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Professionals and Students Recognized for Lifecycle Building Innovation

Release Date: 10/29/2008
Contact Information: Dawn Harris-Young, (404) 562-8421, harris-young.dawn@epa.gov

(Atlanta, Ga. – October 29, 2008) During today’s ceremony at the WasteWise/National Partnership for Environmental Priorities Conference in Washington, D.C., U.S. EPA Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Division Directors Alan Farmer (Region 4) and Jeff Scott (Region 9) along with Building Materials Reuse Association President Brad Guy, recognized the winners of the second annual Lifecycle Building Challenge 2 (LBC2) competition.

EPA acknowledges award winners for their innovative green building ideas that will help to reduce environmental and energy impacts of buildings and assist the building industry in the reuse of more than 100 million tons of building-related construction and demolition debris sent each year to landfills in the United States. Reusing building materials also reduces the energy and greenhouse gas emissions associated with extraction, production, and transportation of new materials.

“Reducing construction and demolition debris from our country’s waste stream is an important, long-term environmental goal,” said EPA Region 4 Administrator Jimmy Palmer. “These innovators are creating reusable building components for the green buildings of tomorrow.”

In the U.S., buildings consume 60 percent of total materials flow (excluding food and fuel) and account for 33 percent of the solid waste stream. Building renovation and demolition accounts for 91 percent of the construction and demolition debris generated each year, while new construction accounts for only 9 percent.

These issues can be addressed by planning for a building or building component's eventual deconstruction or adaptation. By creating building components that can be easily recovered and reused, materials are kept at their highest value, resulting in reduced consumption of energy and resources.

EPA, along with its partners, the Building Materials Reuse Association, the American Institute of Architects, Southface Energy Institute, West Coast Green, and StopWaste.Org, invited professionals and students nationwide to submit designs and ideas that support cost-effective disassembly and anticipate future use of building materials. The remarkable response to the challenge has led the partners to launch the competition for a third year in the fall of 2008 through 2009.

The competition, open to architects, reuse experts, engineers, designers, planners, contractors, builders, educators, environmental advocates and students, includes the following categories:

· Building—an entire building from foundation to roof
· Innovation—a component, tool, policy, part of a building, a strategy, or educational tool
· Outstanding Achievement Awards—best greenhouse gas reduction design, best school design and best residential design

The winners, selected by a panel of expert judges, are listed below and include contact information:

TriPod: A Plug and Play Housing System
Brian Kish, Carnegie Mellon Solar Decathlon Team, Pittsburgh, PA
TriPod is a prototype house demonstrating the "Plug and Play" concept and is designed to provide an innovative alternative to the current housing industry. The project separates spaces by creating a mechanical "core" that acts as a motherboard that is able to accept multiple "pods" that are living, cooking, and sleeping spaces. This modular zero energy house allows homeowners to change their homes by adding or subtracting pods to suit their needs over time. http://www.judging.lifecyclebuilding.org/entries/view/63

This project is also the Winner of Outstanding Achievement Award: Best Greenhouse Gas Reduction Design, Sponsor: Building Materials Reuse Association, http://www.buildingreuse.org
Brian Kish
440-476-3729
bkish@andrew.cmu.edu
http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/org/SD2007/team/contrib.html
Other Team Members
Cathy Chung, 917-837-8553, cathycchung@gmail.com
Travis Brier, 703-371-9209, tbrier@gmail.com


Loblolly House: Unbolt, Detach, Reassemble
Roderick Bates, KieranTimberlake Associates, Philadelphia, PA
The Loblolly House represents a novel approach to pre-fabricated and modular housing concepts. The house introduces off-site fabricated elements which are detailed for on-site assembly, future disassembly and redeployment. The embodied energy and carbon footprint analysis includes a design-for-reassembly scenario showing the potential of a near 100% waste diversion design intent. http://www.judging.lifecyclebuilding.org/entries/view/40
Roderick Bates
215-922-6600
rbates@kierantimberlake.com
http://kierantimberlake.com



