2008 Greenbuild International Conference and Expo OAK BROOK, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Attendees to the upcoming 2008 Greenbuild International Conference and Expo in Boston can tour a special demonstration project showcasing the “High-Performance School of the Future, Today” when they visit the show on November 18-21. Designed by the innovative design firm Project FROG™ of San Francisco, the high-performance green building system is a fully functional classroom that showcases advanced technologies and sustainable systems now available for the educational sector in North America. Greenbuild is presented annually by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), a nonprofit organization committed to expanding sustainable building practices and consisting of more than 15,000 organizations from across the building industry. Established in 1999, the council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System™ is a voluntary, consensus-based national rating system for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings. Dynamic demonstration: Targeting students, faculty, school administrators, and the building design and construction industry at large, the “School of the Future, Today” project is intended not only as a vision of what is to come, but also as evidence of what is possible today. “The finished project will be a dynamic demonstration of the initiatives championed by USGBC and its LEED certification programs, and discussed throughout the three-day Greenbuild event,” says Dean Horowitz, publisher of Building Design+Construction magazine, which is staging the demonstration project with Project FROG. Project FROG — short for Flexible Response to Ongoing Growth — designs and manufactures high-performance green building systems that are rapid to deploy, affordable and sustainable. Founded in 2006, the firm has completed numerous forward-thinking school projects, including a child development center for the City College of San Francisco and a learning and technology center for the Jim Russell Racing Drivers School in Sonoma, Calif. LEED & Eco-friendly features: Situated at the entrance of the Greenbuild International Conference and Expo, the 1,282-square-foot “learning space” will incorporate the latest concepts in eco-friendly, sustainable features and products: A raised access floor plenum will hold the heating, cooling and electrical connections, which frees up the ceiling and walls for a column-free and flexible interior environment allowing for clear site lines. Daylighting will be optimized, allowing for abundant natural light, and will be coordinated through a high-tech indirect lighting system equipped with occupancy sensors and daylighting controls. Overall heatload is reduced through the use of sophisticated coated glass. Tackable wall surfaces and an abundance of whiteboards will be featured. Enhanced acoustics will optimize learning, and non-VOC (volatile organic compounds) recycled carpet tiles, interiors and paint will increase indoor air quality. Photovoltaic roof panels and a living roof will make the building’s heating and cooling systems more energy efficient. Durable protective coatings will be applied to the curtain wall. The look will be bright, colorful, clean and high tech, with large plasma television screens, laptop computers, and flat-screen monitors. On the soft-tech side, the room will be dotted with ergonomic seating. “Our solutions are characterized by abundant natural lighting, prevalent use of attractive, sustainable, non-toxic materials — all within a cost-, maintenance- and energy-efficient package,” explains Project FROG Director of Marketing Nikki Tankursley. “The classroom will employ a lot of built-in technology, and the layout will be flexible,” she adds. “This will allow teachers to easily reconfigure tables and chairs. This will be a zero energy classroom, generating as much energy as it uses over a 12-month period. Greenbuild attendees will get to see it all at work.” Project FROG’s systems comprise a pre-engineered and pre-manufactured kit of parts. Units can be purchased as an individual classroom or in combination to create entire campuses. Any general contractor can assemble the building, and Project FROG can recommend pre-certified installers throughout the country to interested schools and institutions. “We want to introduce this new approach to sustainable building to all of the attendees, demonstrating the best of the best and what can be done,” says Tankursley. Product sponsors: Multiple participating sponsors were selected to showcase the benefits of LEED certification, while also complementing the design concepts of this Project FROG building.
