It is an honor for me to serve as your Chapter President, one of the finest if not the finest Chapter in all of CSI. Special Recognition should go to Jeff Larimer who just completed two years as Chapter President, during which through his excellent leadership and the fine efforts of the Chapter Board and Committee’s members we were recognized both in 2007 and 2008 with "Outstanding Chapter Awards".

I would also like to recognize and thank Floyd Lawrence for his many years of service as Board Member, most recently as Chapter Secretary. Keith Lowell is taking over the important responsibility of Chapter Secretary. Keith’s positive attitude and willingness to step up and help out in any way possible is indicative of the spirit that permeates through out our chapter and CSI as a whole. It has been my experience you can find no better organization of individuals, willing to help out, pitch in, and assist, in what ever way possible. It is no small wonder why so many architects, engineers, specification writers, product representatives, and constructors, chose CSI as their professional organization of choice. If you wish to get more involved with this outstanding team, we welcome your interest and attendance during our Chapter Board Meetings. Our Board Meetings are held at 4 PM, preceding our monthly meetings held on the first Tuesday of each month. An excellent way to get involved and learn more about the Chapter is to serve as a Committee Co-Chair. Please let us know if you have any interest in serving on a committee.

If you have not already done so, now is a good time to mark your calendar, on the first Tuesday of each month, September though May, except for December to attend our monthly CSI Chapter Meetings. Our first Chapter Meeting will be Tuesday, September 2^nd at the Muddy Rudder. Gunner Hubbard of Fore Solutions will speak on "LEED for Schools". Everyone is encouraged to invite perspective members to a Chapter Meeting. Your invitation will allow them to experience the educational benefits, professional development, and camaraderie will all share as members of CSI.

On a more serious budgetary note the Board discussed at our recent planning meeting the possibility of increasing our meeting meal costs to $ 40.00 this year. We need your feedback on this, and plan to discuss the cost of meals further at our upcoming September Meeting. We will also discussed the need to invoice individuals who register and do not show up, as the Chapter still incurs their meal costs. The Board has determined that one missed meeting will be allowed, with the individual being invoiced for their meal costs there after.

With that said, I’m looking forward to serving you as your Chapter President for the next two years. I thank you for the opportunity, and sincerely appreciate all the support and encouragement I have received.

Sincerely,

David J. Early, PE, CSI, CCCA
Maine Chapter President

Membership Committee Report
 from Steve Dunn, CSI

We were tasked by the New England Region chair Ed Healy and the Vice Chair Tim Hurley to increase our membership by 2%. We started our baseline on June 30, 2007 with a reported 99 members state wide. We were able with everyone's help to bring that total to.... 103 on May 1, 2008. That is an increase of 4% or double what was requested. We were one of 5 chapters out of 15 chapters that had a positive increase on membership. It is difficult at times to ask people we know that are in the construction field to come and join and learn what we are all about. If you know someone and would like me to contact them, please let me know.

Education Committee Report
from Jeff Larrimer, CSI

For those members who are looking for continuing education credits, The Maine Chapter of CSI's registration as a CES Provider has been renewed for 2008. Each month our meeting program will be registered with the AIA/CES Program. A sign-up sheet will be provided for all members to record their attendance and participation in the program. AIA members can sign in with their membership number. The sign-up sheet will then be forwarded to AIA/CES to be recorded.

 The September meeting on "LEED for Schools" has already been submitted and registered for continuing education credits. Hope you will join us for this very informative program.

Awards Activities

On Saturday evening, June 14^th the Maine Chapter held its annual Awards Banquet at the Hilton Garden Inn, Auburn Maine. We were particularly proud to close out our 41^st Year with CSI’s Outstanding Chapter Commendation, the second year in a row the Maine Chapter was selected to receive this award. The award was presented to us at Construct 2008, in Las Vegas, where the Chapter was represented by Dick Eustis, Bill Charland, and Dave Early.

There were 11 awards presented during our awards banquet, including the Certificate of Merit and Appreciation from the Institute to Jeff Larimer, Chapter President 2007 & 2008. The highlight of the evening was the "Knowlton Award Presentation". The purpose of the Knowlton award is to recognize an outstanding contribution to communications within the design and construction industry in Maine. The award is named after Ralph G. Knowlton, a major contributor to the early development and success of the Maine Chapter. He was a firm believer in the ability of communications to solve many of the problems that face the industry. The 2008 recipient of the Ralph Knowlton award was John Gordon, AIA, of Gordon/Stanley Architecture of Bar Harbor.

