Architect Chosen for Fred Rogers Center, Conference Center: Saint Vincent College officials announced the selection of Davis Gardner Gannon Pope Architecture (DGGP) of Pittsburgh for a $12 million, 40,000-square-foot green campus building. It will house The Fred M. Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children's Media, as well as the Saint Vincent College Conference Center and Exhibition Hall. The structure will include a variety of sustainable design features such as superinsulated construction, daylight and natural ventilation, high-efficiency mechanical and electrical systems, on-site stormwater management, and water conservation controls. St. Vincent will seek to have the building LEED-certified. For more information, please visit here.

High-Performance Green Schools Planning Grants: The Governor's Green Government Council and the Pennsylvania Department of Education invite school districts to apply for a High-Performance Green Schools Planning Grant. These types of schools provide a demonstrably better learning environment for students and enjoy reduced annual operating expenses. To encourage school districts to invest in such facilities, these grants will help defray costs that are not typically included in design fees, but that are critical to the construction of a high performance building. They are funded by the State Public School Building Authority and jointly administered by the Green Government Council and the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Further details are available on the GGGC website, http://www.gggc.state.pa.us/.

American Energy Harvest Offers Homegrown Solutions: Earlier this month, Governor Rendell addressed the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., which serves as a venue for newsmakers who offer substantive solutions to some of our nation's biggest challenges. The governor focused his remarks on the need for a coherent and long-term policy to enable our country to decrease its dependence on foreign oil and natural gas. In his address, he called for an "American Energy Harvest" that, within 10 years, would reduce the need for energy imports by 16%. More information can be found by clicking here.

Kresge Foundation Receives U.S. Green Building Council 2005 Leadership Award: This award, given to Kresge in the Community category, acknowledges the foundation's green building leadership and programs, including its Green Building Initiative —a national program that provides educational materials and funding for non-profit organizations to plan and design green buildings. To date, Kresge has awarded 63 green building planning grants, totaling $4,146,000. The Foundation also awarded 33 grants totaling $5,450,000 as a bonus program for grantee organizations achieving LEED certification through the USGBC. Publications such as Why Build Green? and How Do I Build Green?, along with multiple non-profit case studies and grant guidelines, can be downloaded at www.kresge.org

LEED Core and Shell Public Comment Period Now Open: The U.S. Green Building Council is soliciting input on the first draft of the LEED for Core and Shell Rating System (LEED-CS). The first public comment period will continue through Monday, January 16, 2006 at 5 p.m. PST. Click here to participate.

USGBC Seeks New Certification Assessors: Based on the domestic and international success of LEED, the U.S. Green Building Council is expanding the pool of consultants who provide LEED certification review services. The organization is currently seeking between one and five new LEED certification assessors for three LEED rating systems: LEED-NC, LEED-CI, and LEED-CS. Assessors are tasked with technical review of documentation submitted in LEED certification applications and logistical coordination of the review process. Consultants work with USGBC staff to develop review documents and comments, which serve as fundamental communications with project teams regarding applications for LEED certification.

Applied architectural, engineering, and sustainability expertise and familiarity with the LEED Rating System and certification process are essential to the successful execution of this work.

Please click here for more details or to submit your qualifications to the USGBC. The deadline for submissions is December 31, 2005.

Greening the Heartland 2006 - Call For Presenters: The Greater Kansas City Chapter is this year's host for Greening the Heartland – Advancing Sustainable Practices . This annual meeting of regional Heartland Chapters of the U.S. Green Building Council is planned to educate attendees in smart, innovative, and responsible building practices and implementation. The event seeks high-level, advanced presentations from experienced professionals in the fields of architecture; engineering; planning; landscape design; contracting and building; urban design; interior design; and building ownership, operation and maintenance. Presenters should share information and inspiration on respective projects, detailing successes, challenges and opportunities. For more information, please visit here.

Limited Ad Space Still Available!
Include a business card ad in the 2005 issue of Shades of Green and show your commitment to green best practices. With a target audience of local and national decision-makers in the fields of finance, development, health care, government, education, and arts and culture, the 2005 Shades will once again contain a directory of regional LEED-accredited professionals and their projects. Through your advertisement, potential clients will easily be able to connect with your company. The deadline for inclusion is January 6, 2006. Please contact Karen Puff at 412-431-0709 or email at karenp@gbapgh.org for further details.