Save the the week of February 16-19 for a full week of educational opportunities on green building, home energy ratings, residential energy efficiency financing, and building performance business development.

The USGBC LEED for Homes workshop on February 19, 2009 will follow the RESNET Building Performance Conference in New Orleans.

How to register.

Workshop flyer.

Amid nearly 250 celebrants on July 8, 2008, the green ribbon was cut and tours commenced at Louisiana House – Home and Landscape Resource Center (LaHouse) – a permanent sustainable housing and development educational exhibit, attraction and outreach program of the LSU AgCenter, funded largely by gifts and donations from more than 250 supporters. It was created to provide a one-stop source of research-based information on here-and-now solutions to the challenges of the gulf region climate, natural hazards and environment – from low-cost to premium options.

The Resource Center was strategically designed to demonstrate five integrated benefits – resource-efficient, durable, healthy, convenient and practical – its criteria of sustainability, and standard for a “high performance” home and landscape. In mid-construction when Katrina and Rita struck, LaHouse was ironically at the perfect stage to be a teaching tool of storm and flood resistance – so the original timeline changed. Thousands visited to see and learn and more than 200 educational outreach activities were conducted across the region.

The exhibit house includes 4 different green, high performance building and foundation systems, three high efficiency space conditioning systems and a wide variety of materials, products and technologies with green, healthy and low-maintenance characteristics. The layout and interiors exhibit “universal design” concepts and family-friendly features that accommodate diverse and changing needs and abilities. LaHouse demonstrates Building America, ENERGY STAR, Healthy Home, Green Building, as well as Fortified for Safer Living program guidelines. Some of the green features you can see in LaHouse are: southern climate passive solar design;
insulation alternatives, including recycled cellulose, cotton and vegetable oil based foams; an array of Energy Star high-efficiency, yet appealing lighting fixtures, windows, doors, and appliances; geothermal heat pump, dual fuel air source heat pump, tankless water heater, hydronic heating systems and efficient low-loss distribution systems; indoor air quality measures – dehumidifiers, controlled fresh air, sealed combustion fireplace, low VOC paint; low flow, high performance toilets, showerheads and faucets; rainwater harvesting, cistern, future rain garden and rock reed water filter bed; long life, cool roofs – heat reflective painted metal roofing, ventilated concrete tile, radiant barrier decking; locally grown hardwood interiors, domestic porcelain tile, linoleum, cork, recycled carpet tile floorings; concrete with recycled fly ash and slag; engineered structural wood products, southern pine and borate and non-metallic preservative treated woods; low waste advanced framing, panelized and insulating concrete form building systems; low maintenance, long life claddings and trim; reclaimed wood and domestically made furniture, and more.

The sustainable landscape has eight exhibit areas that feature various low-input plant materials, regional horticultural practices, storm water management practices to prevent non-point source pollution, integrated pest management, a wood treatments demo deck and more.

LaHouse is open to the public.
· Wednesdays 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
· Thursday and Fridays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
· Saturdays 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The Extension sustainable housing educational outreach program of seminars, result demonstrations and events will continue to expand – for consumers, building professionals and youth.

A newly updated Building Your High Performance Home – Gulf Region Homeownesr Guide is available in print ($15) and its content is free online at www.LouisianaHouse.org (My House link) along with the LaHouse photo gallery of construction features.

A new LaHouse Online Training Center was launched with a video library and interactive online continuing education courses taught by national experts, available 24/7 on Best Building Practices for the Gulf Region and Wind Resistant Construction -- as well as the new Gulf Region High Performance (GRHP) Home professional designation for professionals who complete a core program and demonstrate knowledge on the GRHP test.

“It’s not about building a home of the future”, commented Dr. Claudette Reichel, Professor of housing who lead the center’s development, “It’s about shaping the future – with homes and landscapes that are not only beautiful and marketable, but that also: keep comfort affordable while helping America achieve energy independence; save money, time, toil and grief by preventing damage and loss from hurricanes, floods, termites, mold and decay; create healthy and safe living for people of any age; protect our environment for future generations; and thereby benefit our communities, our nation and our world.”

LaHouse Resource Center was made possible by the generous support and involvement of many. Major sponsors include Mrs. Paula Garvey Manship, Entergy of Louisiana, the Borate Treated Wood Alliance of U.S. Borax, Osmose and Louisiana Pacific; Building Science Corporation, the Louisiana Home Builders Association, Roy Domangue (LaHouse builder) and Roy O Martin Lumber Company. The U.S. Dept. of Energy and La. Dept. of Natural Resources are primary partners.

For more information about LaHouse Resource Center, its programs and sustainable housing and landscaping, visit www.LouisianaHouse.org

On November 10th, the Sustainable Sites Initiative will release the Guidelines and Performance Benchmarks Draft 2008 for public comment. This important milestone builds on the initial Standards and Guidelines: Preliminary Report released in November of last year and will focus on measuring a site’s ability to protect, restore and regenerate sites by harnessing ecosystem services – benefits provided by natural ecosystems such as cleaner air and water, climate regulation and health benefits.

The new draft will contain over 50 proposed prerequisites and credits ranging from site selection to sustainable maintenance practices. The metrics’ format will be similar to existing LEED tools in structure and will include the following components:

Credit intent
Ecosystem services addressed
Social and economic benefits
Requirements
Submittal documentation
Technologies and strategies
Resources

The Guidelines and Performance Benchmarks Draft 2008 will be available for download and public comment beginning on November 10, 2008 at www.sustainablesites.org/report. The public comment period will close January 20, 2009.

Public review and comment is essential to the successful development of these guidelines and performance-based benchmarks. As part of the ongoing development effort, the Initiative invites you to join the review process by visiting: www.sustainablesites.org/review.

From the article:

"New Orleans voters agreed Tuesday to amend the City Charter to give the city's forthcoming master plan the force of law, meaning that all zoning and land-use decisions will have to conform to the plan.

With all 442 precincts reporting, voters favored the charter change by a margin of 51 percent to 49 percent.

The master plan is supposed to guide the city's development for the next 20 years, creating a framework to promote goals such as economic development, better housing, improved infrastructure and environmental quality.

The City Planning Commission has hired a team of consultants to create the plan, which is expected to be finished by late 2009.

The charter amendment also requires the city for the first time to create "a system for organized and effective neighborhood participation in land-use decisions and other issues that affect quality of life."

Read the full article here.

From the article:

"The cypress forests of Louisiana have suffered much devastation from human development, coastal erosion, and exploitation by the lumber industry. Now, vast tracts are being clear cut for the production of cypress mulch. A new online campaign — saveourcypress.org — is seeking to reform the Louisiana cypress mulch industry."

Read the full article here.