99 greenprints conference report(february 21-24) greenprints '99 conference and trade show. in...

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4 Primer for Sustainable Facilities

4 Assessment Tools and Techniques

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Our courses will help you understand, develop, and implement sustainable building practices to minimize impact on the environment and conserve resources while meeting your needs and the needs of your clients..

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In this Special Edition Issue Welcome to our special edition of the Journal commemorating the recently concluded (February 21-24) Greenprints '99 Conference and Trade Show. In pictures and words we've tried to capture the essence of this exciting event that celebrated the art and craft of developing sustainable communities. Several of our speakers wrote articles especially for this edition. Don't miss the keynote speaker interviews with Paul Hawken, John Knott, and Ray Anderson giving you their take on sustainability. If you attended the conference we hope this edition provides an enjoyable reminder of the event, and if you couldn't make it, here's hoping you'll learn something new and get inspired to come t o Greenprints 2000.

You're aZways welcome - @South f ace

Southface Energy and Environmental Resource Center hours:

Monday-Friday ...................... 9am-5pm Saturday ............................. loam-5pm 241 Pine Street in Midtown Atlanta 404/872-3549

Reduce air pollution

walk f o u r blocks to Southface ... Ride MARTA t o the Civic Center Station,

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.

" Volume 1 Spring 1999

A publication of the Southface Energy Institute

Welcome ............................................... 2 by Jim Powell

Southface News ..................................... 3

The Greenprints Experience .................. 6 GREENPRINT5

by Walter Brown

Greenprints Keynote Speakers Speak Up On Sustainability

The Paul Hawken Interview ................... 7 The Ray Anderson Interview ................. 9 The John Knott Interview .................. 11

Greenprints Sunspots .......................... 14 Open Space Conservation and Area Resource Mapping (OSCAR) in Newton County, Georgia. ................. 16 by G a y Cornell, AICP

Natural Stormwater Management Systems .......................... 19

The Role of Farmlands in Communities ................................... 2 1 by Tim Warman

Musings About Greenprints '99 ............ 23 by Clayton Preston, AIA

Its Time To LEED or Get Out of the Way .............................. 25 by Walter Brown

CALENDAK

by Michael Coren

Coming Soon @ Sout hface ..................... 2 6 - ~~

50UTHFACE PROGRAM5 Homebuilding School ........................... 28

A word from our sponsor One definition of a "successful" conference is t ha t it offers numerous, well-developed opportunities for building industry professionals t o present t h e la t - es t ideas and information. By tha t definition, Greenpr in t s '99: Sus ta inab le Communi t i e s by Design was a n outstanding success. The Department of Energy's Atlanta Regional Office (ARO) was pleased

t o sponsor this effort which was co-hosted, once again, by t h e Southface Energy Inst i tute , and t h e Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority (GEFA). The Atlanta Regional Office enjoys a n excellent working relationship with both organizations, and looks t o both t o continue serving as leaders i n public education on energy issues.

The theme of Greenprints dovetails well with DOE'S work nationally in promoting "Livable communities for t he 21st Century." In our region, t he ARO operates t he Rebuild America program, designed t o help communities efficiently retrofit residential and commercial buildings, t he Million Solar Roofs Initiative (congratulations to Southface for becoming a partner in t h e Million Solar Roofs program for Georgia), which promotes placement of solar thermal and photovoltaic technologies on building roofs, t he Super Energy Savings Performance Contracting program which strives t o help government agencies reduce building energy consumption, and the Clean Cities Program tha t promotes alternative fuel fleet vehicles.

The purpose of Greenprints is education, and education is t he key t o changing philosophy and practice. Building "green" means building efficiently, and environmentally aware. And one of t he prime lessons which Greenprints imparted was tha t in the long run it "costs less" to design and build wisely and efficiently. Using this philosophy ad- dresses many of t he developmental problems which have contributed to unbridled growth and our burgeoning demand for energy. Southface is a leader i n this area with its annual Greenprints conference, monthly Sustainable Atlanta Roundtable (SART), i ts free Wednesday Night Seminar series, numerous customized training programs on energy efficiency and renewable energy (EERE), i ts Homebuilding Schools and numerous other programs featuring t h e latest building technologies. ARO also supports Southface's work in educating builders of affordable housing about t he use of EERE technologies.

As we prepare for t he 21st century, Southface Energy Institute and the ARO continue t o work together t o raise the level of awareness of t h e public and private sectors, both here in Atlanta and throughout t he southeast region. Please go visit t he Southface Environmental Resource Center t ha t DOE worked with Southface t o build and see firsthand over 100 sustainable technologies in action today. And, please continue turning to Southface for enlightenment on vital issues facing our region.

James R. Powell Director, Atlanta Regional Office U.S. Department of Energy

Southface Staff Denn is Creech Executive Director Wal te r B rown Senior Program Manager Melanie A. Pau l Directorof Development Mike Barc ik Research Engineer J e f f T i l l e r Senior Research Engineer Amy Tyson Program Manager Pol ly S a t t l e r Project Coordinator Glenn F i te Comptroller Eve Borken hagen Accountant Greg Broug h Communications Specialist J u l i e S i m o n Project Coord ina to r M ike Andreyuk TechnicalAssistont E d i t h F inego ld Volunteer Coordinator Gre tchen G ig ley Program Assistant N a t a l i e B rown Southface Fellow Greg Sand ine Southface Fellow J o n a t h a n Bebb Technical Assistant Amanda Baransk i Intern W i n t o n B r a z i l Intern Derek Elrod Intern Aubrey Mescher Intern K a t i e Orvo ld Intern Susie Sp ivey Intern

Officers and Board of Directors Dav id Dim li n g Wa l te r Reeves Vice President Dol ly Evans Secretory Pau l W o o d w o r t h Treasurer Denn is Creech Executive Director T i l l m a n Douglas Don Ga t ley Lisa Frank L inda K le in Shar r ie f f Mustakeem Bud Stacy

Dennis Creech Editor Greg Brough Art Director/Webspinner Mike Andreyuk Managing Editor Wal te r B rown Guest Editor

The Southface Journal of Sustainable Building i s published quarterly by the Southface Energy Inst i tute, Inc., a nonprofi t organization performing research, education, and consulting on energy and environmental technologies. Offices are located a t 241 Pine St. i n Atlanta, Georgia. Mail is collected a t 241 Pine St., Atlanta GA 30308. Phone: 404/872-3549. Fax: 404/872-5009,E-mail: [email protected].

Edi tor ia l Content: Signed articles represent the position of the author and not necessarily that o f The Southface Journal of Sustainable Building. Articles may be edited due t o space limitations.

Note t o Advertisers: The Southface Journal of Sustainable Bui ld ing welcomes submission of advertising of services or products tha t relate t o the issues o f energy conservation and environmental concerns addressed by the Southface Energy Inst i tu te . The company placing the ad must be a legit imate business wi th a good reputation for qual i ty o f product or service, and the abi l i ty t o pay for the space. Advertising privileges i n The Southface Journal i n no way imply endorsement of the service or product. For advertising rates and information contact: Mike Andreyuk, Southface Energy Inst i tute, 241 Pine St., Atlanta, GA 30308. Phone: 404/872-3549.

Membership: The Southface Journal of Sustainable Bui ld ing i s provided free t o members. Basic membership i n the Southface Energy Inst i tu te i s $30 per year for an individual, $50 per year for a family. Enhanced membership levels are available.

Copyright: 01999 by the Southface Energy Inst i tute. Southface grants authorization t o photocopy material from The Southface Journal for internal or personal use under circumstances tha t do not violate the fair use provisions o f the copyright act. For permission t o reorint contact Southface.

President

Journal Staff

2 The Southface Journal of Sustainable Building

mailto:[email protected]

Southface News Secretary of Energy Richardson Visits Southface On January 20th Southface had the honor of hosting a visit from Secretary of Energy Bill Richardson. Secretary Richardson was in Atlanta to promote President Clinton's Initiative for Energy Education. He stopped by for a tour and a look at how Southface is coordinating with area schools to educate students about energy.

Secretary Richardson (seated) participates with children f rom Woodland Middle School during a recent visit. Bill Dahlberg, CEO of the Southern Company, and Dennis Creech look on.

Susan Varmaloff, Director of the Georgia Environmental Council, looks on as Dennis Creech presents a compact f luorescent bulb t o Governor Roy Barnes.

GEC Reception Draws Governor Barnes This year's Georgia Environmental Council's (GEC) Legislative Reception (held annually a t Southface) was attended by Governor Roy Barnes, who arrived in an electric vehicle. Governor Barnes acknowledged the important role alternative-fueled vehicles can play in improving Atlanta's air quality. Also in attendance were a number of Georgia State Legislators who were there t o meet more than 250 members of the environmental community.

