Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Title 24 and You: How Changes to the 2008 Energy Standards Will Affect Affordable Housing

Co-sponsored by AIA East Bay

Please join the Green Affordable Housing Coalition, Build It Green, and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation, for a Green Building brown bag workshop at AIA East Bay, September 9, 2008 at noon on the changing energy standards, which take effect July 1, 2009. The new "2008" Energy Standards will be more stringent than the current 2005 Energy Standards, and this workshop will concentrate on information you need to know to manage your projects to meet the new state requirements, comply with an increasing number of local green building ordinances, and remain competitive for tax credits.
Date: September 9, 2008
Time: Noon - 1:30pm
Location: AIA East Bay Chapter Office, 1405 Clay Street, Oakland.
Cost: None. This meeting is open to all. Brown bag lunch. Drinks provided.
1.5 CES/LU

Guest speakers:

Mike Gabel (Principal of Gabel Associates, LLC) will discuss important changes to the Residential Title 24 Energy Standards for low-rise and high-rise multifamily projects. He will illustrate the overall impact of the new Standards through the use of recent data he has developed while assisting several local governments evaluate and adopt green building ordinances. Using model results for a prototypical multifamily projects, Mike will explore which design strategies are the most cost-effective under the 2008 Standards.Mike is the current Vice-Chair (and former Chair) of the California Association of Building Energy Consultants (CABEC). Gabel Associates has provided energy consulting assistance on more than 10,000 building projects including single family homes, low-rise multi-family buildings, high-rise apartments and a large range of nonresidential buildings.

Jeff Jacobs (Principal of Building Advisory Group, LLC) will provide findings from a cost analysis study he is undertaking alongside Mike Gabel’s work on evaluating green building ordinances. Together, they will present cost-effective compliance strategies for the new code.Jeff has been involved in the design and construction of energy efficient homes since 1980. In 1981 the first building that he completed won the PG & E Passive Solar Award for design and energy efficiency. For 17 years, he ran his own homebuilding business building over 300 homes and developing more than 15 neighborhoods. He has been in the production builder world for over 9 years, as Project Manager and then Director of Community Development for Centex Homes (Bay Area division) and then VP of Community Development for Meritage Homes. While at Centex, in 2001 he built the first Zero Energy Home in Northern California and in 2006 rolled out the first Zero Energy Community (100+ Green Points) in Alameda County and in 2007 the first Zero Energy Home Community in Solano County.

Sophia Hartkopf (Associate Manager at Heschong Mahone Group, Inc) will highlight the upcoming (2009-2011) multifamily utility new construction and rehab programs through PG&E, focusing on the PG&E California Multifamily New Homes (CMFNH) program. Sophia will also discuss the existing CMFNH program and how this program overlaps with green/solar programs and affordable funding sources.
Sophia Hartkopf is an Associate Manager at Heschong Mahone Group, Inc, a professional firm providing consulting services in the field of building energy efficiency. Sophia works with HMG on program implementation and program evaluation efforts of multifamily and commercial programs. Most of her energy is spent working on the Pacific Gas and Electric sponsored California Multifamily New Homes (CMFNH) program, which works with developers, architects, engineers, city/county officials and consultants on reaching their energy efficiency, solar, and green building goals.

For more information contact: http://www.builditgreen.org/councils/gahc-2008.09.09

Architecture and Public Service - Design as a Tool for Change

Join AIA East Bay, Wednesday, August 27th at 5:30pm, for an in-depth program on the pro bono work of Public Architecture.
Time: 5:30pm
Location: AIA East Bay Chapter Office, 1405 Clay Street, Oakland.
Contact: Jayna Blackwell, CMP or 520/464-3600 for more information. Click here to register

Cost: $15 for chapter members and their guests; $25 for non-members. Includes cocktails and dinner.

Although some architects are enjoying a new celebrity status, the opportunity for the architecture profession as a whole to assume a meaningful role in shaping the quality of our communities continues to be sorely under exploited. John Peterson, founder and chair of Public Architecture, will present the work of Public Architecture and the work of other architects who are expanding the influence of their efforts and the health of their practices through high quality pro bono projects.

Public Architecture is a nonprofit organization that acts as a catalyst for public discourse through education, advocacy, and the design of public spaces and amenities. Rather than waiting for commissions, Public Architecture takes a leadership role by identifying significant problems of broad relevance that require innovative research and design. Recognizing the dearth of resources supporting pro bono work within the architecture profession, Public Architecture launched The 1%, a pro bono national campaign in 2005. Supported by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, The 1% encourages architecture firms to formalize their commitment to the public good by pledging one percent of their billable hours to public interest work.


