Skyscrapers Double as Giant Brita Filters

By Adam Figman, Editorial Intern

As far as most people are concerned, skyscrapers serve two purposes: to hold offices and to make city skylines look nice. Well, we might be able to add sustainable design to that list. The latest emerging innovation encompasses skyscrapers being used to fix water problems to create sustainable environments around the world.

One concept is the Ciliwung Recovery Project (CRP), designed by Rezza Rahdian, Erwin Setiawan, Ayu Diah Shanti, and Leonardus Chrisnantyo for Jakarta, Indonesia, a city built on the intersection of 13 rivers. The Ciliwung River, the largest of the 13, cuts right across the center of the city, but it has unfortunately become a bit of a disaster, as surges of the river’s water flood the city, and the slums alongside the riverbanks have created terrible pollution—which is where the skyscraper comes into play.

The CRP hopes to purify the river and its surrounding environment back to its original state. It will do so by both purifying the water, and housing the people who occupy the area’s slums. Here’s how:

The purification process will take place through three lines. The first line will flow the polluted river water via pipes into the building’s filtration section. There the garage will be sorted out of the water and used as raw materials to fertilize the soil in the river basin.

Next, dangerous contaminants will be eliminated from the water, and good minerals will be added, making the water safe for CRP building residents (those who previously resided in the slums). Keeping these people safe in the building, and not alongside the river, will pen new space for green areas and keep the flood plane protected.

Household waste products – those that are safe, of course – will then be distributed back into the river. This may be done in two ways: through underground capillary pipes, and by spraying the processed water through the “skin” of the building. Doing this increases the humidity in the building’s lower section, which will pioneer plant growth and help construct a new ecosystem.

And, as if the entire project wasn’t sustainable enogh, the building is capable of creating its own energy, completely independently. The outer layer of the building’s skin will be used as a wind power generator. There is also a solar reactor on top of the structure, which will generate solar power. Even the elevator uses Archimedes’ Principle, moving up and down based on its specific gravity.

Next we look several thousand miles west of Indonesia to Almeria, Spain, where plans for another water-filtering skyscraper have been drawn up. Designed by French-based group Design Crew for Architecture (partners: Nicolas Chausson, Gael Desveaux, Jiso Yang Huang, Thomas Julien), the Freshwater Factory Skyscraper will function as its name insists. Although it might look like something out of a sci-fi flick (think District 9 or Independence Day), the Freshwater Factory may revolutionize farming’s relationship with freshwater.

The structure is composed of several round tanks, which are filled with brackish water (water with more salinity than freshwater but less than seawater). Located inside spherical greenhouses, the tanks bring in the water via tidal-powered pumps. Inside the tanks are mangroves, which feed on the brackish water and sweat out freshwater, which then evaporates in the greenhouse and condensates into dew on the plastic walls. The dew is collected and distributed through gravitational flow.

And it’s no small amount, either; one 10,000 sq.-ft tower can produce 30,000 liters of freshwater in a single day (enough water to irrigate, say, 10,000 sq.-ft. of land). 

The project, if successful in Spain, could be applied anywhere.

Maybe skyscrapers have more than two purposes, after all.  

Empire State Building: Retrofitting for Future Sustainability

By Stacy Straczynski, Associate Editor

Johnson Controls may have just announced its selection of Serious Materials to super-insulate the Empire State Building's over 6,500 dual-pane windows, but the building's retrofitting initiative, started last April, goes way beyond energy-efficient windows. Here's a video with more info, for those of you who have been touched by the green fairy (courtesy of YouTube).

Is Beauty Only Skin Deep?

By Stacy Straczynski, Associate Editor

Customized skins seem to be all the rage these days for iPods, iPhones, laptops, and any other tech gadget you can name. But Inhabit yesterday posted an item about a new photovoltaic skin concept, designed by the Laboratory for Visionary Architects (LAVA), would serve more of a purpose then simply adding a touch of personalization: the eco-friendly Enviro Skin would solve the aesthetic failure of the University of Technology Sydney Tower, which has been dubbed by Sydney as the its ugliest building.

Video via Architecture + Design

The concept calls for a composite, light-weight mesh textile to envelope the 1960s building in a cocoon that will help to reduce the structure’s carbon footprint by collecting rainwater, generating electricity, and helping to ventilate the building. At night, the skin would serve as a media surface to communicate information to students, much like a billboard in times square.