During Natalie's tenure she lead the publication effort of the Georgia Energy First Fellow to Michigan

Natalie Brown, first recipient of the Southface Fellowship position, is moving to Michigan. The fellowship was created to offer a unique opportunity to emerging professionals in the energy, building, and sustainable industries.

Data Book, helped research an UPcofing book on S u s k h b l e Development, and Was a Significant partner in the creation of the Sustainable Atlanta Roundtable series. Thanks for your hard work!

Southface intern Amanda Baranski takes a " tes t si t" in the Mercer University Sun Racer during Secretary Richardson's visi t to Southface on January 20.

New Fellow Comes Aboard We welcome Greg Sandine as our next fellow. Greg is moving up from intern status where his natural technical ability and his interest in solar energy made him a natural for his new position here a t Southface. We are excited to have Greg on board.

Happy Hellos! We also welcome a new group of interns t o the Southface team. Winton Brazil joins us from Louisiana and is helping coordinate outside landscaping efforts as well as filling Southface with smells of homemade bread. Susie Spivey also joins Southface. Susie has a Masters of Science in Sustainable Systems from Slippery Rock University and will add greatly to our technical education and assessment programs. Our newest intern arrival is Derek Elrod who joins us from Appalachian State University. If you would like to learn more about our internship program contact Gretchen Gigley a t

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404/872-3549 ~ 1 1 9 .

Volume I , Spring 1999 3

Southface News

"Hard Hat" tour participants spread out and take a closer look a t the details of East Lake Commons.

Interns bid farewell Anytime we say hello to new interns, that means we must also say goodbye. We want to wish Amanda Baranski a fond farewell. Amanda dedicated a better part of her internship t o helping coordinate the successful Greenprints '99 conference. We also want to thank two students from Emory University that helped us immensely during their tenure a t Southface: Katie Orvold and Aubrey Mescher. All of your hard work did not go unnoticed!

Attention Solar Homeowners/Businesses! We are interested in profiling successful solar thermal and solar electric homes and businesses in Georgia and the Southeast. Your pioneering efforts will serve as examples of what can be accomplished with consideration for the health of our planet and tomorrow's children. Contact Greg Sandine at (404) 872-3549 x 124 or [email protected] to share a

story or t o learn more about the Million Solar Roofs Initiative.

Hard Hat Luncheon A little rain could not keep city council members, real estate agents, lenders, developers, and environmentalists away from the "hard hat" tour at East Lake Commons near the East Lake Country Club on Wednesday, March 24. East Lake Commons is notable because it is a clear alternative to the suburban sprawl that now defines the metro Atlanta landscape. The master planners of the project- Village Habitat-call it a "conservation community" because their clustered village design maximizes opportunities to preserve open space for people and the environment, creates the potential for increased community interaction, and promotes a work-play atmosphere less dependent on the automobile. As an example, the development preserved over nine acres of land for an organic farm,

pond, and village greenspaces by clustering 67 townhomes on a smaller, less environmentally sensitive ten acre portion of the site.

In addition, the designers of the dwellings-Pimsler Hoss Architects- paid particular attention to the use of recycled material, resource efficient framing techniques, and energy efficient upgrades to make these homes "green" and affordable t o operate. Developer Jack Morse, along with Village Habitat, provided lots of vision and even made a profit for the project. Southface, having provided ongoing technical assistance during the design and construction, and Sun Trust bank, construction lender on the project, co-sponsored the tour.

To hear more about this project and others like it, please join Village Habitat Design a t Southface Energy Institute on June 2nd a t 7:OO pm for a free talk and open discussion. Please call Greg Ramsey 4041 525-4828 t o RSVP.



Southface News Earth Week Volunteerism Two weeks worth of help from volunteers turned our weed-littered, unmulched landscape into a clean well-pruned vista. What began April l g t h with the assistance of Jennifer Gardner of EPA helping paint half our front porch culminated April 24th with 1 2 volunteers from the Atlanta chapter of the Penn State Alumni Association. Other volunteers that helped throughout these two weeks were 1998 Volunteer of the Year Sandra Estrada, Linda Simonson, Carol Cain, five members of the Technical Environmental Forum (TEF) a t Georgia Tech, and Jeremy Sewell who created a photographic record of the outdoor activities. Special thanks to Samantha Putt of the Environmental Fund for Georgia and Kirk Tattersall of Hands-On-Atlanta for soliciting and signing-up volunteers for these events. If you would like to volunteer for Southface please contact Edith Finegold at 404/872-3549 ~ 1 2 3 .

We also thank Matthew Sultan, Mike Coren, and Hervey Pean for flexing their journalistic muscle and help document the Greenprints '99 Conference.

Solar Energy Making a Comeback? Southface and GEFA have also teamed up to work on President Clinton's Million Solar Roofs Initiative. The president's goal is to have one million solar systems installed on rooftops across the U.S. by the year 2010. Sponsored by the Department of Energy, Million Solar

Ossabaw Island troopers f rom left t o right are: James Thompson, Jonathan Bebb, Heath Moody, Julie Simon, Marcus Renner, Scott Suddreth, Wayne Woods, and Jeff Tiller.

Sun Takes Southface, Others to Ossabaw Island In March, Southface, students from Appalachian State University, and GEFA teamed up to install solar systems on Ossabaw Island, one of Georgia's most preserved barrier islands. A solar electric (photovoltaic) system was set-up to power a submersible well pump, which pumped water t o a 500 gallon cistern - then to a solar hot water heater, and finally to a bathhouse constructed in a campground. Southface would like to thank James Thompson, GEFA, the Ossabaw Foundation, and the GA Department of Natural Resources for the opportunity to bring clean, renewable power to such a pristine location.

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M a t t Lugar (former Southface intern) of Hutton Solar Power, discusses photovoltaic basics in a Learning Fair session a t the Greenprints conference in February.

Roofs funding assists organizations such as Southface and GEFA in performing outreach and education for solar technologies, with the ultimate goal of reducing market barriers to renewable energies. Million Solar Roofs is one strategy for the U.S. t o reduce greenhouse gas emissions and make a visionary transition to a renewable energy rather than fossil fuel based economy.

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GREENPRINTS '99

All told, four hundred people came together a t Greenprints '99 to learn, teach, and be inspired by the simple but powerful notion that we can develop and build places that help to restore, not destroy, our precious environment. The conference began with a bang at the opening reception at Southface on Sunday night where over 200 early arriving conferees toured, talked, and ate their way through our environmental resource center. Monday offered up a fast paced series of speeches and presentations beginning with Jay Benforado's opening plenary remarks about the work of EPA's Office of Reinvention to promote environmental restoration instead of just regulatory management. From the alternative fuel vehicle demonstration to John Knott's eloquent luncheon speech about his mission to develop Dewees Island sustainably, attendees were exposed to more than 1 2 learning events on Monday alone.

Participants were wowed by architect Bob Foxe's presentation on the 4 Times Square project his firm

designed to be one of the most sustainable buildings ever conceived. Monday ended with the electrifying appearance of Paul Hawken, author of The Ecology of Commerce, a t a book signing reception and keynote dinner address. After speaking eloquently of Interface Corporation's impressive commitment and progress toward becoming a model sustainable industry for the 21St century, Ray Anderson introduced his mentor Hawken. During the sold out dinner event Hawken commended, challenged, and cajoled all of us to move to higher ground together and get it right while there is still time.

Tuesday offered many more opportunities to get plugged into systems thinking including architect Bill Reed's informative presentation about the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED'" program (see article in this issue) and Randall Arendt's moving presentation about land conserving housing developments.

All together this year's conference gave attendees up close and personal

access to over 50 experts on a wide variety of interrelated green building and development issues. The mixture of construction and land preservation topics was designed to reflect the systems thinking we believe necessary to create truly sustainable developments. Because even the most energy efficient home in the world loses its environmental effectiveness when its located in a sprawling subdivision on the outer edge of a car dependent region. And likewise, New Urbanism that forgets the important link between energy efficiency and the environment only gives us half the loaf. We want it all and hope you'll continue turning to Greenprints for the package deal.

What's in Store for Greenprints 2000

On February 6-8, Greenprints 2000 will be back and 500 conferees and 50 green building exhibitors are expected to take part in this three- day event celebrating the most


GREENPRINT5 '99

sustainable building technologies and smart-growth strategies emerging regionally and nationally. Next year's event will feature the latest "green" construction solutions and sustainable community design technologies including low embodied energy and recycled content building products, the latest energy efficient space conditioning and lighting solutions, healthy and sustainable interior products and design solutions, clean energy production, affordable housing, off-the-grid energy systems, and transportation systems for the 21St century.