 

Chapter "Certificate of Merit and Appreciation"

Presented to:

Bradford W. Armstrong, CSI, CCPR - For your devoted and selfless personal contribution to the Maine Chapter while serving as Region Director, June 30, 2007 – December 12, 2008, you are presented the Certificate of Merit and Appreciation on the 14^th day of June 2008.

Jeremy Bate, CSI, CDT - For your devoted and selfless personal contribution to the Maine Chapter while serving as Director, 2007/2008, you are presented the Certificate of Merit and Appreciation on the 14^th day of June 2008.

William Charland, CSI, CCCA, MAI - For your devoted and selfless personal contribution to the Maine Chapter while serving as 2^nd Vice President, 2007/2008, you are presented the Certificate of Merit and Appreciation on the 14^th day of June 2008.

Melvin Cole, Jr., CSI, CDT - For your devoted and selfless personal contribution to the Maine Chapter while serving as Director, 2007/2008, you are presented the Certificate of Merit and Appreciation on the 14^th day of June 2008.

David Early, CSI, CCCA - For your devoted and selfless personal contribution to the Maine Chapter while serving as President Elect and 1^st Vice President and Program Chair, 2007/2008, you are presented the Certificate of Merit and Appreciation on the 14^th day of June 2008.

Floyd Lawrence, CSI, CDT - For your devoted and selfless personal contribution to the Maine Chapter while serving as Secretary, 2007/2008, you are presented the Certificate of Merit and Appreciation on the 14^th day of June 2008.

Denis Lemieux, CSI, CDT, LEED^{AP -} For your devoted and selfless personal contribution to the Maine Chapter while serving as Treasurer, 2007/2008, you are presented the Certificate of Merit and Appreciation on the 14^th day of June 2008.

John Morey, CSI, CDT - For your devoted and selfless personal contribution to the Maine Chapter while serving as Advisor to the Board, 2007/2008, you are presented the Certificate of Merit and Appreciation on the 14^th day of June 2008.

Lori Rohr, CSI, CDT - For your devoted and selfless personal contribution to the Maine Chapter while serving as Director, 2007/2008, you are presented the Certificate of Merit and Appreciation on the 14^th day of June 2008.

Institute Certificate of Appreciation to Chapter President

Presented to Jeffrey Larimer, CSI for serving as Chapter President during FY 2008

Maine Chapter "Ralph Knowlton Memorial Award"

Presented to: John P. Gordon, AIA, in recognition of outstanding contributions to communications within the construction industry in Maine

 

John P. Gordon, AIA, Principal of Gordon/Stanley Architecture of Bar Harbor, was presented with the 2008 Ralph G. Knowlton award at the Maine Chapter CSI annual awards dinner held at the Hilton Garden Inn in Auburn on Saturday evening, June 14, 2008.

Presented by Jeff Larimer, AIA, CSI, President of the Maine Chapter CSI, the Ralph Knowlton award recognizes an outstanding contribution to communications within in the construction industry of Maine. Named in honor of Ralph G. Knowlton (1922-1978), Ralph was a believer in the ability of communications to solve many of the problems that face the industry. Ralph was a major contributor to the early development and success of the Maine Chapter CSI being a charter member and serving as a Director when the Chapter was first organized in 1967.

John, throughout his 21 years of practicing architecture in Maine, has been a proponent of communication between the various stakeholders (owners, architects, engineers, and contractors) throughout the design and construction process. As president of AIA Maine in 2005 and 2006, John promoted communication and cooperation in the construction industry through organizing educational programs and establishment of AIA Maine's Committee on the Environment (COTE) in 2006.

As president of AIA Maine and chair of COTE, John has cultivated a cooperative and communicative relationship with U.S. Green Building Council Maine resulting in a mutually beneficial situation for members (and non-members) of both organizations in an ef to "spread the word" of green practices in the Maine construction industry.

Congratulations to John Gordon in recognition of all of his contributions, accomplishments and efforts within our industry.

	Mr. Wolfe Leaves Washington
	Sheldon Wolfe, RA, FCSI, CCS, CCCA Former Institute Director, North Central Region, CSI

Today was my first day in office as Institute Director for the North Central Region. Nothing went wrong today, and I am enjoying my term so far.

One congratulatory message reads, "The good news is that you won the election. The bad news is that you won the election."

