Sustainable building practices can be both environmentally responsible and economically beneficial, participants in a recent green building roundtable heard.
The free event, hosted by Berks Nature’s Nature Place at Angelica Creek Park, was presented by Reading’s Public Works Department in cooperation with the Green Building Alliance.
The Pittsburgh-based nonprofit works with communities to create spaces that are as healthy for people as they are for the environment, according to its website.
GBA partnered with the city to provide expertise on sustainable building practices, present the monthly roundtables and offer free annual energy and water use assessments to building owners in Reading
Called Green Building 101, the program was the first in a series of Resilient Reading Roundtables designed to educate and inspire, said Ashley DiGregorio, GBA’s senior director of energy and communities.
“We hope these conversations will spur excitement to join GBA’s cohort for future learning and build collaborative efforts toward local resiliency,” she said.
While open to all, the roundtable was geared toward building owners, school and other facility managers, small-business owners, developers, construction professionals and architects.
DiGregorio presented an overview of strategies to design, upgrade and operate new and existing buildings to reduce energy use and impacts on the environment. This can be accomplished, she said, while still making the buildings modern, attractive and affordable to operate.
Green buildings use 39% less energy, 12% less water, 70% less electricity and produce 38% less carbon emissions, she said. They can also reduce operating costs and improve health and productivity, she noted.
There is a misconception that historic buildings cannot be sustainable, said Bethany Ayers Fisher, city sustainability manager.
“Let’s bust that myth right now,” she said.
Ayers Fisher called sustainable building practices another tool that can be used for adaptive reuse projects in Reading and elsewhere.
DiGregorio’s presentation included examples of older and historic buildings renovated in the Pittsburgh area using energy efficient and other green techniques.
The MuseumLab, for example, is a project of the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh. It includes space for young people to experiment with art and technology, a charter middle school, and incubator space.
It is housed in the former Carnegie Free Library of Allegheny. Called a beautiful ruin, the building was renovated to reveal its original 1890 archways, columns and mosaic floors and provide a unique space that honors the past while welcoming the future.
Ayers Fisher said the roundtable was part of the city’s Resilient Reading initiative, which focuses on sustainability practices in six key categories: energy, waste, water, mobility, public health and quality of life, and community and economic development.
In order to build a resilient future, she said, Reading is guided by the three pillars of sustainability:
• Social: Improving the health, equity and quality of life for all Reading residents.
• Environmental: Protecting and improving Reading’s natural resources and working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and pollution that contribute to climate change.
• Economic: Encouraging business and job growth within the city.
Ayers Fisher gave an overview of Reading’s sustainability initiatives.
The city is undertaking an $18 million construction project across 14 public buildings, she said. Five HVAC systems are being replaced with all-electric alternatives, eliminating heating oil from facilities, she noted. More than 3,500 LED lighting replacements are being installed in city buildings, parks and baseball fields.
Participants also had an opportunity to learn about the sustainable features of The Nature Place from Kaitlyn Tothero, events and visitor experience manager for Berks Nature.
The Nature Place is a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Designs, or LEED, Gold-certified building that is home to the environmental conservation organization, its preschool and Eco-Camp.
Berks County is saving the environment, one green building at a time
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DiGregorio praised the building design, which incorporates reclaimed materials from barns and mushroom houses and uses so-called smart lighting systems that adjust based on ambient light to save energy among other green features.
The Berks County Community Foundation’s headquarters at Third and Court Streets is another local example of a green building, she said, noting it was the city’s first when built in 2009.
DiGregorio and Ayers Fisher urged participates to draw inspiration from these and other examples.
Upcoming roundtables will focus further on sustainable building practices, they said. Participants will learn about revitalized main streets, energy efficiency and weather resiliency projects, financing opportunities for building upgrades and how to engage with Green Building Alliance when planning a new building or renovation project.
Ayers Fisher said the date and topic of the next roundtable will be announced in the coming weeks.
Those interested should check GBA’s website or the Public Works Facebook page for more information.
Source: Berkshire mont