Chattanooga: Environmental 'LEEDers' plan seminar on construction rating

The organizers of a seminar about environmentally friendly building practices hope to inform participants about how the green concept can save cash and develop new business opportunities.

Chattanooga Takes the LEED is a free seminar Thursday morning at The Chattanoogan. The event will focus on how energy-efficient and sustainable design can minimize environmental effects as well as drive economic development, said Michael George, vice president for business development at Blaine Construction Corp., one of the coordinators.

“We hope the state and TVA and the Chamber can use this event as a recruitment tool to draw new industry,” Mr. George said.

Two national experts will speak: Paul von Paumgartten, director of energy and environmental affairs for Johnson Controls Inc., and Greg Bell, founder of Business for Good. Mr. Bell will speak about how his green efforts promoted economic recruitment in Milwaukee and Racine, Wis., Mr. George said.

Sustainable design means creating a building that does not compromise the environment, according to a statement.

Rice Williams, a principal of Artech Design Group, is participating in the event. He was one of the first architects in Chattanooga to receive the LEED Accredited Professional designation several years ago, said Rick Thompson of Artech. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, and is a rating system for building an environmentally friendly building.

The U.S. Green Building Council developed the system.

One of the projects Mr. Williams will talk about is the Carmike Cinemas theater scheduled to open in November at the corner of Broad and Third Streets downtown. The building designed by Artech will be the first stand-alone LEED-certified theater in the nation, Mr. Thompson said.

Among the many design features, the theater roof will be made of white material that will reflect the sun’s heat, Mr. Thompson said. Builders plan to recycle between 50 percent to 75 percent of the construction debris. And, a tower will collect rainwater to use in flushing toilets to save water.

Chattanooga Takes the LEED is coordinated by Blaine, Johnson Controls Inc. and Partners Development. Participants will include officials from the city of Chattanooga, Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce, U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp, Chattanooga Mayor Ron Littlefield, and Hamilton County Mayor Claude Ramsey.

A panel of experts will include Matt Kisber, Tennessee commissioner for economic and community development, representatives from Artech, Alstom Power Inc., Green Spaces and Husch Blackwell Sanders LLP.

Contributed Rendering

This drawing shows how the new Carmike Cinemas theater is intended to look once built downtown