On the Cutting Edge of Spanish Architecture

By Adam Figman, Editorial Intern
 
Earlier today I attended “Architecture From Spain,” a look at the state and plans for evolution of Spanish architecture, specifically in the Castilla y León region of Northern Spain. The event took place in Tafel Hall at the New York Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, a large white room filled with natural light that poured in through the street-side windows.
 
AIA Executive Director Rick Bell kicked the day off with an introduction, during which he outlined the goal of the day’s seminars: to contribute to an understanding of the world via a knowledge of the materials we have and the way people construct things. Bell explained that research done on the computer or design done in a studio is not sufficient to fully comprehend the ways architects build the things they do. 
 
Bell went on to praise the work that’s been done in the Castilla y León region, and then had a moment of pride when he talked about the sustainability and green-ness of the building we were all sitting in.  Apparently, the New York AIA chapter is one of only a few buildings in the city powered by geothermal wells--two provide the institute’s energy in this case. This set forth the beginning of a trend on green architecture and sustainable development that consistently reappeared all day.
 
The first speaker was Mr. Juan I. Barroso, the head of the Department of Culture and Tourism of the Castilla y León government.  Barroso provided a plethora of information about the region of Spain for which he works, setting up the context for those who followed him.  Castilla y León, I learned, is spread over 36,600 square miles and contains 2,500,000 inhabitants. This leads to a very low population density, with only 70 people per square mile (the European average is 260).  These people are concentrated mostly in small towns, leaving vast countryside wide open throughout the area.
 
He also touched on the history of the vicinity. Interestingly, Castilla y León was subject to stints of Roman and Muslim rule in centuries past, the latter of which led to some pretty cool cultural integration.  Twelve Gothic cathedrals can be found in the region, and lots of movable works of art and contemporary architecture can be found, as well.
 
After Mr. Barroso’s history and cultural lesson, Mr. David Camara, president of Unex – Area Contract, took the stage. Camara’s position puts him charge of hospitality equipment, interior design, and home equipment, and he stressed the forward progress of the habitat industry in retail, which includes manufacturing fabrics, lighting, flooring decoration, and more.
 
Camara says restaurants are working to assist people with handicaps.  He also laid out all of the details that his work includes, such as “styles” (contemporary, modern, classical), “range” (high and medium-high products), and the ecological materials used (words, glass, ceramics, aluminum).  Quality service is key, says Camara, and he finds it important that the habitat and contract market in Castilla y León specializes itself so it can continue to increase in importance.  He stood behind the notion that the materials manufactured are qualified to meet the American demand, and that they offer a unique value option for architectural interior design projects throughout Europe.
 
Following Mr. Camara was Mrs. Sonia Para, who taught me everything I learned and then forgot in Introduction to Environmental Studies. Mrs. Para, a fourth generation stone business family member, sped through slides overflowing with science terms and descriptions of the different rock types offered in Northern Spain, which include sandstone, limestone, quartzite, marble and granite. She ended her seminar with a focus on (not surprisingly) sustainability, providing a scientific definition of the term and explaining that both a Life Cycle Assessment and Environmental Audit are now requirements for building in Castilla y León.
 
A pair of Spanish architects wrapped up the day, as they discussed a few projects they were completing. Mr. Miguel A. Alonso led off, and talked about the National Museum of Energy that he was working on in Ponferrada, Spain. The museum will celebrate the mining heritage or the area, while using the area’s natural elements as a thematic park. Solar power and biomass were used as energy sources, and a green covering and a solar skylight will also minimize the need for a powerful heating system. “The building is not trying to be a building with an exhibition inside, but a building that is an exhibition in itself,” he says. Mr. Rufino J. Hernandez concluded the day by talking about some projects he was working on, with pictures to accompany his explanations.

Overall, it was definitely an interesting event, even if the thick Spanish accents made it difficult for me to understand more than a sentence or two at a time. 

Salvaged Sustainability

By Stacy Straczynski, Associate Editor

Everyone’s eyes seem to be green these days—and it’s not from envy. Sustainability is the word, and I’m sure the media has already covered almost every possible angle to greenwash us by now. (Quite frankly, I’m a bit jaded by it all myself.) But this one story that came across my desk about a start-up retail design studio in East London really caught my eye due to its innovation and feel-good vibes.