Those were the first and last words of the opening article in this series. Despite the promises of a number of people whose advice I sought before running for office, I soon learned that there is, indeed, politics in CSI, and "nothing went wrong today" was a phrase I would use only occasionally.

I took office at an interesting time; in the months ahead we had to deal with finding a new executive director, dues increases, a continuing loss of members, personal attacks on Board members, and a number of other distasteful events. However, difficult as some of these things were, they are a necessary part of running any organization. And, as is often the case with tumultuous times, they quickly faded into the past and life returned to normal.

Throughout my term as a director, I used these articles to tell members about at least some of what the Board was doing, the challenges we faced, and other issues of interest. Topics addressed in this series included our election process, what happens at Board meetings, conspiracy theories, conventions, scheduling problems, communications, the governance recommendation, membership decline, elections, CSI staff, the CSI wiki, and more. In this last column, I'll mention the Board's approval of a couple of important recommendations.

The first is a significant change in the Institute policy's Code of Conduct. In June 2007, the Board approved a policy change that replaced the previous Code of Ethics, comprising seven sentences with a total of ninety-one words, with the new Code of conduct, which contains over eighty paragraphs and more than 2,500 words. In a nutshell, the new Code is pretty much the same as any contemporary policy that addresses confidentiality, antitrust, whistleblowers, conflict of interest, harassment, etc. Still, all members should review this policy.

The second change, approved in June 2008, requires CSI leaders to accept communication from CSI in any form, regardless of their personal preferences; it also requires leaders to provide contact information to members. In the past, some leaders chose to not accept certain forms of communication from CSI, or chose to not make their e-mail addresses or phone numbers available. Obviously, either of these choices interferes with communication between leaders and members, and should not be permitted.

Sadly, this series of articles was the only place some of these subjects were communicated directly to members. However, I look forward to improvement in this area. Walt Marlowe, our Executive Director, has increased communication with the members, and President Hu intends to improve communication with members as part of his effort to improve the CSI membership experience.

It's been an interesting three years, and it's time to move on. The absence of the weekly - or daily - crisis will be a bit strange, but I'm sure I'll get used to it. Fortunately, the new friends I made are only an e-mail away. I'm glad I had the opportunity to serve, and I trust I lived up to your expectations.

In closing, I ask you to keep in mind that communication is not a passive activity. Leaders must tell members what's going on and what they need to know, but members can't expect to be spoon-fed. Board meeting minutes are available on the Institute website, along with a tremendous amount of information about CSI and its activities. If that isn't enough, or if you can't find what you're looking for, don't be afraid ask your chapter, region, or Institute leaders. Remember - they work for you!

Proposed Amendments to Chapter Bylaws

Background: During FY08, the Institute Membership approved several Institute Bylaws amendments. One of these eliminated "Delegates" to Institute Conventions and another changed the relationship of the Institute Director to the Region and to individual Chapters. Previously the Institute Bylaws were amended to create a classification of "Distinguished Members". All of the proposed Chapter Bylaws Amendments are the result of the "trickle-down" of changes in the Institute Bylaws.

The proposed amendments to the Chapter Bylaws have been approved by the Institute Secretary and will be considered by the Maine Chapter Membership at the October Chapter Meeting.

Proposed additions are shown in GREEN underlined
Proposed deletions are shown in RED strike-out

Maine Chapter
CSI

BYLAWS OF THE MAINE CHAPTER OF
THE CONSTRUCTION SPECIFICATIONS INSTITUTE, INC.

 ARTICLE I - NAME
The name of this organization is the Maine Chapter of the Construction Specifications Institute, Inc., hereinafter referred to as the "chapter"; said chapter being an affiliate chapter of the Construction Specifications Institute, Inc., hereinafter referred to as the "Institute". 

ARTICLE II - GOVERNING AUTHORITY
The chapter is governed and operated in accordance with the laws of the State of Maine, provisions of the Institute Bylaws, these bylaws, the regulations and requirements for the conduct of chapters of the Institute as adopted from time to time by the Institute Board, and the rules and instructions of the chapter's board issued through its officers. 

ARTICLE III - PURPOSE AND POLICY
Section 1.
The purpose of the chapter is to provide a medium at the local level for advancement of the objectives of the Institute.

Section 2.
The name, funds, or influence of the chapter may be used only in support of this purpose.

 ARTICLE IV - BOARD
Section 1.
The management and direction of the chapter shall be delegated exclusively to its board.