This talk, to be held August 27, 2008 at 5:30pm, is part of the AIA East Bay's Monthly Program offerings. Contact Jayna Blackwell, CMP or call 510/464-3600 for more information. Click here to register

Monday, August 18, 2008

Panel Discussion: Defining the Net Zero Energy Building- Is It Attainable?

There are many variables involved in carbon neutrality and designing Net Zero Energy Buildings. The August 19th panel will describe Net Zero buildings, show real world applications and discuss what does and does not work. Join us for this informative and lively discussion Tuesday, August 19, 2008 at 6:00pm. Many thanks to the Young Architects Forum and the Committee on the Environment for organizing this joint program.

About the panelists:

Larry Strain, FAIA - Larry Strain, principal of Siegel & Strain Architects, has a 25-year background in sustainable design. After studying environmental systems at the Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington, he became a student-instructor at the Farallones Institute in Occidental, California where he continued his studies in environmental systems. In 1976 he co-founded The Solar Center, one of the largest solar design and installation companies in the Bay Area. He received his Master of Architecture degree from the University of California Berkeley, where he is currently teaching in the School of Architecture. Mr. Strain is the author of the reSourceful Specifications, guideline specifications for environmentally considered building materials and construction methods. reSourceful Specifications was awarded the 1998 Practice & Technology Award from the AIA East Bay Chapter. He is a member of Architects/ Designers/ Planners for Social Responsibility (ADPSR), Building Industry Professionals for Environmental Responsibility (BIPER), Urban Ecology, and is a professional member of the Construction Specifications Institute, and the American Solar Energy Society.

Bill Burke, AIA - Bill is an architect with a long background in environmental issues and energy-efficiency. As staff architect at Pacific Gas & Electric Company’s (PG&E) Pacific Energy Center (PEC), he oversees architectural educational programs and consultations, with a focus on improved building performance through good site design, high performance glazing, daylighting, and other green building strategies.Immediately prior to joining PG&E, Bill managed the Vital Signs Curriculum Project. Vital Signs, organized through the University of California, Berkeley, assisted educators in incorporating energy-efficiency and building performance topics into architectural curricula at schools throughout North America. Bill practiced architecture in the San Francisco offices of HOK and MBT Architecture, where he focused on health care and laboratory projects. Bill received his M.Arch. degree from the University of Oregon in 1986 and a B.A. from Grinnell College in 1976. He is a registered architect in the State of California, a member of the American Institute of Architects, and a LEED Accredited Professional.

David Lehrer - is CBE's Director of Communications. He serves as the primary liaison between our Industry Partners and the research team, and leads CBE's publicity and publication efforts.
David holds a Master of Architecture degree from UC Berkeley and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design from the University of Arizona. Prior to joining CBE, David had acquired over 10 years experience as a practicing architect, completing a variety of project types including office buildings, workplace design, retail, and historic preservation. David is also a specialist in resource efficient design strategies and has lectured and written on a number of related topics. David is an adjunct faculty member at the California College of the Arts (CCA) where he has taught green building and interdisciplinary design courses. He has been an active member of the US Green Building Council, and has served as co-chair of the the AIA San Francisco Chapter Committee on the Environment. David also runs LehrerDesign.

Time: 6:00-7:30pm
Location: AIA East Bay Chapter Office, 1405 Clay Street, Oakland.
Contact:
Jayna Blackwell, CMP or call 510/464-3600 for more information.
Cost: None; this program open to all. Cocktails provided.
Please RSVP.
1.5 CES/LU

Friday, August 15, 2008

Save on West Coast Green Registration!

Explore Green Innovation
AIA East Bay is pleased to announce our new partnership with West Coast Green – the nation’s largest conference and expo on green innovation in building, business, and design. With this alliance, your AIA East Bay membership allows you a 20% DISCOUNT OFF OF A FULL CONFERENCE PASS.

Your pass gives you access to all presentations, interactive demonstrations and expo, inspirational conference sessions, a full-scale green modular showhouse and more! You will also be able to choose from 80 AIA CES credit offerings, including sessions on Advanced Building, Technology and Materials, and the Developers Series & Roundtable.

West Coast Green is the largest event of its kind, with an international audience of over 14,000 influencers and thought leaders. As the hub for collective intelligence, West Coast Green assembles visionary thinkers, business leaders, products and technologies that are revolutionizing the way we build and live in our homes, work spaces and communities.

