PROJECT WATCH
City of Phoenix Glenrosa Service Center Awarded LEED Silver Certification
The U.S. Green Building Council recently granted the City of Phoenix’s Glenrosa Service Center a LEED® Silver rating. The 21,933-sq.-ft. multiuse service and maintenance facility, designed by Williams + Paddon Architecture of Roseville, Calif., and built by Wespac, makes up the first phase of the Glenrosa master plan and provides administrative and maintenance facilities for several city departments. Built on a remediated brownfield site, the building was constructed using processes that allowed diversion of more than 75 percent of its construction waste out of the waste stream. The new center incorporates an HCFC-free chilling system, waterless urinals, and other strategies and techniques for reducing water use by 40 percent, and also dedicates 25 percent of its parking exclusively for alternative vehicles. Glenrosa Center is the first city building to employ an underfloor air distribution system. Additionally, 91 percent of task areas have daylight and access to outdoor views. (Photo © Ken Goldman Photography.)

AIA-Backed Legislation Promoting Residential Energy Efficiency Introduced
AIA President Purnell Testifies on Capitol Hill
Rep. Ed Perlmutter (R-Colo.), an honorary member of AIA Colorado, has introduced sweeping legislation to stimulate the design and construction of energy-efficient residential buildings. The Green Resources for Energy-Efficient Neighborhoods (GREEN) Act (H.R. 6078) will provide incentives to lenders and financial institutions to offer lower interest loans and other benefits to consumers who build, buy, or remodel their homes to make them more energy-efficient. The legislation, which already has 21 cosponsors, is Congress’s most far-reaching attempt to promote residential energy efficiency. The AIA worked closely with Perlmutter throughout the bill’s drafting.

AIAS and Kawneer Announce 2008 National Student Design Competition
Design a “Library for the 21st Century with LEED Certification in Mind” by November 3
The American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS) and Kawneer Company Inc., on June 3, announced their third annual national student design competition, which challenges students to learn about building materials, specifically architectural aluminum building products and systems, through the design of a library. The competition is open to all students of architecture and design in North America, with winning students/teams and their AIAS chapters receiving cash prizes totaling $7,225, including $2,500 for the winning design. Participants will be required to research, respond to, and highlight the unique aspects of designing a library for the 21st century that serves the selected site and community and uses U.S. Green Building Council LEED® building standards. The registration deadline for the competition is November 3. For more information, visit the AIAS Web site.