Section 2.
The board shall consist of members: president, 1st vice president, 2nd vice president, secretary, treasurer, immediate past president who shall serve as "advisor to the board", and six directors. The president of the student affiliate or the president's designee shall be a non-voting member of the board.  Professional members shall constitute a minimum of thirty-three percent of the chapter board and industry and associate members shall constitute a minimum of thirty-three percent of the chapter board.

 Section 3.
All members of the board except the representative of the student affiliate are eligible to vote on chapter business.

Section 4.
The board through the action of authority delegated to the chapter secretary, shall receive and promptly consider applications for membership in the chapter received from prospective members meeting the qualifications for Institute membership; may accept resignations from the chapter; and shall promptly report its actions on membership to the Institute. Authority is also delegated to the membership chairman to receive and consider applications for membership in the chapter and to process said applications on behalf of the chapter. The board waives all chapter action on membership applications submitted directly to the Institute in either paper or electronic form.

 Section 5.
The board shall select all standing and special committees, designate duties, and may authorize compensation for justifiable expenses.

 Section 6.
The board shall schedule monthly business meetings each month from August through June. Special meetings shall be held only upon the call of the president or a majority of the board upon seven days written notice.

 Section 7.
A majority of the board shall constitute a quorum.

 Section 8.
Should a vacancy occur in any office of the chapter, the board shall by two-thirds affirmative votes of its total membership fill such vacancy by appointment of a member eligible by all other criteria for the duration of the unexpired term.

 Section 9.
The chapter board shall appoint a student affiliate committee of three or more members.  This committee shall be responsible for conducting liaison in the name of the chapter with the student affiliate by providing an advisor, support, guidance, program speakers, etc.

 ARTICLE V - OFFICERS
 Section 1.
The president shall serve as chairman of the board; preside at all meetings; select the chairmen of temporary committees; appoint the delegates to the annual meeting of the Institute, unless they are otherwise elected by the chapter members; be an ex-officio member of all committees; and sign all agreements and formal instruments.

Section 2.
The 1st vice president shall serve in the absence of the president and perform other duties as assigned by the board. If the chapter president serves a second one-year term, during the second year the 1st vice president shall serve as the president-elect.

 Section 3.
The 2nd vice president shall perform such duties as assigned by president or board and shall serve in the absence of both the president and 1st vice president.

 Section 4.
 The secretary shall see that notices are sent at least seven days in advance of all meetings of the board and of the chapter and keep accurate minutes thereof. The secretary shall maintain a file of all correspondence; keep a roster of members and committees; co-sign all agreements and formal instruments, except those pertaining to the office of treasurer; and submit a report of office at the annual meeting. The secretary shall perform other duties as assigned by the president or board.

 Section 5.
The treasurer shall collect and receipt for monies and securities; deposit funds and disburse and dispose of the same subject to the direction of the board; keep accurate books of account; submit a report at board meetings; and submit a report of office at the annual meeting. The treasurer shall perform other duties as assigned by the president or board.

 Section 6.
The chapter director on the board of the Northeast Region shall be appointed by the chapter board of directors from among the past chapter presidents.

ARTICLE VI - NOMINATION AND ELECTION OF OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS
Section 1.
The immediate past president shall become the "advisor to the board" without election.

Section 2.
Following the term as president-elect, the president-elect shall become the president without election.

Section 3.
Each elected board member shall take office on July 1.

Section 4.
The president shall not hold office for more than two consecutive terms.

Section 5.
The secretary, treasurer and the directors shall be elected for two-year terms. The secretary shall be elected in even-numbered years and the treasurer elected in odd-numbered years. The term of three directors shall end each year.

Section 6.
Eligibility requirements to vote in Chapter election or on other Chapter business shall be the same as the eligibility requirements to vote in Institute elections and the person must be a member of the Maine Chapter.

 Section 7.
A nominating committee shall be appointed by the board not later than December 20. The nominating committee shall prepare a list of nominees, showing at least one name for each elective position on the board due to become vacant, and present the list to the chapter not later than the regular meeting in February. At this time, the members may present nominations from the floor. Elections shall be by written ballot. The nominating committee shall prepare the ballot, which shall include the original list of nominees and those nominated from the floor. Each voting member of the chapter shall be provided with a ballot at least two weeks prior to the ballot count.

