April/May 2009
Executive Director's Corner
C O N T E N T S
Executive Director's Corner: Standing with Giants, by Deb Kleinman
Special: Remembering Greg Franta, by Annette Stelmack
LEED: Aardex Receives Second Platinum LEED Certification from the USGBC, by Mike Hehir
Energy Incentives: Xcel Announces New Incentives, by Erine Mathe
Sustainable Development: Grassroots Efforts Support a Sustainable Ethic, by Sarah Martinez
Government: Greening the Government: State Leads by Example, by Angie Fyfe
Case Study: Extracting Value From NAIOP's Highly Criticized Building Cost Report, by Courtney France
Go Green, Save Money: Rep. Perlmutter Legislation Promotes Going Green To Save Green, by Christopher Votoupal
Colorado Building Green is the official newsletter of the U.S. Green Building Council – Colorado Chapter, and is published bi-monthly. If you are interested in submiting a story, ideas or other information for publication, please contact the editor at sarah@usgbccolorado.org
Standing on the Shoulders of Giants
By Deb Kleinman
The green building community in Colorado lost a dear friend and passionate advocate this winter when Greg Franta, Senior Vice President at the Rocky Mountain Institute, passed away.
In a special section in the current issue of Colorado Building Green, long time USGBC CO leader Annette Stelmack worked with his family and friends to share memories of Greg’s life and work. The common thread running through all of these contributions is Greg’s passion and commitment to his work, his love of family, friends, and life, and his joie de vivre. We are grateful to each individual who graciously contributed to this piece, and hope to work with each of you in continuing to build and strengthen the green building community here in Colorado and around the world.
The Rocky Mountain Institute has established the Greg Franta Leadership Fund to honor and continue Greg’s work. USGBC Colorado’s Board of Directors is exploring ways through this Fund and through our own work to honor the partnership we had with Greg in providing green building education to hundreds of people in Colorado.
Colorado’s Modern Day Giants
It is my great fortune to be working with the green building community here in Colorado, at this particular moment in time. In reflecting on the leadership and vision of those who have come before me, I’ve been also thinking about how blessed I am to be standing among giants. It is because of each of you and the work that you do that we have moved so far and so fast, and because of your continued commitment to a better future that we have not yet stopped to rest on our laurels.
Many of these giants will be joining us in Denver on May 6-7 for USGBC Colorado’s annual statewide conference, Colorado Sustainability ’09. This year, the quantity and quality of proposals was truly impressive, and the educational sessions will provide cutting edge information and resources on green building in Colorado and across the southwest.
We are lucky to be spending the evening of May 6th with one of my favorite visionaries, Cameron Sinclair. Cameron is the Co-Founder and President of Architecture for Humanity, a remarkable global organization that is building a more sustainable future using the power of design. Through its global network of building and design professionals, AFH brings design, construction, and development services to communities in need around the world and here in the United States.
I first discovered Cameron and AFH after he won a TED Prize in 2006. His speech, in which he demonstrates unequivocally how passionate designers and architects can respond to humanitarian crises in affordable housing, education and health care, articulated in the plainest terms the linkages between our built environment and issues of social equity and fairness. AFH has worked on primary health clinics in Africa, helped a community rebuild after a devastating earthquake in Iran, and designed affordable housing for New Orleans residents affected by Hurricane Katrina.
"If I have seen farther than other men, it is because I stood upon the shoulders of giants. -Sir Isaac Newton.