A significant portion of the conference will also focus on where not to build including land preservation, greenway buffering, and tree and habitat protection for both ecological and community enhancement. Other environmentally friendly practices including erosion control, natural land systems for treating waste water and non-point source water pollution, and water harvesting systems will be presented as part of a systems approach to healthy growth and development.

Greenprints 2000 will focus on both the progress made and the vast opportunities that remain in moving toward measurable economic and environmental sustainability.

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Greenrprints Keynote Speakers Speak Up On Sustainability

Greenprints '99 provided a forum for some of the most provocative

speakers on the subject of sustainable development. With assistance

from volunteer Dan McQuillen and Southface staff members Natalie

Brown, Gretchen Gigley, and Polly Sattler, the words of three of our

Greenprints '99 keynote speakers are captured in these pages.

Greenprints '99

The Paul Hawken Interview Q: How did you come to be such a

prophet for sustainability?

Hawken: I have no idea how. The fact that Ecology of Commerce has had as much impact as it has is a surprise to me because when it first came out no business publication in the U.S. would even review it. My prior books were reviewed by hundreds of magazines and publications - Forbes, Business Week, Time, and Newsweek, US News and Wall

Street Journal - but they wouldn't even touch this one as though it didn't exist. Now it has become, according to a poll in Newsweek, the #1 book that colleges and universities are teaching business and environment from. But its used in many other disciplines too. Its really a testament, not to the book, but to how quickly people's view of the world is evolving and how rapidly the world is changing and people are beginning to acknowledge and recognize the feedback that is coming in from various and specific sources.

Q: Do you see specific things that are happening to make that tide begin to change?

Hawken: The environmental movement is different than any movement that has existed in history. Mostly when we associate a powerful movement, even if it's grassroots, it is usually led by a white, charismatic male and we're so used to a martyr or a warrior or a great oracle or something. The environmental movement is the opposite. There are a t least thirty thousand Non-Governmental -

Organizations (NGOs) in the U.S. and two or three times that in the rest of the world who are working on sustainability in the broadest

Volume 1, Spring 1999 7

GREENPRINTS '99

sense of the word. And what's so curious about it is that in their work they are coming up with mental models, shared frameworks of understanding about the relationships between humans and systems. Even though they're not directing that network of course, independently they're coming up with models of the world and ways to live and operate that are not only remarkable but don't conflict with each other. And therefore the movement itself, on one hand, looks very marginal. You can't find a center, or the leader. Its power and strength is its multiplicity and diversity which it mimics in a sense, what its trying to restore, to save. Because of that it is without question the most powerful movement in the world.

Q: To date, are you seeing a shift toward environmentalism?

Hawken: Yes. But if you look at the data on environmental degradation, decline of systems both macro and local basis you can't be optimistic. You have to really throw up your hands, weep and count your hair. If you then go out and meet people both in the NGO community and more and more business communities or in institutions in the median of that relationship, you have to start t o feel more and more optimistic. There is a really rapid change in perspective and awareness - worldwide in the business community about their roles and responsibilities and yet at the same time the juggernaut proceeds with tremendous power and inertia.

Q: Are you seeing a difference in business - is the trend beginning to occur in business and why do you think that is?

Hawken: Business is changing, and changing rapidly, but it's changing from a very small base, that is to say there's probably a hundred, maybe not that many, large companies today who take sustainability seriously. There are probably seventy-eight thousand small businesses, too small to show up on radar, in terms of impact, but they're very important as well. But if you step back and look at the data about ecological degradation and decline of living systems it's very disturbing and you can't be optimistic a t all. The question is will business grow and learn and accept its responsibility to the environment and society soon enough to make the differences that are required to prevent a real breakdown in social and environmental systems. Someone asked me recently, "Are you optimistic or pessimistic?". And I said that I read "The Lord of the Kings" to my children - and we read it - one thousand pages, and we start over again. That book was written during World War I1 and that book was written by a father who was sending chapters t o his son who was fighting Fascism and it looked at that time that there was no way Fascism would be deflected in Europe. Yet that book is about dark and light and I think it is a story of our times.

Q: I think it's interesting you put it in terms of dark and light.

Hawken: I do put it in terms of dark and light in a sense that darkness, being ignorance, and light, being awareness and seeing, you can't see without light.

Q: We're here for the conference on green building and trying to bring architects, landscape architects, developers, planners into the

fold, into the light - what do you say to bring people over?

Hawken: Well, in the area of so- called "green building" it's one of the easier ways to affect change because when you move towards green architecture you improve everything for everybody a t the same time, if done properly. So it's different than going to an industrial system that's entrenched with high capital costs. In the case of green buildings, whether they're retrofits or new construction, there's enough case studies and data to show they're nicer to work in, contribute to higher productivity, people are healthier, people are happier, they have higher resale value, lower footprint on the environment. And so it's really a matter of opening up the possibilities to people in terms of education, because buildings are going up and being retrofitted all the time, so you don't have the same problem of sunk cost from a big industry like the petroleum industry. But in buildings you're dealing with speed and stupidity as the main obstacles to effectively changing the landscape, materials, and design of the construction of buildings. Speed being "fastidious/ repetitious" where people build buildings and do i t over and over again because the last one worked and they don't want to change and it's cheap - you see that more in places like chip- making plants and factories where they have no architects, just engineers who rubber-stamp these buildings out. And the ignorance has to do with many developers who don't have experience taking time to do something right and having the

The Southface Journal of Sustainable Building

GREENPRINTS '99

experience of it turning out bitter. And of course you have incentives like engineers being paid a proportion of installed equipment as opposed to how efficient they design the building. Those incentives are much easier to fix because they can be changed on a building by building basis.

Q: How do you bring "The Natural Step" into all of this?

Hawken: "The Natural Step" is really about going upstream. If we're going to change then what we need to do is not start on that level of complexity where there is disagreement but go back upstream to the first order of principles on two levels. One is about how things scientifically occur in this universe; physics, thermodynamics. The second is really about what we want as people. Right now what we do is take existing trends and forecast them ahead, but "The Natural Step" is about back-casting from the future to where we are now to see if what we're doing is actually taking us to where we want to go.

For example, you can take the American Petroleum Company, International, GM, an NGO, a farmer, a hunter, and put them in a room and they can fight and scrap about the environment. You take these same people and say "what world do you want your children to live in 50-60 years from now?" And they will all agree that they want a world where the air is clean, the water is pure, more wildlife, not less; they want peace, security, good jobs, good education, and no one disagrees. If we don't disagree then let's use that as a starting point as opposed to where we are

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Q:

now and then let's go back into this complex world we have made and let's individually and institutionally start moving what we do step by step, which is why it's called "The Natural Step", so that its oriented towards where we want to go. That way you have people who are converging, who formerly were fighting and arguing about whether this metal or that compound did this to that creature or caused this rate of morbidity. That is an endless argument. It's an interesting one, from a scientific point of view, but it's a divisive and aggravating argument from a societal point of view.

Going back to the issue of green building, what is the responsibility of the architect, the designer to create a more sustainable environment?

Hawken: I think it's important to remember that buildings and concentrations of buildings in cities are responsible for half of the metabolization of all the materials and energies in the world. So, architects have an extra role. The leverage point for architecture is very different from any other profession. Maybe engineers would be the next level down since they not only design the structural components and infrastructures and the relationship of the structures that require 50% of the industrial metabolism of the world - but they also create the environment (artificial living systems in buildings) where people spend most of their time. So, because buildings are pedagogical whether we know i t or not, they teach us and effect us and we become our buildings in a certain way.

Stay tuned for Paul Hawken's next book Natural Capitalism: The Coming Efficiency Revolution

Greenprints '99

The Rav An de rs'o n In tewi ew Q: We're very excited to have you

here. How have you gotten here? How did you get to be a leader in the sustainability movement?

Anderson: Well, I've been on this road a little more than four years now, beginning in the summer of 1994 when I read Paul Hawken's book The Ecology of Commerce. And, for me, it was an epiphanal experience, a real mid-course correction for my life and, ultimately, for the life of my company and all the people of my company. And we've been on this road towards sustainability,

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ever since, inspired by Paul. ~

Q: And so, why should architects be looking a t Interface products more so than another carpet company?


