Last Day for Build Boston 2009!

Friday November 20th is the last day to sprint to Build Boston and not miss a thing. I'll have to admit that last year Greenbuild was the talk of the town, but now that they are in Phoenix - Build Boston is the place to be if you are local. The exhibit hall is open from 9 am to 1 pm tomorrow and you shouldn't miss over 250 booths if you have been putting it off. With long waiting lists for Greenbuild, many green companies are flocking to other industry tradeshows such as Build Boston. Regardless, now that 'green' is heading in the mainstream direction, sustainability is a priority for nearly all exhibitors. Here are some Build Boston highlights for Friday, November 20th:

Inventor and innovator Dean Kamen, keynote speech. He’s creative, he’s fearless and his passion for “fixing things” is infectious. Yes, design, science and technology can unite us and inspire us to change the world we live in. How to start? Find out at Dean Kamen’s keynote address, 8:30–10:00 am.

Sustainability case studies. Find out why the challenge for us in New England is not to design new sustainable buildings, but to work with the old, historic ones we’ve already got! Hear how energy tax credits (and historic rehabilitation tax credits and new market tax credits) are helping to fund real projects. Learn how (and why) green building is done differently in Europe – using modular construction.

Economic stimulus through public art. Leading architecture, landscape architecture and public art professionals from New England and beyond gather for a one-day symposium on design excellence in public places.

How to design and build a perfect career... in a single afternoon! Launching a career is tough – roadblocks and pitfalls abound. This four-hour conference session offers fresh insights and practical advice from industry leaders tailored to young architects and others looking for their next opportunity. Writers with an interest in the economic realities designers are facing right now: this is a must-attend for you, too!

Yes, recycling has tangible benefits! Just ask the founders of Containers2Clinics. This Dover, MA company retrofits unused shipping containers and transforms them into health clinics for the developing world. Stop by this remarkable prototype at booth 1035 on the tradeshow floor.

Photo by John De Boer

Former Vice President Al Gore to Keynote Greenbuild Phoenix

The USGBC announced that the Greenbuild 2009 keynote speaker will indeed be Al Gore:

"Nobel Laureate, best-selling author, and the subject of an Oscar-winning documentary – the Honorable Al Gore will address thousands of Greenbuild attendees at Chase Field in Phoenix, Ariz. as part of the Greenbuild Opening Keynote & Celebration on Wednesday, Nov. 11. Featuring an opening plenary address by USGBC President, CEO and Founding Chair Rick Fedrizzi and a closing concert with nine-time Grammy winner Sheryl Crow, the event promises to deliver inspiration, excitement, and the unique opportunity to listen in person as Former Vice President Al Gore continues to bring climate change to the forefront of international consciousness.

Along with four terms in Congress, two terms in the Senate, and two terms as Vice President, Gore has written the bestsellers Earth in the Balance, An Inconvenient Truth and the just-released Our Choice. The first 5,000 full-conference attendee registrants will receive a complimentary copy of Gore's latest book and all other attendees will be able to purchase the book on site."

Register for Greenbuild 2009 here!

Text from USGBC newsletter

New President: Green Economy

With Barack Obama in office, as Van Jones put "the first 'green' president", the window of opportunity for renewable energy can finally be opened more than just an inch. The highlight and focus of Greenbuild 2008 in Boston was the Green Economy, now it can become reality. With the current economy crisis, energy is one of the spring points that can create jobs and jump start this country if it is executed in a wise and thought out manner.

California is already at the forefront of this solution with companies researching and producing renewable energy technology that demonstrates performance surpassing what was previously thought possible. New jobs are created and workers are trained in things such as solar panel or wind turbine installation. The task ahead is not easy, it requires determination and perseverance, but no longer can the US rely on other countries for its energy needs. The payback on the investment in renewable energy will not be seen in an instant - that would be too easy. It will take a few years, years that many small businesses do not have, yet it seems to be the only solution that can address several problems at once.

Greenbuild 2008 Highlights

Greenbuild 2008 was phenomenal. It exceeded my expectations. It gave me a new sense of direction in architecture and design. I wish it was in Boston every year! Unfortunately it is highly unlikely I will go to the one in Phoenix in 2009. This post is a little late to be labeled as 'news', but that is because I was busy writing this article after my first Greenbuild impressions, and then Thanksgiving weekend dropped from the sky on me. I was wiped after the expo, writing the article, and working another job on Saturday - being seven months pregnant I deserved some rest.

So on to the exclusive highlights, at least those that sparkled in my eyes. First, everyone has to hear the Van Jones speech, you can do so here. If you want to know what it is about and if it is worth your time, click on the article link I mentioned above, I elaborate on his ideas. There are other speeches and lectures worth listening to of course, like the one by Desmond Tutu that you will soon be able to view.

There were hundreds of products and innovations that impressed me at Greenbuild, I will mention a few. I was in awe of the Solaleya dwelling and completely fell in love with it. It deserves its own blog post. That drove me to further research Eco-friendly affordable prefab housing options - I'll go off on that tangent later. BioBased, a soy based spray-foam insulation, was quite interesting too. Finally insulation that is non-toxic. Equally impressive is Energy Peak building integrated photovoltaics that are installed with standing seam roofing to blend in and provide on or off-grid clean power. I personally really enjoyed the Yolo Colorhouse booth of environmentally responsible paint. Out of all the non-profit organizations, one that is definitely worth supporting and exploring is the Biomimicry Institute. Their mission of educating about design inspired by nature has limitless possibilities. At Greenbuild they launched their new website portal - Ask Nature, a fun tool for architects, designers, and kids to investigate the design genius that nature demonstrates.

Visit Greenbuild 2009 in Phoenix, AZ for more sustainable inspiration, training, and hands on investigation.