September Tour of Green Buildings to Showcase Region’s National Leadership in Sustainable, Energy-Efficient LEED Buildings

Contact: Renae Hesselink, LEED AP, Chair, U.S. Green Building Council West Michigan Chapter, renae.hesselink@enichols.com, (231) 799-2120. http://www.usgbcwm.org/green-buildings-of-west-michigan

Grand Rapids, MI – August 11, 2010 – The U.S. Green Building Council West Michigan (USGBC-WM) Chapter today announced that it will host tours of 40 commercial and residential LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified buildings located in and around the Grand Rapids area on Friday and Saturday, September 10th and 11th. The tours will coincide with Future Cities: Climate Strategies for Sustainable Communities, a conference hosted by a5 Inc. and Seven Generations Ahead on Friday, September 10th at Grand Valley State University’s Eberhard Center on the downtown Grand Rapids campus.

“The Grand Rapids metropolitan area ranks first nationally in the number of LEED buildings per capita, and fifth overall,” explained USGBC-WM Chapter Chair Renae Hesselink, LEED AP. “We’ve earned the right to call ourselves a national center of green building, but more importantly we’re positioning our region as a trendsetter, a leader in innovation, and home to experts in the design and manufacture of energy-efficient, sustainable buildings and materials.”

The Green Buildings of West Michigan Tour will provide its participants with a close-up look at a diverse portfolio of LEED-certified building stock spanning a variety of market segments including office, manufacturing, small project, health care, education, residential, hospitality and non-profit. The buildings are also featured in Green Buildings of West Michigan, a book published by the USGBC West Michigan Chapter to commemorate the tour. Information regarding availability and pricing is available at www.usgbcwm.org/green-buildings-book.

Primary tour transportation will be based near the Grand Valley State University Eberhard Center in downtown Grand Rapids, where tours begin at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, September 10th and Saturday, September 11th. Registration is required. In addition to the shuttle services provided, some tours will incorporate public transportation and walking. The tour includes visits to Aquinas College, the David D. Hunting YMCA, the Grand Rapids Art Museum and the Hyatt Place Grand Rapids South, in addition to LEED buildings owned by office furniture industry leaders Haworth, Herman Miller and Steelcase.

“Based on the initial response, we expect hundreds of industry professionals, students and those just curious about the green building movement to join us on the tours,” Hesselink said. “They’re coming from throughout the Midwest to ‘kick the tires’, ask questions, and consider how they might advance the art and science of green building in their own communities. We’re excited to see the growing interest and happy to share the lessons learned by the many green building pioneers that call West Michigan home.”

Tour registration and details are available at www.usgbcwm.org/green-buildings-of-west-michigan. LEED APs with specialty and LEED green associates can earn GBCI Credential Maintenance Program Credit.

The corresponding Future Cities: Climate Strategies for Sustainable Communities conference will feature keynote addresses from Mayor George Heartwell of Grand Rapids, Mayor Dave Bing of Detroit and Director Rebecca Humphries of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment. The full program, along with registration information, is available via the GreenTown web site at www.greentownconference.com

Follow the Green Buildings of West Michigan Tour on Facebook.