ED+C continues to further its online presence as well as our commitment to sustainability by issuing a new digital edition of our magazine! Now you'll be able to read the issues--cover to cover--in the format of your choice: either in print on our new 100 percent recycled paper, or on your computer screen with our digital version.

Check out and sign up for the digital edition at www.edcmag.com, and let us know what you think!

On another sustainable note, ED+C parent company BNP Media's (www.bnpmedia.com) first recycling statement for 2006 has arrived! Through the end of March 2006, BNP Media recycled 6,950 pounds of paper and our efforts saved:

• 59.08 trees
• 10.43 cubic yards of landfill space
• 24,325 gallons of water
• 3381.7 kilowatts of energy

Until next time,

Joe Mayton
ED+C Associate Editor

Vertegy Celebrates Successful First Year
St. Louis - Vertegy, a St. Louis-based firm formed by Thomas Taylor as a subsidiary of Alberici after the company's Overland, Mo. headquarters received Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certification, assists clients with design, procurement and construction consulting services for green and sustainable facilities. Vertegy has helped 12 additional companies, including seven in St. Louis, pursue their goals of achieving varying levels of LEED certification, and works with a variety of clients that are renovating existing buildings or constructing new facilities of varying types, from school facilities to manufacturing plants to commercial office buildings. For more information, visit www.alberici.com/index.cfm/About/Companies/Vertegy/.

GMI Poll Shows 90 percent of Americans Concerned About Environment
Seattle, Wash. - According to the latest GMI Poll (www.gmipoll.com), a global survey of 9,000 online consumers in nine countries powered by global market intelligence solutions provider GMI (Global Market Insite, Inc.), the most significant environmental concerns that Americans expressed are: pollution of lakes, rivers and reservoirs (85 percent); air pollution (82 percent); using up the country's natural resources (79 percent); and contamination of soil and water by toxic waste (78 percent). The nine countries polled for this study were the United States, Australia, Canada, the UK, Germany, Brazil, France, China and Russia. For more information, visit www.gmimr.com/gmipoll/release.php?p=20060328.  

Steelcase Inc. Launches Healthcare-Focused Organization
Grand Rapids, Mich. -- Steelcase Inc. announced the launch of Nurture by Steelcase, a new organization focused on the healthcare environment. Nurture brings a holistic viewpoint to healthcare environments and works with doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals to gain valuable insight into environments that promote healing, and partners with architects, designers and organizations such as Planetree and The Center for Health Care Design's Pebble Project to research and develop the best possible healthcare environment solutions. Nurture by Steelcase will formally debut June 12-14, 2006 at NeoCon World's Trade Fair in Chicago. For more information, visit www.nurturebysteelcase.com.

DuPont Installs New Solar Panels to Study Innovations in Renewable Energy Technology
Wilmington, Del. -- DuPont announced the launch of a solar energy program at its Chestnut Run facilities to further its research in next-generation solar panel technology, and has installed three rows of large photovoltaic solar panels to convert the sun's energy into electricity for an existing R&D and business facility at the site. For more information, visit www2.dupont.com/Photovoltaics/en_US/news_events/article20060411.html. 

Autobytel Poll: 70 Percent Describe Hybrids As "Here To Stay" Vs. Only 54 Percent a Year Ago
Irvine, Calif. - A new poll of shoppers on Autobytel's car-buying web sites suggests that consumers' impressions of, and demand for, hybrid vehicles may be on the upswing; spurred by skyrocketing gas prices and a lineup of appealing hybrid debuts on the horizon. Fifty-four percent of poll respondents feel that the "buzz" surrounding hybrids is actually increasing, versus only 15 percent who think it's decreasing. Seventy percent describe hybrids as "here to stay" - up from 54 percent in a similar Autobytel consumer poll conducted a year ago, and 45 percent of shoppers identify price as their biggest obstacle to considering a hybrid for their next vehicle purchase - far outpacing other barriers like: skepticism about an unproven technology (22 percent); compromised performance (15 percent); limited model selection (9 percent); limited availability (5 percent); and size (4 percent). For more information, visit www.autobytel.com.

CRI Joins CHPS Technical Committee
Dalton, Ga. -- The Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS / www.chps.net) has expanded their membership rules to include trade associations and manufacturing companies, and asked The Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) to join the CHPS technical committee, with Ken McIntosh, CRI Senior Technical Director's nomination accepted by CHPS as a valued addition to the committee. For more information, visit www.carpet-rug.org.