The Workshop
Michael Mariano,, Schemata Workshop, Seattle, WA
The Workshop is assembled of prefabricated building components for optimized efficiency and minimum waste. There are two units in the building – in the first iteration the first story is an office; the second is an apartment. The building is elevated on concrete piers and cantilevers over an existing structure on-site. Only the existing building and concrete piers will remain after the building is relocated for its next lifecycle. http://www.judging.lifecyclebuilding.org/entries/view/59
Michael Mariano
206-285-1589
mike@schemataworkshop.com
http://www.schemataworkshop.com
Other Team Members
Grace Kim, 206-285-1589, grace@schemataworkshop.com
Irina Wong, 206-285-1589, irina@schemataworkshop.com
Peggy Heim, 206-285-1589, peggy@schemataworkshop.com
Sam Schafer, 206-285-1589, sam@schemataworkshop.com

Sustainable Prototype
Dan Rockhill, Studio 804, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS
Honorable mention for exceptional integration of reclaimed materials, modular design, zero energy and overall sustainability.
The Sustainable Prototype serves as an Arts Center in Greensburg, KS. The construction and delivery of The Sustainable Prototype was provided on the one-year anniversary of the tornado that devastated Greensburg. Although the building was developed for long term use by the Arts Center, its immediate use as the first completed public facility serves as a beacon for the community’s ambitious green rebuilding efforts. http://www.judging.lifecyclebuilding.org/entries/view/57
Dan Rockhill
785-393-0747
rockhill@sunflower.com
http://www.studio804.com

Second-Life Iraqi Housing: Temporary to Permanent
Eric Hansen, University of Utah, Lehi, UT
Honorable Mention for a realistic solution to a real-life problem.
The design consists of flat-packed, folding panels which are brought to the site by Marines, along with the supplies they already bring. The structure can be quickly erected by the workforce of 36 marines during the night. The hope is that once the Marines vacate the structure, they can leave it behind to be transitioned into permanent housing for displaced Iraqi families. http://www.judging.lifecyclebuilding.org/entries/view/44
Eric Hansen
801-230-2096
hansenericd@yahoo.com

Grass Valley Project: Design with Deconstruction in Mind
Graham Thiel, IDEAS, Berkeley, CA
Honorable mention for excellent use of reclaimed material.
The Grass Valley Project (GVP) is an integrative design process that incorporates principles of Environmental Design, Green Building, Passive Solar, Natural Daylight, and Reclaimed Building Materials. The design of the GVP was influenced by remaining structures from the Empire Mine State Park, located adjacent to the property. The main goal for the GVP was to provide a concentrated example of vernacular design constructed with a hybrid of current and reclaimed building technology. http://www.judging.lifecyclebuilding.org/entries/view/61
Graham Thiel
415-418-0692
gsthiel@yahoo.com
Other Team Members
Ryan Borman, Jose la Cruz Crawford, Brendan Elherman

Corporate HQ Renovation for Multiple Lifecycles
Angela Luedki, Haworth, Inc., Holland, MI
Honorable mention for exceptional design of office strategies and interior modularity system.
Haworth, Inc., renovated its U.S. headquarters by stripping the building to its metal skeleton and concrete structure. More than 98% of deconstruction materials were reused, down-cycled or donated, and 11,626 tons of building materials were reused or recycled. Modular building materials replaced conventional construction materials such as drywall and ceiling ductwork. Movable walls, raised access flooring and modular systems office furniture combine to reconfigure and adapt as necessary, minimizing future waste and extending the building through multiple lifecycles. http://www.judging.lifecyclebuilding.org/entries/view/36
Angela Luedke
616-393-1614
Angela.Luedke@Haworth.com
http://www.haworth.com

ME:LU
Clay Aurell, AB Design Studio, Santa Barbara, CA
Honorable mention for excellent use of a container.
ME:LU stands for Modular Expandable: Living Unit and is based on a concept of providing a housing module that can work for a single person, a family, or even a temporary work force while still exemplifying a lifecycle form of design. Expandability and sustainability / re-use were designed into the modular living unit by using two standard cargo containers with identical openings. This allows for the containers to be added or reconfigured in various ways. http://www.judging.lifecyclebuilding.org/entries/view/49
Clay Aurell
805-963-2100
clay@aurellblumer.com
http://www.aurellblumer.com/abdesign.html
Other Team Members
Josh Blumer, Schuyler Bartholomay, Jason Schmidt, Chris Halliday

Trans/spot: Transient Awareness Center
Shaney Peña-Gómez, HOK Intern Program, Chicago, IL: University of Illinois, University of Illinois, Washington University, Harvard Graduate School of Design, Kansas State University, Illinois Institute of Technology
The structure is a modular configuration that is assembled in empty lots across the city of Chicago to provide information to the local residents. In time, the structure has the flexibility to truly adapt to the needs of the community. The lifecycle of this building is an empirical tool for educating the city. The solution is not necessarily for prototypical building forms, but more so for creating modular accessible informational public spaces. It is “sustainability,” but in a different form. http://www.judging.lifecyclebuilding.org/entries/view/62

