IG Green Features: LEEDing the way in sustainable development

The Island Gateway is LEEDing the way in green development.  LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a rating system developed by United States Green Building Council (USGBC) to highlight the ecologically sound design of building developments.

Why does it matter?  North Americans spend over 90% of their time in buildings - much of that time is spent at work. Buildings are responsible for 80% of total electricity and over 30% of total energy used annually. Standard buildings also account for significant portions of fresh water consumption during both construction and occupancy. Material waste generated through conventional construction practices accounts for up to 53% of landfill, depending on the location.  LEED certified buildings are designed to reduce both energy and water consumption.  Through innovative, sustainable design the Island Gateway LEED buildings are reducing environmental impact - and actually improving the current environmental health - during construction and for the long term, through sustainably designed and environmentally responsible buildings.

There are many planning and design elements that go into reaching a high level of LEED certification that help to greatly reduce water and electricity consumption and create comfortable, sustainable environments for the people working within them, and the ecology around them.

EcoTour this Sunday, April 25th

How do we keep Winslow Ravine clean? Have you ever toured a construction site where 100% of the rainwater run-off is contained and treated?  Come see our much-talked-about rainwater filtration system, and more features of sustainable excellence that make The Island Gateway an eco-friendly partner in the Bainbridge Island community. Join us for the annual Bainbridge Island Chamber of Commerce Eco-tour this Sunday, April 25th from 11am-2pm.  Click here for more details about the event.

www.bainbridgechamber.com

SAVE THE DATE!

You are cordially Invited 

Bainbridge Art Museum Open House

 
Monday, April 26 - 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
Bainbridge Performing Arts - Lobby 

200 Madison Avenue North

Map

The design of the new Bainbridge Art Museum is progressing, and representatives from the Museum are unveiling concept models to the public - with public comment welcome. Concept models are three-dimensional sketches of the proposed structure, created by principal design Architect Matthew Coates.  The models will be on display from 5:30 - 7:30, with a brief presentation at 6:15 PM.  Refreshments will be served.

IG Green Features: A Ravine Runs Through It

Bainbridge Island’s Winslow Ravine is an urban amenity – a large, contiguous green space within the urban environment.  The Ravine makes up 43% of the Island Gateway property.  For years much of the Island Gateway site was paved and used for auto salvage, parking and a host of other commercial uses.  Rainwater mixed with any substance on the pavement and ran, untreated, directly into the ravine and out into Eagle Harbor. 

The Island Gateway has taken strides to reverse this polluted history, and thanks to some innovative drainage and filtration techniques, harmful run-off to the ravine has been greatly reduced - if not eliminated - even during the construction process.  Water filtration on the construction site exceeds both State DOE and LEED requirements, and we can proudly say that 98% of sediment is contained on site!

All storm water run-off from the construction site is diverted to the on-site Rain For Rent water filtration system.  This system funnels the water through a series of tanks with natural filtration systems made from organic marine matter.  While the system does not treat for common bacteria, such as Giardia, the water that exits this system into the City’s catch basin is as clear and clean as drinking water.

The completed site will host a number of design features that will help keep the stream in the Winslow Ravine clean.  Permeable surfaces will increase by 13,170 square feet (almost a third of an acre) by replacing paved areas with landscaping; the ravine edge will be enhanced with native species to naturally filter rainwater; storm water from paved areas will be treated by two permanent Storm Filter systems, which filter out soluble heavy metals, oil, grease and other urban pollutants before the runoff enters the City’s storm water system; and portions of the buildings will have living rooftops and a living wall.  All of these low impact development techniques will help to slow and filter the flow of storm water run-off before it leaves the site.

Perhaps one of the most important ways The Island Gateway is protecting the Winslow Ravine is by simply leaving it alone for the Island community.  The project site includes 2.2 acres of Winslow Ravine that are being left undeveloped.  This protected space, combined with the strict regulation of storm water run-off from both the construction site and the completed development will help to ensure the continued thriving health of the Winslow Ravine for years to come.

To see The Island Gateway’s construction site water filtration systems in action come to the Bainbridge Island Chamber of Commerce’s Eco-Tour of the site on Sunday, April 25^th from 11am to 4pm.  Visit http://www.bainbridgechamber.com or call 206.842.3700 for more info.

Happy Earth Month!

