The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that at least 36 states will face water shortages by 2013. It’s a problem not limited to the desert Southwest, but stretches to the Midwest, Florida, Georgia and other regions. The EPA’s WaterSense program is designed to decrease indoor and outdoor nonagricultural water use through more efficient products, equipment and programs.
Architects and builders interested in developing more water-efficient buildings can learn the ins-and-outs of the WaterSense program during a series of four free live webinars hosted online at GreenExpo365.com May 9.
Experts from the EPA, along with architects and builders will present ways to design and build water-conscious homes and buildings, and be available to answer questions.
The presentation schedule is:
- Wednesday, May 9, 8:00 a.m. Pacific / 11:00 a.m. Eastern ?Jonah Schein, EPA WaterSense Program Technical & Certification Coordinator for New Homes: “Design Leads the Way: Why and How Architects Should Design with Water in Mind”
- Wednesday, May 9, 9:30 a.m. Pacific / 12:30 p.m. Eastern ?Alicia Marrs, EPA WaterSense Program New Homes Partnerships Marketing & Outreach Specialist: “Talk it Up! Communicating the Value of a Water Efficient Home”
- Wednesday, May 9, 11:00 a.m. Pacific / 2:00 p.m. Eastern ?Amber Lefstead, EPA Water Sense Program Outdoor Coordinator, and Tamara Mittman, EPA Office of Wastewater Management Environmental Engineer: “Water Conservation in the Great Outdoors – Thinking about Landscaping in a New Way”
- Wednesday, May 9, 1:00 p.m. Pacific / 4:00 p.m. Eastern ?Matt Stevens, Green Zone Home; CR Herro, Meritage Homes, Vice President of Environmental Affairs; and Jonah Schein, EPA WaterSense Program: “WaterSense in Action: Tips and Examples from an Architect, a Builder and a Verifier”
All sessions are free to attend. For more information, visit http://www.greenexpo365.com/en/about/events/upcoming_events_news_feed/may-9-watersense-breakout-session---full-day-educa_h05s6ise.html. BD+C
Related Stories
| Jan 19, 2011
Architecture Billings Index jumped more than 2 points in December
On the heels of its highest mark since 2007, the Architecture Billings Index jumped more than two points in December. The American Institute of Architects reported the December ABI score was 54.2, up from a reading of 52.0 the previous month.
| Jan 19, 2011
Large-Scale Concrete Reconstruction Solid Thinking
Driven by both current economic conditions and sustainable building trends, Building Teams are looking more and more to retrofits and reconstruction as the most viable alternative to new construction. In that context, large-scale concrete restoration projects are playing an important role within this growing specialty.
| Jan 10, 2011
Architect Jean Nouvel designs an island near Paris
Abandoned by carmaker Renault almost 20 years ago, Seguin Island in Boulogne-Billancourt, France, is being renewed by architect Jean Nouvel. Plans for the 300,000-square-meter project includes a mix of culture, commerce, urban parks, and gardens, which officials hope will attract both Parisians and tourists.
| Jan 10, 2011
Michael J. Alter, president of The Alter Group: ‘There’s a significant pent-up demand for projects’
Michael J. Alter, president of The Alter Group, a national corporate real estate development firm headquartered in Skokie, Ill., on the growth of urban centers, project financing, and what clients are saying about sustainability.
| Jan 7, 2011
BIM on Target
By using BIM for the design of its new San Clemente, Calif., store, big-box retailer Target has been able to model the entire structural steel package, including joists, in 3D, chopping the timeline for shop drawings from as much as 10 weeks down to an ‘unheard of’ three-and-a-half weeks.
| Jan 7, 2011
How Building Teams Choose Roofing Systems
A roofing survey emailed to a representative sample of BD+C’s subscriber list revealed such key findings as: Respondents named metal (56%) and EPDM (50%) as the roofing systems they (or their firms) employed most in projects. Also, new construction and retrofits were fairly evenly split among respondents’ roofing-related projects over the last couple of years.
| Jan 7, 2011
Total construction to rise 5.1% in 2011
Total U.S. construction spending will increase 5.1% in 2011. The gain from the end of 2010 to the end of 2011 will be 10%. The biggest annual gain in 2011 will be 10% for new residential construction, far above the 2-3% gains in all other construction sectors.
| Jan 7, 2011
Mixed-Use on Steroids
Mixed-use development has been one of the few bright spots in real estate in the last few years. Successful mixed-use projects are almost always located in dense urban or suburban areas, usually close to public transportation. It’s a sign of the times that the residential component tends to be rental rather than for-sale.