When it formed during the middle of the credit crunch last January, Campaign didn’t have extra dollars to spend on fancy high-end worktables for is small staff of five—four employees and a “designated mascot” pug named Effie. Rather than shell out cash it didn’t have, the company used its creative juices to rethink the traditional worktable (pictured right). The employees went to the streets of its surrounding metro area and reclaimed any type of abandoned furniture they could find, searching street corners, dumpsters, etc. Tables, chairs, cabinets, and even lamps were fair game. Once collected, the team gave the pieces a white finish to revitalize its appearance, compiled an interesting arrangement, and then bolted them together to create one single, albeit unique, piece of office furniture.

The Alchemy Table, as it’s now called by Campaign, has grown with the company over the last year. As more staff members joined the team, each have made some sort of contribution to the “work of art.” The homespun project is now not only a success in recycling, but can be interpreted as a symbol of successful teamwork and group collaboration.

The End of the Beginning: Farewell from Greenbuild

Submitted by Bill Valentine, Chairman, HOK:

Hi everybody. Here are some final reflections from Greenbuild as I wait to board the plane back to San Francisco.

My friend Marvin Malecha is the 2009 president of the AIA, but I know him best as the dean of the College of Design at North Carolina University, where, once upon a time, I went to school. As Marvin introduced one of this morning’s speakers, I was struck by his comment that working together worldwide will amplify all our efforts in the environmental movement. There’s a staggering amount of truth to this idea.

Before Al Gore spoke on Wednesday night, the USGBC’s Rick Fedrizzi got the crowd fired up about the environmental movement. People from all over the world — Germany, England, Italy, Brazil, India, South Africa and Australia — took turns standing on these tall podiums to talk about what they were doing to adopt USGBC standards and strategies while tailoring them to their countries. The dream is becoming reality! The USGBC is igniting a movement that stretches far beyond US borders.

I know our culture at HOK has been made incredibly rich by our people in Canada, the UK and Asia. Experiencing how they think and design has taught us so much. The same is true for the sustainable design movement. The diversity we’re seeing in the USGBC’s people and programs is making all our environmental efforts that much more effective.

There was a lot of discussion at Greenbuild about social ideas, and how sustainability can be affordable and can improve the lives of the common man and woman. These are completely different conversations than what some might expect to hear from architects. Almost universally, the focus here in Phoenix has been not on glitzy design, but on soulful, helpful ideas. I’m so thankful for that.

The speaker I saw today, Ulf Meyer from Kansas State University, made the connection between happiness and sustainability. Clearly it’s true that sustainability makes us happy. You’re breathing better air, you’re enjoying more natural light, you’re living in a world that’s less polluted — the list goes on. And because we aspire to make a sustainable world simpler and more affordable, the hope is that people will be able to spend more time and money doing what makes them happy.

It has been fantastic to see so many interesting speakers and friends. But one of my favorite experiences was when I got to sit down in a quiet section of the convention center floor with about 30 of our HOK people. Their average age is about 30, and they came to Greenbuild from our offices all over the U.S. and in Hong Kong, London and Toronto. We talked about what we were learning and where we need to go from here. I'm inspired by the notion that these passionate young people will be the ones driving us all into a sustainable future. There was so much enthusiasm and they shared so many good ideas. It was quite touching.

Phoenix was a wonderful place to hold the convention. The weather, people and facility all were great (So were the Arizona wines!). Overall, there was a nice, friendly vibe in the city. It was nice to see Phoenix using its downtown renaissance for good advantage.

I’d like to thank everyone I encountered in Phoenix and at Greenbuild for their hospitality. Thanks to Jennifer at Contract for this high-tech soapbox, and thanks to all you readers. This has been fun.

Now it’s time for us to take what we have learned and been inspired by at Greenbuild and keep pushing the sustainable movement forward. As I like to ask my colleagues: If we don’t, who will?

Take care,

Bill

Al Gore's Greenbuild Rock Concert

Submitted by Bill Valentine, HOK:

 

 
      

Chase Field had a rock concert-like feeling last night.

 

The evening started with a young man singing the Star-Spangled Banner. It was so touching and soulful that I was crying, as were many folks around me. It was a beautiful rendition and the song felt so emotional because of the significance of where we were and what we were doing. As I listened to the words, the feeling streamed through me that this sustainable movement is, in large measure, about being patriotic and improving the health and welfare of our country.

 

Thanks to Mary Ann Lazarus, my seats were just 60 feet away from the speakers. Al Gore was amazing, moving across the stage without notes or a teleprompter and laying it all out there. He was witty and compelling. He was so good that I didn't know whether to be thankful to be in his presence or ticked off because if he had done half as good a job in the 2000 presidential campaign, today's world would be in far better shape.