 Section 8.
The ballots shall be counted and certified, by tellers appointed by the president, and the results shall be reported to the members.

 Section 9.
Not later than April 30, the chapter secretary shall notify the Northeast Region Institute Directors  Secretary and the Institute office of the results of the election and shall submit to them a complete listing of chapter officers for the coming year, with their addresses, telephone numbers and fax numbers.

ARTICLE VII - MEMBERSHIP
Section 1.
The qualifications for membership shall conform to the requirements of the Institute Bylaws.

 Section 2.
Membership in the Institute is a prerequisite to membership in the chapter.

Section 3.
Only those chapter members so designated by the Institute may be classified as Lifetime, Distinguished Member or Honorary Members. A chapter member designated an Distinguished Member, Honorary Member or a Lifetime Member by the Institute shall automatically receive that classification by the chapter.

 Section 4.
The provisions of the Institute Bylaws for disqualification, suspension, expulsion, and reinstatement of members shall govern.

ARTICLE VIII - MEETING OF MEMBERS
Section 1.
The annual meeting of the chapter shall be held during the month of June at which time committee reports shall be submitted. The secretary shall submit a report on the activities of the chapter since the last annual meeting. The treasurer shall submit an annual report on the finances of the chapter. A copy of these reports shall be sent to the Northeast Region Institute Directors Secretary.

 Section 2.
Regular meetings shall be held monthly from September through June, except when otherwise decreed by the board. Not less than nine regular meetings shall be held in the fiscal year.

 Section 3.
Special meetings may be called whenever the majority of the board deems it necessary, or upon written request by not less than 10 percent of the chapter members. The business at special meetings shall be limited to that which the meeting was called.

 Section 4.
Minutes of regular and special meetings shall be distributed to the members with a copy to the Northeast Region Institute Directors Secretary.

 Section 5.
These bylaws, together with the applicable provisions of the Institute Bylaws, Region Bylaws and Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised, shall govern the conduct of business of the chapter.

 ARTICLE IX – COUNCIL OF FORMER PRESIDENTS

Section 1
The purpose of the Council is to advise the Chapter and Chapter Board on matters of interest and to assist the Chapter Board when requested.

Section 2
All Chapter Members who have served as Maine Chapter President shall be members of the Council.

Section 3
The former President serving as the Chapter’s Region Director shall serve as Chair of the Council.

Section 4
In the event of an absence from a Board Meeting by a Director, the President (or presiding officer) may appoint a member of the Council to serve as a replacement for the absent Director for the duration of the Board Meeting with the replacement assuming the authority as the absent Director. The Minutes of the Board Meeting shall show both the name of the temporary replacement and the name of the absent Director.

 ARTICLE X - FISCAL ADMINISTRATION
 Section 1.
The fiscal year shall be from July 1 to June 30.

 Section 2.
The annual dues shall be set by the board. Members Emeritus, Distinguished Members, Honorary Members, and Lifetime Members shall not be subject to dues.

 Section 3.
Annual dues notices shall be mailed by the Institute at least two months in advance of each member's anniversary date and are payable when rendered.  Initial dues shall accompany the membership application. An applicant may select introductory membership (membership optionally available for an initial period of six months) at one-half of the annual dues for the appropriate membership classification; provided the applicant has not been a member for at least one year proceeding the month of application.

Section 4.
Institute and chapter dues shall be paid to the Institute with the chapter dues being returned to the chapter by the Institute.

 ARTICLE XI - AUDIT
The board shall appoint a committee to audit the books and transactions of the treasurer at the close of the fiscal year. This report shall be read at the next regular meeting of the members of the chapter.

 ARTICLE XII - AMENDMENTS
Section 1.
Proposed amendments to these chapter bylaws shall first be submitted in duplicate, accompanied with two copies of the complete current bylaws, to the Institute for approval. After Institute approval, they shall then be publicized in the regular chapter newsletter issued prior to a regular meeting or by letter at least two weeks prior to a special meeting.

 Section 2.
These bylaws may then be amended by a two-thirds vote of the professional, industry and associate members present at the regular meeting or special meeting.

 End of By-laws

Current Chapter By-laws Approved at Membership Meeting
September 4, 2001

 

Identifying Potential Nominees for CSI Fellowship
By: Jan Sanders, FCSI, CCPR, SEGD
Chair - Institute Jury of Fellows

In July, newly installed officers in our local CSI chapters step forward to assess, and address, the challenges of the upcoming year as each committee chair harnesses the energy and focus to pursue another successful year. It’s a time when strong emphasis should be placed on seeking out those individuals whose personal contributions have positively impacted the Institute and the construction industry. These individuals are the very nucleus of CSI’s strength and it is important that we recognize and illuminate their contributions.

