The International Green Construction Code (IGCC) is a model code for cities seeking to promote sustainable building practices through their building codes. The IGCC promotes transition from the current voluntary green construction certifications, like USGBC’s LEED, to mandatory green construction codes. As the most recent revisions of the IGCC are currently under review, Green Building … Continue Reading
I was recently given the opportunity to interview Thomas Taylor and I jumped at the opportunity for two reasons. First, Taylor wrote the forward for the first green building book I ever purchased. Second, Taylor was involved with the Northland Pines High School project, which I have written about extensively. Taylor currently works for Alberici’s sustainable consulting service, Vertegy. This … Continue Reading
The International Green Construction Code (IGCC) is a model code for cities seeking to promote sustainable building practices through their building codes. The IGCC promotes transition from the current voluntary green construction certifications, like USGBC’s LEED, to mandatory green construction codes. As the most recent revisions of the IGCC are currently under review, Green … Continue Reading
The International Green Construction Code (IGCC) is a model code for cities seeking to promote sustainable building practices through their building codes. The IGCC promotes transition from the current voluntary green construction certifications, like USGBC’s LEED, to mandatory green construction codes. As the most recent revisions of the IGCC are currently under review, … Continue Reading
I was recently forwarded an interesting article written by Helen Mason regarding the International Green Construction Code. She did such a good job reviewing the state of green codes that I wanted to make it available for download (PDF) to my readers and ask her a few follow up questions. Enjoy! Chris: I was fascinated … Continue Reading
The International Green Construction Code (IGCC) is a model code for cities seeking to promote sustainable building practices through their building codes. The IGCC promotes transition from the current voluntary green construction certifications, like USGBC’s LEED, to mandatory green construction codes. As the most recent revisions of the IGCC are currently under review, Green … Continue Reading
Many of you have been asking about the availability of the webinar on the International Green Construction Code (IGCC) that I completed with Bob Kobet, and Basic Gov. The webinar is now available online, although you will have to sync the powerpoints and audio. If you listen closely, you can hear the panic in my voice … Continue Reading
The International Green Construction Code (IGCC) is a model code for cities seeking to promote sustainable building practices through their building codes. The IGCC promotes transition from the current voluntary green construction certifications, like USGBC’s LEED, to mandatory green construction codes. As the most recent revisions of the IGCC are currently under review, Green Building … Continue Reading
This guest post is by Joe Stampone of A Student of the Real Estate Game. Joe is in his final semester at the NYU Schack Institute of Real Estate with a concentration in sustainable development. The behavioral shift towards sustainable development that we’re experiencing has changed the real estate landscape, however the marketing benefits, performance … Continue Reading
The International Green Construction Code (IGCC) is a model code for cities seeking to promote sustainable building practices through their building codes. The IGCC promotes transition from the current voluntary green construction certifications, like USGBC’s LEED, to mandatory green construction codes. As the most recent revisions of the IGCC are currently under review, Green Building … Continue Reading
If the International Green Construction Code (IGCC) is successful, green buildings will soon become the rule instead of the exception. By codifying green building standards, the IGCC has the potential to make major strides to advance green building practices on a scale that has been unattainable through LEED and other similar voluntary green building standards. … Continue Reading
The following post is written by Kirk Dryer, a law student at the University of Missouri. Kirk is also the first Green Building Law Update intern. His assistance researching the Destiny USA matter was priceless. Below, Kirk explains the tax implications of an adverse ruling in the Destiny USA dispute. If you want to read more on … Continue Reading
I have been amazed at the immediate interest generated by the International Green Construction Code (IGCC). Despite the fact that the IGCC is still in its infancy, there are a number of states and municipalities closely studying it for adoption. We have already discussed Rhode Island’s adoption of IGCC for public buildings. More significantly, … Continue Reading
Every year, as the calendar turns over, a host of new regulations take effect. In California, January 1, 2011 marked the introduction of CALGreen, the California green building code. The California government has produced a guide to CalGreen, which I found informative: “The 2010 California Green Building Standards Code is a code with mandatory requirements … Continue Reading
I continue to ponder the importance of the release of the International Green Construction Code public version 2.0 (IGCC). I recently asked Bob Kobet, LEED Faculty member, to provide his thoughts on IGCC. It’s good to see that I am not the only one who thinks the new code is a big step for green building. … Continue Reading
Back in October 2010, Doug Reiser and I co-presented on the topic of substituting LEED for traditional building codes. As we were finishing our presentation, I reiterated our primary theme that LEED standards should not be used as a building code. One of the audience members raised her hand and asked why weren’t we discussing … Continue Reading
Last week, we looked at Air Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (ACHRI) v. City of Albuquerque, a case in which a federal court struck down portions of the Albuquerque Energy Conservation Code based on the doctrine of federal preemption. In a construction code context, federal preemption often means that products and appliances are regulated at … Continue Reading
Last night I had dinner with a long-time reader of Green Building Law Update. I was frank with him, and I will be frank with you. I will be doing two things this year with the blog: 1. I am going to stop talking about LEEDigation as much. 2. I am going to talk more … Continue Reading
Across the country, government officials are scrambling to award and spend American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding before upcoming deadlines. If you are a contractor or subcontractor lucky enough to work on one of these projects, congratulations! Now comes the tough part. Working on a federal or state-funded project brings a myriad of regulatory … Continue Reading
For this Halloween edition of Green Building Law Update, I thought I would try to scare your socks off by describing circumstances that may lead to the green building legal apocalypse. Be warned, this blog post is going to give you nightmares! Last week, Doug Reiser and I presented at the Green Legal Matters conference … Continue Reading
The likelihood that some American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) green building projects would fail should not come as a surprise to Green Building Law Update readers. Back in February 2009, I wrote about the the difficulties of administering the stimulus funds at state, county and municipal levels. In January 2010, I highlighted initial problems … Continue Reading
As part of the evolution of Green Building Law Update, I have started an interview series with leaders in the green building industry. My first interview is with John Kennedy, Autodesk’s Senior Manager of Sustainable Analysis Products. My interest in interviewing John was piqued when Autodesk’s Vice President called for reform to the federal government’s … Continue Reading
Construction defects often take a long time to develop. Take, for example, the Courthouse Square building in Salem, Oregon, which is used for county offices and retail stores. It was constructed in 2000 and received its LEED certification in 2002. As early as 2002, problems were identified at the project, including cracked grouting and loose … Continue Reading
I first met Daniel Moring as an aide to D.C. Council Member Mary Cheh when we discussed the D.C. Green Building Act. We recently met up to discuss the General Services Administration’s proposal to require greenhouse gas emissions reporting and I asked him to write a post on the topic. Enjoy and have a great … Continue Reading
