The first annual International Green Building Conference kicked off last month (Nov. 13-15) in Austin, Texas. BD&C Senior Editor Larry Flynn provided a daily report from the first two days of the show. Here are some noteworthy items from the last day of the show.
Bookstore does big business
Sales appeared to be brisk at the green building bookstore during the conference. Attendees flocked to the tabletop emporium in between sessions. An array of books and guides were displayed, from books on design and philosophy, such as HOK’s guide to green design and green guru Bill McDonough’s book "Cradle to Cradle." Just released at the show: the "State & Local Government Toolkit" published by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is a central depository of information on existing green building programs. It provides details of existing programs and guidelines for incorporating the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System. www.usgbc.org
Product and service cyber search
Attendees were able to test the USGBC Product and Service Directory in the conference's Cyber Cafe. High-priced gourmet coffee was no where to be had, but conference goers could quench their thirst for product and service information by logging onto this on-line database, which serves as a clearinghouse, in wireless kiosks set up near the entrance to the exhibition hall. The directory will hold up to 100,000 product/service listings and include LEED credit and company contact information. www.usgbc.com
Finds on the exhibit floor
Made for the HVAC industry from natural fibers, the UltraTouch Natural Fiber Duct Liner is a thermally bonded; acoustic/thermal duct liner insulation that contains no fiberglass, formaldehyde, or harmful irritants, while offering noise reduction properties, mold and mildew protection, and a Class-A fire rating. The product is eligible for LEED. www.BondedLogic.com . . . Anderson-Tully, Vicksburg, Miss., and Roy O. Martin, Alexandria, La., have teamed up to supply envrionmentally sustianable building and interior timber components to the green building trade and specifiers with the launch of their Forest Stewardship Council-certified architectural and structural timber product lines www.anderson-tully.com . . . Environmental activists have been tough on vinyl products, but Flexco, Tuscumbia, Ala., a manufacturer of vinyl, rubber and ESD control commercial flooring, is looking to measure up with its EnviroFlex line, a series of products, which meet select standards for the design and construction of environmentally friendly buildings. www.flexcofloors.com . . . Greensboro, N.C.-based Lees Carpets introduced its Unibond RE backing system product, which includes 20% more post-consumer recycled content www.leescarpets.com . . . Specifiers now can access expanded polystyrene building and construction products through a partnership established between the EPS Molders Association, Crofton, Md., and CMD First Source. EPSMA is now listed online CMD First Source's E-Catalog (www.cmdfirstsource.com) and in its CSI's ManuSpec www.epsmolders.org.
(Larry Flynn, BD&C Senior Editor)