 

Gore pointed out that even if some people don't believe in global warming – and I still know a handful – they should support the environmental movement because our pursuit of foreign hydrocarbons is costing our country a staggering amount of money and causing huge political problems. Conserving resources and developing alternative energy options is one way to make America healthy.

 

I related to one of the quotes that Gore used from General Omar Bradley, who was an Army field commander in World War II. It was, “We have an obligation to steer by the stars and not by the lights of each passing ship.” That quote is quite meaningful to the environmental movement, because we need to create a broad vision and get on with it.

 

He also quoted an old African proverb that relates to the power of the U.S. Green Building Council. It was, "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go to together." This was an important idea about what we can accomplish if we all work on this together.

 

Gore made a poignant point that we now have all the tools we need -- with plenty of new ones coming -- to solve our carbon problems. Now it's time to pursue new ways of getting it done. He zeroed in on being politically active and talking to our politicians about putting in place more laws that protect the environment, as we see in European countries.

 

One of my favorite quotes as it relates to what Gore was saying here is from Arthur Rubinstein, who said, and I'm paraphrasing: "You can play all the notes perfectly, but when does the music begin?" We have the notes we need, so now it's time to get on with playing the music. We need to fix our cities, change our education system to get more people interested in sustainability, improve our public transportation, and conserve our resources and land.

 

I'm staying at a smaller chain hotel that's several transit stops from the convention center. This morning I was sitting in the hotel lobby eating the complimentary breakfast and I couldn't help overhearing the conversation of a group of guys next to me. Last night they apparently were working as vendors at a booth in the stadium. They were talking about how they had to "sit through that Al Gore garbage before they got to hear Sheryl Crow." Ha!

 

Ciao until tomorrow,
Bill

PS: If you're here, stop by HOK's booth and give us your green a-ha!

Ken's First Blog from Greenbuild (and ever!)

Posted by Ken Wilson, Principal, Envision Design

I depart on a plane from National Airport at 10:30 am on Tuesday, November 10th. It was not surprising to see a number of familiar faces on the plane such as Raheem Cash, Director of GSA’s Environmental Division. I have been going to GreenBuild before it was GreenBuild (it used to be called the “USGBC Annual Meeting”) and it is something of an old home week for me. More so even than NeoCon. It is one of those places where I can’t walk 20 feet without running into someone I know. These are my people.

I am traveling with my wife Sally, who is Global Director of Environmental Strategies for CB Richard Ellis (and a tenant broker) along with my partner at our new environmental consulting firm, Eco-Impact, Penny Bonda. The cab ride from the airport to the center of downtown Phoenix is surprisingly cheap: $20 for four people (we pick up a friend of Penny’s). I am staying at the Sheraton, a brand new hotel a block from the Phoenix Convention Center. I am lucky to have this hotel because I hear the town is booked up with some people staying in hotels 10 miles away.  I am staying at this hotel only because of family connections.  Sally is the current Chairman of the Green Building Certification Institute who books her a room well in advance.  I am cool with that.  Connections are great when you have them.

Sally and I have lunch at the hotel and then check in for the conference.  Along the way we run into a number of old friends.  We then check out the reception CB is having at the Morton’s Steakhouse which is right below their office.  How appropriate that is.  They probably don’t even have to grill the steaks for the brokers….

Next we return to the convention center for the opening of the exhibition hall.  We run into Chris Smith, COO of USGBC.  You could not find a nicer guy.  We make plans to have dinner on Friday night.  The expo is vast.  Due to its size, the expo is located on two levels.  It is hard to identify the unique new products because there is so much stuff here.  It is mind boggling.  I am talking to Al Kabus at the Mohawk booth when the lights dim down as a signal to everyone that it the expo is closing down for the night.  Its like last call at a bar.  I head back to the hotel and catch up on some email before going to bed.  I have a bad case of what I call hors d'oeuvres stomach. Kind of full but kind of not.

One of my emails reminds me I have a proposal due the next day for a project in Kuala Lumpur. Darn.  I fill out the card for room service breakfast with the idea I will be spending the morning in my hotel room finishing this damn proposal.  Why does this always happen to me.

