usgbc, carlson studio architecture

How The USGBC just cranked up the Green in Florida

Mon, Feb 29, 2016

The next phase of evolution for green building design

As you may know, CSA joined the USGBC in 2002 and we have been members ever since. Our staff began to become individual members of the USGBC when chapters began to be formed in Florida in 2003-2004. Currently, our entire staff are members or the USGBC Florida Chapter.

Maybe you've heard… the Florida Chapter is a new USGBC entity, and I have the skinny on why and how it formed.

(Click to visit Carlson Studio Architecture's LEED certified project gallery)

What's new

The 7 existing Chapters of the USGBC have recently merged into one, statewide USGBC chapter. The 7 existing Board of Directors have been dissolved and a single Board of Directors has been appointed, which is made up of one representative from each of the prior existing chapters, and I happen to actually be one of those founding 7 board members, representing the Florida Gulf Chapter.

This is an important step forward, because the existing former chapter boards and the many branches will continue to function, hold elections, and govern themselves as part of the larger organization, but they will be unencumbered by the organizational and administrative functions of running the organization itself.

What's notable

USGBC Florida currently has 3 paid staff. The primary mission of the organization remains education, with most of its work in the past focused on sustainable buildings. Last month, the 7 Board members appointed Four (4) additional board members, to bring the board up to 11 people, and four more will be elected by the Florida Chapter membership in 2016.

The big picture

It is a critical time in the evolution of the Florida USGBC. I see this as an opportunity to redefine the organization and make it more effective in delivering its mission. For me, I participate because I want to have a greater positive impact on sustainability in Florida, beyond my ability to design individual structures in my community, and this gives me greater reach and influence for supporting this great cause.

It also brings more diversity, and creates a board of professionals with much-needed skills. I feel one key will be to introduce the ideas of social and economic equity and overall well-being into the mix as the reasons WHY we exist.

Raising the level of consciousness of our members and stakeholders could be the tipping point.

I think the State USGBC organization, its membership, stakeholders, governments in Florida, and citizens of Florida can all benefit by having increased awareness of the issue that are critical to Florida’s future. For the implementers (the USGBC volunteers) my hope is they feel appreciated, recharged and feel that they have a purpose that really makes a meaningful difference in their communities and for a greater good.

CONCLUSION:

There are many forces acting in our state these days. Negative impacts could be green washing, exploitation by commercial interests, political retaliation, and/or increased social and economic inequalities. But there is an opportunity to make a difference and provide leadership that understands the past but wants to redesign and replace the old organization with its next generation.

I think a statewide USGBC has a lot of potential to influence/advocate for good for all in the state. What do you think?

IInterested in receiving an architectural design consultation from Carlson Studio Architecture, one of the founding members of USGBC in Florida?

green building, Green Design, carlson studio architecture

Green Building Renewal: A Historic Building is Reborn

Tue, Sep 16, 2014

Green Building Design In my previous blog, I talked about the background, details, and return on investment that Carlson Studio Architecture realized when we purchased our office building in 2007 and built out a LEED-CI Silver Certified project, which was the third LEED-CI project ever certified in Florida at that time. I was happy to share the detailed information about this green building accomplishment.

One thing I have seen over these many years in working in the sustainable design realm is that people with a “green” mindset are very open to sharing the details with others, whether it is an ROI calculation, or a green building design concept, or a specific detail. A strength of the green building world that is its willingness to share, and bring everyone up along the way. As they say, 1 rising tide lifts all boats. So, we felt strongly that we should walk the walk and design our own office to be LEED certified.

The Green Building Offices at Carlson Studio Architecture

Having now worked in this green building for over 7 years, I have a few observations. We used some simple, basic technology throughout the office that we have become so accustom to, we miss it when we go elsewhere, including:

Motion sensors in all the private offices, conference rooms, bathrooms and lobby.

The T-8 lights come on when we walk into a room, and go off a few minutes after we leave.

The bathroom motion sensors are also tied into the exhaust fans, so they stay on automatically for a few minutes as well, then turn off automatically so as to not exhaust all the air conditioned air out of the green building.

The dual flush toilets work great.

The faucets in the sinks are all on automatic sensors, so when you put your hands under the faucet, the water turns on, and when you remove your hands it shuts off immediately.

The faucet motions sensors are battery operated, and the flow of the water out of the faucet turns a small turbine wheel and recharges the batteries constantly. We have yet to change the batteries.

I have gotten so accustomed to not turning the lights on and off, and not having to turn the faucet on and off, that when I am away from the office I typically expect those things to happen automatically, but they don’t very often. All of this is simple technology has no maintenance and nothing to break.

Other simple things like programmable thermostats, automatically turn the air on in the morning about an hour before we open, and reset to a bit warmer temperature in the evening to save energy when the building is not occupied. There is also a weekend setting that is similar to the night time setting. The thermostat allows these setting to be easily manually overridden by a user who may come in at night or on the weekend.

We also added a simple timer switch that closes the fresh air intake damper at night and on weekends when the office is unoccupied. This saves additional energy because the A/C system does not have to bring in and dehumidify the hot and humid Florida outside air at night or on weekends.

More about real experiences working in a LEED office in a future green building blog.

Green Building Design by CSA

At Carlson Studio Architecture, we believe that going green doesn't have to mean sacrificing quality or comfort... and certainly not convenience. Our own offices are a perfect example of not only how EASY it is to go green, but also that ultimately those people living and working in green buildings come to discover that life can be decidedly simpler when your building 'does the work for you'.

But be forewarned: it's easy to get spoiled by such effortless simplicity, and to miss it when you're away; just as we do here at CSA.

We are happy to provide a complimentary green building consultation to determine how your green building projects may best be implemented, whether it’s for a new green building or renovation of an existing structure. Just click the button below to submit your request, and we'll respond promptly to schedule your consultation.

Sustainable Design Blog