Welcome to the USGBC - Northern Gulf Coast Chapter Site
If you wish to be added to the USGBC Northern Gulf Coast Chapter mailing list or to be notified of upcoming events and programs, please send an email to: Listserv@usgbc.org
Include in the body (no subject needed) of your email: subscribe chapters-northerngulfcoast email@email.com Make sure there is one space in between subscribe, chapters-northerngulfcoast and your email address.
ABOUT THE USGBC
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is the nation's leading nonprofit coalition for advancing buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable and healthy places to live and work. Major programs supporting its mission include the Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) GreenBuilding Rating System™; LEED Workshops; LEED Professional Accreditation; the Greenbuild International Conference & Expo; and an energetic local chapter program.
MEMBERSHIP
Any individual from a USGBC Member Organization or Company is encouraged to join the USGBC - Northern Gulf Coast Chapter. You may also join even if your organization is not a member of the USGBC. The group was established in 2006 and covers the following Florida area: Pensacola in Escambia County, Santa Rosa, Ft. Walton, Oakaloosa, and Bay County through the Panama City area. Visit USGBC's Membership area or explore the frequently asked questions below for simple instructions on how to join. Your membership influences change and helps shape the future of green building in the Northern Florida Gulf Coast area. In becoming a local member you will be able to network with professionals from across the building industry, get access to new LEED developments, and advance the USGBC mission at the local level.
MEETINGS
General public meetings are held on the 2nd Tuesday of each month. These meetings typically last an hour and feature an educational presentation, informal discussion, sometimes followed by a few general business items. Please visit the Education area of the Committees section of our site to request a meeting speaker/presentation.
Next General Meeting: Tuesday, Oct. 14th, 7:30 - 8:30 a.m.
Location: Bowden Building 120 Church St., Downtown Pensacola, Historic Village. Click Here for directions.
Agenda: Guest Speaker Sandra Prince Jennings, Bureau Chief of Neighborhoods and Community Services for Escambia County
will speak with us on landfill mining and solid waste management.
CURRENT EVENTS
Join the GreenCoast 2009 Committee. Greencoast 2009 will be held here, in Pensacola!
If you would like to be a part of the committee please see Kari Green, Deryl Hargett or Simmi Taylor at the next general meeting.
See our "Events" page for past events.
IN THE NEWS
March 2008 - Florida’s First Zero-Energy, LEED Platinum Certified Home Unveiled in Panama City
March 2008 - Nation’s First Green Residential Remodeling Guidelines Launched
January 4, 2008 - Congratulations to the Northern Gulf Coast group for being approved as a Chapter! We received the letter of acceptance on January 4th from Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO and Founding Chairman of USGBC. Many thanks to the entire group for all the hard work and dedication that went into developing the chapter. Stay tuned as we begin to ramp up our activities.
August 2007 - Congratulations to Navy Federal Credit Union, Pensacola, Fla. on their latest outstanding INTERNATIONAL award!
"BusinessWeek and Architectural Record magazines announced the winners of their 10th annual "Good Design is Good Business" international
competition today. These honors recognize innovative building design projects that help solve problems and achieve specific goals for companies, nonprofits, institutions, and governmental agencies. Four projects received an Award of Excellence in 2007..."http://archrecord.construction.com/news/daily/archives/070808design.asp
Visit http://www.nfcugreen.org/ to learn more.
May 18, 2007 - Designing Public Buildings to Energy Efficient Design Standards is now the Law in Florida. TCS/HB 7123, the priority bill that AIA Florida members lobbied on behalf of, includes numerous energy conscious design requirements. This bill was passed by both chambers and includes a mandate to build energy efficient state-owned buildings that meet environmental standards, requires that all county municipal and public community college buildings be constructed to meet the USGBC LEED® rating system, or a nationally recognized high-performance green building rating system as approved by the Department of Management Services (DMS), and includes the Green Schools Pilot Project. Since the Federal government adopted LEED Standards 2 years ago and now the State of Florida has adopted LEED or an equivalent standard, AIA Treasure Coast will be reviewing options for AIA members to obtain LEED training and LEED certification.
May 1, 2007 - Florida/Caribbean Region Commits to 2,200 LEED Buildings by 2010
To support USGBC's national goal of 100,000 LEED certified buildings by the year 2010, the Florida & Caribbean Region voted unanimously to strive for 2,200 certified buildings in the region by 2010 (2,000 in Florida and 200 in the Caribbean).
To make this goal more manageable, it has been broken down by the chapters within the region, enabling each chapter to contribute to both the regional and national targets. For example, Central Florida is targeting 30 LEED certified buildings per county, which is a very achievable goal. So the chapter can achieve its share of the regional and national goal. (Source: USGBC Chapter Update)
February 1, 2007 FloridaTrend.com featured Navy Federal Credit Union’s (NFCU) Heritage Oaks Operations call center in Pensacola. The NFCU building was the 1st Certified LEED™ Gold commercial building in the state. http://www.floridatrend.com/print_article.asp?aID=45824
2006 Florida Energy Act, this $30 million four-year comprehensive plan provides rebates, grants and tax incentives to promote a more balanced energy portfolio by increasing Florida's investment in renewable energy sources such as solar, bio fuels and hydrogen.
Architects Call for 50% Reduction in Fossil Fuel Burned to Construct and Operate Buildings by 2010. WASHINGTON, DC -- The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has adopted a position statement calling for a fifty percent reduction in fossil fuels used to build and operate buildings by the year 2010. "Buildings account for forty-eight percent of U.S. energy consumption and generate far more greenhouse gas emissions than any other sector," said R.K. Stewart, FAIA, facilitator of the AIA Sustainability Summit Task Force. "As architects, we must accept responsibility for our role in creating the built environment. We feel it is incumbent upon the architecture profession to alter our actions and encourage both our clients and the entire design and construction industry to join us in plotting a course of measurable changes that will improve the quality of life for everyone." According to the AIA, an undertaking of this magnitude will require a concentrated effort over the next ten to fifteen years, especially in educating clients about their role in the success of this effort. For the complete AIA new position statements, click here: http://www.aia.org/SiteObjects/files/HPB_position_statements.pdf.
MISSION
To positively influence sustainable design, construction, and operational principles, ultimately resulting in a carbon neutral region through
- Advocacy to owners, public and private policy makers, which impact the built environment
- Training of designers, builders, and operators
- Education of future generations and the public at large
site last updated: 09.08.2008