The presentation was expected to be quick, and without many questions, but the group of docents turned out to be far more engaged than anticipated. The group, mostly senior citizens, asked some excellent questions and kept Mike, Austin and Nick Caristo (Construction Manager) on their toes. It was a pleasant surprise to realize just how knowledgeable the group was concerning green building principles and the environment, and how excited they were about being part of the process.

The docents asked many great questions showing that they had researched green building practices extensively and were well prepared for their future job. Of all the questions asked, perhaps the most piercing question dealt with the choice of windows for the project. The windows chosen for the project are high performance Unilux windows imported from Germany, and they asked whether it was feasible using windows that came from abroad opposed to sourcing local products. This question reflects a concern that is very relevant to the green building industry – is it better to source high performance imported products, or slightly less effective local products with a lower carbon footprint? This is clearly an issue that can be extensively explored and debated about, but Austin, Mike and Nick Caristo reassured the docents that this was a decision that was not taken lightly and discussed the various factors involved, and their motivation behind the decision. They explained that the decision hinged on aesthetic requirements, insulating performance (R-value), embedded energy (carbon footprint) and economic feasibility. The German windows fit the aesthetic requirements, out-perform the local options (they have a higher R-value) and were cheaper, even after importing them. However, they have traveled a long distance to get here and therefore lose out on the carbon footprint to the local counterpart.  The docents discovered that the decision-making processes in the green building industry are often complicated and require compromise, but were convinced that importing the windows was the right decision. After the presentation, we had an opportunity to walk though the building and to inspect the windows in question – they are truly incredible windows that are clearly a cut above. Hopefully local manufacturers are working to match these high standards.

This experience in Boothbay allowed me to realize the vital role of education, across all demographics, in the built environment. Education will ensure that green building will create a lasting effect in the built environment because it helps everyone to understand the process behind sustainable design and the intricacies related to operating a green building. For a green building to achieve its full potential it needs more than just solar panels, intricate water management systems and high performance windows, it needs informed occupants willing to do their part too. Thankfully, the Bosarge Family Education Center has both – the place and the people.

- Nicholas Stipinovich is Fore Solution’s summer Green Building Intern. He is a Master’s of Architecture student at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and spent a semester at RPI’s Center for Architecture Science and Ecology.

Come early for a tour of Bowdoin’s LEED certified projects that Fore Solutions consulted on!

Watson Ice Arena

Bowdoin Fitness Center

Learn more about the project:

The Education Center – Maine’s Greenest Public Building

Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens Project Profile

September 29th will mark the groundbreaking ceremony of the beginning of construction on the Bosarge Family Education Center at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens. This high performance facility will meet standards to become a LEED Platinum and net-zero-energy structure. Fore Solutions is the Green Building Consultant for the project.

Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens Project Profile

We’re into those hot days of summer–really hot–with temperatures predicted in the mid- to upper-90s, even in [New England]. In this column [GreenBuildingAdvisor.com provides] some simple tips for keeping (reasonably) cool in hot weather or, if you use air conditioning, operating that air conditioning equipment most efficiently.

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)

When: June 10, 5:30- 7:00 PM
Where: Slainte Wine Bar, 20 Preble Street, Portland, ME 04010, 207.828.0900

Speaker Panel
– Dana Fischer, Purist Energy
– Vamshi Gooje, Fore Solutions
– J.D. Lloyd, Investment Engineering

For more information visit the USGBC website.

Portland—with its vibrant arts and cultural scene, top-notch restaurants, easy access to pristine natural landscapes, and overall high quality of life—is well-poised to become a live-work destination for creative entrepreneurs.

Portland’s [Maine] creative economy is an incredibly diverse collection of people doing a dizzying array of things at a very high level. They can do all of these things (and often more than one) because Portland is such a compact and hospitable place. The growing, interconnected communities that populate our cafés, music halls, art galleries, restaurants, farmers markets and technology parks are filled with unique individuals developing original ideas and unusual talents. Live here for a while and you will meet a bunch of them, but at LiveWorkPortland, we want you to meet them all. To start out we have have picked a half dozen couples and individuals who we think represent some of the range and reach of Portland’s creative community.
LiveWork Portland website.

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.