Greenbuild 2009 Sets the Bar, Part III - Suzanne Berkey

The exhibit hall was larger than ever this year and I could have spent two solid days visiting all the booths. Two of my favorites dealt with small building details that may often get overlooked in the grand scheme of things. One consisted of light-reflective, prismatic interior window shades that allow diffused light to pass through without the harmful UV rays and heat transmittance. The other incorporated LED (Light Emitting Diode) technology into composite decking to provide lighted walkways and an indication of level changes, such as stairway nosing. Both of these are examples of the exhibited green technologies that go beyond mainstream awareness.

Beyond the educational sessions, exhibit hall, and keynote speaker, the best part of Greenbuild is the congregation of people in an environment that promotes innovation and forward thinking. Average people really do have the power to make positive changes for present and future generations. Possibilities are out there that we cannot even fathom at this time and the excitement about what lies ahead is uplifting and challenging at the same time.

GBA's Recipe for Holiday Giving

A Saturday in mid-November found GBA staffers and friends cooking up a sweet treat for Harvesters for the holidays! GBA’s “gingerbread house recipe” called for a total of 900 cans of food and household items, which were generously donated by staff. All ingredients were combined in BIM, mixed well, and allowed to “rise” until done. Well done!  The holiday creation will be on display in the lobby at GBA headquarters in Lenexa for several weeks before it is dismantled and donated, along with all the trimmings, to Harvesters, the Community Food Network.  Click here to watch GBA staffers cook up our holiday recipe http://www.gbateam.com/gallery.holiday.asp

Thanks to all who all who participated! 

Excellence in Concrete Award: 39th Street, Independence, Missouri

An award for Excellence in Concrete for Municipal Paving was presented recently to GBA by the Concrete Promotional Group (CPG).  The awards are presented each year to recognize outstanding work in concrete construction. The 39th Street improvements involved all new construction of about two miles of four-lane divided roadway bounded by the Little Blue River on the west and RD Mize/Woods Chapel Road on the east. The project was funded by the 39th Street Transportation Development District (TDD), which was established, along with a one-eighth cent sales tax, by Independence voters in 2002. The 39th Street extension is the second project that the TDD has funded. In 2005, two right-turn lanes were added and other lanes widened at the intersection of 39th Street and Lee’s Summit Road.

"Municipal Sewer & Water" Features Stream Characterization Approach to Infrastructure Protection

Paul Miller's focus on design repairs of pipelines within streams and rivers is the focus of an October article that appeared in print and on-line in "Municipal Sewer & Water." The subject: JCW's approach to protecting at-risk sewer infrastructure at stream crossings. The solution: GBA's watershed analysis, localized stream reach surveys, and "natural" design solutions to ensure long-term sustainability for pipeline protection.

As GBA's stream specialist, Paul headed up our efforts on the work and is interviewed in depth, along with Aaron Witt, engineering manager for JCW. Paul has completed more than 500 hours of specialized training and field experience in fluvial geomorphology analysis and natural stream restoration techniques (Rosgen Levels 1, 2, 3, and 4). He is GBA’s recognized expert in stream stability and stream bank stabilization analysis and is a locally respected fluvial geomorphologist. Under Paul's leadership, our Stream Team has completed more than 30 projects. Paul himself has evaluated more than 500 miles of streams and rivers in Kansas and Missouri! To read the complete article go to Municipal Sewer & Water.

Talking ‘Water’ with UMKC’s Dr. Deb O’Bannon on KCMO Talk Radio 710

GBA Principal Bill Carter took to the airways on Sunday, November 22, to talk “water” with Dr. Deb O’Bannon. The subject was Johnson County Wastewater’s (JCW’s) Blue River 26 project, which includes a 3,300 lf tunnel under the Overland Park Arboretum and Botanical Gardens. The radio show, “Water, Water Everywhere,” airs each Sunday at 11:30 CST on KCMO Talk Radio 710. Dr. Deb, a civil and mechanical engineering professor at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, explores water issues and how they are affecting our economy, health, roads, homes, and environment with Kansas City-area policymakers, experts, and community members.

Greenbuild 2009 Sets the Bar, Part II - Suzanne Berkey

My time in the educational sessions covered a wide array of topics specific to green building practices, the design profession, and federal involvement. Common threads carried through many of the sessions regarding Risk Management about the implementation of LEED into future projects. I felt one particular session classified risk concerns into an order that made the most sense.

