The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announced today, on the main stage at its annual Greenbuild International Conference and Expo, a $3 million grant from Google that will catalyze the transformation of the building materials industry and accelerate the creation of healthier indoor environments.
"Healthy, non-toxic building materials are a critical component in green building," said Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO & Founding Chair, U.S. Green Building Council. "Fostering awareness of the materials we put into our buildings is of paramount importance, since many materials can link to a host of environmental and health issues. Working with Google enables us to broaden our efforts in the materials industry as we prepare for the next version of the LEED green building program, LEED v4. This updated rating system will paint a more complete picture of materials and products, enabling project teams to make more informed decisions."
"The idea for this project emerged from our own work at Google, where we're committed to creating the healthiest work environments possible that help employees perform at their best," said Anthony Ravitz, Google's Green Team Lead. "USGBC has a deep background in spearheading research, developing a rating system spanning the globe and engaging with the many stakeholders in the building industry, making them the perfect partner to help spur real change on the healthy materials front."
The grant will focus on three areas that will spur the creation of healthier indoor environments and encourage market transformation in the building materials industry: supporting research on building materials and health, developing new transparency tools and engaging stakeholders from across the industry.
"Improving the indoor environment, increasing materials transparency and advancing the understanding of materials' impact on health are critical targets for the LEED program as it continues to evolve," said Scot Horst, Senior Vice President, LEED, USGBC. "Ultimately, we are looking to create overall benefit for the environment and for human health."
The new initiatives will be developed over the next two years. +
Related Stories
Office Buildings | Dec 19, 2017
How do we measure human performance, and what does it mean for the workplace?
There are many new tools and methods that are beginning to look more comprehensively to evaluate organizational well-being.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Dec 18, 2017
Canada’s newest funicular makes Edmonton’s largest green space more accessible
The incline elevator is located in downtown Edmonton and was publicly funded.
Sponsored | Building Team | Dec 12, 2017
3 tips to address the top causes of budget overruns
The most cited issues are communication breakdowns, inadequate fees for the work provided, and unrealistic deadlines or schedules.
Multifamily Housing | Dec 12, 2017
Call for technical experts: Dog wash station design
The editors of Multifamily Design + Construction magazine need your expertise.
Government Buildings | Dec 11, 2017
Is this the world’s most humane prison?
The C.F. Møller-designed prison’s architecture supports the inmates’ and staff’s mental and physical well-being.
Architects | Dec 7, 2017
Snow Kreilich Architects receives the 2018 AIA Architecture Firm Award
Julie Snow, FAIA, founded the firm in Minneapolis in 1995, and later was joined by partner Matt Kreilich, AIA.
Architects | Dec 7, 2017
2018 AIA Gold Medal awarded to James Stewart Polshek
In 1963 Polshek started his first architecture firm, James Stewart Polshek Architect.
Architects | Dec 4, 2017
Architects to Congress: ‘You're making a terrible mistake’
House and Senate gut historic building credits and penalize architecture firms.
Architects | Dec 1, 2017
The third wave of urban waterfront development
The nature of waterfront redevelopment has been evolutionary, in the truest sense of the word.
Multifamily Housing | Nov 29, 2017
First Porsche, now Aston Martin: Sports car maker co-develops Miami condo tower *UPDATED
The 391-unit Aston Martin Residences will feature seven penthouses and a duplex penthouse, all with private pools and terraces overlooking Biscayne Bay.