How do we identify the top-flight people who are unique enough to stand even higher in an industry that is filled with tall timbers? The process is not as difficult as you might think. In fact it can be broken down into three simple steps:

Step one: Stop

Yes, that’s it, stop where you are, and stop overlooking the significance of a long time member’s consistent contributions. Stop waiting for someone else. Go ahead and call attention to someone’s work that has strongly impacted the construction industry, and/or advances construction technology. When choosing a candidate to promote for elevation to Fellowship in CSI, evaluate and, then, document:

Length of membership in CSI
Consistency of service: chapter, region, Institute, or more than one of these.
Service in excess of that expected for the profession and/or office held.
Work that has been adopted as an industry standard or that has changed the way things are done.

Step two: Drop

Drop the names of these outstanding people to the local CSI chapter President and Awards Chair. Drop what you are doing and volunteer to serve on, or chair, an ad hoc committee to gather and organize the documentation supporting the nomination for CSI Fellowship. Drop a note to the College of Fellows Mentoring Committee Chair asking for tips on how to prepare a well-documented nomination package that will be favorably acted upon. Drop a line to the people that have personal knowledge of the notable contributions of your nominee. Be sure to include a copy of your preliminary documents to assist the endorsers in recapturing that important memory of the nominee’s outstanding work and how they were personally affected in the process.

Step three: Roll

Roll all the pertinent information into a simple but comprehensive dossier outlining the nominee’s significant contributions. Roll up the work early enough to insure that the package will roll into the Institute office no later than 5:00 pm on January 15, 2009. Then, be prepared to roll out the red carpet for your nominee at the Institute Convention in Indianapolis. Now sit back and enjoy the rewards of your work, and the celebration, which accompanies a successful nomination package.

Again, it’s as easy as: 1, 2, 3: Stop, Drop, and Roll; This simple procedure will stifle any doubts you may have about collecting, assimilating, and submitting a successful nomination for elevation to Fellowship in the Institute. This is one of those times when Stop, Drop, and Roll will light a great fire, rather than smother a bad one.

2030 Implementation Guidelines

A Resource for Firms and Organizations Adopting

The 2030 °Challenge

Prepared by:
Architecture 2030

Synopsis

Buildings are the major source of demand for energy and materials that produce by-product greenhouse gases (GHG). Slowing the growth rate of GHG emissions and then reversing it over the next ten years is the key to keeping global warming under one degree centigrade (°C) above today’s level. It will require immediate action and a concerted global effort.

To accomplish this, Architecture 2030 has issued The 2030 °Challenge asking the global architecture and building community to adopt the following targets:

All new buildings, developments and major renovations shall be designed to meet a fossil fuel,
GHG-emitting, energy consumption performance standard of 50% of the regional (or country)
average for that building type.

At a minimum, an equal amount of existing building area shall be renovated annually to meet a
fossil fuel, GHG-emitting, energy consumption performance standard of 50% of the regional
(or country) average for that building type.

The fossil fuel reduction standard for all new buildings shall be increased to:

60% in 2010 70% in 2015 80% in 2020 90% in 2025

Carbon-neutral in 2030 (using no fossil fuel GHG emitting energy to operate).

These targets may be accomplished by implementing innovative sustainable design strategies, generating
on-site renewable power and/or purchasing (20% maximum) renewable energy and/or certified renewable
energy credits.

Responsibilities of Adoptees

Architecture 2030 asks that all firms, organizations and individuals choosing to adopt The 2030 °Challenge commit to design all of their projects to meet the targets outlined by the initiative. This requires each new building project or major renovation to be designed to achieve an energy consumption performance standard of 50% of the regional (or country) average for that project’s buildings type. For new building projects, this performance standard will increase to 60% of the regional (or country) average in the year 2010. Every five years the standard will increase by an additional 10%, achieving carbon-neutral buildings in the year 2030. Major renovations are only required to meet the 50% target throughout this timeline, but are encouraged to achieve the increased reductions.

If a firm or office is unable to achieve the targeted reductions for 100% of its projects, there are no penalties. However, Architecture 2030 urges firms who wish to adopt to have a clear implementation plan that will assist designers and team members in reaching the goals outlined by The 2030 °Challenge.

