Creating Sustainable Communities

Applying lessons from success stories
Center For Community Design
Lunch Forum Series
Wed. February 9 2011
Perry Spring, CEMS, LEED AP
Ecologist, Energy Management Specialist
Clallam County Shared Resource Conservation Manager

Highlights of today’s forum
Regenerative Urban development
Community Energy as an organizing technology
Civic Engagement tools & processes
Community-scale planning & designCommunity-scale planning & design
2Creating Sustainable Communities Feb 9 '11 C4CD Forum

A bit about myself
Sense of Place
My 4 Grandparents instill passion for Pacific NW
4 great grandparents, 4 grandparents, & dad buried in Seattle
21 years as a citizen activist on the Olympic Peninsula
Underlying motivations
Re-create the human – nature connection
Establish balance ecology, economy, and social equity
Transformative momentsTransformative moments
1970 Earth Day – cleanup Kelsey Creek in So. Bellevue
1979 Ecology research study - Nutrient cycles of Quinault Rain Forest
1984 Passive Solar Building Design Startup of Energy Service Dept.
1988 Thanksgiving on Olympic Peninsula my home as of 1990
1991 Employee-Owner of energy services producer co-op
2005 Stewardship Mgr. of estuary & riparian lands in Grays Harbor co
2009 LEED AP 10 week course through Rushing – Blackbird Company
3Creating Sustainable Communities Feb 8 '11 C4CD ForumCreating Sustainable Communities Feb 9 '11 C4CD Forum

Clallam Co. Shared Resource
Conservation Management program:
Focusing on facility utilities 0 f 5 Partner Agencies
Olympic Medical Ctr * City of Sequim * Clallam Co * City of PA* Clallam Transit
RCM is a tool to control operating costs of our facilities
1. Generate Utility $avings through efficiency1. Generate Utility $avings through efficiency
2. Improve the workplace for building occupants
3. Enhance operational environmental stewardship
“I help teams of great people create long-term solutions”
4
-Perry Spring, Shared RCM
Creating Sustainable Communities Feb 8 '11 C4CD ForumCreating Sustainable Communities Feb 9 '11 C4CD Forum

FRAMEWORKS
Design Process - Biomimicry
Materials & Products – Cradle to Cradle
Built Environment –
203o Challenge
Integrative Design Process – Regenerative Systems
LEED – Leadership in Energy & Environmental DesignLEED – Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design
LEED for Neighborhood Development
The Living Building Challenge
Organizations – The Natural Step
Civic Engagement – Civic Ecology
Biophilic Communities
Eco-Districts – Integration & Innovations for cities

DEFINITION: (bios = life + mimesis = imitate) a new discipline that studies nature's
DEFINITION: (bios = life + mimesis = imitate) a new discipline that studies nature's
best ideas & then imitates these designs & processes to solve human problems.
1997 book by Scientist & Author Janine Benyus “Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by
nature”
2005 The Biomimicry Institute established as a not-for-profit to:
oDeveloping educational programs for: students, professionals, internationally.
oCreate public policies that use biomimicry as a solution to sustainability challenges.
oEncourage companies profiting from biomimicry to financial support biodiversity
Creating Sustainable Communities Feb 9 '11 C4CD Forum
www.biomimicryinstitute.org

Biomimicry success story
Portland EcoDistrict Initiative
8
Erin Leitch of Brightworks leads design challenge:
using Fungi to Reimagine Sustainable Neighborhoods
Creating Sustainable Communities Feb 8 '11 C4CD ForumCreating Sustainable Communities Feb 9 '11 C4CD Forum

Cradle-to-Cradle
Establish nutrient pathways for ingredients, materials &
products
Rematerialize biological nutrients
Establish Preference Lists for chemicals & materials
Design for assembly and disassembly
Establish new supply chain partnerships