Community Energy Forum: Positive Power Solutions for All

The Island Gateway and PHC construction have the honor of sponsoring the Community Energy Forum: Positive Power Solutions for All, which will bring together solar energy experts, energy efficiency professionals, policy-makers and educators to inform the community about our energy choices. Here are the details:

Community Energy Forum: Positive Power Solutions for All
 

DATE: Saturday, April 17, 2010
TIME: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm PDT
WHERE: Bainbridge High School Commons, 200 Building, 9330 NE High School Road, Bainbridge Island, WA 98110
AGE RANGE: all ages
COST: $5 Suggested donations
 

Are you curious about the new opportunities available to use renewable energy? Would you like to know what a Community Solar Garden looks like?
 

Are you spending a lot of money on energy for your home, and still getting too little comfort? Would you like to know where you can turn to for solutions?

To help you learn more about energy choices, join us at the Energy Forum!

Special guests include:

- Congressman Jay Inslee (invited to talk about Climate legislation in the afternoon session)

- State Senator Phil Rockefeller (in the morning session)

From noon to 1 PM, Guy Sidora will be there to work with kids, or the kid in you, to do the Energy Bounce!

For more details, please visit:
http://www.cenergysolutions.org/EnergyForum.html  

IG Green Features: Recycle This!

The Island Gateway is excited to tell you about our rigorous recycling program: 99% of all building site materials are being recycled! The highest rating for LEED certification credits applicable to Site Waste Management requires that 75% diversion of construction waste from landfills.  We’re taking it a step further.

All of the old asphalt, 1,500 (and still counting) old tires, and all the scrap metal from the site is being removed and recycled.  Even the metal building that existed on the site was reused: it was carefully disassembled and relocated to another property.

This 99% construction site recycling program not only removes potentially environmentally harmful waste from the site and it’s proximity to the Winslow Ravine, it greatly reduces the gross waste of building materials that can still be useful in a host of ways.  For example, recycled tires can be cleaned and shredded for use as safe padded flooring for gyms and playgrounds.  And the direct re-use of building materials reduces cost and avoids the need for new materials.

We’re taking this so seriously that we have a “pack it in, pack it out” policy for all work crews on the site.  No leaving your lunch behind.  Unless, of course, it can be recycled!

Recycling works!

Happy Earth Month!

IG Green Features: It’s Alive! The Island Gateway is greening up its walls and rooftops.

The green roof is not a new idea.  We’ve all seen those dustbowl-era photos of the shed-roofed stables with goats standing on top eating the grass from the roof of the very building that shelters them at night.  Like most good ideas, they stem from a natural process most likely discovered long ago.  But, the re-integration of live, growing elements into our living and working spaces is still only just beginning to take root in the mainstream development of building stuctures.

The Island Gateway is excited to play a roll in bringing these living design elements to such a prominent location on Bainbridge Island – a community that prides itself on being eco-conscious and Earth-friendly.

The basic ideas behind a green roof and a living wall are the same: integrate living, growing elements into the non-living structure.  In practice this means engineering a structure to carry the load of soil mass and plants, as well as the water that will be absorbed through rainfall.  Esthetically, this ties the buildings into the landscape in a very literal way.   

But that’s not all!  Theses living elements of the buildings actually serve very ecologically and economically important functions.  By catching and absorbing rainfall – in the natural growing process – these living elements reduce the amount of site water runoff before it ever reaches the gutter. This will help to greatly reduce and control the amount of run-off that enters Winslow Ravine. And by using mostly hearty native species of plants, the need for artificial watering is reduced or eliminated.

Further, the soil, root structures, and growing mass of the plants all serve as a natural insulation making for efficient (yes, that means costs savings on heating and cooling!), comfortable environments indoors, while providing visually pleasing environments out of doors. 

So, while the green roof may not be a brand new idea, it’s an important one – an idea we’re excited to be sharing and implementing at The Island Gateway!

For more info on green roofs and living walls check out G-Sky: Green Walls & Rooftops at http://www.greenrooftops.com

Also check out The Island Gateway’s landscape designer, Jack Johnson of Outdoor Studio at http://www.outdoorstudio.net

And this really cool video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63D2UkkTtBQ

Happy Earth Month!

Happy Earth Month!

Happy April 1^st, and Happy Earth Month!  In celebration of April as Earth Month, we’re dedicating weekly blog posts that highlight our Earth-friendly, sustainable design features!  First up: Green Rooftops and Living Walls!  Stay tuned!