Global Green USA

Global Green's Leadership in the San Francisco Bay Area: Approaching 20 Years of Green Building and Sustainable Communities

Global Green USA

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It has been nearly 20 years since Global Green USA began to help green homes, schools, and cities and it is heartening to see our work touch so many communities on the map. Here we are putting a spotlight on leadership in the San Francisco Bay Area with a timeline and a map to show where we have made our mark in transforming the region with work on green building and sustainble communities.

1995

Sustainable Base Reuse Symposium (Presidio, SF)

Hosted symposium keynoted by Presidents Gorbachev and Arias, to help advance dialogue and action on military base closure and reuse.

1996

Green Building Training for East Bay Habitat For Humanity (Oakland)

Took lessons learned from green building on national Habitat for Humanity projects down to the individual affiliate level.

1999

Alameda County Green Building Guidelines (Oakland)

Worked with County on first residential green building guidelines in California; many of these guidelines end up in LEED for Homes and Green Communities Initiative.

2000

City of San Francisco Green Building Policy (San Francisco)

Assisted the City in their initial efforts to create green building requirements for City-funded projects; the program was one of the first in the nation to utilize the LEED rating system as a standard for municipal construction.

2003

Green Building Programs Workshop (San Mateo)

Conducted workshop for San Mateo County cities that outlined best practices in establishing green building programs; the workshop launched the County's efforts to engage cities in a collective effort to establish consistent green standards for public projects and to inform private developers about the benefits of green building.

2004

Bay Area Green Affordable Housing Summit (San Jose)

Led development of project tools and state-level policies to support Green Affordable Housing; launch of Global Green's net-zero energy affordable housing goal.

Nueva Vista Affordable Housing (Santa Cruz)

Worked on 42 unit affordable housing project; first project in the country to use solar tax credits on affordable housing.

2005

Santa Cruz Homeless Shelter

Work on this project led to incorporation of green building techniques for a highly vulnerable population.

2006

Nuevo Amanecer Farmworker Housing (Watsonville)

Worked on 63-unit farmworking housing project with specific emphasis on indoor air quality, energy efficiency, and renewable energy.

Plaza Apartments (San Francisco)

Worked on 106 studios for formerly homeless tenants, with ground floor retail and theatre space. LEED-certified construction and first Green Communities project in San Francisco.

2008

Essex Hotel (San Francisco)

Worked on green rebuilding project to rehab a historic hotel into 84 units for homeless individuals with disabilities.

2009

10th & Mission Family Housing/Edith Witt Senior Housing Combination (San Francisco)

Provided assistance on 106 of apartments for seniors and 136 homes for low-income families in San Franciso's rapidly changing South of Market Neighborhood.

Bishop Swing Community House (San Francisco)

Worked on 135 studio units with services on-site for formerly homeless individuals.

AB 758 - Energy Efficiency in Existing Buildings Law (Sacramento)

Sponsored California legislation signed into law to make existing buidlings more energy efficient.

AB 212 - The Residential Buildings Net Zero (Sacramento)

Sponsored California legislation signed into law to require all new residential buildings to be net zero energy beginning in the year 2020.

2010

Edes Avenue Affordable Housing (Oakland)

Worked on six units of LEED-certified housing by Habitat for Humanity.

Drakes Way Affordable Housing (Larkspur)

Worked on 24 units of LEED-certified affordable housing.

San Francisco Unified School District Design Guidelines

Revised and enhanced the District Project Standard Guidelines to incorporate energy, water, health, and commissioning criteria; standards are being applied to the projects supported by the District's bond program.

Habitat for Humanity Summit in Oakland

Organized and facilitated a two-day summit and tour focused on green building for Habitat for Humanity affiliates in Northern California and the Central Valley.

Miraflores Neighborhood (Richmond)

Worked on LEED for Neighborhood Development certification of plan to transform 14-acre brownfield into mixed-income neighborhood.

2011

Sunnydale HOPE SF (San Francisco)

Provided technical assistance for LEED for Neighborhood Development certification of plan to transform 50-acre public housing project into mixed-income neighborhood.

Mountain View Green Building Policy

Developed a green building policy with City for private-sector development that includes renovation of existing properties, urban infill near the downtown, and new construction around the Google campus.

San Bruno Rebuilding Green

Working with the San Bruno homeowners who were victims of a September 2010 gasline explosion, to provide them with the resources needed to rebuild their homes green, including solar panels.

2012

Sonoma Healdburg Affordable Housing

Provided technical expertise in buiding two units of LEED-certified housing by Habitat for Humanity.

Cupertino Green Building Policy

Developed a green building policy for private sector development of both new construction and renovation projects, including the planned Apple campus; incorporates an innovative use of LEED for Existing buildings as an option for owners that are planning to conduct numerous tenant improvements.

Nystrom Elementary School (Richmond)

Providing technical assistance on green renovation of a historic elementary school.

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Tags: global green usa green building green rebuilding global green in SF global green in san francisco global green in the sf bay area

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