The Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) and ICC Evaluation Service, LLC (ICC-ES), today announced they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to strengthen the relationship between CSI’s GreenFormat and the ICC-ES Environmental program.
ICC-ES currently references CSI’s MasterFormat and other formats in all of its evaluation reports. The MOU will add GreenFormat references.
“CSI’s GreenFormat identifies and organizes the sustainable attributes of building products,” said CSI Executive Director and CEO Walter Marlowe, P.E., CSI, CAE. “By collaborating with ICC-ES, it will help increase awareness and use of GreenFormat, particularly with products compliant to the 2012 International Green Construction Code (IgCC), so that professionals who select building products can make informed choices.”
“This MOU recognizes the complementary nature of ICC-ES and CSI’s GreenFormat in the sustainable building sector and demonstrates added value to environmental reports,” said Rob Brooks, Director of ICC-ES Environmental Programs. “While CSI provides a uniform structure for manufacturers to report the sustainable characteristics of their products through GreenFormat, ICC-ES provides evidence that products meet requirements of codes and green building standards.”
Among the agreements included in the MOU:
-
ICC-ES will add GreenFormat’s numbering scheme within new and existing ICC-ES Environmental Evaluation reports (Verification of Attributes Reports™ and Plumbing, Mechanical and Fuel Gas Listings) for environmental attributes.
-
ICC-ES and CSI will work together to maintain the relationship between GreenFormat categories and the questions in the ICC-ES Environmental Evaluation reports as both are updated and add references to new reports.
-
CSI will present ICC-ES Criteria to the GreenFormat task team for consideration as appropriate product evaluation tests within GreenFormat.
In addition, CSI and ICC-ES intend to participate in each other’s technical committees, where applicable.
GreenFormat provides a uniform structure for manufacturers to report the sustainable properties of their products. It helps industry professionals evaluate the green characteristics of building products they are considering for their projects.
The ICC-ES Sustainable Attributes Verification and Evaluation (SAVE) program provides manufacturers with independent verification that their products meet specific sustainability targets defined by today’s codes, standards and green rating systems. The ICC-ES SAVE and PMG Listing programs both evaluate the compliance of products to a subset of GreenFormat attributes. BD+C
Related Stories
K-12 Schools | Feb 18, 2023
Atlanta suburb opens $85 million serpentine-shaped high school designed by Perkins&Will
In Ellenwood, Ga., a southeast suburb of Atlanta, Perkins and Will has partnered with Clayton County Public Schools and MEJA Construction to create a $85 million secondary school. Morrow High School, which opened in fall 2022, serves more than 2,200 students in Clayton County, a community with students from over 30 countries.
Museums | Feb 17, 2023
First Americans Museum uses design metaphors of natural elements to honor native worldview
First Americans Museum (FAM) in Oklahoma City honors the 39 tribes in Oklahoma today, reflecting their history through design metaphors of nature’s elements of earth, wind, water, and fire. The design concept includes multiple circles suggested by arcs, reflecting the native tradition of a circular worldview that encompasses the cycle of life, the seasons, and the rotation of the earth.
Architects | Feb 17, 2023
Architect of the Capitol fired by President Biden after strong bipartisan criticism
Architect of the Capitol J. Brett Blanton was let go this week following alleged abuse of authority, misuse of government property, and wasted taxpayer money.
High-rise Construction | Feb 15, 2023
Bjarke Ingels' 'leaning towers' concept wins Qianhai Prisma Towers design competition
A pair of sloped high-rises—a 300-meter residential tower and a 250-meter office tower—highlight the Qianhai Prisma Towers development in Qianhai, Shenzhen, China. BIG recently won the design competition for the project.
Senior Living Design | Feb 15, 2023
Passive House affordable senior housing project opens in Boston
Work on Phase Three C of The Anne M. Lynch Homes at Old Colony, a 55-apartment midrise building in Boston that stands out for its use of Passive House design principles, was recently completed. Designed by The Architectural Team (TAT), the four-story structure was informed throughout by Passive House principles and standards.
Designers | Feb 13, 2023
Hoffmann Architects + Engineers Establishes Diversity Advancement Scholarship Fund
Hoffmann Architects + Engineers, a design firm specializing in the rehabilitation of building exteriors, contributed $25,000 to fund the Hoffmann Diversity Advancement Scholarship, administered through the Connecticut Architecture Foundation. The fund provides scholarships for students from underrepresented racial or ethnic groups who are seeking degrees in architecture or engineering.
Office Buildings | Feb 12, 2023
Smyrna Ready Mix’s new office HQ mimics the patterns in the company’s onsite stone quarry
Designed by EOA Architects to showcase various concrete processes and applications, Smyrna Ready Mix's new office headquarters features vertical layering that mimics the patterns in the company’s stone quarry, located on the opposite end of the campus site. The building’s glass and concrete bands are meant to mirror the quarry’s natural contours and striations.
Multifamily Housing | Feb 11, 2023
8 Gold and Platinum multifamily projects from the NAHB's BALA Awards
This year's top BALA multifamily winners showcase leading design trends, judged by eight industry professionals from across the country.
Multifamily Housing | Feb 10, 2023
Dallas to get a 19-story, 351-unit residential high-rise
In Dallas, work has begun on a new multifamily high-rise called The Oliver. The 19-story, 351-unit apartment building will be located within The Central, a 27-acre mixed-use development near the Knox/Henderson neighborhood north of downtown Dallas.
Sustainability | Feb 9, 2023
New guide for planning, designing, and operating onsite water reuse systems
The Pacific Institute, a global nonpartisan water think tank, has released guidance for developers to plan, design, and operate onsite water reuse systems. The Guide for Developing Onsite Water Systems to Support Regional Water Resilience advances circular, localized approaches to managing water that reduce a site’s water footprint, improve its resilience to water shortage or other disruptions, and provide benefits for local communities and regional water systems.
