One school a day. That’s the rate America’s schools are registering for the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC), Washington, LEED certification program for green schools, underscoring the intent of administrators and taxpayers to build and operate schools that are more energy and water efficient and thus, less expensive to operate. Green schools also have significantly improved indoor air quality, resulting in healthier kids.
   “When you consider the fact that 50 million young people spend eight hours a day in a school building, we should do everything we can to make that environment work for them, not against them. Parents, teachers, and school board officials understand better than anyone the link between child health and learning. The fact is that children in green schools have fewer sick days and better test scores,” said Michelle Moore, senior vice president, USGBC.
   “And if these reasons aren’t compelling enough to go green,” Moore continued, “the operational cost savings should be. If you do the math, energy savings alone could pay for 5,000 new textbooks per school per year.”
   Moore also noted that there are about 100,000 public and private schools in the U.S., and that fully a third of their facility costs are in heating/cooling buildings and providing water, electricity, and other energy/utility functions.
   “LEED buildings have a demonstrated track record for lowering energy use by up to 40% and reducing water use by up to 50% over conventional buildings,” Moore said.  “Between climate change, skyrocketing energy prices, and growing concerns about water, building green schools and operating and maintaining them using green best practices should be a top priority in every community across the country.”
   The LEED certification program was developed by USGBC for parents, teachers, school boards, and communities as a tool to measure and manage their school buildings. For more information on green schools, visit www.buildgreenschools.org

Centria Gets Green Nod

Centria, Moon Township, PA, has been awarded the 2008 Shades of Green Leadership Award in the business category presented by the Green Building Alliance (GBA). The GBA is a nonprofit organization that supports the use of green buildings and green building products in Western Pennsylvania. “Centria’s design philosophy incorporates aesthetics, performance, and sustainability as we develop solutions for commercial, institutional, and industrial building projects,” said Mark Sherwin, Centria president. “While the green movement is relatively young and growing rapidly, it’s something that we’ve been involved with for many years.” Centria won the Green Leadership Award for the business category and was recognized for its work on a new solar technology for the building industry. The process integrates a thin film of solar laminate with metal roofing products in a system approach that makes it easier and more cost-effective for roofing manufacturers to incorporate green technology in their designs.

Copper surfaces and devices, such as this IV stand, have been recognized by the EPA as having antimicrobial properties.

EPA Recognizes Copper’s Pathogen Killing Power

Copper, bronze, and brass may be showing up more as interior surfaces in the future. Recently the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Washington, approved the registration of antimicrobial copper alloys, with public health claims. These public health claims acknowledge that copper, brass, and bronze are capable of killing harmful, potentially deadly bacteria. Copper is the first solid surface material to receive this type of EPA registration, which is supported by extensive antimicrobial efficacy testing. The EPA registration is based on independent laboratory testing using EPA-prescribed protocols that demonstrate the ability of these metals to kill specific disease-causing bacteria, including Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). MRSA is one of the most virulent strains of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and a common cause of hospital- and community-acquired infections. Testing under EPA-approved protocols demonstrates that copper, brasses, and bronzes are effective against a number of disease-causing bacteria. For example, one study shows that on copper-alloy surfaces, more than 99.9% of MRSA “superbugs” are killed within two hours at room temperature.
   The following statements are included in the registration: “When cleaned regularly, antimicrobial copper alloy surfaces kill greater than 99.9% of (specific) bacteria within two hours, and continue to kill more than 99% of (these) bacteria even after repeated contamination,” and, “The use of a copper alloy surface is a supplement to and not a substitute for standard infection control practices; users must continue to follow all current infection control practices, including those practices related to cleaning and disinfection of environmental surfaces. The copper alloy surface material has been shown to reduce microbial contamination, but it does not necessarily prevent cross contamination.”
   The use of copper alloys for frequently touched surfaces, as a supplement to existing prescribed hand-washing and disinfection regimens, has far-reaching implications. Potential uses include door and furniture hardware, bed rails, intravenous (IV) stands, dispensers, faucets, sinks, and work stations. Discussions are ongoing with major hospital equipment manufacturers about the development of appropriate copper-based products. For additional information about antimicrobial copper, please visit www.copper.org, the website for the Copper Development Assn., New York.

