greening D.C.

greeningDC provides snapshots of the emerging new urbanism in the DC metropolitan area, focusing on greening the built environment and sustainable growth at sustainablegrowthDC.tumblr.com.

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DCSEU on Twitter

“This week the DCSEU celebrates our 10-year anniversary! To celebrate and commemorate 10 years of serving a sustainable District and serving

[greeningdc]

Akridge/Rockwood JV Would Give Momentum to the Redevelopment of Downtown Bethesda with the Winning Bid for 7550 Wisconsin Avenue

The sale of 7550 Wisconsin Avenue in Bethesda, Maryland by the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) was viewed as a “strategic acquisition” upon the announcement of the sale.  The property had served as an office building for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and had been vacant for eight (8) years, drawing the attention of Congressman John Mica (Florida), Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.   Joined by seven House Republican members, the Committee called for the sale of underutilized real estate assets held by federal agencies.  Working with members of Congress, President Obama would advance the sale of excess properties with the Presidential Memorandum, Disposing of Unneeded Federal Real Estate.

At the time of the sale 7550 Wisconsin Avenue was a 120,000 square foot office building with two levels of below-grade parking located in a thriving submarket of Montgomery County surrounded by prime commercial, retail, and upscale housing, less than a block from the Bethesda Metro.  

The office building is 1.3 miles south of NIH and the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, formerly the National Naval Medical Center, within walking distance or one Metro stop. 

A joint venture between the commercial real estate developer Akridge and Rockwood Capital, LLC was the winning bidder of the 2010 sale.*  In announcing the development opportunity, Akridge/Rockwood Capital JV note that “7550 will become the first essentially-new building to deliver into this thriving submarket since 2001.”  

Construction began in the fall of 2011 with an anticipated completion date in late 2012.   The property would be completely renovated and reskinned into a contemporary Class A boutique office building with sleek glass exterior.  Upon project completion, the office building would offer the only full-service rooftop entertainment space in Bethesda, as well as the market’s only private on-site, all-inclusive fitness facility, with state-of-the-art equipment.  News of the success of the project would continue, “7550 Wisconsin Ave. Gets Six New Tenants,” as reported by Commercial Property Executive, June 16, 2014.

Ginanne Italiano, President and CEO of The Greater Bethesda-Chevy Chase Chamber of Commerce, praised the two companies for their work on 7550 Wisconsin Ave. “The Greater Bethesda-Chevy Chase Chamber is so pleased that Akridge and Rockwood are having such great success.  They took an empty shell and turned it into a true showcase within the core of Bethesda’s downtown.  We are grateful to Akridge and Rockwood for having the vision and foresight to build this beautiful building, adding to the success of our community, which we believe is the best downtown urban center in the region,” he said.

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*After the GSA winning bid, the following good news followed:

Akridge, Rockwood Joint Venture Wins GSA Auction Top Bid of $12.5 Million Takes 7550 Wisconsin in Online Sale, April 9, 2010

7550 Wisconsin Avenue Purchase Named Best Sales Transaction of 2010: GWCAR Award Recognizes Acquisition of Bethesda Property by Akridge and Rockwood, April 15, 2011

Akridge and Rockwood Stage “Glassbreaking” at 7550 Wisconsin Avenue: Ceremony Marks Start of Redevelopment at Bethesda Office Building, November 9, 2011

[greeningdc]

     D.C. and Pepco Partner in Energy Data Accelerator Program

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recognized the partnership between D.C. and Pepco as a “best practice” for the Better Building Energy Data Accelerator Program.  Pepco is expanding upon its support to the city’s Energy Benchmarking Program with the development of a self-service web-based portal that will enable customers to download energy use data for the purpose of populating the ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manger.® 

With the Better Buildings Data Accelerator Program DOE and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) are expanding the Better Building Challenge to the multifamily residential sector. .

D.C.’s private sector – developers, builders, property owners, and utility companies – have been active partners in advancing the city’s sustainability goals and status as a Green Power Community.   Consider the following and above referenced example from the commercial sector:  the repositioned 815 Connecticut Avenue, a 45 year-old Class B office building as a LEED™ Gold Certified building.  Just steps from the White House, President Obama and Former President Bill Clinton toured the property in December 2011 as a part of the launch of the Better Buildings Initiative to accelerate private investment in making commercial properties more efficient.  Forrester Construction conducted the tour, pointing out the project’s energy improvements.  Construction included a full replacement of the building’s exterior façade, extensive interior renovations, and energy upgrades, estimated to provide an annual savings of more than $100,000 per year.   In line with the owner’s vision for a high-performance, sustainable property, 815 Connecticut came online in January 2013 as a trophy class office property.