Energy Commission Awards $1.25 Million for "Cool Roof" Research
Sacramento -- The California Energy Commission awarded $1.253 million to the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) for a three-year grant to develop, deploy, and validate "cool roof" technology. This project will accelerate the acceptance of cool roofs through rebate programs sponsored by utility companies; expand the quantity of cool roofing products available to consumers by working with manufacturers; create more effective roofing materials; obtain labels from the Cool Roof Rating Council; and assist in marketing the new roofing products. For more information, visit www.energy.ca.gov.

Brochure Offers New Ideas on Designing Green with Cork
Santa Maria de Lamas, Portugal -- The Portuguese Cork Association (APCOR / www.corkmasters.com) is offering a free brochure, "Cork: A Beautiful Idea," highlighting how cork provides a natural, sustainable alternative to traditional building materials; improving function, aesthetics and energy efficiency in commercial and residential building design. To obtain the brochure, send an email with name and address to abeautifulidea@corkusa.info or call (206) 505-6555.

Interior Design Organizations Announce New Edition of BOK Study
Chicago -- The professional interior design organizations, the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID / www.asid.org); Council for Interior Design Accreditation (formerly FIDER / www.accredit-id.org); Interior Designers of Canada (IDC / www.interiordesigncanada.org); Interior Design Educators Council (IDEC / www.idec.org); International Interior Design Association (IIDA / www.iida.org); and the National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ / www.ncidq.org) have announced The Interior Design Profession's Body of Knowledge, 2005 Edition is now available to the interior design community. A pdf of the Body of Knowledge is available for download at www.careersininteriordesign.com and via links from the websites of the supporting consortium of design organizations.

ASLA: Simple Steps to Making Your Home More "Green"
Washington, D.C. -- In recognition of National Landscape Architecture Month [April], the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) installed a green roof covered with vegetation on its downtown Washington, D.C., headquarters and issued a release to raise awareness of the need for sustainable, environmentally sensitive design and how homeowners can help achieve this goal. Steps suggested to minimize a home's impact on the environment include: Using strategically-placed trees and vegetation to cut cooling costs by shading all east- and west-facing windows; replacing exposed concrete and asphalt driveways and walkways with pavers; using plants native to your area to reduce watering and maintenance; and recycling kitchen waste into garden compost. For more information, visit www.asla.org.

Navarro Lowrey to Build First "Green" Office Building in West Palm Beach
West Palm Beach, Fla. -- Navarro Lowrey, Inc. announced it will construct a $20 million Class "A" high-performance office building that will be the first multi-tenanted "green" office building in Palm Beach County. Built by the new Green Division of Navarro Lowrey, the 100,000-square-foot, four-story project, EcoPlex, will be located in Centrepark West, a 28-acre mixed-use corporate park in West Palm Beach. A 488-space parking garage will be constructed first, adjacent to the footprint of the office building, which is expected to be ready for occupancy in the second quarter of 2007.
For more information, visit www.NavarroLowrey.com.

Ecological Landscapes at the CCA
Montréal, Quebec -- The Canadian Centre for Architecture (CCA) in collaboration with the Goethe-Institut Montréal presents Cornelia Hahn Oberlander: Ecological Landscapes, an exhibition in the Octagonal Gallery on the work of Vancouver landscape architect Cornelia Hahn Oberlander from May 11 to July 30, 2006. Featuring material from the newly completed Oberlander Archive at the CCA and photographs by Etta Gerdes, the exhibition demonstrates Oberlander's pioneering vision of socially conscious and environmentally sustainable landscape design. For more information, visit www.cca.qc.ca.

ECP Launches New Website
Ottawa, Ontario -- The Environmental Choice Program (ECP) has launched a new website, www.ecologo.org, which is bilingual to accommodate both English- and French-speaking visitors.

Earth Day Film Festival Competition Explores Environmental Stewardship Through Film
Palo Alto, Calif. -- The Earth Day Film Festival, a competition led by the City of Palo Alto, Calif., on Earth Day (April 22, 2006) called for collaboration among local government environmental agencies and media non-profits to explore environmental stewardship through film. Local artists, many of them middle and high school students, produced dozens of new films, documentaries, public service announcements, and other original works about the environment for the film festival. Winners were awarded prizes totaling $5,000. For more information, visit www.cityofpaloalto.org/earthday.

EPA Recognizes Architecture Firm for Energy Efficient Design
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recognized Innovative Design (www.innovativedesign.net), a Raleigh, N.C-based architecture firm, for "Excellence in Energy Efficiency." The firm was honored at the 2006 Annual ENERGY STAR Awards dinner on March 21, 2006 as the first architecture firm to receive recognition for energy efficient design. Innovative Design has designed more than 700 buildings incorporating renewable energy solutions. For more information, visit www.energystar.gov.