Sto EmeraldCoat has received ICC-ES approval for use under all claddings except EIFS products.

EmeraldCoat, a water-resistive barrier manufactured by Sto Corp., Atlanta, has received ICC-ES approval for use under all claddings except exterior insulation and finish systems (EIFS). The new version of report ESR-1233, issued by the International Code Council (ICC), Washington, recognizes EmeraldCoat for use behind all non-EIFS claddings, based on the test data presented. According to Lisa Petsko, StoGuard product manager, “This means that no longer will felt paper or other barriers be needed in stucco walls because EmeraldCoat functions as the bond breaker so the stucco does not stick to it. A full listing of the scope of testing that was successfully completed is presented in ICC-ES AC 212, which is available at www.icc-es.org.

UPworld.com Reaches 2,000 Members
The membership of UPworld.com—the first on-line professional networking community for the architecture, construction, and real estate industries—has reached 2,000. Announcing the milestone, Jennifer Magee, UPworld cofounder and CEO, commented, “The explosive growth of the UPworld.com community has vastly exceeded our initial expectations. Since the network’s launch just nine months ago, our members have enthusiastically embraced the idea of professional on-line networking and taken advantage of the business, career, and social opportunities offered by instant access to representatives of all specialties in the real estate and building industries."
   Established in April of 2007, UPworld serves as a real time social networking tool for professionals and a platform for knowledge exchange among experts that allows for easy and fast development of deals, projects, and advisory teams at virtually any location in the U.S. or overseas. UPworld connects representatives of all professions involved in the building, design, and real estate industries which, combined, comprise the second largest industrial sector in the world. The network brings together architects, interior designers, engineers, builders and contractors, fabricators and suppliers, investors and financing providers, real estate owners, developers, and property managers. UPworld hosts frequent networking and educational events.
   “We were incredibly lucky in choosing the right time to launch this type of business-related social networking site. Just a year or two ago, the idea of on-line networking would have met fierce resistance from professionals, who associated it with teenager-occupied chat rooms.  However, the new generation entering the worlds of architecture, construction, real estate, and engineering is as familiar and at ease with on-line presence as the previous generation is with email,” said Magee.

Monthly Market Status Reports Turn Negative

Reflecting the deteriorating conditions in the housing market and overall economy, the Architecture Billings Index (ABI) tumbled almost nine points in February. As a leading economic indicator of construction activity, the ABI shows an approximate nine to twelve month lag time between architecture billings and construction spending. The American Institute of Architects (AIA), Washington, reported the February ABI rating fell to 41.8, its lowest level since October 2001, and down dramatically from the 50.7 mark in January (any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings). The inquiries for new projects score was 54.3.
   “This is a clear indication that there could be tougher times ahead for design firms and a noticeable slowdown in commercial construction projects coming online in the foreseeable future,” said AIA chief economist Kermit Baker, PhD, Hon. AIA. “Interestingly enough, we have also had some survey members reporting that their business is in great shape from a billings and demand standpoint. The one bright spot continues to be the institutional sector with continued positive conditions for construction projects such as schools, hospitals, and government buildings.”
   FMI Corp., Raleigh, NC, management consultants and investment bankers to the building and construction industry, is also projecting negative construction growth. According to the FMI first quarter report, nonresidential construction will see declines in 2008 and 2009, except some publicly funded segments. The nonresidential segments that are the most cyclical, or tied to the economy, will see declines in 2008 and 2009. These segments include office, commercial, religious, and amusement and recreation. Lodging is the only exception as there is enough overhang from starts in 2007 that are still under construction in 2008.
   Healthcare construction will remain positive partly due to facility upgrades across the country and seismic retrofits in California. Education construction will decline in some areas of the country due to reduced property taxes and therefore less state revenue. However, many school systems have passed education bonds, which will help retain positive growth numbers. Higher education will experience steady growth driven by an increase in endowments. Public safety construction will grow because of increasing inmate populations (which is rising faster than the general population growth) and an increase in fire and police stations.

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