GREEN PRI N T 4 '99

Anderson: That's an awkward question to answer without seeming to be self-serving. I think architects ought to support any company that is making the effort t o move toward sustainability with the products and services they are offering to the architects. In our case, we're trying very hard to be resource efficient. We have been amazed a t the progress we've made in just four years. With the final tabulation of 1998's figures we have come 40% of the way towards sustainability measured in terms of the amount of natural capital that is extracted from the Earth. In dollar terms - the amount of material extracted per dollar of revenue has decreased 40%. And that's come about through a very broad approach we have taken, not through rifle shots - recycling here or some improvement there, but across a broad front involving hundreds and hundreds of projects. We're moving up that mountain we've undertaken to climb that really and truly is higher than Everest and, really, we need our customers' help to increase our leverage with our suppliers, so we can bring them along on this mountain-climbing expedition.

Q: I have heard that Interface empowers its employees to be part of the solution. this played a part in your successful movement?

How has

Anderson: Absolutely. We undertook to open up the communications within our company from top to bottom and in all directions in order to remove fear from the organization, to abolish command and control management techniques, to open the process of teamwork, and to let the ideas

Q:

bubble up from anywhere in the organization. We also undertook to urge people to go beyond their comfort zones, to take risks. And we are an entrepreneurial company where people are encouraged to take risks and even make mistakes because we know we can learn from those mistakes and become a learning organization. And that has really engendered a sense of family, and the environmental ethic that we have undertaken has given our people a sense of a higher purpose.

Do you believe your people feel fortunate to be able to work at such a company?

anything else, is the power of the financial community saying this is right and this is smart.

Q: I understand you are a big follower of the The Natural Step environmental program? How are you incorporating this philosophy into your company's mission?

Anderson: The Natural Step is our compass. It defines the top of the mountain and all the different forces on that mountain we're climbing: eliminating waste, benign emissions, renewable energy, closing the loop, resource-efficient transportation, sensitizing our people, reinventing commerce itself, the seven faces of the mountain -

Anderson: ~ Well, ~~ according ~ ~~~ to Fortune magazine, through Fortune's own confidential survey, we were one of the best 100 companies in America to work for. I t was thrilling to have our people reach that judgement and convince Fortune, who had the opportunity to interview people from every company in America if they wanted to.

Q: Are you beginning t o see other companies follow your example?

Anderson: It's hard to know what our direct influence is on other companies, but I am quite certain, in my heart, that we have made it a little more respectable, even business-like. "Doing well by doing good" might, in fact, be the new paradigm for success in the twenty-first century business world. Socially-responsible investors and organizations are growing by leaps and bounds, investment funds subscribing to the notion of social responsibility in their investments. What will move business more than

when we reach the top on all of those faces, we will be in compliance with the four system conditions of sustainability. It defines the top of the mountain.

Q: Do you believe we are moving into the age of sustainability?

Anderson: Oh, absolutely. I think Rachel Carson started it with that wonderful book, Silent Spring, published in 1962. I think we're thirty-seven years into the next industrial revolution and I have a fairly clear picture of what that means for Interface. The first industrial revolution happened without a plan. I think today the evidence is mounting that it has come out all wrong and we are already phasing into the next industrial revolution as we seek to sever the ties between the Earth's crust and our industrial systems. The Natural Step tells us we must learn to leave natural capital where nature put it because, in the biosphere, it represents pollution, pollution that was removed by the very process of the evolution of life


GREENPRINTS '99

Q:

sequestering that toxic, poison hostility down there to make way for the species that evolved eventually into us, up here. So we must learn to use the materials that have already been taken from the crust of the Earth and use them over and over again in a cyclic fashion, abolishing linear "take, make, waste" processes.

And we will learn to harness the power of the energy of the sun directly, as opposed to indirectly through stored fossil fuels. Again, part of the process of cleaning up our biosphere was to relegate those fossil fuels down there to get them out of the biosphere up here. So, in the most profound sense, we're talking about survival of our species. We're talking about a revolution in industrialism that creates an industrial system that can meet the needs of society in a totally benign fashion with respect to the biosphere. If our species hopes to survive we have got to learn to live in harmony with nature and not abuse nature through the destructive, abusive processes of the first Industrial Revolution.

What specifically are Interface's objectives, or the faces of the sustainability mountain you are climbing?

Anderson: There are seven faces of the mountain - eliminating waste, being sure the molecular waste we do generate is benign, driving our factories and all our processes with renewable energy, closing the loop on recycling to recapture those useful molecules a t the end of their useful life giving them "life after life after life", resource-efficient transportation, and to the extent that we can't

eliminate transportation, planting trees to compensate for the fossil fuels we do consume, and in reinventing commerce to become less dependent on product but the service the product delivers.

The notion of owning carpet needs to give way to the notion of buying the service the carpet delivers, leaving with us, the manufacturer, the ownership of the means of delivering the color, the texture, the comfort on their feet, the acoustics, the cleanliness, the ambiance, the functionality, as well as the aesthetics of the carpet. Let us deliver those, but retain ownership and liability for that product when it reaches the end of its useful life because we have a huge incentive t o convert that landfill liability into an asset through closed-loop recycling.

Q: How is the market accepting this new concept?

Anderson: It's a notion that's a little

Q:

ahead of its time, but i t will come. And we will be there when the market wakes up to the advisability of leaving those molecules in our hands. When the landfills close or quit taking carpets, they'll be happy for us to take it and we want to be ready for it.

One last question, what was your purpose in publishing Interface's Sustainability Report?

Anderson: Well, the point of departure there was to tell the world how bad we were and not to try to put the best face on. We wouldn't try to greenwash everybody into thinking we were good. And it's an educational piece. Our people have learned from it. Our customers have learned from it. The industrial

community has learned from it. The environmental community has applauded us for admitting the obvious, really.

Ray Anderson introduced Greenprints '99 keynote dinner speaker Paul Hawken and signed his recently released book, Mid Course Correction during a reception before the Monday night dinner. Interface was a major contributor to this year's Greenprints Conference - Thanks Ray!

Walter Brown and John Knott take a moment to share ideas.

Greenprints '99

The John Knott Interview Q: I wanted to ask you if you could

tell me a little bit about the development principles of Dewees Island.

Knott: There are six basic principles. The first one is that land and development are natural allies, as opposed to enemies, which everybody assumes. Number two, that all buildings and development should be done in the context that

-


GREENPRINT4 '99

Q:

all resources are limited. Number three is that buildings and communities can be resource providers, not just resource users, so you can actually harvest sun and wind and the value of vegetation and water and actually provide a positive return to the community, not just a consumption relationship. Number four is that buildings and communities should be developed for people and that technology should be supportive, not dominant. Number five would be we hold the land in trust for future generations. We are lease holders here for a short time and we have an obligation to deliver our place in better shape than we received it for the next generations. And sixth is that the only way we're going t o achieve these five principles is to restore our intuitive connection to our natural systems and to each other.

In your keynote address a t Greenprints about Dewees Island, you talked about a naturalist on staff and other educational elements. How did these come about?

Knott: Well, the naturalist is really interesting because we set up a very extensive set of conservation agreements, as well as standards that have to be followed. And I was sitting there one day and thinking, "OK, if I sell you a piece of land and I've just spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to figure all this stuff out, and I'm just a t the beginning part of understanding and I still have a long way to go, how would you honor the trust you've just acquired, unless you went out and spent tha t amount of time or money?" So, we decided that we had to embark on some form of knowledge

transfer. I then went to a lot of environmental and educational groups to find a curriculum for that use and discovered there wasn't anything specific, just pieces and parts. Then, as we started to develop the learning materials we started using the island as a learning resource. It was an incredible resource because it was one of the few places left in the low-country that hadn't been taken over and destroyed by development. But the other thing we discovered is there is no education out there about how to form human habitat in balance with natural systems. The naturalist on staff was an outgrowth of the responsibility I felt to create this balance and transfer the knowledge and interest about sustainability to the residents and visitors of Dewees.

Q: What are the attitudes of people who choose to live on Dewees Island toward the environment in general?

Knott: I usually tell people we do not have tree-huggers. Most of the owners are actually entrepreneurs, not large corporation people, not Fortune 500. They care about the environment and see it as important to protecting their investment and as a legacy for their children and their grandchildren. Here's a piece of the low-country that will never change. Its whole natural system will be operating - its wildlife, all its bio-diversity. And it presents an opportunity for learning and discovery that anybody who cares about their children and their future would kill to be there for. The residents are the scientists of the community. There's a whole

voluntary set of programs where they actually do all the tree counts and all the inventories, all the water quality sampling and do a lot of the observation work, build a lot of the elements in the community. By doing that step- by-step, they're not only leaving their mark, but they're rebuilding their intuitive connection. Learning has to be with the head and the hand. And, so, the process of doing then opens up new questions which opens up new opportunities for new discoveries and it continues and continues.

