As one of 79 regional chapters under the umbrella of the
U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the
Delaware Valley Green Building Council (DVGBC) certainly doesn't mince words when it comes to its mission --
there it is, in 16-point type atop the "Strategic Plan" page of its website: "Green Buildings for All."
Here in the Delaware Valley, the execution of that vision translates to outreach and public policy work intended to transform the community through environmentally responsible building.
DVGBC also hosts an annual awards ceremony designed to recognize green development projects "that are really cutting-edge and transformational," says Janet Milkman, the Council's executive director. "We've always tried to celebrate the thrust in green building practice in our region," she adds, explaining why this year's ceremony is being referred to as the
Groundbreaker Awards.
Six finalists have been chosen out of 20 total nominations. The three winners will be announced during a September 18 awards ceremony at Center City's
Suzanne Roberts Theater modeled after the Oscars; attendees will enter on a green carpet.
"Honestly, we had 20 wonderful submissions," says Milkman. "They were all terrific, so the jury had a hard time."
Ultimately, the six finalists were chosen because of their uniqueness in the region, and because of their potential to be modeled by future developement projects.
UPenn's
Shoemaker Green, which is managing stormwater with vegetative infrastructure approaches, is one such project. So is North Philadelphia's residential
Paseo Verde, a mixed-income
transportation-oriented development (TOD) project, and the first in the country to achieve Platinum status under the
LEED for Neighborhood Development (LEED-ND) designation.
Other finalists included
KidZooU at the Philadelphia Zoo and the
Camden Friends Meeting House and Social Hall in Delaware.
Writer: Dan Eldridge
Source: Janet Milkman, DVGBC