The Delaware Valley Green Building Council (DVGBC) recently announced Saint-Gobain/CertainTeed and YouthBuild Philadelphia Charter School are the recipients of the Groundbreaker Organizational Awards and the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA) Project is the recipient of the Program Award. Winners of these awards will be recognized alongside three built project winners at DVGBC’s 2016 Groundbreaker Awards ceremony on September 29 from 6-9:30 p.m. at Cira Green (80 South 30th Street, Philadelphia).
“DVGBC is excited to celebrate the people, organizations, and projects in our region that exemplify our mission to improve the health, safety and sustainability of buildings,” said DVGBC Executive Director Alex Dews. “The project nominees show the impact that high performance buildings can have on all real estate sectors, and the Organizational and Program awardees demonstrate the value of sustainability as a core principle. The work of our award nominees demonstrates a balanced approach to building that is healthy, efficient and has a positive impact on our communities.”
DVGBC selected Saint-Gobain and its largest construction materials brand, CertainTeed, as one of this year’s Organizational Award winners for their demonstrated commitment to sustainability. Saint-Gobain/CertainTeed are receiving this award on the heels of the Saint-Gobain/ CertainTeed North American Headquarters opening in Malvern, Pa., which officially received LEED Platinum certification by the U.S. Green Building Council.
“Our headquarters is designed to maximize the comfort and health of employees through the use of a wide range of our building materials and serves as a ‘living laboratory’ where our building scientists can measure the impact our products have on a real workplace,” said John Crowe, President and CEO of Saint-Gobain and CertainTeed Corporations. “We are humbled to see our vision come to life and to receive this award beside our long-time partner, YouthBuild Philadelphia Charter School, which is instrumental in preparing the next generation of green-collar workers in the region.”
YouthBuild Philadelphia Charter School was selected as this year’s nonprofit Organizational Award recipient for the work it does in Philadelphia to educate young people in sustainable building practices while providing high performance affordable housing in the city of Philadelphia.
“Teaching sustainable building and creating green affordable homes aligns on many levels with our mission of helping young adults build a better future for themselves and for others,” said Don Pinkney, YouthBuild Philadelphia Charter School Director of Building Trades & Business Development. “We’re honored by the recognition from DVGBC, and are also very proud of our students for the work they’re doing to improve our community.”
DVGBC’s jury selected the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Authority (PHFA) Project for the 2016 Program Award recognition. The PHFA Project is the result of the organization introducing language into their competitive funding application process which encourages developers to build to Passive House standards, a hyper-energy-efficient standard.
“We asked PHFA to initiate a project that would have all affordable housing in Pennsylvania designed and constructed to a net-zero energy capable standard by 2030, using Passive House as the tool,” said Tim McDonald, President of Onion Flats and a former Associate Professor of Practice in Architecture at Temple University. “PHFA welcomed the challenge, included Passive House criteria in its scoring, and in 2015 and 2016 funded 18 multifamily projects, the largest concentration of Passive House affordable housing units in the country.”
Join industry leaders and advocates to celebrate these winners as well as green building innovation in the region at Cira Green, Philadelphia’s first elevated park, largest green roof, and winner of a 2015 Groundbreaker Award. The evening will include food, cocktails, music and networking opportunities while recognizing the accomplishments of the individuals and companies working to move the sustainability industry forward in the region. Registration for the 2016 Groundbreaker Awards event is open through September 23 and tickets can be purchased online here.
