NEW YORK –
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and partners
are calling on the nation’s architects, builders,
students and others to participate in the second Lifecycle
Building Challenge. The competition seeks designs that
facilitate building material adaptation and reuse, minimize
waste, and cut greenhouse gas emissions. Ideas generated
by the contest will jumpstart the building industry
to help divert more of the 100 million tons of building-related
construction and demolition debris sent each year to
landfills in the United States.
The “Lifecycle Building Challenge 2” –
co-sponsored by the Building Materials Reuse Association,
the American Institute of Architects, Southface Energy
Institute, and West Coast Green – invites professionals
and students nationwide to submit designs and ideas
by July 31, 2008 that support cost-effective disassembly
and anticipate the future use of building materials.
Students, architects, reuse experts, engineers, builders,
product designers, educators and environmental advocates
are encouraged to apply for the web-based competition.
Currently underway, the challenge is open to built
and un-built work and has two main categories:
- Building—an
entire building from foundation to roof
- Component, Tool and Service—a
building connector, strategy or other idea
Outstanding entries in each category will be recognized
and publicized in national journals and at conferences
nationwide. The competition’s partners will also
recognize exceptional entries in three other categories.
The Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS)
will select the Best School Design, West Coast Green
will recognize the Best Residential Entry, and Building
Materials Reuse Association (BMRA) will select the Best
Greenhouse Gas Reduction Design.
"The Lifecycle Building Challenge explores new
ideas and techniques to minimize waste and reduce greenhouse
gas emissions,” said Alan J. Steinberg, EPA Regional
Administrator. “I encourage all building professionals
in our region - New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico and
the Virgin Islands - to submit entries.”
Lifecycle building maximizes material recovery to reverse
the trend of disposing large quantities of construction
and demolition debris in landfills. In the United States,
buildings consume 60 percent of total materials flow
(excluding food and fuel) and account for 33 percent
of the solid waste stream. Building renovation and demolition
accounts for 91 percent of the construction and demolition
debris generated each year, while new construction accounts
for only 9 percent. Between 2000 to 2030, 27 percent
of existing buildings will be replaced and 50 percent
of the total building stock will be constructed.
These issues can be addressed by planning for a building
or building component's eventual deconstruction or adaptation.
By creating building components that can be easily recovered
and reused, materials are kept at their highest value,
resulting in reduced consumption of energy and resources.
Reusing building components reduces the energy and greenhouse
gases emissions associated with extracting, producing
and transporting materials.
At the end of the competition, expert judges will determine
the best entries in each category and the winners will
be recognized at EPA’s Lifecycle Building Conference
in November 2008.
For more information or to enter the competition, visit
http://www.lifecyclebuilding.org.
Source: Environmental Protection Agency, May 13, 2008 |