Q: How will you transfer what you've learned to urban settings?

Knott: My background is primarily urban redevelopment of economically depressed areas, so I have much more understanding of that than I have of anything else. One of the things I set forth a t Dewees is to make sure that everything met an economic test so that it was not just this research project and that it could actually be replicated. And so, these principles include a process which reduces 50-60% of our urban infrastructure requirement because we're eliminating a lot of impervious surface, orienting buildings so that we actually achieve a 60-70% reduction of energy and water resource consumption. All of these things are doable and they do not cost extra dollars. They, actually, in many cases, cost less.

Q: So, do you think that's the future of development?

Knott: We teach over 3,000 professionals a year a t the island from around the world. I'm working on six or seven major development projects in the U.S.


GKEENPRINTS '99

and Canada right now. I'm working with universities on their building standards, on their whole developments, on specific projects that will be major leaders. I'm working with a monastery that had converted its campus to a sustainable model. I'm working with the archdiocese of Charleston to move them towards a more sustainable level. I think people know things don't work right and people know we're dysfunctional. I think, slowly but surely, people are coming around to the point where we're saying, "We have to find another way." And once people get to places like Dewees the logic is overpowering. One of the reasons I'm going to an urban model next and taking these concepts off the island is because the biggest problem we have is people look at Dewees as a upper-income community and say, "Well, what's that got to do with anything?" When, in fact, it has everything to do with everything. Most people don't have very wide horizons in their thinking, so what we really need to do is create another model that is holistic and meets every economic level and every need that a city has.

Q: What can we learn from our past in terms of sustainable architecture?

Knott: I think the first thing is that builders need to look at the history of building and its context. Every area of this country has sustainable architecture. Somehow, what's happened in the last fifty years, is technology took over and become our guides. And we said, "Well, OK, we're in control now. We have power." I always think

the Bauhaus School of Architecture is the absolute symbol of that sense of power, coming out of the thirties. So, basically, it's unlearning about two or three generations of bad design. Then, once you understand that, I think the next thing you do is start to study.

We once used indigenous materials

that were appropriate to the climate out of necessity. We knew

where North was. We knew where the

prevailing winds were. We knew how to build

buildings. We in tu itively built

buildings that related to their climate. A11

the great architecture in the world emerged

from its climate, place and culture.

Q: How do you go about influencing others with your messages?

Knott: What I'm trying to do now is

Q:

actually mentor other builders and developers. What I want to be able to do in the next twenty years is build capacity, not own this myself, but find a way throughout the United States to build capacity in other builders and developers to understand how t o think this way. And if I can teach the "why," if I can actually teach the process and discourage builders from being formula-oriented. That's one of the problems with New Urbanism, it's a formula. Well, lots of places don't work under that formula.

What is the most significant advice you could give other

builders and developers about sustainability?

Knott: All development in buildings should emerge from its place. I t should respect the climate. It should respect the topography. It should respect the culture. And we've got to get onto that process. And, if we do that, then our buildings will actually celebrate places and people. We'll be energy-efficient, respond to the human and the natural ecosystem in a way that makes more sense. We just need to step back and connect to who we are. And, I think, if we, as architects, builders and developers, would spend more time looking a t our children's faces and putting their face on every decision we make, and make sure that we serve every client with their own child or grandchild in mind, we could move rapidly in the right direction.

John Knott is a successful developer f rom Charleston, South Carolina. He was a keynote speaker a t Greenprints '99 and takes his environmental message based on his experiences with Dewees Island around the country. For more information about Dewees: www.deweesisland.com


http://www.deweesisland.com

Greenprints Sunspo

Dan Burden, Walkable Communities, Hawken caught during the Inc., answers questions after his signing Of his book Of

presentation. Commerce.

Paul Burks, Director of GEFA, helps kick-off the conference during opening remarks.

Bill Reed (US Green Building Council), Cathy Comins (Environmental Design & Construction), and Dan McQuillen(Georgia Tech researcher) take a breather between interviews and presentations.

Tuesday’s schedule included panel discussions, the theme “Creating Effective Incentives fo r In-Fill Development”. This panel included: Brian Leary, Michele Glenn, Paul Vesperman, Alycen Whiddon, and Mtamanika Youngblood

The keynote dinner with speaker Paul Hawken drew more than 400 participants. Many local politicians, media reporters and concerned citizens attended to hear his inspiring address.

Pictured a t the VIP table f o r the Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority: Elizabeth Robertson, Bob Donaghue, John Sibley, Harry West, Julie Ralston, Sue Wootton, Bob Martin, and Stewart Huey.


The Monday schedule included an “Alternative Fuel Vehicles f o r the 21st Century“ exhibit, held outside on the plaza on a beautiful early Spring day.

Dow AgroSciences returned to Greenprin t s ‘99 following the previous yearS success a t the conference. Their termite baiting system generated much interest.

David Parker f rom Custom Energy Control shows customers choices of window f i lm.

Traci Goins (DOE), Mike Barcik (Southface) and Leonard Mucciaso (DOE) share a moment a t the GEFA Home Energy Clinic during a session break.

Ron Castle, a geothermal heat pump distributor and installer was a t the conference to promote GeoExchange - t he geothermal heat p u m p consortium.

Tim Warman, American Farmland Trust, elaborates during his presentation. See his article on page 21.

Thanks to volunteer photographers Marie Daum and Jeremy Sewell for their work a t Greenprints.


GREENPRINTS '99

ODen SDace Conservation and Area Resourie Mapping (OSCAR) in Newton County, Georgia. by Gay Cornell, AICP

Newton County, Georgia, on the

rapidly developing fringe of

metro Atlanta, has a fast growing

population of over 40,000 and is

beginning to suffer the

environmental side effects of

sprawl development. The county

also lies in the watersheds of

three public reservoirs planned

for drinking water. In 1998

Newton County hired EDAW, a

planning and landscape

architecture firm, to help them

implement policies in their new

Comprehensive Plan that called

for the prevention of urban

sprawl, conservation of rural

character, and protection of

historic and natural resources.

The objectives of the Newton County project were:

t o preserve the rural character of the County

t o conserve natural resources

t o promote walkable, bike-able communities to preserve open space as a value added amenity in the subdivision of land

Newton County Open Space Conservation Area Resource Map ite Map

The OSCAR map for Newton County was created using ESRI/ArcInfo software and a Sun workstation and contains six kinds of mapped digital data.

The first step in preserving valuable open space and controlling sprawl is to identify and carefully map areas worthy of preservation. This step is called the Open Space Conservation and Area Resource map

or OSCAR for short. All subsequent land use and development ordinances designed to protect open space can then be directed by this important mapping process.


GREENPRINT4 '99

Creating the OSCAR map

four stages: 1) Identification of Primary

The OSCAR Map was created in

Conservation Areas

The first stage of the process was to identify Primary Conservation Areas. These are the areas of any site plan that must be excluded from all subdivided lots. This typically includes the hazardous areas of floodplain, exposed rock, and slopes greater than 25 percent. It also includes the most environmentally fragile areas of the site, such as

spaces captured in adjacent subdivisions and other parts of the community. The objective is to identify a network of possible greenways and pedestrian and bicycle pathways that would connect the open space within a subdivision to nearby homes, parks, schools, churches, and public lands.

4 ) Creating the Final Composite Map

Lastly, the three maps created are compiled and integrated into a single, composite OSCAR Map that is periodically updated. This is the most usable graphic because it:

open water, the first 25 feet of stream buffers, wetlands and habitat of endangered, threatened, or listed species of plants or animals. In addition, historic structures, sites, and properties were included in stage one.

2) Identification of Secondary

0

0

Conservation Areas.

The second stage is to identify natural resource areas that are good candidates for conservation, but are not as critical to the ecological integrity of the site. These include all land falling in a small watershed of a water supply intake reservoir, 100 foot stream buffer areas, aquifer recharge areas, soils unsuitable for septic tanks, slopes between 15 and 25 percent, mature forests, and prime agricultural land. The developer may earn bonus development density credit if he/she increases the open space to include a significant amount of these secondary conservation lands.

3) Open Space Linkages

Information System is essential to efficient preparation of an OSCAR map. The OSCAR map for Newton County was created using ESRI/ArcInfo software and a Sun workstation. Most of the digital data for the map came from the Northeast Georgia Regional Development

and other community facilities

Land preservation as part of the development process

An alternative for conserving open space in Newton County would have been for the County to acquire all sensitive lands, endangered

identifies the potential open space, prioritized into primary and secondary systems, that could be incorporated into viable open space within a future subdivision

shows the potential places where external linkages could be formed to interconnect open spaces among nearby subdivisions and public spaces

tracks the open space subdivisions as they are built and interconnected: and

maps land acquired by the county to add to the open space inventory in critical locations, for natural resource conservation and recreation opportunities.

