Answer: Get a tour of a LEED Certified building from the experts who CREATED the building.
Summary:
Busy vs. Mindful
Oak Bluffs Properties
GREEN Agent Designation
LEED Building Tour
The past week has been the kind of busy that forces you to prioritize to get to everything on the list. I read a lot of negative material about the “badge of honor” that “busy-ness” has become, and criticisms of our multi-tasking culture but I believe that busy-ness can also serve us well. Being busy gets us into the gear where time really feels valuable and when there is a perceived risk of missing out on activities and opportunities (aka FOMO “Fear Of Missing Out”, popularized during the recent NHL playoffs as #FOMOH) we are forced to focus on what matters. So, busy-ness can force a more mindful practice and greater presence in the moment.
Among the tasks for this week were:
- Getting two new Oak Bluffs listings active and on the market
- Completing the course requirements and testing for my National Association of Realtors GREEN Agent Designation
- Attending an incredibly thoughtful and educational LEED Building Event on the Cape
And with a dash of crazed off-island shopping peppered in, taking advantage of the car reservation I made to get to the Cape, all tasks were completed…
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32 Washington Ave & 9 Chickawaukee Street: LISTED!
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LEED Certified Building Comprehension: ACQUIRED!
Hosted by the USGBC Cape & Islands Interest Group (U.S. Green Building Council) and sponsored by Cape Associates & Jill Neubauer Architects, the Cape Associates office building in Eastham was debuted as one of the latest LEED-NC (New Construction) Certified Commercial Buildings. The highlight for me was the basement tour of all the major systems in the building from ZeroEnergy Design‘s Adam Prince. We all hear about new products and practices available in the Green Building realm, and to actually see them in action, with an expert talking you through how they all work with each other, and how it differs from a conventional set up, was invaluable to me. Hot water heaters with heat pumps, closed cell foam insulation, photovoltaic DC convertors, were explained along with jokes about how many BTUs a live body puts off at rest (we were generating a hefty bunch of energy down there!
LEED, or Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design, is a green building certification program that recognizes best-in-class building strategies and practices. To receive LEED certification, building projects satisfy prerequisites and earn points to achieve different levels of certification. Prerequisites and credits differ for each rating system, and teams choose the best fit for their project. *
I strongly encourage everyone looking for a better understanding of Green Building to join their local chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council, and look out for these events which help illuminate a complex and vast world of practices and products.
Sincerely,
Rose Ryley Courcier
Sharing the love of Martha’s Vineyard, Real Estate & Happiness
508.939.6500