Cradle to Cradle
“Biomimetric” approach to the design of systems
1970 term coined by Walter R Stahel, Swiss Architect
influential in field of sustainability. His work directly
contributed to “Regenerative Systems Design”
2002 “Cradle to Cradle: remaking the Way We Make”
book by US Architect William McDonough & Germanbook by US Architect William McDonough & German
Chemist Michael Braugart – now consulting firm MBDC
A manifesto which postulates that reduce-reuse-recycle
perpetuates the cradle-to-grave strategy – downcycling
Upcycling is the new manufacturing paradym by which to
evaluate materials
C-t-C is goal driven, while Life Cycle Assessment is tool-driven
MBDC has tranferred to C-t-C Certification to a non-profit -GBII
www.gpinnovation.org http://epea-hamburg.org/index.php?id=69http://epea-hamburg.org/index.php?id=69

Cradle-to-Cradle Success Story:
Terry Thomas Building & Kawneer Aluminum
This innovative commercial building in So Lake Union
area of Seattle was constructed featured Kawneer
Aluminum storefronts and entrances & was constructed
without an HVAC system!
Terry Thomas building designed and occupied by WeberTerry Thomas building designed and occupied by Weber
Thompson received a 2009 American Institute of
Architects Committee on the Environment (COTE) Top
Ten Winner
“95% of aluminum in buildings is recycled today, and
aluminum building products can be repeatedly recycled
into similar products with no loss of quality” – Alcoa
www.weberthompson.com/terry-thomas-commercial.html

2030 Challenge
1979 – US Architect Ed Mazria wrote The Passive Solar
Energy Book – a primer used worldwide to this day
2003 began work to publicize the “Building Sector” as the
leading Greenhouse Gas emitter in US and globallyleading Greenhouse Gas emitter in US and globally
Through articles and speaking events, helped reshaped the
national & international dialogue on climate change to
incorporate buildings and building design
Able to get both Architect Institute of America, and the US
Conference of Mayors to adopt the 2030 Challenge

Building # 1 Sector for Energy Use

2030 Challenge
Agreement between building design professionals to
create greater numbers of buildings that use:
substantially less energy,
reduce greenhouse gas emissions,
and create spaces that are healthy and comfortable.
Ultimate Goal: Net Zero Energy & Net Zero Water
http://www.architecture2030.org/2030_challenge/the_2030_challenge

Reducing Energy Load Demand

2030 Challenge success story:
Zero Energy Idea House in Bellevue
www.zeroenergyideahouse.com

Distributed Energy -
catalyst for community sustainability
Snohomish County, WA

Distributed Energy success story:
Snohomish Basin Biogas Partnership
April 2nd, 2003 – 5 partners establish entity
Tulalip Tribes
WA State Dairy Federation
NW Chinook RecoveryNW Chinook Recovery
Lower Skykomish River Habit Conservation Group
23Qualco Bio-energy: green power through partnership

GENERAL LAYOUT OF DIGESTER-TYPE BIOFUEL FACILITY
Qualco Bio-energy: green power through partnership 24

25Qualco Bio-energy: green power through partnership
Bedding
Agriculture & Gardening Electricity Customers
www.qualcoenergy.com

District energy systems distribute heat generated in a centralized location for
commercial / residential space heating, adsorption cooling & hot water
Heat energy from a district energy system is distributed through underground
insulated pipes that connect to buildings.
District energy systems eliminate the need for a boiler or furnace in each
individual building and can provide higher efficiencies and better pollution control
District Energy Systems & Community Sustainability
individual building and can provide higher efficiencies and better pollution control
than localized equipment.
Beyond fossil fuels traditionally used for heat production, district energy
systems are adaptable to a wide variety of clean energy sources including geo-
exchange, solar, waste heat recovery, and biogas.
Source: Millennium Water: Southeast False Creek Olympic Village, Vancouver BC (SEFC) 2009
www.thechallengeseries.ca/chapter-05/neighbourhood-energy-utility/
Creating Sustainable Communities Feb 8 '11 C4CD Forum 26Creating Sustainable Communities Feb 9 '11 C4CD Forum

