The couple’s 5,600-square-foot home will be outfitted with a host of aggressively eco-friendly technologies and materials: a recycled-steel roof that diverts rainwater to a 50,000-gallon underground cistern; reclaimed stone left over from the construction of Chicago skyscrapers; solar panels powerful enough to provide electricity to the home, charge five electric cars, and still return energy to the grid; a cedar interior cut from sustainable forests (where trees are selectively harvested to minimize environmental damage); doors and windows of Portuguese eucalyptus approved by the Forest Stewardship Council; oak floors salvaged from old granaries; recycled-glass sinks; a recycled-steel kitchen hood.

The toilets in the house feed into the front yard meadow. There is no paint, ducts, or HVAC and it uses no fossil fuels (easier done in California than other harsher climates). Sliding glass walls borrow the Japanese aesthetic and let in breezes during the summer and the Earth’s thermal energy (through a ground-source heat-exchange system that pumps water deep underground to be warmed) helps heat the house in cooler months. Other aspects of the home and yard include no fences so that wildlife can come and go freely, a bio-filtered natural swimming pool, and 100 solar panels. Take a look at the design and layout of the home here.

The environmental enclave is also one of the greenest when it comes to something else: it will costs 2-5% more than the “traditional homes” in the neighborhood, which start at around $5 million. Even though the cost to “run” the house once complete will be close to nil, that’s still a lot of green.

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Currently the draft rendition of LEED for Healthcare is going through its second set of public comments. Healthcare construction differs from many of the existing LEED programs. Patient requirements, including sterilized environments and materials; hazardous waste; and pathogen containment are among the many specific demands on hospital and healthcare facilities.

The LEED for Healthcare Green Building Rating System was developed to meet the unique needs of the health care market, including inpatient care facilities, licensed outpatient care facilities, and licensed long term care facilities. LEED for Healthcare may also be used for medical offices, assisted living facilities and medical education & research centers. LEED for Healthcare addresses issues such as increased sensitivity to chemicals and pollutants, traveling distances from parking facilities, and access to natural spaces.

The LEED for Healthcare rating system represents a culmination of four years of close collaboration between the Green Guide for Healthcare (GGHC) and USGBC.  GGHC has helped to streamline the LEED for Healthcare’s development schedule by aligning with the LEED for New Construction rating system’s organizational structure and by conducting public comment periods and a robust pilot program* that included more than 100 health care facilities.

Studies dating back over 25 years ago suggest views of the natural world (a potential component of LEED certification), can speed up patient recovery times in hospitals, saving patients money and avoid prolonged stays. Green building moves beyond merely implementing sustainably sourced materials and site management. The health of the inhabitants plays a significant role in developing structures for long term use.

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Sustainability has hundreds of definitions. For transparency sake, I am using the general notion of sustainability as follows: using resources in a way that does not deplete their numbers for future generations. Perhaps the most famous example of this phenomenon – the overuse and disappearance of plant life – comes from the remote island of Rapa Nui. More commonly known as Easter Island, Rapa Nui sits roughly 2,000 miles (3,500 km) off the coast of Chile. Fifteen years ago Jared Diamond, author of Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed (reviewed in Monday’s post), wrote an article for Discover magazine that served as the basis of the aforementioned book. In both the book and the article Diamond details the rise and subsequent fall of the society that inhabited the island for approximately 1,000 years. The main lesson is that the islanders did not sustainably manage their resources. The population exceeded what the island could support and crops – renewable resources – were harvested faster than they could regenerate.

The beauty of wind, solar, and geothermal power lies in the fact that they are continually replenished without humankind having to coax them from the soil. In the ultimate sense of the term they are finite, but on a human scale these resources are in fact infinite. This does not excuse us from engaging in behaviors like green building, energy conservation and efficiency, or moderation. It is incumbent upon us to use the resources that we have wisely, what I would call “sustainably.”

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A BBC story hails the school as the future. The curriculum follows a rigorous path, potentially leading to the International Baccalaureate (IB) program. IB is a  comprehensive, demanding course of study comparable to the Advanced Placement (AP) system in the United States. Students combine theory with practice by implementing the ideas they learn in an organic garden. Food is either produced in these gardens or locally sourced. This practical application of knowledge fits in well with best practices in education. In addition, the school relies on collaborative approaches to learning, another key pedagogical tool that aligns with the current understanding of how people learn.

Among the school’s buildings is the largest bamboo structure in Asia. As the BBC’s Karishma Vaswani reports, this economical and locally available material with its open sides serves a multitude of functions. The fast growing, renewable materials and lack of air conditioning system reduce the impact of the materials and are well suited for the area.

For those interested in attending the school, admissions and pricing information can be found on the website. As part of the school’s philosophy, there are 20 local students who receive scholarships enabling them to attend. Not only does this diversify the student body, but it also serves as a major component of the social equity component of sustainability.

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According to a press release,

The Green DC Map is available in two versions, a print map and an interactive online map. The print version is available by request from DDOE and highlights high profile locations that are easy to visit. It also features information about Anacostia restoration initiatives, the Green DC Agenda and the District’s Climate Action Initiative. The online version of the Green DC Map utilizes a Google-based web platform developed by the District’s Geographic Information Systems program in the Office of the Chief Technology Officer. It includes many more sites than the print version and provides more detailed information about each location. Online map users can customize the types of green venues and projects they would like to view and can create their own trails and tours by selecting specific locations.

DDOE is encouraging the community to provide feedback such as suggesting additional locations to add to the map. You can email your Green DC Map comments and suggestions to Stella Tarnay in the DDOE Office of Green Economy at stella.tarnay@dc.gov. The Green DC Map is one part of a wide effort by the DDOE to make information available and accessible to the local community. The DC Green homepage offers a plethora of information on green topics such as appliance rebate programs, the bag law, and ways to personally go eco-friendly.