IES Blog

Image Source: Philly.com

You might remember our post a couple of months back on the New Meadowlands Stadium in New Jersey, and how it did not seek LEED certification, despite an impressive list of green features.

Well, a hundred miles to the south, the Philadelphia Eagles are showing no such constraint with their home, Lincoln Financial Field. The team announced on November 18 that they will try to make it the “greenest stadium in the world.”

Constructed in 2003, “The Linc” was finished just before the green building boom really took off. The team’s owner, Jeffrey Lurie, launched the Eagles’ “Go Green” program in 2003, to “[incorporate] green initiatives, sustainable business practices and educational programs as our core operating principals.” Now, this new stadium initiative is set to be the crown jewel of the franchise’s efforts.

Among the features the team plans on installing:

• 2,500 solar panels on the roof
• 80 20-foot-tall wind turbines ringing the outside of the stadium
• A new power plant that runs on either biofuels or natural gas

When the $30 million retrofit is finished in September 2011, all these features will combine to produce at least 8.6 megawatts of electricity, much more than the stadium’s game day peak usage of 7 megawatts. The excess will be sold to a local utility company.

The end goal? To take the 70,000-seat stadium completely off the power grid through generating all of its own renewable power.

It looks as though, in America, green building is catching on quickly in the sports venue market. According to this Philadelphia Inquirer article, nine American stadiums have applied for LEED certification, and five more are considering it. The fact that these facilities are going with green retrofits to existing stadiums is a promising development for buildings that see the largest number of people gather at any one time in a given area, and thus, produce the most potential environmental waste. Now it seems they’re becoming almost as green as the grass on which their teams play.

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Tags:Building, LEED, Renewables, Sustainability

Is 2011 going to be another exciting year for sustainable design? We scanned the globe for some awe-inspiring projects as we welcome in the New Year.

Marina Bay Sands, Singapore: Dubbed a master class in green architecture, the lotus-inspired ArtScience Museum is a living, breathing embodiment of the ArtScience theme. The Museum will feature naturally illuminated galleries at its ‘fingertips,’ while a dish-like roof harvests rainwater for its 115 ft. waterfall.

Santiago, Chile: The Costanera Center, South America’s tallest towers to date, is aiming for LEED Gold with extensive sustainable design strategies. The center features a massive 30,000 square meter green roof and a natural cooling system that channels water from nearby San Carlos Canal.

Tainan, Taiwan: Also known as ‘The Magic School of Green Technology,’ The Y. S. Sun Green Building Research Center is Taiwan’s first and only zero-carbon building. Incorporating 13 green building design methods, it features the world’s first natural buoyancy ventilation system, which keeps an international conference hall cool in the summer and warm in the winter.

Florida, USA: A fantastic geodesic-inspired glass atrium in St. Petersburg, Florida is the new home to the surrealist artwork of Salvador Dalí. While its thick concrete walls were purposefully designed to withstand a Category 5 hurricane, its thermal mass doubles as a heat sink to minimize temperature highs and lows.

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Tags:Building, LEED, research, Sustainability, USA, Welcome

And is that a bad thing?

A recent study by Robert Gaarder, a leadership coach and consultant on organization development, thinks architects might come with certain personality traits.

ARCHITECH Magazine featured his findings this week, and there’s been quite the buzz on the Internet.

His findings?

“…the most frequent type among the architects was ENTJ—extraversion, intuition, thinking, and judging. ENTJs accounted for a whopping 31 percent of the architects that Gaarder tested, despite the very low frequency of the type (estimated at 1.8 percent) within the general population.”

But it’s not all bad.

In Gaarder’s less stilted words, “The good news is, the ENTJ has a lot of leadership qualities. They can envision the future. They are these grand-scale organizers; they think in terms of systems.” It makes sense, then, that the architecture-firm principals in Gaarder’s group overwhelmingly scored as ENTJ (16 of them) as opposed to other types (three ISTJs, for example).

How accurate is his study? Well, with just a sample of 100 architects, mainly at the senior level and based in Washington, DC, probably not wholly representative of the entire U.S. architect population. But it’s fun to see the results, nonetheless. If you’re an architect, where do you think you fall? Engineers, do you think the architects you work with fit this mold? We’d love to hear your thoughts!

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Tags:Architects, leadership, research

We’ve been discussing the incredible potential of green building, and how it can flourish even in this economy.

Well, potential has given way to actual proof.

According to a report by McGraw-Hill, “The value of green building construction projects begun in 2010 was 50% higher than in 2008…representing 25% of all new construction. The report projects that the green building market will continue to expand, reaching $135 billion by 2015.”