Victoria, BC
15 Acres
Victoria, BC

District Energy at Dockside Green
http://www.docksidegreen.com/sustainability/overview/overview.html

District Net Zero Water
@ Dockside Green

LEED
Neighborhood
Development
www.usgbc.org/leed/nd/

31Living Grid Designs: MUD micro-grid in the SLU LEED ND frameworkCreating Sustainable Communities Feb 9 '11 C4CD Forum
www.usgbc.org/leed/nd/
www.weberthompson.com/pressreleases/prsluleedndbrief.html

Integrative Design Process
http://www.integrativedesign.net/integrative.htm

Regenerative Systems as Ideal
Bill Reed of the Seven Group

Whole Building Approach - synergy

Living Building Challenge
Underlying principle is that all development projects
should use nature as the ultimate measurement stick
for performancefor performance
Decisions steered by regenerative principles rather
than code minimums or performance standards
LBC is a framework for project and community design
Complements rather than competes with LEED

Eight imperatives petals of LBC
v2.0
www.ILBI.org

Community Infrastructure
in EcoDistricts
Compost &
High Value
Geo-
exchange
BiomassGas &
Electric
Renewables
District Cool / Heat System Waste to
Energy
Biofuel
s
Disposal
Waste
Water
Treatment
Plant
Reservoir
Water & Waste Water
System
Water
Treatment
Plant
High Value
Fertilizer
BiosolidsBiosolids
Boulevards Parks
Golf
Courses
Reuse Water
Sewer Heat
Recovery

Integrative Design @ District Scale

Olympic Peninsula success story:
Northwest Maritime Center
Civic Engagement: community-based planning process more 10 years
two buildings compatible with historic structures in Port Townsend’s National
Landmark Historic District,
Renewable Materials: 2 buildings, constructed of over 60% of FSC certified
wood, occupy a prime location at the end of Water Street, at the transitionwood, occupy a prime location at the end of Water Street, at the transition
between the old brick buildings of the late 18090′s and the adjacent Coast
Guard clapboard buildings at the Point Hudson Marina, which were
constructed in the 1930′s.”
Brownfield Redevelopment: In the development of the site, a former bulk oil
terminal for more than 80 years, more than 2,400 tons of contaminated soil
were removed and properly disposed of.
Site Sustainability: 8,000 shoots of new eel grass were planted on site thanks to
students and other volunteers who assisted divers and scientists in this
restorative process.
www.nwmaritime.org

Northwest Maritime Center

NEXT STEPS: Educational events
EcoDistrict Summit – Oct 25-27, 2010
www.ecodistrictsummit.com
Civic Ecology workshop @ Damascus OR Feb 12
http://www.oregonlive.com/happy-valley/index.ssf/2011/01/damascus_to_host_civic_ecology_workshop_feb_12.htmlhttp://www.oregonlive.com/happy-valley/index.ssf/2011/01/damascus_to_host_civic_ecology_workshop_feb_12.html
Living Futures 2011 –
Our Children’s Cities: Visualizing a Restorative Civilization
April 27 - 29, 2011 Vancouver, British Columbia
Cascadia Green Bldg Council’s
Annual Un-conference for Deep Green Professionals
http://cascadiagbc.org/living-future/11
45Creating Sustainable Communities Feb 8 '11 C4CD ForumCreating Sustainable Communities Feb 9 '11 C4CD ForumCreating Sustainable Communities Feb 9 '11 C4CD Forum

Center for Community DesignCenter for Community Design
The Landing Mall, Suite 213
115 E. Railroad Ave,
Port Angeles, WA 98362
www.CenterForCommunityDesign.org

Creating Sustainable Communities

More Related Content

What's hot

Viewers also liked

Similar to Creating Sustainable Communities

More from Perry Spring

Recently uploaded

Creating Sustainable Communities