I am awake a 6:00 am and instead of going to the gym I am working on the proposal and eating a nice bacon and egg breakfast.  It sucks to have to write a proposal at the conference but I bet I am not the only one in this position.  It seems that writing proposals is all I do anymore.  I miss the first morning session but break away for the Executive Roundtable.  The panel is expertly moderated by Roger Platt, a newcomer to USGBC.  We hear from Ray Anderson, Bob Peck of GSA, Michael Crow - President of Arizona State University, Mark Nicholls of Bank of America, Arne Sorenson of Marriott, Mike Lafitte of CBRE and Tony Arnel - chair of the Green Building Council of Australia.

Bob Peck says the GSA will become a “proving ground” for green design and I believe him.  I know Bob and he is a no-nonsense guy.  He also says that in five years he won’t hire an architect that has to use a “green consultant”.  He believes green design must be integral to the practice of the firms he will hire.  Right on Bob!

Arne Sorenson says he wants to build his company to a point where people will say, “I will stay at a Marriott because they are a company that deserves my business.”  That is cool.

People ask, what is the shock that will get people to change their bad habits.  Tony Arnel says that in Australia, it is the 15-year drought.  He says that water use targets in Phoenix are 800 liters per person and in Australia it is 150 liters per person.  Wow….just think about that.

From the Executive Roundtable I go to the Leadership Luncheon, and special, invitation-only function that I am lucky to be invited to.  Ray Anderson gives an inspirational speech from the heart.  His is damn good at this.  He says everyone has one story to tell and that is their own story. He goes on to say that every story also begins with a question.  He says that the question every leader should ask: “is what we do worth doing?”  Ray is brilliant for putting life into perspective.  I get him to sign a copy of his new book “Confessions of a Radical Industrialist” after the luncheon.  Now I have to go back to the room to finish that damn proposal.  I miss the next to seminars, but the proposal gets done.  As I send it off I think there are probably a ton of firms that would do this project for a lot less.  It is a tough time to be in this business.

Next I go to a reception sponsored by the Forest Stewardship Council.  I received an Honorable Mention (second place) in an FSC award program for our design for the Generation Investment Management Office at One Bryant Park in New York City (Al Gore is CEO).  I receive our award and bolt to the opening plenary session where Rick Fedrizzi and Al Gore will speak at Chase Field (home of the Arizona Diamondbacks) followed by a Cheryl Crow Concert.  Rick is awesome.  Such enthusiasm!  I am totally sucked in.  I love this guy.  He makes me very proud to be part of this movement.  Then Al Gore comes on stage.  The crowd goes nuts (how the hell did this guy lose the election?).  He is brilliant.  I think how fortunate I am to have both of these guys as clients.  They are both incredible human beings and are so inspirational to others.  After the speech I have the opportunity to visit the USGBC VIP skybox where Al Gore is signing his latest book, “Our Choice”.  In addition to his book, I also get him to sign my FSC award for the design of his office (I am still lugging it around).  He seems genuinely happy to see me and I am honored.  I later have some drinks and chat with Vivian Loftness of Carnegie Mellon.  I’ve known Vivian for some time and she is amazing.  Again, I am feeling very lucky to be a part of all this and my bad attitude about the state of the profession starts to wane.  It’s not so bad after all and I feel our firm’s work is on the right side of things.  I run into Ray Anderson again and he tells me “you can look the world over and not find and x-environmentalist”.  How true.  I can go to bed happy tonight.

Greenbuild Day 1: Zero Carbon and Reusing Old Buildings

Submitted by Bill Valentine, HOK:

 

Thanks to everyone who is reading this blog! I was shocked by the number of people who came up to me today and said they read yesterday's post. I never thought I'd be Tweeted in my lifetime, I'll tell you that.

 

With more than 25,000 people attending Greenbuild, it's like a party in downtown Phoenix. The coffee shops are packed and the streets are full of demonstration Smart Cars and Priuses.

 

I stopped by HOK's booth and said hi to Mike and the gang. They're filming attendees' "Green A-Ha!" moments, so stop by booth #3442 if you want to be the next YouTube superstar or want to pick up some free salsa!

 

In walking through the expo hall and looking at the products, you get the strong impression that, to paraphrase Winston Churchill, we're at the "end of the beginning" for sustainable design. Incredibly exciting things are underway. And I'm happy to see a big push to make these products affordable so that they make economic sense.

 

I was particularly interested in one product I came across – a LED downlight that looks like a flat screen TV and is more than twice as efficient as a typical fluorescent ceiling light while putting off significantly less heat. This light was actually cool to the touch. I got so excited that I called one of our lighting designers – David Ziolkowski in our St. Louis studio — to talk about it. David said we're headed toward a time that, as the lighting quality improves, this type of low-energy, low-heat, high-efficiency light will be the standard.