Top 5 Risk Concerns
5. Material Substitutions
4. Ongoing Education
3. LEED v3 New Rating System
2. LEED NC vs. EBOM (Disconnect)
1. Guarantee of Building Certification

The recent release of Neighborhood Development was another area I have interest in learning more about. The pilot ND program has just been completed with forty-seven projects now certified and in the final stages. St. Louis Park, MN proves to be an ideal LEED ND project development located at the intersection of Excelsior Boulevard and Grand. Mixed-use buildings offer the core components for a sustainable community. What used to be a road flanked on either side by block after block of strip malls and shopping centers now has a better proportion of building density with open green space.
More information can be found http://www.USGBC.org/leed/nd

In one of the off-site educational sessions, I visited a LEED EB building on the campus of General Dynamics C4 Systems. The Director of Facilities Management, Patrick Okamura, informed us of the process they went through internally to apply for LEED EB. Not only did he find a way to renovate an existing building, he also serves on the Sustainability Task Force with the International Facility Management Association (IFMA) established in November 2008. He also created a unique relationship with Deborah Schneidermnan and the Interior Design Department at the University of Arizona. This mutually beneficial relationship works toward the goal of achieving environmentally friendly work environments. 
More information can be found http://www.ifmafoundation.org/

Shaun Kotwitz Is New CFO

GBA is very pleased to welcome Shaun to our team in the position of Chief Financial Officer (CFO). He will work alongside Rich Monroe, vice president and treasurer, who will retire in February after a long and very successful career at GBA! Shaun will play a key role in developing and implementing financial and accounting strategy and policies, and is responsible for day-to-day financial and accounting operations.

Shaun looks forward to the challenges of this new post but comes to it with all kinds of great experience in the financial and accounting fields. He's a CPA and Summa Cum Laude grad of Missouri State U where he earned a BS degree in accounting. Shaun's 15 years of experience include, most recently, a stint as controller for another consulting engineering firm and, earlier, as Senior Manager of Accounting Policies for Applebee's International.

Shaun's passions include his family - that's wife Amy and sons Cameron, eight, and Christian, five; sports, he played football, basketball, and baseball in high school and coaches his kids; and landscaping. Yes, he plants a mean annual and nurtures his special perennials. Oh, and on Shaun's bucket list are trips to the World Series and the Super Bowl!

Brazilian Wood Deck Adds ‘Wow Factor’ to Almost Completed Mission Hills Bridge

The "wow factor" is definitely a feature of this relatively small but charming bridge nearing completion in Mission Hills, Kansas. And that's just what the City and GBA designers had in mind. The bridge, which is located on Indian Lane over a tributary to Brush Creek, reflects the ambiance of the gracious homes, expansive manicured lawns, and mature trees that surround it.

And what, you ask, creates that "wow"? Jon Karst, a GBA bridge designer on the project, first points out the ipe deck. Ipe is an exotic hardwood most commonly harvested from the forests of Brazil. It is resilient and strong - a 3x3 ipe post is the structural equivalent of a 4x6 post of standard lumber - and resists weather wear, abrasion, and naturally occurring wood rot. It's also incredibly dense and hard. Because of this, it is naturally resistant to fire and mold damage. It's also beautiful, with a rich brown color that, with the proper staining, won't weather to gray over time.

GBA recommended and the City of Mission Hills selected York Bridge Concepts (YBC) http://www.ybc.com/, for the timber portion of the project. YBC is the nation's largest on-site Timber Vehicular Bridge builder and the industry leader in Timber Vehicular Bridge Construction. They not only supplied the materials for the bridge but built the timber portion as well.

John Belger Construction Company built the rest of this beautiful project, including the concrete work, stone facade, stream work, planters, approach roadways, etc.

Other pretty "wowie" features of this bridge? Glu-laminated structural timber beams and a sub-deck constructed of Southern Yellow Pine, an attractive stone facade, six ample stone planters, three located on either side of the bridge, subtle lighting embedded along the bridge rail, and a "brick" herringbone approach roadway.

Also fyi, ipe is a renewable resource that comes from managed forests. The industry is heavily regulated and there are also organizations that promote and sponsor the responsible use of ipe and other hardwoods, including the Forest Stewardship Council and the USGBC.

Architect Suzanne Berkey Reports: Greenbuild 2009 Sets the Bar

Greenbuild 2009 drew nearly 28,000 advocates for sustainability to the dessert city of Phoenix, Arizona, November 11-13. The annual conference was hosted within the recently awarded LEED Silver Convention Center located downtown, just steps away from the new light rail system. I used the light rail system the very first day I arrived to travel from Mill Street in Tempe, site of the University of Arizona, all the way downtown. Although the train car I entered contained many passengers, I managed to find a seat and found the system very user friendly. It provided me a different perspective of Phoenix and the surrounding metro area. I took the chartered bus every day to and from the Convention Center, used the recycling stations placed throughout the building, and ate the organic food prepared in mass quantity. Compared to other conferences held across the US, Greenbuild definitely sets a high bar for other's aspirations.

Overall, the conference was a success and I came back to Kansas City empowered and motivated to continue on the track of sustainability in my personal and professional life! In the Opening Keynote held at Chase Field, Al Gore quoted an old African Proverb that states, "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together." He followed saying, "We have to go a long way, fast." Which means we have to work individually and together to reach our goals and sustain our existence on this Earth.