The LEED Gold high-rise condominium towers are open. These two leaning towers with rooftop pool decks feature energy-saving sunshade devices and maximize the use of fresh air and light throughout the building. Read the article in the Las Vegas Sun.

On another note, MGM Resorts has won the Green Key designation for the efficiency and sustainability of its operations at 12 resorts including ARIA and Vdara at CityCenter. Green Key is an international eco label for tourism facilities. (Environmental Leader)

Portland, MAINE. Crescent Heights, a building that provides housing for medical students, was constructed by Portland-based Developers Collaborative and is targeted to achieve a LEED Platinum certification under the LEED for Homes Midrise Pilot Program. It uses 37% less energy and 30% less water than a typical housing building.

“The location itself is a wonderful green feature of the building,” said Jay Waterman, a LEED consultant and senior project manager at Fore Solutions. Residents can walk the nearby hospital and area businesses. “You can have the most ‘green’ building in the world, but if you have to drive 45 miles to get there, you are putting a lot of pollution into the environment.”

(MaineBusiness.com)

Last week a report was issued by Environment and Human Health, Inc. (EEHI) concluding that there is room for improvement on how LEED standards can address human heath concerns. The various LEED rating systems are constantly evolving and many LEED credits have successfully addressed some toxicity issues to date including low emitting paints and adhesives, and formaldehyde-free composite wood and low emitting furniture.  Serious action to improve indoor air quality is certainly a concern. The LEED rating system is a catalyst for action and is constantly evolving. Many more improvements in indoor air quality are being considered for inclusion into the LEED rating system.

To download the original report and read a few perspectives on the issues, see below:

Download the original report: LEED Certification: Where Energy Efficiency Collides with Human Health

A few perspectives:

The Daily Climate

BuildingGreen

Healthy Building News

USGBC and China GBC sign MOU. (March 2010)

On March 29-31, Gunnar Hubbard, Principal of Fore Solutions, participated in Sixth International Building Energy Efficiency and Green Building Symposium in Beijing, China. This conference was the sixth annual conference sponsored by China’s Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development (MoHURD).

This year marked a significant milestone between the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) and the China Green Building Council (CGBC). The organizations signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) agreeing to work together to advance green building opportunities and reduce carbon emissions, including joint research and educational programs around green building. Gunnar was present for the signing of the MOU. Additionally, Gunnar was privileged to be included in discussions between the CGBC and the USGBC related to China’s Three-Star green building rating system and the LEED rating system.

This was Gunnar’s 8th trip to China in the last 4 years to teach green building classes and to pursue project related opportunities. Gunnar also had meetings in Hong Kong and Shanghai.

Learn more about the USGBC and China.

The Wesleyan Albritton Center for the Study of Public Life in Middletown, Connecticut earned LEED Gold. This project includes the historic renovation of an existing building on the Wesleyan University campus. Fore Solutions was the LEED Consultant and energy analyst. The project anticipates significant energy and cost savings using active chilled beams and taking advantage of a new combined heat and power plant at the University.

Press Release

Project Information

Gunnar Hubbard, Fore Solutions’ CEO and Founder, was featured in Maine Ahead Magazine:

Fore Solutions assists people with the construction of green projects, and much of its business surrounds meeting LEED standards. Ideally, Hubbard says, Fore Solutions gets involved early on, refining the goals for a project. Other times, the company is hired by the architect or design firm, or the contractor later in the process. The goal, Hubbard says, is to “help clients build buildings that make sense environmentally, make for a better work environment, and make sense financially.”

More and more, companies want to do just that, and are willing to spend extra time and money during the design process—with Hubbard’s assurance that they’ll get a return on that investment in energy savings, maintenance, and even worker productivity.

Read the entire article.

The Peter Buck Center for Health and Fitness at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine has earned LEED Silver certification. The Buck Center becomes the fourth Bowdoin College campus building to be granted LEED certification. The Sidney J. Watson Arena was granted LEED status in July 2009; two residence halls, Osher and West, earned LEED Silver certification in 2006.

The arts center received silver certification for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, said Waynflete spokeswoman Kathy Dion. The LEED-certified building includes carbon dioxide sensors, recycled and regionally produced building materials and priority parking for fuel-efficient or carpool vehicles. (Portland Press Herald, December 22, 2009)

Hotels including the Marriott, MGM Mirage CityCenter and ARIA Resort & Casino continue to ramp up their eco-friendly projects. Some are adding unique programs to their “green” measures such as converting cooking oil to biodiesel while others are adding clean-fueled transportation and generating their own electricity. States are also adding green lodging certification programs.

On the west coast, the MGM Mirage CityCenter project has recycled more than 130,000 tons of recyclable materials generated since its inception, with 95 percent of the material diverted from landfills, according to Evergreen Recycling, reports Recycling Today. This translates into a carbon offset of 17.7 million gallons of gasoline and 385,000 barrels of crude oil, according to the article. (The Environmental Leader, Dec 22, 2009)

CityCenter’s Mandarin Oriental making Vegas debut

One of the world’s most prestigious hotel brands makes its Las Vegas debut today when the 47-story Mandarin Oriental opens at the $8.5 billion CityCenter.

It’s the third building of this week’s phased opening at MGM Mirage’s Strip resort campus and sets the stage for the Dec. 16 launch of Aria, the 4,000-room hotel-casino centerpiece of CityCenter. (Dec 4, 2009, Las Vegas Sun)

CityCenter’s unveils Crystals retail district

Adding a slew of high-end retailers to the Las Vegas Strip, CityCenter’s Crystals retail and entertainment district opened on Thursday, marking the unveiling of the massive project’s second building.

Crystals opened at noon for a charity shopping event and at 5 p.m. to the public. The 500,000-square-foot retail and dining district has direct access from Las Vegas Boulevard and houses some of the most high-end brands in fashion. (Dec 3, 2009, Las Vegas Sun)