USGBC Honors Green Building Leaders

"The market transformation to green design and construction is due in large part to the contributions of the organizations and individuals we are honoring here today,” said Christine Ervin, president and CEO of USGBC. "As we travel forward, our continued evolution will be inspired and directed by their accomplishments."

Each year awards are given in fives categories: Green Building Business, Local/Regional Leadership, Green Public Service - Government and Non-Government, and USGBC Leadership.

• Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc. received the Green Building Business Award for their commitment to a Global Earth Charter which mandates a reduction of their environmental impact in not only the automobiles they produce, but in every aspect of their business. Through Toyota’s Real Estate and Facilities Department (RE&F), the Process Green initiative was born. Process Green established the outline for identifying eco-friendly objectives and provides a guide for the RE&F’s environmental policy. The resulting development of the South Campus facility in Torrance, CA, became one of the largest USGBC Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED™) Gold projects certified in the United States. This 630,000-square-foot facility serves as the new home for the company’s Customer Service and Financial Service Centers. The project boasts an energy savings of 58 percent over California Title 24 2001 requirements, including a 536 kW photovoltaic array on the building roofs that produces 27 percent of the total regulated energy load. Toyota’s promotion of sustainability education is further promoted through building signage, tours, and public presentations. Toyota has become an example to other firms who seek to understand and implement sustainable business practices into their operations.

• Penny Bonda, FASID, L.C. Clark Publishing Co., received the distinguished USGBC Leadership Award. Penny Bonda has dedicated her career to green design and development. As a former USGBC Board member, she sits on the LEED Steering Committee and committees for LEED Core & Shell and Chair of the LEED for Commercial Interiors. Her experience with interior design has been instrumental in the development of the soon-to-be-released LEED for Commercial Interiors Green Building Rating System. Penny is also a dedicated member of the USGBC training faculty contributing to over 4,000 people trained on the LEED Green Building Rating System™. Recognized as a gifted leader and consensus builder, she is a Fellow of the American Society of Interior Designers, the highest honor given by the society.

• The Green Public Service Award given to a government agency was awarded to Austin Energy for its pioneering Green Building Program. This program is a community resource that promotes sustainable building through consumer marketing and education, and technical training of building professionals. The goal of the program is to reduce peak kilowatt hours of energy generation demand and has served as a model for similar programs developed nationwide. Austin Energy, a municipally-owned public utility, also pioneered the adoption of green building standards for public facilities and was one of the first public agencies to sponsor a major green building conference. Program Manager Richard Morgan accepted the award on behalf of Austin Energy.

• Raymond Cole, Professor, School of Architecture, Environmental Research Group (ERG) of the University of British Columbia was awarded the Green Public Service Award for a non-government organization (NGO). Dr. Cole was selected as North American Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture Distinguished Professor for "sustained commitment to building environmental research and teaching" in 2001, and in 2003 he received the Architectural Institute of British Columbia Dalrymple Memorial Award for Community Service. As leader of the ERG, Dr. Cole spearheaded the development of one of the predecessors to the LEED Green Building Rating System - Building Environmental Performance Assessment Criteria (BEPAC) for commercial buildings in British Columbia, Canada. The concepts and lessons learned from the creation of this environmental assessment tool contributed to the development of the BB Tool used in the biennial international Green Building Challenge conference series commencing in Vancouver in 1998 and also contributed to the development of similar programs in Hong Kong, Japan, and Australia. Most recently, Dr. Cole adapted USGBC’s LEED Green Building Rating System criteria to fit within the Canadian framework. His tireless efforts to reinstitute a standard of green building measurement for Canada has led to the formation of the Canada Green Building Council and future adoption of the LEED standard.

• Last, but certainly not least, the Local/Regional Leadership Award was presented to Vivian Loftness for her work as Professor and Head of School of Architecture at Carnegie Mellon University. Most notably, Professor Loftness is associated with leading the development of the BIDS™ Tool. The BIDS™ Life-Cycle Building Decision Support Tool is currently used by the federal government to quantify the financial, human, organization, societal, and environmental benefits of green design. Professor Loftness is internationally known for her work as a consultant. In 1980-81 she was chief consultant for a European Solar Energy Village in Athens, Greece. Additionally, she is credited with the development of the Adaptable Workplace Laboratory, GSA Headquarters, Washington, D.C.; the Laboratory for the Design of Cognition at Electricte’ de France, Paris France; the Master plan for Volkswagen and the City of Wolfsburg, Wolfsburg, Germany. Nationally, Professor Loftness is central to the strategic planning efforts at the Department of Energy, General Services Administration, National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, and other federal organizations.

The U.S. Green Building Council is the nation’s leading coalition of corporations, builders, universities, federal and local agencies, and nonprofit organizations working together to promote buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable, and healthy places to live and work. Greenbuild as well as the LEED™ (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System are programs of the USGBC. For more information on the USGBC, visit www.usgbc.org.