CBT Celebrates Green Day

By Anuradha Kher, Online News EditorBoston–CBT, a design firm providing services in architecture, urban design and interior design, recently turned its office into an educational platform for sustainable initiatives, at the firm’s third annual CBT Green Day. About 175 of CBT’s 250 employees attended the Vendor Fair and 65 attended the keynote lecture held as…

By Anuradha Kher, Online News EditorBoston–CBT, a design firm providing services in architecture, urban design and interior design, recently turned its office into an educational platform for sustainable initiatives, at the firm’s third annual CBT Green Day. About 175 of CBT’s 250 employees attended the Vendor Fair and 65 attended the keynote lecture held as part of the celebration.“CBT employees share the belief that we need to take responsibility for sustainable design and inspire others to do the same,” says Ken Lewandowski, AIA, LEED AP, chairperson of CBT’s Sustainable Design Committee. “As designers, we strive to maximize the quality of the built environment while conserving natural resources and minimizing the negative impact on the environment. CBT Green Day provides a forum for sustainable design education and discussion and helps us stay on the leading edge of green design.”25 vendors were invited to display their green products and services for CBT staff to review. Some the products that caught the attention of the architects and designers at CBT were:•    Stone Source: Jelly Bean Glass Mosaics: composed of 100 percent post-consumer glass; 100 percent of the Jelly Bean Glass coat is entered into the interior finish recycled content. •    Floor Gred Tile lines: Ecotech, made up to 70 percent recycled post-industrial waste, and Riciciata, 100 percent recycled content.•    GreenSource Solutions: 90 percent of materials are used from local sources; 100 percent of glass inlays are from recycled glass, copper nuggets from recycled telephone cable, aluminum shavings from recycled cans, recyclable as road or landscape base.•    Calmac Ice Storage Systems: HVAC equipment can be used to achieve both water efficiency and energy and atmosphere credits to achieve LEED certification. Ice Storage saves energy by optimizing the time the system is spent running in the off-peak hours thereby decreasing energy costs and usage of the building.Alex Wilson, president of BuildingGreen in Brattleboro, Vt. and executive editor of Environmental Building News, presented “News and Noteworthy: Green Building Products and Trends,” where attendees learned about innovative products.The firm’s Sustainable Design Committee had the idea to tie the first CBT Green Day to St. Patrick’s Day, since both fell on a Friday and both had a green theme. CBT Green Day has since become an annual event within the office, and occurs every March on or around St. Patrick’s Day.