General Sustainability Announcements

Invitation: EPA Green Building Challenge - Registration Deadline April
15th

Have you heard about "design for deconstruction" yet?

Imagine these possibilities:

~ Nail-free paneling with bio-based adhesive tape. Just pour on the
antidote; the building comes apart and you're ready to rebuild!
~ Walls that move to meet changing needs -- with outlets
~ Sidewalks built with cold joints so you can pick up each block and
move the entire sidewalk
~ A de-nailer gun

Building science fiction? Not at all -- these are just a few examples
of ideas from the U.S. EPA Lifecycle Building Challenge.

** A National Competition -- Call for Creative Minds! **

The Lifecycle Building Challenge was developed by the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, the American Institute of Architects, West Coast
Green and the Building Materials Reuse Association. This national competition,
sponsored by GreenBuildingBlocks.com invites engineers, designers,
planners, contractors, builders, government leaders, educators and students to
submit their ideas for buildings and building materials that facilitate and anticipate future
changes to and eventual adaptation, disassembly, or dismantling for recovery.

Also known as "design for disassembly" and "design for deconstruction", lifecycle thinking encompasses the idea of creating buildings that are stocks of resources for future buildings. By
creating building components that can be easily recovered and reused, materials are kept at their highest value, which reduces energy and resource consumption.

Award Categories:

The top entrant in each of the nine categories (3 students and 6 professionals) will be recognized at an award ceremony at West Coast Green in San Francisco, Thursday September 20th, 2007.

Additional prizes include:

For Professionals:
~ Free registration to West Coast Green Conference + Expo
~ Package of green building subscriptions from West Coast Green Media
Partners
~ Set of posters showcasing your submission
~ Display posters at West Coast Green Conference + Expo and EPA
offices
~ Recognition in partner outreach (media, displays, etc.)
~ Feature page on Lifecycle Building Challenge website

For Students:
~ $2500 reward donated by Green Building Blocks
(Thank you Green Building Blocks!)
~ Free registration to West Coast Green Conference + Expo
~ Package of green building subscriptions from West Coast Green Media
Partners
~ Set of posters showcasing your submission Display posters at West
Coast Green Conference + Expo and EPA offices
~ Recognition in partner outreach (media, displays, etc.)
~ Feature page on Lifecycle Building Challenge website

Registration for this competition closes April 15th, with design
submissions due by May 15th. To get started, visit
http://www.lifecyclebuilding.org/

Best wishes for creative brilliance!

For more information, visit http://www.lifecyclebuilding.org/