Highlights of our 2008 Conference:
• Inspired Presentations from Visionary Thinkers & Business Leaders from 100 of the leading minds in the green industry including keynote speeches from noted author and TV host David Suzuki, and Nobel Laureate Al Gore.
• Dynamic networking events and action hubs where thought leaders can gather to tackle real-world issues, exchange ideas, create valuable connections or find their next business partner.
• An interactive tradeshow floor with over 400 exhibitors showcasing the latest innovations in green building and business technology, including a green modular showhouse.
• Inspirational Conference Sessions built as a comprehensive curriculum ranging from beginner level to advanced, offering a selection of over 80 AIA CES credits.

September 25–27, 2008 San Jose Convention Center Silicon Valley, CA
westcoastgreen.com

REGISTER NOW and come to the heart of innovation!
1. Go to
westcoastgreen.com
2. Click on the Register tab, and select Full Conference
3. On the page following, ENTER YOUR PROMO CODE: aia688


That’s it! Your pass for 20% off will be reflected on the final page.

For more information: Sidney Sweeney 510/464-3600

Monday, August 11, 2008

Cost and Value of Green Buildings

Architects and clients around the world are embracing sustainable design to create buildings that give back to the environment, brightening the future for future generations. The desire to build green however, is tempered by project realities, like budget, and by perception that sustainable design must always cost more.

This presentation talks about the factors that can influence the cost of incorporating green features in building design. LEED rating system is used as the metric for measuring a building’s “greenness”. This presentation also provides an overview of cost effective techniques of green buildings.


8/14/08
Cost and Value of Green Buildings

A joint program of Women in Architecture and the Committee on the Environment
Presented by: Puja M. Vohra
Time: 6:00pm
Location: AIA East Bay Chapter Office, 1405 Clay Street, Oakland.
Cost: None; this program open to all. Drinks provided. Please RSVP.
1 CES/LUs

PUJA M. VOHRA
Sustainability Consultant
Davis Langdon

With nine years of experience in sustainable design and energy efficiency in buildings, Puja is a LEED Accredited Professional who has worked on projects throughout California within the academic, commercial, residential, and public/government sectors. She specializes in energy efficiency and green building research, sustainability and LEED consulting, energy modeling, and energy efficiency program design and implementation. At Davis Langdon, she is involved with the City and County of San Francisco to provide green building consulting services, managing individual LEED consulting services to individual projects and energy modeling.

Puja holds a Masters of Science in Building Design from Arizona State University in addition to a Bachelor of Architecture from the Institute of Environmental Design in India. A member of the Green Resources Committee of the USGBC Northern California chapter, she is also certified with both the Home Energy Rating System (HERS) and Certified Energy Plans Examiner (CEPE) program, a statewide California building energy standards certification program.


For more information: Jayna Blackwell, CMP

The City of Oakland needs your help!

Building on the success of their cripple wall retrofit program, and in an ongoing effort to make the Easy Bay a seismically safer place, the City of Oakland, assisted by the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) is looking for volunteers to help them survey their multi-family residential buildings in order to identify potential soft-story hazards. Volunteers will be surveying residential neighborhoods and compiling basic information about pre-selected buildings onto provided forms. Several other Bay Area professional organizations such as SEAONC and the UC Berkeley student chapter of EERI have signed on to help with this important project, and your additional support would be welcome!

The survey will be conducted on Saturday, September 20, 2008 and Saturday, October 4th, 2008. Volunteers will meet and sign-in at a central location at the City offices for breakfast and a short training talk (at 7:30 a.m.) covering administrative, safety, and technical points. Around 9:00 am volunteers will disperse in teams of two to three people to designated neighborhoods, and conduct the surveys on foot or by car. Please bring a brown bag lunch and your car if possible!

As many volunteers as possible are needed for both Saturdays, so sign up for one day or both! It’s a great opportunity to get some fresh air, meet like-minded seismic activists, and contribute a valuable public service in increasing seismic safety for the City of Oakland.


for more information: please contact ABAG via Erika Amir at ErikaA@abag.ca.gov or Jeanne Perkins at JeanneP@abag.ca.gov.

Wednesday, August 06, 2008

I. Donald Terner Prize

The I. Donald Terner Prize recognizes successful and innovative affordable housing projects and their leadership teams. The purpose is to spread Terner's vision and principles to the planning, design and development professions as well as to public officials, community representatives, housing activists, and government and private funders by identifying outstanding best practices in the field.