Barnabus Energy Announces $1 Million Sale to RTI
Solana Beach, Calif. -- Barnabus Energy, Inc., currently doing business as Open Energy Corporation (OEC) subject to a pending name change, announced that Renewable Technologies, Inc. (RTI) of California, a solar energy integration company, has placed an order for 200 kW of solar power valued at $1 million. For more information, visit www.barnabusenergy.com.

AGC's Environmental Agenda Commits to Further Environmental Performance of Construction Industry
Washington, D.C. --The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) announced that it has completed a comprehensive agenda for further improving the environmental performance of the construction industry, which "recognizes that the construction process affects the environment," and commits AGC "to helping construction contractors minimize and mitigate the environmental impacts of their . . . challenging activities."
For more information, visit www.agc.org/hottopics.  
 
VPA Rates Largest LEED-CI Gold Certified Project in Canada
Vancouver, B.C. - The Vancouver Port Authority's (VPA) office at Canada Place has achieved Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Commercial Interiors (LEED-CI) Gold, marking the offices the largest LEED-CI Gold-certified project in Canada, and one of the first pilots for LEED-CI in the world. The 55,000-square-foot offices were designed by architectural firm Bunting Coady Architects in conjunction with interior design firm Group 5. For more information, visit www.portvancouver.com/the_port/environment.html. 

ASHRAE Studies Impact of Ventilation on Health
Atlanta -- Approved at the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE's) 2006 winter meeting, the Scientific Review of Existing Information Related to the Impact of Ventilation Related to Health, 1443-RP, project will study the impact of ventilation rates on occupant health through ASHRAE research. It is expected to take 18 months to complete at a cost of $50,000, with funding coming from ASHRAE and the National Center for Energy Management and Building Technologies, and is sponsored by the Environmental Health Committee. For more information, visit www.ashrae.org.

Student Climate Movement on the Rise
San Francisco -- In the last 4 years, over 100 campuses in the US and Canada have purchased clean energy including at least seven schools that are powered by 100 percent renewable energy. Students are working on energy efficiency projects, green building, cleaner, more efficient transportation, and comprehensive climate action plans. Youth are also organizing regional conferences and state summits; coordinating days of action; participating in unique summer training and action programs; and are sharing their stories through creative and interactive venues including blogs, podcasts, and tours.  Events and developments are being planned by organizations that are members of the Energy Action Coalition. For more information, visit www.energyaction.net.

Eco Classroom With Straw Bale Walls Uses the Latest Sustainable Building Methods
Langport, Somerset, England -- Designed by ARCO2 (www.arco2.co.uk), an architectural firm specializing in the sustainable design and construction of buildings, a new eco classroom with straw bale walls will be used by the children of High Ham C of E Primary School, near Langport in Somerset (England), spring 2006. The ‘Eco' classroom is the first to be built in Somerset, and uses the latest sustainable building methods; featuring a timber frame on pad foundation to minimize the use of concrete, very high levels of insulation using sheep's wool and walls packed with straw bales.
For more information, visit www.o2idesign.com. 

Design Competition for Environmentally-Friendly Portable Classrooms
Rockville, Md. -- Students in a number of elementary and secondary schools took up a design challenge posed by the Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) Green Building Program for National School Building Week to create their vision for an energy-efficient portable classroom that reflects a commitment to safety and a healthy environment-a Green Portable Classroom. The designs were evaluated by a jury of architects and educators, and winners were announced at a reception in the Art Atrium of Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School. For more information, visit www.GreenSchoolsFocus.org. 

Second Annual Intelligent Use of Water Summit Addresses Global Outdoor Water Conservation Initiatives and Strategies
Pasadena, Calif. -- Leading environmental and water conservation experts convened in Pasadena, Calif., to further examine conservation initiatives and strategies relating to landscape irrigation at the second annual Intelligent Use of Water forum, hosted by Rain Bird Corporation (Glendora, Calif.), a manufacturer and provider of irrigation products and services. The symposium panel focused on the relationship between water conservation and landscape water use, water conservation policies and legislation, and potential programs and initiatives to bring greater awareness to the need for water conservation. For more information, visit www.rainbird.com. 

May 26, 2006 - May 27, 2006
9th AIA-Certified Green Building Vehicle Expo & Workshop
San Antonio, Texas
www.greenconnexion.com

May 28, 2006 - Jun 1, 2006
Lightfair 2006
Las Vegas
www.lightfair.com

Jun 8, 2006 - Jun 10, 2006
AIA 2006 National Convention and Design Expo
Los Angeles
www.aia.org