A well-designed Geographic

2) natural resources lakes and reservoirs rivers and streams (USGS blue lines) prime farmland (USDA rating of "statewide significant") mature forests

3) environmentally sensitive lands watersheds (less than 100 sq. mi. with water supply intakes) wetlands (National Wetlands Inventory) aquifer recharge areas, and habitat of threatened, endangered, and listed suecies.

4 ) hazardous areas 100-year floodplains soils unsuitable for septic tanks steep slopes (15-25% and over 25%) or exposed rock

5) historical resources buildings, structures, sites, and historic districts listed on the National Register

areas archaeologically significant

6) opportunities for community linkages

stream corridors railroad and utility easements parks and recreational

schools, libraries, churches, facilities

The third stage of the OSCAR mapping process is to identify and map the linkage opportunities. These are areas that may pass through the subdivision's open space and could be connecting links between open

Center (NEGRDC). The OSCAR Map contains six kinds of mapped digital data: 1) base information

political boundaries streets and highways areas of existing development

habitat and passive recreation areas a t public cost. Some of this will still be necessary. However, conserving natural resources in the private development process is a financially sustainable alternative for small local governments. The OSCAR


GREENPRINTS '99

process forms the basis for a dynamic partnership between government and the development community for the conservation of open space through development incentives.

By adapting standard cluster subdivision ordinances to create density incentives for setting aside conservation areas, known as Open Space Conservation ordinances, local government can meet goals for open space preservation without harming developers. Standards and incentives are established to locate conservation areas in large, intact common areas that protect water quality and habitat, yet are accessible to all residents of the community by internal pathways. Under the proposed development ordinance, a minimum of 20% of the entire site must remain open space. And, a t least half of this

preserved open space should be left in a natural or passive, undisturbed state. In addition to passive areas, common areas may also provide space for active recreation such as swimming, ball fields, or picnicking. All open space should be carefully sited to serve as a buffer to streams and lakes, leaving the most durable areas for construction of homes.

Summary

areas of metropolitan Atlanta must act expeditiously to have any reasonable chance of protecting significant environmental resources. Establishing a system that results in a fair program of identification, classification, and preservation of valuable land assets is in the best interest of developers, residents, and the entire county. Strategies to attract the high tech industries of

Local governments in outlying

the future will be increasingly reliant on the visually obvious success a local government has had a t preserving a clean and esthetically pleasing natural environment

Gary Cornell is a Senior Associate a t EDAW, a major land planning and landscape architecture f i rm with offices in Atlanta and around the world. Gary was a speaker a t Greenprints '99

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GREENPRINTS '99

Natural Stormwater Management Systems: A Review from Greenprints '99 by Michael Coren

Stormwater runoff in urban areas poses significant environmental

threats. Water coursing across paved surfaces picks up a toxic soup of

pollutants, erodes the landscape, creates turbidity problems that

threaten streambed ecology, and fails to recharge underground

aquifers. Atlanta's astronomical growth consumes 15 percent

additional land area for every one percent increase in the city's

population, and much of this land is paved with impervious surfaces

that intensify stormwater runoff and non-point source water pollution.

Finding solutions to the problem of urban stormwater was the focus of

a session at Greenprints '99 presented by two well known experts in

the field, Tom Debo from Georgia Tech, and Bruce Ferguson from the

University of Georgia.

Dr. Tom Debo, one of the session's two speakers and a professor in the College of Architecture a t Georgia Tech, said that with early storm water management "logic was the last thing we used. We used political pressure, monetary reasoning, regulations, past practice, but we didn't use a lot of logic ... [It] has never been the thing that has driven the system." For decades, storm water management practices focused on diverting water away from developed areas as quickly as possible and concentrating runoff into pipes and culverts to be dumped into unprotected urban waterways.

Today, Debo sees a shift away from controlling merely the amount of stormwater runoff towards

managing the water quality of runoff, as well. This includes using porous pavements, gray water reclamation for irrigation and city use, and a greater community involvement in stormwater management and watershed protection. Best Management Practices (BMPs) that combine these aspects of water management are now being developed and tested in such cities as Atlanta, Chattanooga, and Ft. Lauderdale.

Debo illustrated an infiltration basin he designed recently to be incorporated into the urban landscape of Chattanooga, Tennessee. Projected to provide a significant new source of reclaimed and purified water for city use, as well as eliminating major problems of

Porous p a v e m e n t being installed a t South f a c e


GREENPRINT4 '99

stormwater runoff in the area, audience members were impressed by this example of sustainable infrastructure. Debo's design avoids traditional civil engineering systems in favor of non-structural techniques and strategies. These include management programs that prevent pollutants from entering streams, targeting certain pollutants in urban runoff, utilizing natural landscape for filtration, and encouraging community education and involvement.

Using these non-structural BMPs, the system can turn a traditional disadvantage, excess stormwater runoff, into an advantage by recovering water though a natural filtration system. This integrated system diverts 65% of the stormwater runoff otherwise dumped into the sewers and collects it for use in washing city vehicles and irrigating tree farms. Debo's innovative proposal for the infiltration basin spans the area of two football fields and will sit on 400 acres of Chattanooga's Southside Redevelopment Area.

According to Debo, the most impressive benefit of this project for local governments are the cost savings. The water collected does not have to go through the treatment plant where it goes now. It bypasses the combined sewer and stormwater (CSO) system and the water can be reused and even sold by the city. Debo sees another advantage of this project over traditional stormwater control projects, "You can build them in pieces and link them together as you build them:' Unlike reservoirs or water diversion channels, the infiltration basin can be built in sections and then the entire system can be networked together.

The session's other speaker,

Bruce Ferguson, a professor a t the University of Georgia's School of Environmental Design, spoke about the structural properties of porous pavements and their possible applications. Because porous pavements allow rainwater to seep into the ground through pavement, the amount of stormwater runoff is reduced and water quality is improved. Porous pavements can be made of concrete, asphalt, open- celled stones, and gravel, that are mixed in a manner that creates an open cell structure allowing water and air to pass through.

Unlike traditional concrete or asphalt, porous pavements typically provide a void content of 15-25%, offering improved filtration and an enormous amount of surface area to catch oils and chemical pollutants. The bacteria living in these spaces break down pollutants preventing much of the polluted runoff that normally occurs with traditional pavements. Parking lots, in particular, hold a tremendous potential for this material because of the amount of oil and other hydro- carbon liquids that seep from parked cars.

Concerns about clogging up porous pavements can be "designed out", according to Ferguson, by reducing erosion and sediment runoff through strategic design and water retaining ground cover. Although the rate of water filtration of porous pavements usually drops from an initial high of 160 inches of water per hour t o a constant rate of 16 inches of water per hour, this is still far above most conceivable rain events and highly effective in controlling stormwater drainage.

There is also a broader urban application for this building material. The strength and durability of porous pavement appears to be equal to

traditional materials. There are several examples of parking lots built more than twenty years ago with porous pavement that are still structurally sound and in use. Porous pavement is also less susceptible to freeze-thaw cracking. The material's ability to retain stormwater while improving water quality makes this material a very exciting example of green or sustainable building practice.

Ferguson also advocates a new mind set when designing stormwater management systems. Rather than designing a system for huge storm events that may occur only once a century, water management planners should consider the smaller, more frequent rain intervals. Atlanta, for example, receives significantly more than half its annual rainfall from precipitation events of less than an inch. "The ecosystem lives and dies on daily events", Ferguson says. A stormwater system incorporating porous pavement will be much more effective in reducing runoff and increasing the amount of filtered groundwater.

Michael Coren is a s tudent a t Emory University in the Journalism Program as well as a Southface volunteer. He attended Greenprints and provided this review for the South face Journal.


GREENPRINT5 '99

The Role of Farmlands in Communities by Tim Warman

Only during the past couple of years have phrases like "smart

growth" and "livable communities" become part of the public

debate. The aging baby boom generation is viewing suburbia and

suburban lifestyles with increasing concern and asking what

happened to the pastoral vision? What happened to the open

space, convenience, economic opportunity, and sense of

community that drew waves of people out of once vital cities and

rural communities into suburbs that have expanded like the rings

of a tree around every urban area?

In the simplest terms, the communities that once dotted the countryside have all run together like buckets of spilled paint. Driving on crowded highways people only know they have left one community and entered another when they see the signs that tell them so. In thousands of places across the United States, the last farm separating two communities is either already gone or soon will be. With i t go the last vestiges of the working landscape.