First Prize Award: $25,000Five Finalists: $5000 leadership stipend

Applications are due on August 18, 2008
Applications must be submitted online only at http://communityinnovation.berkeley.edu/ternerprize/applications.html

An application may be submitted by anyone involved in the planning, development or operation of a project, but must include the approval of the original project sponsor, developer, and the architect. Eligible projects must be located in the U.S. and have been in operation for a sufficient amount of time to demonstrate success.

For more information: Center for Community Innovation/ Terner PrizeCollege of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley Tel: 510.643.9103 Email us or visit our web site

Monday, July 28, 2008

Green Design: Build a Smarter Architectural Practice with Efficient Content Management

Minimize your environmental impact and Maximize your legacy.

With construction costs on the rise and consumers looking to go “green” in every aspect of their daily lives, architectural firms are searching for ways to improve everyday business processes and increase productivity. Project participants need access to documents (emails, meeting minutes, accounting records, blueprints, CAD drawings, and photographs) for years to come regardless of their original format. A single project can end up filling several file cabinets. Those firms that have done their best to store information on the network still have trouble finding documents at a later date, or not being able to access them off-site.

Technology is an essential part of improving a project’s timeline and helping the environment at the same time. Toshiba will teach you how to keep every member of your project team on the same page, use electronic stamps that show who knows what and who’s working with which particular document version. We will help your firm avoid errors, save time & money, dramatically reduce paper usage, keep to your budget, and go “green”.

Tuesday, August 26, 2008 - Noon - 1:30pm. This event is complimentary and open to all. Lunch will be provided, so RSVPs are a must.

1.5 CES/LU

For more information contact: AIA East Bay 510/464-3600.

Friday, July 25, 2008

Dacor Stove for Sale


DACOR 30-inch stove: Perfect condition - crisp design with cooking excellence. Arctic white with black ceramic cooktop and conventional and/or convection self-cleaning oven. Freestanding or slide-in. Warranty thru 12/2010. Cost over $2300; remodel forces sale. $850 or best offer.


For more information: Call 510-421-1188.

Friday, July 11, 2008

YAF: Best & Worst Project Experiences of 2008

Best & Worst Project Experiences of 2008

Join the Young Architects Forum July 15th at 6pm to talk about your best and worst (or maybe just not great) experiences this year. It could be about a project you are currently working on, or a project you were pursuing or even one that had an untimely end.

It's a way for us to learn from one another and maybe even get a pulse on the way the market is moving this year. Maybe you had the plan review from hell or the design review that went your way. A client who was totally supportive of your ideas or one who wanted everything gold-plated but with tin foil AE fees. Maybe you spent a week putting together a proposal for a whale of a project only to see it walk out the door because some firm in Thailand could do it for a third of the fee. It happens.

It's a little past the middle of the year and we are in the home stretch, so come on down, grab a drink and let's remember the best and worse for the year-to-date.

Join the Young Architects Forum (it's okay if you're just young at heart):
Tuesday, July 15th
6pm
AIA East Bay
1405 Clay Street, Oakland, CA
12th Street/City Center BART Stop
All are welcome, no cost to attend.
We provide 1 CES/Lu and the drinks!

For more information: AIA East Bay 510/464-3600

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Group Health Coverage for Individuals & Small Firms in Architecture and Design-Related Professions

Looking for a health plan for yourself or your small firm? The OWA (Organization of Women Architects & Design Professionals) has provided this major benefit to their members (women and men) for the past 30 years. Two flexible, easy to join plans with Health Net provide all the benefits of a large group plan to an individual or small business.

The lower deductible HMO has strong benefits and allows individuals to join regardless of pre-existing conditions. The more affordable higher deductible PPO Health Savings Account plan has a 6-month pre-existing condition wait period.
If you join as a member of a firm and move on, you can keep your health plan membership as an individual at the same premium.
Firms have flexible options including signing up some staff in one plan and some in another and some not all.
You can join the health plan at any time, effective the first of the month following enrollment in OWA. OWA membership costs $50 per person per year.

For more information about OWA, check out
www.owa-usa.org

For more information: contact Anne Jakiemiec, OWA’s insurance broker ajakiemiec@northgatebenefits.com or Janet Crane, OWA’s Health Plan Coordinator at 415 398 4094.

Thursday, July 03, 2008

Maybeck's First Church Needs Flat Files.

Metal Flat Files needed to give Maybeck drawings a safe home. It
would be a tax deductible donation to "Friends of First Church,
Berkeley."

(They have been stored for over a year in my "spare" bedroom, but now
that the roof is finished it's safe to move them back to the church.
They were not stored properly before, but this time we want to do the
right thing and protect them.)
Thank you for your help.

For more information: Call Fred at 925-376-3908.