News Sources:

Obama Administration Expands Better Buildings Challenge to Multifamily Housing, Launches New Programs to Boost U.S. Energy Efficiency, Energy.gov, October 3, 2013

The District and Pepco hailed as leaders in President Obama’s New Better Buildings Energy Data Accelerator, DC District Department of the Environment, December 3, 2013  

With overhaul completed, 815 Connecticut Ave. NW returns to market, Washington Business Journal, January 14, 2013

Presidents Obama and Clinton Tour Forrester’s 815 Connecticut Avenue Project, December 2, 2011

Better Buildings: U.S. Department of Energy

President Obama Calls for Greener Homes and Businesses, USGBC, February 13, 2012

http://www.usgbc.org/articles/president-obama-calls-greener-homes-and-businesses

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Ferns emit a radiantly green aura from below the canopy of the Atlantic Forest in Brazil. Although much smaller than the nearby Amazon Rainforest, the Atlantic Forest still harbors of a range of biological diversity similar to that of the Amazon. It harbors 2,200 species of birds, mammals, reptiles, & amphibians, (5% of the Earth’s vertebrates), including golden lion tamarins, maned three-toed sloths, & 200 birds found nowhere else. Since 1991, the Conservancy has worked to restore this forest, stitching together a mosaic of land in various stages of development that keep forest corridors intact––photo by Devan King @dev.king #brazil #brasil #fern #green #forest #atlanticforest #restoration #livenature #savenature #flora #nature (at Lídice, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil)

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Due to the #blizzard2016, the High Line is closed. Stay tuned for updates and stay warm and safe! (at The High Line)

[greeningdc]

PNC PLACE - D.C. 

PNC Financial Services, Inc., in partnership with Vornado/Charles E. Smith, transformed the 167-year old Riggs Bank headquarters at the corner of H and 17th Streets, NW into a 21st century model green design, landing the coveted Platinum certification in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)

Architect: Gensler

Green Engineering Consultant: Paladino & Co.

Green Rating: D.C.’s first Platinum-level building

Sources:

PNC opens green headquarters, Washington Business Journal, October 6, 2010 

D.C.’S First Design for Platinum-Certified Office Building Unveiled. News Release, WASHINGTON, D.C., June 24, 2008

D.C.’s First Design for Platinum-Certified Office Building Unveiled

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#3greenmoms #lunchskins @lunchskins #Lunchskins by #3greenmoms

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Say ‘goodbye’ to plastic baggies this school year. Each lunchskin helps to eliminate 500 platics bags in our landfills!

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As we walk towards the all-new gym and cafeteria, you can see natural light flooding into the school through skylights. #TuesdayTour #Ward7 #construction #design #education #architecture #energyefficiency #sustainability @cmyma @dcpublicschools

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What Does Music Look Like?

“When I saw these organic branchlike forms,” Denise Burt says, “I thought of Norgard’s infinity series, a compositional technique where he works with musical motifs and repeats them like fractals.”

[npr]

Put on your headphones and check this out. -Ariel

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[npr]

It’s easy to think we’re being virtuous when we fill up the blue recycling bin and put it on the curb. But it’s clear we have embraced some magical thinking when it comes to what can be recycled.

Morning Edition asked its social media followers to share what puzzles them the most about the recycling process. Then, NPR’s Dianna Douglas visited a waste management plant in Elkridge, Md., to get the answers from Michael Taylor, director of recycling operations for the plant.

Taylor’s number one tip: don’t recycle plastic bags, even if they’re full of newspaper. They gum up the whole processing system. Every few hours Taylor has to shut down the machines to remove all the plastic. Take your plastic bags back to the grocery store, Taylor says. And don’t just throw your flip flops, bowling balls, and Christmas lights into the blue bin because you think they should be recyclable. Below are five more of his responses to readers’ questions.

Reduce, Reuse, Remove The Cellophane: Recycling Demystified

Credit: Dianna Douglas/NPR

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(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_j8NLIEjK0)

US Golf Association (USGA) The First Green uses golf courses as real-life learning laboratories for STEM education.

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The Top 10 Secrets of Bryant Park | untappedcities

Bryant Park is one of the city’s most illustrious public spaces, but it has come a long way from its more humble origins. As we’ll show in this guide, the history and architecture reveal the many secrets that lie beneath and around the park today.

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