The United States Department of Agriculture is confident that continued advances in agricultural technology insure that Americans won't go hungry for lack of food. So, while we may miss our locally grown vine-ripened tomatoes or the pick-your-own strawberries that disappear under a million new cul-de-sac subdivisions, when it comes to commodity crops like hybrid corn and soybeans - there won't be any shortages. I'm not sure any of us really want ubiquitous mono-culture

subdivisions and distant, mono- culture farming to be our only agricultural heritage.

The public increasingly views farmland as a multiple use resource; as scenic open space, watershed and wildlife habitat as well as land needed for food production. For most, it is not simply open, undeveloped rural land, but rather a key part of their local community that contributes significantly t o everyone's quality of life.

Since the end of the Second World War, the population rose from 141 million in 1945 to 255 million in 1992. During the same period land use per person more than doubled from one-tenth acre per person to almost one-quarter acre each. And, the Atlanta metro area is renowned for this inefficient conversion of regional pasture and forest land into ultra low density sprawl.

The data on increasing land use

per capita is closely correlated with studies by the U.S. Department of Agriculture reporting the loss of a million acres of farmland a year. Sixty percent of this lost farmland is rated prime or unique. It is the very best farmland! To put the loss of farmland into perspective, there are 400 million acres of cropland and another 600 million acres of pasture and rangeland. However, the majority of it is in the vast, sparsely populated heartland region where it provides few direct benefits to most Americans.

A study conducted by American Farmland Trust identified the regions of the country where highly productive farmland and rapid urbanization are occurring together. Just 20 of the country's 181 Major Land Resource Areas representing seven percent of the land in the continental United States account for 2 1 percent of the prime or unique farmland permanently converted to low density development in the decade from 1982 to 1992.

In a soon to be released study of the non-farm benefits of farmland, American Farmland Trust (AFT) asked 4,000 households in suburban Illinois to share their attitudes and feelings about farmlands in their communities. More than 50 percent rated preservation of farmland and other open space as very important. Their reasons provide some insight into the public's perception of benefits from farmland.

In general, the respondents gave equal importance to preserving farmland and open space for the following reasons: (1) to slow down and control development, (2) to preserve the

Volume 4, Winter 1998 21

GREENPRINT5 '99

rural quality of the country, (3) to preserve the scenic beauty of the country, (4) to reduce flooding, and (5) to protect groundwater quality. Furthermore, the majority of households indicated a willingness to pay up to $100 annually to protect farmland in their communities.

One by one, communities are beginning to develop a vision for themselves that includes farmland as part of an important mixture of urban and rural land forms. Developing a vision for the landscape in a community's future is the first step in achieving the landscape of choice and a truly livable community. Working toward implementing this vision is a what defines smart growth.

Tim Warman i s Vice President for Programs a t the American Farmland Trust and spoke a t Greenprints '99. He was formerly with Montgomery County, Maryland, a f a s t growing suburban county beside Washington, DC, where he helped establish their highly regarded land preservation system that has kept a third of the county's land in a rural state. You can contact the Trust at:

American Farmland Trust 1200 Nth Street, N.W. Suite 800 Washington, DC 20036 202-331-7300

Thanks again to our numerous sponsors without whom Greenprints '99 would not have been possible. A special thanks goes to the

5 conference co-presenter - the Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority.

I . . . . . . . . . . . . .

~ ~

ASHRAE, Atlanta AIA, Atlanta AIA, Georgia Alliance to Save Energy/Efficient Windows Collaborative American Forests ASLA, Georgia Atlanta Gas Light BOMA Consulting Engineers Council of Georgia CH2M HILL Clean Cities - Atlanta EnerVision Environmental Design and Construction Magazine The Georgia Conservancy Georgia's EMCs Georgia Planning Association

. . . . . .

. . .

. . . . . .

. .

Georgia Power Greater Atlanta Home Builders Hedgewood Properties, Inc. Jackson Spalding Jordan, Jones and Goulding Little 5 Points Business Association Macauley Properties, LTD. Merck Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce Mindspring Enterprises Oak Ridge National Laboratories Pimsler Hoss Architects Rebuild America Sierra Club Southeast Alliance for Sustainable Development Turner Foundation U.S. Green Building Council

I P I M S L E R * H O S S * A R C H I T E C T S (404)875-1517 fax(4041875-2475

A . Architects of the Southface Energy and Environmental Resource Center -

phal @mindspring.com


mailto:mindspring.com

GREENPRINTS '99

Musings About Greenprints '99 by Clayton Preston, AIA

The 1999 Greenprints conference came at an auspicious time for

the Atlanta region and the nation. More and more attention is

being focused on the dire economic and environmental

consequences of conventional growth patterns, or sprawl. Our

region can only benefit from more airing of this vital issue. While

politicians and pundits today seem busy trying to polarize the

issue of growth, Southface has provided a balanced and vital forum

where real solutions to real problems can be generated.

So, let me say it straight-" the Southface Greenprints conference was a thrill". As an architect, I've gone to many conferences but this was the first time my company was both presenting a project and displaying an exhibit of our work. But that was not the only thrilling aspect of the event for me.

The many superb programs left me torn by good choices. I missed some of them because of fruitful

For example, Memorial Ecosystems displayed their woodland memorial park where a family can visit a grave site in the serenity of a woodland trail by a stream! There were several new products which we will be incorporating into projects that we have underway. A small example is the hot water recirculating pump called the D- Mand System by ACT Metlund that saves water while you wait for hot water to reach your sink. We have already purchased and installed this product since the conference.

Of course, the major thrill for me came from hearing comments a t our exhibit of three different Conservation Communities our firm has designed. One of those communities, East Lake Commons, was presented during the Learning Fair. East Lake Commons is an intown Atlanta Conservation Community for which we provided master planning, site design and village planning for the developer, Jack Morse. Pimsler Hoss Architects provided architectural plans for all the homes. There are 68 fee simple homes and two community buildings clustered in a manner that de-emphasizes the role of the automobile and creates a pedestrian friendly circulation pattern through the development. The plan allowed 60 percent of the land, or about 10 acres, to be permanently preserved as green space including seven acres of organic gardens, a woodland area, soccer field, and stream buffers.

conversations struck up with new colleagues in the pre-functions areas - talk that I had to follow to its useful conclusion. A t the same time, Southface's organization and staff work made everything click with a flow that was lively and fluid. subdivision developer stopping by

One dyed-in-the-wool

our booth began to see the larger picture. "Wow! When you unlink the car from the house, it opens up tremendous possibilities." Another

Being an exhibitor for the first time was exciting beyond my highest expectations. For one thing. it made me aooreciate other

I. .- guest, a representative from a large residential development

exhibits and what they showed.

Volume 4, Winter 1998 23

GREENPRINT4 '99

RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL PLUMBING SERVICE

(404) 524- 1 825 FAX (404) 524-4228

496 GLEN IRIS DRIVE ATLANTA, GEORGIA 30308

LICENSED INSURED MEMBER GAPHCC

Thanks to Caribou Coffee

For support of the Atlanta Sustainable Roundtable

series

orporation, reacted with his own "Wow!" "You can use development as a onservative tool!" Reactions like these were music to our ears.

The biggest thrill of all came when the nationally known conservation

bout the projects and after some discussion and explanation of the projects aid, "I'm working on a new book and this is better than anything I have for :." We of course agreed to provide him with drawings so that our project an be included in his book. I'm counting on Southface to let the public now when its available in Atlanta. I'm also counting on being a part of reenprints 2000 and hope many others will as well.

layton W. Preston, AIA, is a n architect with Village Habitat Design and n exhibitor a t Greenprints '99.

llanner, Randall Arendt, stopped by our display. He was visibly enthusiastic ~~

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appraisal system works on approximately 25 buildings nationwide. Although the Southface Center is a bit older than permitted for rating under LEED we're proposing our building as a possible test site.

Category Credits Available Planning Sustainable Sites ....................... 11 Improving Energy Efficiency ..................... 11 Conserving Materials and Resources .......... 1 2 Enhancing Indoor Environmental Quality .... 7 Safeguarding Water ................................... 6 Safeguarding Water (Bonus Credits) ............ 2 Improving the Design/Build Process ............ 1 TOTAL POINTS AVAILABLE ........................ 50

Pleased that energy and resource efficiency are the major point getters under

I t s Time To LEED or Get Out of the Way by Walter Brown

Southface recently joined the U.S. Green

highest ranking for energy, a building must score 95% or better under the EPA/DOE Energy Star program. Such a building would be in the top 5% nationally for total energy consumption!