 

I heard Rick Fedrizzi and Gail Vittori of the U.S. Green Building Council talk at lunch. It struck me that one reason the USGBC has been so unbelievably successful is that this organization is open to change and willing to morph. They're always seeking to learn and improve in order to take their efforts to the next level. Now they're starting to focus on what is beyond LEED Platinum, which soon will be the entry point instead of the pinnacle.

 

Speaking of what's next, there's a big buzz here about carbon neutral design. This is something we're very interested in and working on at HOK. Carbon neutral comes in a lot of manifestations. I went to a lunch meeting today in which my friend Ray Anderson spoke about what Interface is doing to move toward making zero impact on the earth. Ray told a sweet story about when President John F. Kennedy visited the Space Center in Florida sometime after NASA had achieved his stated goal of landing an American on the moon before the end of the 1960s. What President Kennedy noticed there, said Ray, was a humdrum attitude about their accomplishment. Why? Because, the folks at NASA told him, "That goal was too simple – we could have done much more!" That's the attitude we need to take when we focus on zero carbon: That's great, but what more can we do?

 

In another seminar, I heard that energy consumption in Europe, even with their very high standard of living, is half per capita of our consumption here in the U.S. Their buildings consume much less energy and they also aren't disposable – they're built to last.

 

That's the perfect segue into the other buzz from today, which had to do with retrofitting our buildings to consume less energy. This is much more important than what we're doing with new buildings because there are so many existing buildings that we can make a real dent in our energy consumption by making them more efficient. It seems to me that we haven't yet succeeded in getting our society excited about reusing our old buildings. But whether we're restoring a landmark or taking an existing structure down to the slabs, columns and foundations, this is incredibly important. It is a critical social, economic and cultural idea that we have to promote. So I was elated to see that push here, and I can tell you that it is a trend that will have a significant impact on the building industry. Is your firm ready for this? I'm going to make sure we are.

 

Tonight is Al Gore's speech and Sheryl Crow's performance at Chase Field, which is the downtown baseball stadium. Someone asked if I'll be there and I said, "Does a cat have a tail?"

 

That's the news from Lake Wobegon. See you tomorrow.

Phoenix Rising: Arriving at Greenbuild

Submitted by Bill Valentine, HOK:

First, I want to thank Jennifer Busch and Contract for allowing one of the more "mature" folks at Greenbuild to join you all as a guest blogger. I'll try my best to communicate the "vibe" here and maybe even throw in some facts.

This morning, as I was driving to the San Francisco airport to catch my flight to Phoenix, I had tears in my eyes listening to the memorial service for the victims of the tragic attack at Fort Hood. It was a poignant beginning to my conference experience, and I couldn't help thinking that the progress we are making at Greenbuild in helping Americans consume less "stuff" is one important way we can all make our world a better place.

I ran into several people I know on the plane. These days Greenbuild feels like a cross between a family reunion and a boisterous religious revival. There will be tears and cheers at Al Gore's keynote address tomorrow.

Instead of renting a car at the Phoenix airport, I took the shuttle to the new light rail system, which opened almost a year ago. The train took me past the convention center right to my hotel. It's an amazing system!

At the airport, I got to see our automated people mover project being constructed. This has officially been named PHX Sky Train. We have worked with Gannett Fleming on the design of this 1.7-mile-long APM for Stage I. It is designed for LEED certification and includes three elevated passenger stations. The trains actually will run right over one of the taxiways, which I don't believe has been done before at any airport in the world. When that's finished near the end of 2012, we'll be able to board the light rail trains right from the heart of the airport. Our clients here have been wonderful — they're committed to reducing vehicular traffic out of the airport. I'm excited about seeing my friend Danny Murphy, Phoenix Aviation Director, at the dinner HOK is hosting tomorrow night.

This city has long been known for its sprawl, but it's headed in the right direction environmentally. My impression of the local Phoenix government is that they follow the European model of viewing citizens as customers. So their focus is on making life easier and better for their citizen-customers, which is a wonderful way for a city to think.

It's 75 degrees, I'm running into all kinds of friends and I couldn't be more thrilled to be at Greenbuild. The idea of being part of this environmental movement at a time when so much is at stake in our world — and so much progress being made — is uplifting, to say the least.