National Sustainable Buildings Workshop

Described below are the tasks that each participant at the workshop is asked to actively participate in. In order to use all of our limited time as effectively as possible, please think about the issues beforehand, and come as prepared as possible.

Each of the five working groups will have one facilitator (a member of the working group, who has been identified already), and one recorder (a graduate student of architecture, environmental policy or business administration).

FYI: One of the participants (Wayne Trusty) is going to present the results at AIA COTE's "Mainstreaming Green Conference" in Chattanooga, TN (Oct. 14-17).

DAY ONE, VISIONING and ESTABLSIHMENT of SUSTAINABILITY INDICATORS

By using the suggested Tentative List of Indicators as a starting point, we will compile a list of indicators that can guide the implementation process of more environmentally sustainable building projects. Being aware of the fact that environmental sustainability is not an absolute condition, we will develop a diverse set of indicators that can be used to measure progress towards one's vision of Sustainability. Wherever meaningful and possible, we will establish concrete metrics and near-term targets towards achieving Sustainability (e.g., lbs. of greenhouse gas emissions per sqft., level of tax incentives, VOC content in paints, etc.). We will also include information on "best practices" for each item.

There is a threefold purpose of this exercise: a) to help refine existing "green building" guides and checklists by providing quantitative metrics, b) to complete such checklists by adding in non-technical aspects (e.g., codes, organizational or educational conditions), and c) to provide comprehensive guidelines and resources for policy makers.

DAY TWO, BARRIER IDENTIFICATION and DEVELOPMENT of STRATEGIES

Within their working group's specific focus area (i.e., codes, educational issues), participants will be asked to identify the obstacles they have encountered in their "green building" efforts, and to synthesize and organize these barriers. In the afternoon session the results of the morning session should serve as an excellent basis for the development of strategies and solutions to be suggested to the appropriate agencies, or industry or academic groups, with the goal of eliminating such obstacles. Based on the relatively wide variety of participants' professional backgrounds, we are expecting those recommendations/strategies to be as pragmatic and specific as possible. We, the workshop organizers, will then submit those recommendations to the appropriate target group.

Finally, we hope you will have plenty of opportunities at and around the workshop to get to know other participants.

WORKING GROUP MEMBERS

Environmental performance assessment group Joshua Abush, Toronto, ON Elizabeth Cordero, Cambridge, MA Brian Deal, Champaign, IL Rebecca A. Head, Ann Arbor, MI Lindsay Mason, Granville, OH Greg Norris, North Berwick, ME, FACILITATOR Celeste Novak, Ann Arbor, MI Christopher Pyzik, Kalamazoo, MI David Shearer, San Francisco, CA Wayne B. Trusty, Merrickville, ON	Economics working group Eric Huffman, Ijamsville, MD Geoff Lewis, Ann Arbor, MI Fred Mayer, Ann Arbor, MI Linda Meeks, Detroit, MI Robert Overhiser, Ann Arbor, MI David Robertson, Detroit, MI Adam Saling, San Diego, CA John Sarver, Lansing, MI Tom Stanton, Lansing, MI Kath Williams, Bozeman, MT, FACILITATOR
Code issues group David Eisenberg, Tucson, AZ, FACILITATOR Kurt Brandle, Ann Arbor, MI Sahba La'al, Ann Arbor, MI Veronica Pratt Pierce, Cleveland, OH Jonathan Levy, Boston, MA Maurice Cohen, Iowa City, IA Kenneth Clein, Ann Arbor, MI Richard Black, Ann Arbor, MI Michael Wolk, Ann Arbor, MI	Organizational conditions group George Beeler, Petaluma, CA, FACILITATOR Jim Christenson, Ann Arbor, MI Sherrie Gruder, Madison, WI William Harvey, Ann Arbor, MI Judi Heerwagen, Seattle, WA Maggie McInnis, Ann Arbor, MI Russell Perry, Charlottesville, VA Leith Sharp, Sydney, NSW Bill Stough, Grand Rapids, MI Geri Unger, Cleveland, OH
Stakeholder and public education group Pat Ballentine, Lansing, MI Bradley Guy, Gainesville, FL Steve Kellert, New Haven, CT Judy Kelly, Dearborn, MI Charles Kibert, Gainesville, FL Bob Kobet, Pittsburgh, PA Phil Kreitner, Portland, OR Karen Lewis, Chicago, IL Mark Stranahan, Ann Arbor, FACILITATOR Paul Williams, Rosemont, IL Ramsey Zimmerman, Ann Arbor, MI

10/3/99

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