A LEED reference guide is for IJSGBC members

that gives designers the

Building Council (USGBC), a coalition of product

manufacturers, environmental groups, building

Benchmarking Tool using predicted or actual annual energy consumption " (provides 4 credits)

"Supply 20% of the building's total energy load through building- integrated or directly-connected renewable energy systems" (provides 2 credits)

Once points are added up out of a possible 50 credits, the following

professionals, professional societies, governments, and others

dedicated to "Green Building" technology. The Council just introduced

ratings can be achieved: Bronze rating:

22-26 of available credits Silver rating: a rating system called Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design

27-30 credits ~

or LEED". Bill Reed, Vice Chairman of the USGBC conducted a seminar Gold rating:

LEED, we're also excited it recognizes the full breadth of issues required for a systems approach to sustainable design. For example, under site planning, both sprawl and heat island effects are recognized and projects that avoid both are favor e d .

The approach to standards setting taken by LEED developers was t o try and adopt national standards already in use like EPA/DOE's Energy Star Benchmarking Tool. Less well known standards were chosen for other categories such as the Maryland Model Erosion Control Ordinance. In

A sample of the language used under several LEED categories include:

1) Planning Sustainable Sites

"Preserve and/or plant a t least one (1) tree on the site located within every 1,000 square feet of impermeable grade surface on the building lot, including parking, plazas, etc." (provides 1 credit)

2) Improving Energy Efficiency

"Obtain a score of 90 or greater on the EPA/DOE Energy Star

follow the program. Southface is excited about our involvement with the USGBC and hopes to offer design courses under LEED in the near future. LEED represents an approach that must be taken seriously if we are to continue

irreplaceable ecological systems required for life on earth.

For more information about joining the USGBC or j u s t t o see what they're u p to, go to their web site a t www.usgbc.org

building without sacrificing ~- ~~

~ ~~


http://www.usgbc.org

May 22-23, Hands-on Strawbale Wall Raising. Come help a Southface member build his strawbale studio and in the process learn about this alternative building/ insulation material. Call Southface to register 404/872-3549 x116

May 26, Wednesday Night Seminar. Free seminar offered to friends and members of Southface. This month come hear Frank Parker an expert on BioFuel technology in the south. Southface, 6:30 pm to 8:OO pm. Please RSVP 404/872-3549 x0. Southface will remain open from 5:OOpm to 6:30 pm i f y o u want to come by early for a tour or to use our extensive library.

June 2, Conservation Community Seminar. 7:OO - 8:30pm, Southface. Greg Ramsey of Village Habitat Design will be leading this informative session. Contact Village Habitat: (404)525-4828 to RSVP.

June 4, Sustainable Atlanta Roundtable - "Talking Trash" - is zero waste possible? 7:30 - 9:00 am, SciTrek meeting room, by reservation only: RSVP at [email protected] or 404/872-3549 x124. $5.00 (includes breakfast and Caribou Coffee)

June 4-5, Southern Builder's Show. Southface will be in attendance at this year's builder's show. Please stop by our booth (look for Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority) and ask us about our continuing education program with the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association. Cobb Galleria Center, Atlanta, GA

.- June 5-13, 9-Day Homebuilding August 12-15, Weekend School. Southface's signature Homebuilding School. Sign up now homebuilding course for consumers, and receive an "early-bird discount builders, inspectors and appraisers. for this weekend homebuilding Continuing education credit available course. Call 404/872-3549 x0 to through AIA, Greater Atlanta HBA, register or for more information. and GAHI. Call 404/872-3549 x0 to register or for more information.

June 22, Best Building Practices. Held at the Greater Atlanta Home Builder's Association. For more information contact Pam Amendola at 770/938-9900 ~ 1 8 .

July 13, Introduction to Sustainable Commercial Building Design and Operating Practices. A t the Carter Presidential Center - Free seminar, limited registration. 7:OO am - noon. Sponsored by Southface, Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, and BOMA. RSVP to [email protected] or 404/872-3549 ~ 1 2 6

July 17, Project Water Education for Teachers (WET) Workshop. For more information contact Petey Giroux a t EPD-Water Protection Branch/GA Project Wet a t 404/675-1638

July 22, Designing Green- Without Spending More Green $$. Class for design professionals that want to incorporate more sustainable features in their projects without adding significant cost. Call 404/872-3549 x0 to register or for more information.

August, HERS Rater Training. Southface offers this 5-day rater training to professionals already in the field of energy or construction that are looking to expand into energy ratings. HERS stands for Home Energy Rating System. Call 404/ 872-3549 x116 for more information.

Solar Is The Power To Live Where You Please. Wherever you plan to build, Siemens can help turn your plans into realitywith dependable solar electric power systems.

Silently, without fuel or pollution, a Siemens solar system can supply you with year after year of troublefree electricity Find out now just how easy it is to have a system to meet all or part of your electrical needs.

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visit Greenprints on the web at:

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Attent ion Energy Efficient and Green Product Vendors

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For information contact: Morningstar Management a t 404/653-0606

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Southface Homebuilding School

Building your dream house? Don't let it turn into a nightmare. Whether you'll be doing the work yourself, or just want to communicate more effectively with a designer or builder, the Southface Homebuilding School and Short Courses give you the knowledge to make building decisions with confidence. All the Homebuilding

Courses are ideal for those remodeling a home, too.

The strength of the Homebuilding School is our instructors: architects, engineers, builders, carpenters, plumbers and electricians. These professional men and women are knowledgeable in their fields and are skilled at working with owner-builders. You'll hear the latest theory, learn which products work and where to buy them, what common mistakes owner-builders make and how to avoid them. You'll learn-by-doing as you frame a wall, and shingle a roof. Special electrical and plumbing labs teach you how the pros do it. Passive solar design, new energy technologies, scheduling and managing subs, buying materials, and financing are all examined within the context of the complete building process.

Homebuilding School - June 5 - 1 3

Homebuilding Short Courses August 12-15 and October 5-8

Workshops Passive Solar Design - October 16 Learn the latest in passive solar design and techniques. A one-day short course covering site selection, calculations, and material selection.

Solar Tour o f Homes - October 1 6

Discounts Homebuilding school registrants can take a $20 discount for registration two weeks prior to first day of course. Southface members receive an additional $15 discount for Homebuilding courses and $5 for all workshops.

Visit the Southface website: www.southface.org for more information on Southface homebuilding courses and workshops, or call (404) 872-3549 x0 for a brochure.

1 Registration Form .

. : June 5-13

. Homebuilding Short Course - October 20-23

Southface Homebuilding School and Short Courses

Homebuilding School - 9-day course

. 0 $495 Individual 0 $695 Couple

. 0 $295 Individual c1 $395 Couple

. Choose date: ' 0 August 12-15

0 October 5-8

: Passive Solar Design Workshop - October 16 . 0 $50 Individual

. Solar Tour of Homes - October 16

: Southface Membership - Year-round benefits . 0 $7 Individual

' Join Southface for $30 and receive $15 discount on . Homebuilding courses / $5 discount on Workshop fees. . 0 I want t o join Southface ' 0 I am already a Southface member

' Fees . Course Tuition $ '

(Homebuilding courses only) $ Less $20 Early Registration discount

. Southface membership

' Less Southface membership discount

. Net Total $

. ($30 per membership) 0 New 0 Renewal $

$ ($15 -Homebuilding courses/ $5 -Workshops)

Note: Early registration is 2 weeks before start of course. There is a $35 charge for cancellation within 2 weeks of course date.

'

' Name . Address

City . State zi u ' Telephone( )

. Work Telephone ( )

Fax ( ) . email: ' OVISA 0 Mastercard Expiration date: / /

. account number

signature

'

. '

.

Register by mail, pay by check or credit card and mail to : Southface Energy Institute, 241 Pine Street, Atlanta, GA 30308

Register by fax - ( 4 0 4 ) 872-5009

Register by phone - ( 4 0 4 ) 872-3549

ab


http://www.southface.org

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Since 1978, Southface has offered education, research and technical assistance programs on sustainable energy and environmental technologies. As an independent, non-profit organization, Southface is nationally recognized for consumer programs, professional training, and expertise in energy efficient affordable housing.

The Southface Energy and Environmental Resource Center is a state-of-the-art home that showcases practical ways to save money, use resources wisely and reduce pollution.

Southface hours

Monday-Friday from 9:00am-5:00pm Saturday from 10:00am-5:00pm For more information, call 404/872-3549

Our public interest work is made possible through the generous support of our members. Please become a member today. Your help is needed to keep Southface an effective voice promoting environmental sustainability.

99 greenprints conference report(february 21-24) greenprints '99 conference and trade show. in...

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