Implementation Plan

The 2030 °Challenge outlines real and obtainable targets for the building sector to curb global warming. In order to meet the described timeline, Architecture 2030 recommends that each firm or organization adopting The 2030 Challenge prepare a plan of action for implementing the initiative’s targets.

Each implementation plan will be different and unique to suit the adopting firm or organization’s structure and philosophy. However, each plan should contain the following key elements:

Inform all partners, employees, consultants and clients that the firm has adopted The 2030 °Challenge. Explain what The °Challenge entails and why the firm has committed to its targets.

Establish energy-efficiency as a central tenet of your firm’s design philosophy. Require energy-wise practices in the firm’s day-to-day activities.

Require that all employees become educated in the design of energy-efficient buildings. Outline energy-efficient design strategies, technologies, and opportunities for each project. Organize regularly scheduled meetings to discuss how this information can be applied to all projects.

Engage clients in discussions relating to energy efficiency. Explain that reducing carbon emissions from the building sector is now a major focus for the firm and that the firm plans to incorporate cost-effective design strategies that should not increase the overall cost of the work. Provide a life-cycle cost analysis for each project and encourage clients to review those costs to ascertain the true cost of each project.

Establish a portfolio of the firm’s work that highlights energy efficiency. Demonstrate that the firm’s designers are knowledgeable professionals, with regard to energy-efficient design, who can produce quality projects within an allotted budget that meet an agreed upon schedule.

Hire consultants and engineers who have adopted The 2030 °Challenge and have a similar implementation plan within their firm. Approach every project with an energy focus and review the project for further energy reductions at every stage of development.

Create a database that contains energy-consumption statistics for your projects. Include outside projects as a reference if your firm does not have a portfolio of energy-efficient work yet. Use this information as a tool to analyze strategies that work and those that may need improvement. Share this information with clients and collaborators. Include each completed project’s energy achievements in the database.

Verify that your project meets The 2030 °Challenge targets, either through a final energy-analysis or through post-occupancy measured consumption. Document this data for future reference and in the firm’s portfolio to establish an energy priority.

 

	The Green Column

Visit the Maine Public Utilities Commission's "Energy Efficiency" website - Click Here

	Certification Activities
	Lori Rohr, CSI, CDT - Certification Chair

Construction Documents Technology Exams

The Construction Documents Technology (CDT) exams are being offered electronically for a second time this year. The exam is being given by CSI's testing vendor, Prometric, from September 22 to September 27, 2008. Candidates can schedule the most convenient time for themselves during the week the exams are given and the exam results will be given to you as you leave the exam site. Prometric has two testing sites in Maine. They are at 101 Foden Road, South Portland and 1460 Outer Hammond Street, Bangor. The early registration deadline is June 23, 2008, and the final registration deadline is August 22, 2008. The cost for members registering early is $235 and $295 if registration is between June 24 and August 22. Non members have corresponding costs of $370 and $430.

All Certification Exams

CSI Certification Exams will also be given at the NE Region Conference at 1:00 pm on Thursday August 14^th. All Exams will be offered at that time but advance Reservations for an exam is required. For more information about the Region Conference go to the Region website www.neregioncsi.org and click on NER Conference on the left navigation bar.

*****

It is not to early to begin thinking about another year and how to encourage not only members but also employers of the value of the CSI Certification Program.

Certification Exams

It is time to be thinking about taking the certification exams offered by CSI. If you are contemplating the benefits of taking the exams, here are some reasons for taking them.

It represents to your employer that you understand your profession and can operate from a unified body of knowledge.

It raises the confidence of clients that you have the knowledge, skills, and abilities of the industry based on national standards.

Demonstrates to your employer that you are interested in professional development.

It helps to set benchmarks for professional advancement and raises.

It leads to improved delivery of products and service within the firm.

It leads to more efficient and ethical productivity of documents.

The next opportunity to take any of the CSI Certification exams, if you are not already registered, will be at the NE Region Conference which will be held in New York City in August.

Those wishing to get more information regarding the exams or to register for the exams can go the www.csinet.org and click on "Certification." Also, any member of the Maine chapter will be glad to answer questions you may have.

	NE Region Website
	To reach the NE Region website Click Here
	This section is intended to highlight items that appear on the NE Region Website which may be of interest to Maine Chapter Members or to report information about features of the Region website.