Idaho USGBC Chapter Makes Gift of Green

Copies of the documentary Green is the Color of Money were sent out to more than 70 USGBC regional chapters, encouraging them to push the envelope on sustainable design and construction.

A documentary titled Green is the Color of Money illustrates the steps that were taken in designing and building the Banner Bank Building in Boise, the only Platinum LEED Certified building in the Intermountain region (photo by Deborah Hardee; courtesy HDR)

Based on the overwhelming success of the LEED Platinum certified Banner Bank Building in Boise, the Idaho chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has issued a nationwide challenge to over 70 regional USGBC chapters to strive for the design and construction of the highest performance, most sustainable projects possible.

Copies of the film Green is the Color of Money – a documentary by Boise-based, Academy Award-winning filmmaker Ben Shedd – were sent to all regional USGBC chapters nationwide. The film traces the development of the Banner Bank Building and the process leading to its LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum certification, the USGBC’s highest level.

The 11-story, 195,000-sq. ft. office building was completed in 2006 by Boise developer Gary Christensen. When the building was certified in July 2006, it was only the 16th building in the world to achieve a LEED Platinum rating. Christensen didn’t set out to build a green building, but early in the process he and an all-local team of design professionals determined that they could produce a high-performance building that uses far less energy, material resources and water than a conventional building, at no increase in total cost. The film uses an entertaining and informative style to document the team’s LEED-point pursuit and the many innovations that followed.

Both the Banner Bank Building and the documentary have received national recognition. The building recently was awarded Environmental Design + Construction magazine's 2007 Excellence in Design Award/Excellence in Commercial Design and was the magazine’s cover story. Green is the Color of Money also received a 2007 Best in Show/Contemporary Issues from the Accolade Awards. The Accolade ‘Best in Show’ award notes that "the production illustrates the power of a documentary to foster technological change."

“This is an excellent case study of a high performance building from the developer’s point of view, and we wanted to share it with the rest of the country,” said USGBC Idaho Chapter president Steve Benner. “The Banner Bank building is one of the first for-profit, multi-tenant, spec office buildings to earn LEED Platinum Certification, and we are quite proud of it here.”

Idaho Chapter founder and board member Bruce Poe, who initiated the DVD gift program, said, “This is exactly the tool USGBC chapters need to convince people in their areas about the value of green building.”

DVDs for the USGBC Idaho Chapter gift program were provided by Gary Christensen and Ben Shedd. Distribution was made possible by Capital City Development Corp., Boise’s redevelopment agency, through a Brownfields grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. DVD copies of Green is the Color of Money are available for purchase through www.deepgreen.tv.

Lumber Increases; Steel and Asphalt Prices Close to Unchanged;

Concrete prices in June again remained nearly unchanged with a slight 0.1 percent gain, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Producer Price Index. Lumber prices increased for the first time in two months, growing by 0.9 percent.

Steel prices increased a slight 0.4 percent while asphalt saw the same 0.1 percent gain as concrete. Overall, steel prices increased 10.6 percent during the past year. Asphalt prices rose 7.7 percent in 2006.

Concrete prices have changed at a slower rate, with a 4.5 percent increase from June 2006 price levels. Lumber prices to date have declined with a 7.9 percent negative change from 2006.

USGBC Hits 10,000 Member Mark

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) in July welcomed its 10,000th member company – an achievement that marks a turning point in the building design and construction market.

“This achievement is a significant milestone in the growth and development of the green building movement because it demonstrates a broad conviction that our built environment can improve the health of our planet, our economy, and our communities,” said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair of the organization.

“At all levels, our members – their vision for a sustainable built environment, their knowledge of building science and practice, and their commitment to results – are why the green building movement has grown exponentially in the last decade and a half,” said Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO & Founding Chair.  “Thousands of volunteers have contributed tens of thousands of hours to the development of the LEED green building rating system; chapter leaders all over the country are making transformation happen at the local level; and all of our members are raising the bar for their colleagues throughout the industry.”

Today, the green building industry is worth upwards of $12 billion, whereas a decade ago it was negligible. USGBC was founded in 1993 with a vision of transforming the way buildings and communities are designed, built and operated, enabling an environmentally and socially responsible, healthy, and prosperous environment.  That vision is shared by Council members – who are the driving force behind the Council, and of the green building movement including builders, designers, legislators, policy-makers, educators, manufacturers, developers, activists and scientists.