efficiency throughout the house and site. The main living area takes advantage of both cross-ventilation and the stack effect in order to cool the house naturally. Working with a limited budget, we incorporated advanced framing techniques within a modular layout, eventually reducing waste through material efficiency. In order to promote healthy living to the inhabitants, non-toxic materials and finishes are primary interior features. By providing the occupants with a New Homeowner Eco-Kit we hope to educate the residents and visitors on the efficiencies within the home and how to ensure the house functions properly in the future. 

Students:

The first place winner in the Student category is The Feng Shui House: Wind & Water by George Parra-Tozcano and Jennifer Yniguez. The team explained their design concept: The Feng Shui House is designed around the concept of good energy flow to create peace and tranquility. We focused on the idea of feng shui which translates to wind and water. Our idea is to take the two elements that destroyed the area of New Orleans and transform them into positive elements. By implementing these concepts into the design, our goal is to create a safe, inviting, and relaxing environment. We want to provide sustainable and green elements into the design to ensure a healthy and energy efficient living space. Check out the design!

The second place winner in the Student category is Fresh Endurance by Michelle Kirkpatrick, Jonathan Taylor, and Scott Lord. The main approach to The Fresh Endurance residence was to create a universally accessible home using green materials and strategies. Emphasis was placed on a comfortable living environment with definitive separation between public and private spaces. The public areas are made as open as possible to allow for easy circulation for those who may be disabled or need the open space. As for the aesthetics, the home itself has a country feel to it but with a fresh, modern twist. The name Fresh Endurance came from the idea of creating a new fresh look for the community of Broadmoor in hopes that the design will encourage the endurance of the community. Using recycled and/or sustainable materials is a key feature of this home. The same lap board siding style is used for the exterior of the building to accent the surrounding homes. As transitional pieces, the foundation wall is constructed of cinder blocks instead of the normal brick, and the shaft for the lift is constructed of recycled brick. With the common materials, a gable style roof, and an open, inviting porch to sit and chat with neighbors, The Fresh Endurance would fit nicely into the Broadmoor community.

Good luck to the finalists in the National competition!

Proposition 23 aims to push this initiative back in the interest of out-of-state oil companies, explained David Hochschild, VP of External Relations for Solaria. 90% of the funding for Proposition is from oil and coal companies, and 80% is from out of state. As California becomes more energy independent, these companies lose revenue, so they have joined forces to halt the legislation that encourages energy efficiency, renewable energy development, and greenhouse gas emissions reductions.

Passage of Proposition 23 would effectively repeal California's clean energy and air pollution reduction law, while masquerading as a suspension. The ballot language reads: "Suspend until unemployment reaches 5.5% for full year." Unemployment has only been at that arbitrarily low point 3 times in the last 30 years.

Hochschild argued that Proposition 23 will undermine the flow of new clean tech capital funding into California, resulting in decreased job growth, since green jobs are growing ten times faster than statewide average. He explained the importance of moving towards renewable and developing a green economy.

USGBC-NCC opposes Proposition 23 along with countless organizations such as California's Air Resource Board, Regional Housing Needs Assessment, the Urban Land institute, and many more. Join us in voting no on Proposition 23, and spread the word about protecting California's green economy and climate legislation.

View James Andrew's presentation AB 32 and SB 375 Real Estate, Land Use & Climate Change and David Hochschild presentation Defeating Big Oil: No on Prop. 23.

The USGBC-NCC Diablo East Bay Branch provides accessible, quality education and information to area businesses, jurisdictions, organizations, designers and stakeholders regarding green building, planning and sustainability trends that impact communities, building development and associated industries.

The branch covers all of Contra Costa County and eastern Alameda County including the communities of: Alamo, Antioch, Brentwood, Byron, Clayton, Concord, Danville, Dublin, Livermore, Martinez, Oakley, Pacheco, Pittsburg, Pleasant Hill, Pleasanton,  Oakley, Orinda, and Walnut Creek as well as related unincorporated County areas.

Sacramento Habitat for Humanity (SHFH) recently gathered for a home dedication ceremony of what is anticipated to be their sixth LEED certified Home! On Saturday, July 31st, Soua Thao and Sia Lor completed a journey that started in Northern Laos. In the late 1970's, Soua and Sia's families joined thousands of other and fled their homes to live in the refugee camps of Thailand, and resided there until the mid 1990's. Although both Soua and Sia grew up in these camps, they met and married just after graduating high school here in the United States. Their parents' service to the United States armed forces during the Vietnam conflict resulted in their being granted visas to immigrate to our country. Now the American Dream of homeownership will become a reality for Soua, Sia and their four children.

Each SHFH project is built with a "Green Theme." The focus and green theme for this home is Indoor Air Quality. Marcus Romani of Meline Engineering served as the projects mechanical engineer and indoor air quality consultant. Marcus and the entire project team met early in the design phase and collaborated throughout the entire project. The LEED for Homes checklist requires a whole building approach to Indoor Air Quality including mechanical design, building material selection, and contaminant controls. Meline Engineering specializes in designing sustainable, energy-efficient mechanical systems for commercial, government, public and residential buildings. They are a proud supporter of SHFH. "We believe in efficient, innovative design and strive to work on projects that incorporate our ideals."

Because of the generosity of donors and volunteers, Sacramento Habitat for Humanity is able to build homes at a lower cost, helping to make the dream of home ownership a reality for people who previously didn't believe they could ever have a place of their own. SHFH requires 500 hours of work, or sweat equity, from every family. Once the home is built, the homeowner makes house payments, pays property taxes, insurance premiums, utilities and maintenance costs just as any homeowner would.

Davis Energy Group was the LEED for Homes Provider for this project, and Nichoel Farris was the LEED for Homes Green Rater. For more information on the LEED for Homes program, contact Davis Energy Group at 530.753.1100. For information on Green Rater services, contact Nichoel.

USGBC-NCC and USGBC National are asking companies and organizations to help us revive Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing programs. As many of you are aware, PACE finance programs suffered a severe setback in the past few months when the Federal Housing Finance Agency, which regulates Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, issued new rules for these programs. Before the FHFA action, PACE initiatives were sprouting up in cities across America, helping them create home retrofit programs that would create jobs, save people money and cut energy use. FHFA's statements have forced cities in 22 states to suspend or dissolve their programs while also killing the launch of new programs across the country.

Recognizing the economic benefits that these PACE programs provide to our members across the country, USGBC has been working with like-minded organizations on a legislative solution. Legislation has been introduced in both the House and Senate guaranteeing the right of state and local governments to move forward with PACE by directing the federal entities responsible for mortgage lending to adopt underwriting standards that are consistent with the PACE guidelines issued by DOE. The legislation, the PACE Assessment Protection Act, would also ensure that no federal agency can discriminate against communities implementing or participating in a PACE program, offering critical protection and security to home owners, businesses and local governments.

How to Support PACE

Deadline is Friday, August 20th