NSC Gets Green Advisors

HOLLIS, N.H. – Five architects with a focus on green building will assist the Natural Stone Council (NSC) on sustainability issues.
The Sustainable Advisory Council, announced March 12, includes Malcolm Holzman, FAIA & Partner, Holzman Moss Architecture, New York; Mark Rodgers, AIA & AUA, University Architect, University of Denver; Mark Kalin, FAIA, FCSI, LEED AP, President of Kalin Associates Specifications Consultants, Newton, Mass.; Todd Bronk, Landscape Architect, Associate at EDAW Inc., San Francisco; and Tom Liebel, AIA & LEED AP, Associate Principal, Marks, Thomas Architects, Baltimore.
The group will assist the NSC’s Committee on Sustainability as it partners with researchers and industry experts to substantiate the environmental benefits of building with natural stone.
The most widely used system for green building is Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design or LEED®. LEED was established by the U.S Green Building Council (USGBC) 10 years ago; the system defines standards for environmentally responsible, healthier, and more profitable structures based on a point system for new construction and major renovation.
Currently, only natural stone that is sourced locally or qualifies as material reuse can contribute to LEED points.
The Advisory Council will work to assist the Committee on Sustainability with the goal of positioning stone as the preferred material in sustainable building. The NSC will evaluate and research the findings to support and increase natural stone’s contribution to LEED certification points and other green building standards. Some examples of “green” testing opportunities include life-cycle assessment, life-cycle cost and measuring best practices in quarrying, fabrication and reclamation activities in the stone industry.
“Look no further than the ancient pyramids or the Parthenon to understand that natural stone is a durable, sustainable building material,” said John Mattke, chairman of NSC’s Committee on Sustainability. “However, standing the test of time is not enough. Natural stone’s use in environmentally-responsible building programs seems like common sense but the principles have yet to be defined. We seek to help define them under the advisement of the Advisory Council and through involvement with the USGBC.”
Members of the NSC Committee on Sustainability include Mattke and Kathy Spanier of Cold Spring Granite, Quade Weaver of Texastone Quarries, Dan Ouellette and Bill Eubank of Luck Stone Corp., Alex Bachrach of Stone World and Gary Distelhorst of the Marble Institute of America (MIA).