This project is also the Winner of the Outstanding Achievement Award: Best School Design (K–12), Sponsor: Collaborative for High Performance Schools, http://www.chps.net

Shaney Peña-Gómez
857-654-5230
shaneypenagomez@gmail.com
Other Team Members:
Alison Lang, alison.lang@hok.com
Jeremy Anterola, jeremy.anterola@hok.com
Chris Housley, housley.chris@hok.com
Howard Mack, mack.howard@hok.com

Planet Reuse - Material Reuse Tool
Bradley Hardin, Planet Reuse, Kansas City, MO
The Planet Reuse - Material Reuse Tool is an on-line resource that provides homeowners, architects, deconstruction professionals and local municipalities with an industry solution to find, reclaim and sustainably deconstruct and reclaim building materials. Planet Reuse has supported the reuse of more than 20,100 tons of building materials to reduce over 2,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions. This successful concept continues to remove common barriers associated with material reuse and is pushing forward in completing a buildings' Life Cycle.
http://www.judging.lifecyclebuilding.org/entries/view/27
Bradley Hardin
816-298-7947
bhardin@planetreuse.com
http://www.planetreuse.com
Other Team Members:
Nathan Benjamin, 816-918-1120, nbenjamin@planetreuse.com
Dan Fox, 816-298-7947, dfox@planetreuse.com

Life-Cycle Assessment Study of Buchanan Building-D
Chessa Adsit-Morris, Busby Perkins+Will, San Diego, CA
Honorable mention for holistic lifecycle analysis quantifying the benefits of renovation.
Originally built in 1960 as a multi-purpose classroom, Buchanan-D is currently being renovated under the University’s Renew Program. The study provided an in-depth look at the salvaged value, environmental life cycle benefits and ramifications, the tradeoffs of renovating versus constructing a new building, and lifecycle cost analysis matrix. As part of the project, a post-mortem life cycle assessment and salvage value cost estimate study were completed. http://www.judging.lifecyclebuilding.org/entries/view/52
Chessa Adsit-Morris
604-684-5446
chessa.adsit-morris@busbyperkinswill.ca
Other Team Members
Kathy Wardle, 604-484-1558, kathy.wardle@busbyperkinswill.ca

Spoor House
Benno van Noort, Spoor Design, Tappan, NY
The goal of this project is to promote sustainable living in suburban communities. The design focus is on a dwelling to the size of the average home built in the 1970s, which is 1550 sq. ft., on a 0.1 acre plot. The house is to be prefabricated with 5 ISO containers, using off-the-shelf sustainable technologies and conventional building techniques. ISO containers are perfect modular components. The structure is designed to be separated into 5 modules, which can be transported anywhere and are easily reassembled. The design can be altered easily to create a cluster of homes made with the same techniques, but different in appearance.
http://judging.lifecyclebuilding.org/entries/view/39
Benno van Noort
845-365-2181
bvannoort1@yahoo.com
Other Team Members
Bob Bartow, 646-257-2577, bob@bobconsulting.com
Contain Your Enthusiasm
Joel M. Karr, Group 41 Architects, San Francisco, Calif.
Used shipping containers are the refuse of modern, consumer society and about 50% are designed for a single use. With the cost of re-use being too high, they pile up at major shipping points and are left to rust. The problem grows as society consumes more. Upcycling used containers is a highly “green” and responsible alternative. Three containers make a gracious 3-bedroom home of 1,300 square feet with 9 foot ceilings. Their industrial quality is softened with simple wood trellis elements that provide shading. http://www.judging.lifecyclebuilding.org/entries/view/51
Joel M. Karr
415-431-0300
Joel@group41inc.com
http://www.group41inc.com
Other Team Members
T. Jason Anderson, 415-431-0300, jason@group41inc.com
Mona Husni, 415-431-0300, mona@group41inc.com

For more information on the competition, the winners, and to view images, please visit the LBC2 Web sites: http://www.lifecyclebuilding.org and the EPA Region 4 Pollution Prevention and Innovation website www.epa.gov/region4/p2

http://www.lifecyclebuilding.org/2008/winners.php.