This is fantastic news, not just for the industry, but for all of us. A couple more points Buildaroo highlighted from the report:

• One third of new non-residential construction projects were green projects
• Green building reduced operating costs by 13.6% on average for new buildings, increased new building values by an average of 10.9%, and increased the return on investment by 9.9% on average for new buildings and 19.2% for retrofits

So it’s now a fact - green building can make you lots of money while saving the planet. In fact, it has become arguably the most lucrative sector of all green industries. It’s a credit to the engineers, architects, and builders who have worked tirelessly to advance the cause.

It just makes too much sense these days. Everyone wants to save money, and at a time when all construction has taken a severe hit, sustainable construction has been a catalyst for keeping the industry, and thousands of jobs, afloat.

But we must remember that we’re not done yet. While these statistics are very encouraging, we shouldn’t rest until every building is as sustainable as it can be. And you can bet that IES will remain steadfast advocates for making all buildings green buildings.

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Tags:Architects, Building, Engineers, IES, reduce, Sustainability

This month, we have had loads of questions from you about UK Compliance and the changes with Part L 2010. So we will be focussing on how to use the Virtual Environment to create UK EPCs, if you are outside of the UK, sorry, this one is VERY specific!

As many of you will know by now Part L 2010 came into force in October last year, even though the related EPC section has been delayed until the 27th of March this year. This means that building regulations DER/ TER (both at design and completion stage) will be to Part L 2010, but the EPC calculations will still have to be carried out using Part L 2006 methodologies. You can read more about this here. This has posed an interesting problem for our software team, and as such we have had to come up with an innovative solution.

To make it as easy for you as possible, we have introduced a brand new backward compatibility function that enables you to easily switch, on the same computer, between the 2010 and 2006 IES VE Compliance modules.  This is essential for designers that need to access Part L 2006 software for ‘as built’ or EPC calculations, as it will negate the need to duplicate data input in different software versions.

In order to generate an EPC you will have to have version’s VE 6.1.1 AND VE 6.2.0.3 installed;

If you are a VE-DSM 2010 user click here for download instructions…

If you are a VE-Ware (VE-SBEM) user click here for download instructions…

If you are a SketchUp user click here for download instructions…

Do you have any other burning questions for us for next months Questions and AEC? If so get in touch on Twitter, Facebook, or drop us an email hello at iesve.com.

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Tags:aec, Building, compliance, downloads, Environment, EPCs, sketchup, software, VE-Ware

Last year it was Copenhagen this year it’s Cancun - as Global Officials are meeting in Cancun for climate talks, people around the world are standing up and putting their name (and face) to the cause. The 350.org are on a mission to unite people around the world on the issue of Climate Change, with the idea that imagery transcends language. They have undertaken many campaigns, but in the past week they have been focussing on creating art work that can be seen from space. Some of the highlights can be seen here: http://vimeo.com/17122609

If you’re in Glasgow, and want to take part - don’t worry you still can! Thursday the 2nd of December (that’s tomorrow!)

Type of Event: Multi-media event

Date and Time of Event: 2 December, 2010, 18.00 – 21.00 (drop in)

Venue: GMAC, Trongate 103/Fifth Floor, Glasgow G1 5HD

Title: Branching out for climate change

Detail of Event:

Become part of global art movement: http://www.350.org/ and put yourself in the picture about climate change!

RSPB and Glasgow Media Access Centre (GMAC) have teamed up to host a free evening of films, fascinating facts and freebies to coincide with the climate change talks in Cancun. There will be a guest speaker and stalls from organisations like RSPB, Zero Waste Scotland, Glasgow Bike Shed and the Glasgow Allotment Forum. Drop in to take part in our campaign video or become part of a unique photo mosaic and claim your free oak sapling!

Contact: 0141 331 9088 or email eve.mcgregor@rspb.org.uk if you would like more information.

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Tags:350, climate change, rspb

We’re going to Greenbuild in Chicago next Tuesday, will we see you there? We are exhibiting at booth #516, where we will join hundreds of exhibitors in discussing our newest initiatives and showcasing our work.

The Future of LEED Energy Modeling is here! Find out all about our exciting new LEED Energy modeling tool, the VE-Navigator for ASHRAE 90.1. Designed by experts in the field and already live project tested by users, it streamlines the calculation and submission process. Don’t miss exclusive live demos from our booth #516, click here for more information.  Talk to our experts and find out how you can be the first to access this new tool!

ECO-FRIENDLY easy scan If you’re visiting our stand with a smart phone then download the Scanlife app from your appstore (compatible with Apple, Windows, Blackberry, Ovi and Android), but why I hear you cry? You’ll have to stop by our booth to see!

