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.

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)

Crystals, the 500,000-square-foot luxury retail and entertainment district at CityCenter, opens today pretty much how MGM Mirage officials envisioned five years ago: big, bold and energy efficient. (Dec. 3, 2009, Las Vegas Review Journal)

Portland, Maine – A regional high school carpentry program hopes to grow by including energy-efficient practices in its curriculum. Kehough’s students are building what he hopes will be the school’s first LEED-certified house, using materials and techniques that meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards established by the U.S. Green Building Council.

“This project is a great opportunity because the LEED rating system is a great teachable guide to green building,” said Jay Waterman, a consultant for Fore Solutions, which has experts in green building and LEED certification.

Waterman said interest in green building is skyrocketing. Representatives from his company attended an international conference on green building in Phoenix last week that drew 28,000 people and had Al Gore as the keynote speaker.

“Builders are realizing, if they’re not using green building techniques, they’re missing a growing market out there,” Waterman said, including many public projects that require green materials and practices. (Portland Press Herald, November 17, 2009)

Learn more about LEED for Homes.

Affirming its commitment to bring a new level of environmental consciousness to the Las Vegas Strip, CityCenter has earned its fifth and sixth LEED®+ Gold ratings from the U.S. Green Building Council with the certification of Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas and Veer Towers. The accomplishment completes the certification process for all CityCenter components opening this December, and marks the highest LEED achievement by any hotel, retail district or residential development in Las Vegas. The 18-million-square-foot metropolis is one of the world’s largest sustainable communities. (Nov. 20 /PRNewswire)

Fore Solutions leads The Fore Group, a collaboration including sub consultants Simon & Associates and CTG Energetics, to act as the LEED consultant for four of the project’s six major buildings, commonly known as “Block C” totaling ~4.5 million square feet.

Learn more about CityCenter here:

Fore Solutions Project Page

City Center Press Room