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Tags:ASHRAE, downloads, Greenbuild, LEED

We’ve had a few requests this month to discuss what support we provide for people looking to learn the software from scratch.

We offer loads of ways to help you learn the software…

1) Have you tried our “Getting Started” Tutorials?
You can download an example model and work through the PDF Guide, which provides a basic overview of all our VE-Pro modules.

You can get started here:

> Example Model
> Completed Model
> PDF Guide

2. Still struggling?
Why not sign up to our forums where our clients and our support staff get together to discuss issues, solve problems and generally provide help to one another.

3.  Did you know that we conduct weekly web demos? Each week our Consultants are online to give you an overview of the modules, so that you can see them in action.

4. We provide training on all our modules! We also offer bespoke training options, you can come to us or we can come to your office, you can even do it online! If you’re worried about cost, student e-training is £60 per person per session, or you may be eligible for funding.

5. If your licence does not cover maintenance and support you now have the option to purchase support credits and get some more expert assistance form the good looking guys in our tech support.

There are also many universities that teach our software as part of their Sustainable Architecture, Building Simulation (and many more) courses. This provides you with a support framework of other students and lecturers to help you through your learning process!

If you can think of any other ways that we can help you, then please get in touch!

Kaye

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Tags:Architects, Building, Engineers, software, Training, VE-Pro

Today we’re pinching our blog from our MD’s own site…

Speaking at a recent Autodesk BIM conference Paul Morrell, the UK Government’s chief construction adviser said “We have commissioned a team drawn from BIM users across the industry, both clients and suppliers, and software developers, to prepare a route map that shows how we can make a progressive move to the routine use of BIM. I am convinced that this is the way to unlock new ways of working that will reduce cost and add long-term value to the development and management of built assets in the public sector”.

Mr. Morrell said that the findings of this team will be available in March next year and that he “hopes and believes it will mark the beginning of a commitment to a timed programme of transformation”.

It is great that not only the UK government but many governments such as Singapore and Government Agencies such as the GSA in the US strongly promote BIM.

Consequently, I think it is time for Governments throughout the world to push BIM to accelerate the need for transformation in the construction industry.  I believe a number of governments should fully fund the research and develop of their own BIM products.  These BIM products should be made free to the construction industry to facilitate the required transformation.

Furthermore these new BIM product should be made mandatory for all government projects which will encourage their uptake in the industry.

The cost of the development of these BIM systems will pale into insignificance compared to the benefits of providing free BIM to the industry.

I strongly suggest you petition your local government officials to fund your national free BIM tool to be developed ASAP.

And we concur! (and not just because he is our boss!)

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Tags:Autodesk, BIM, Morrell, UK Government

Football season kicks off in the US this month, and the Big Apple has a brand new green home for its two teams.

2010 is the first season for the New Meadowlands Stadium, the new 82,000-seat home of the Giants and the Jets, in East Rutherford, NJ, just a few miles west of New York City.  The $1.6 billion venue was constructed right next to its now-demolished predecessor, Giants Stadium.  It has twice the square footage, holds more people, and boasts many more amenities than the old stadium.

Its builders say it’s “one of the greenest stadiums in America.”  Last year, the EPA signed an agreement with its owners to “incorporate eco-friendly materials and standards into [its] construction and operation.”

But did it apply for LEED certification?  No.

According to Sports Business Journal, the stadium would have been “one or two points shy” of the total needed to be LEED certified because of the glass used to enclose its 200 luxury suites.  The mullions that seal the insulated glass that they could have installed would have obstructed fans’ view of the field, so the stadium’s management chose less-insulated (and less energy-efficient) glass, and elected not to pursue LEED certification because they knew they would have come up short.

Still, there are plenty of features that would have given the New Meadowlands Stadium plenty of LEED points, including:

- The stadium is on a brownfield site in the New Jersey Meadowlands

- It was built with 60,000 tons of recycled steel, including some from old Giants Stadium

- The seats are made of recycled plastic and scrap iron

- A new rail service takes fans to and from the stadium, cutting down on auto traffic

- The men’s rooms have waterless urinals

The stadium has gotten plenty of positive publicity in the green community, and rightfully so.  Its builders went above and beyond to make it as green as possible, despite its lack of LEED certification.  But still, it’s a shame that windows are the obstacle preventing the new crown jewel of America’s favorite sport from really leading the way.

Besides, aren’t you supposed to watch the game outside anyway?

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Tags:communications, LEED, LEED Certification, recycle, recycling