Each country relies on different standards that measure environmentally responsible practices. Often, these methods do not correlate with one another. Established in 1947, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO*), a nongovernmental network of national standards institutes from 159 countries, has been at the forefront of a global effort to establish consistent, international standards that set a benchmark for environmental performance.
In particular, the ISO 14001 standard provides a strategic, systematic approach to creating an environmental policy that thousands of companies around the world use. The ISO 14001 standard also ensures that products are produced in an environmentally responsible manner and helps validate the performance and reliability of products available internationally.
Andersen Corporation designed its Environmental Management System (EMS) to contain the elements of the ISO 14001 standard. Andersen is proud to have operated under EMS standards since 1994.
*Ed. Note: Because “International Organization for Standardization” would have different acronyms in different languages, its founders decided to coin a short, all-purpose name for the organization. They chose “ISO,” which is derived from the Greek isos, meaning equal.
Seabrook, established in 2004, is a 350-acre development perched on the Pacific coastline in sleepy Grays Harbor County, Washington. The development will eventually accommodate 1,200-1,500 single family homes, rental condos, and other mixed-use buildings.
Paralleling his values of quality of life, ecology, and community, developer Casey Roloff chose to exclusively use Andersen windows and doors in all of Seabrook’s buildings, including the company’s newest and most energy-efficient product line, Andersen A-Series. Andersen’s high-quality products, as well as its underlying values of integrity, sustainability, and corporate citizenship, made Andersen the clear choice.
Roloff is a proponent of new urbanism, a real estate development design style that promotes pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods where people are able to walk to the places they live, work and shop. Built in the new urbanism style, Seabrook emphasizes walkable neighborhoods, mixed-use design and diversity, connectivity, green transportation, and sustainability. The landscaping incorporates indigenous plants, requiring no fossil fuels to mow and no dangerous pesticides. Roloff has set aside 40% of Seabrook’s footprint for walking trails, parks, and an outdoor amphitheater. Seabrook moves beyond development to create community in the picturesque Pacific Northwest.
Blue Moon Rising (BMR) is Maryland’s own green residential community. The 14-acre site overlooks Deep Creek Lake, Maryland’s largest inland body of water. BMR will consist of 13 rental units and a learning center, all serving as a vacation retreat.
Developer Lisa Jan’s mission is to “create a community that harnesses the incredible power of mother nature while leaving as little impact on the landscape as possible.” Her vision is “to demonstrate that humans can live lightly on the earth, without sacrificing comfort or aesthetics.”
Jan chose Andersen Windows’ A-Series products for BMR. Andersen’s highest performing products, the A-Series, uses the company’s Fibrex material composite and contains more than 40% pre-consumer reclaimed wood fiber.
The windows will be delivered and installed into the learning center – the first building to be completed – in the coming weeks.
River Crest Elementary School in Hudson, Wisconsin, is the first elementary school in the state (and just the second public elementary school in the nation) to be LEED certified GOLD by the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED® for Schools rating system.
The structure was designed using Andersen windows with specially adapted Low-E4™ Sun glazing. The result is a highly energy-efficient environment that is flexible and meets the operational needs of the district and its commitment to environmental education.
The windows, which were the first of their kind when the building opened, were built at the Andersen plant just across the river in Bayport, Minnesota. Andersen brought industry-leading technology, design and energy-efficiency to the project. The company’s Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Chain-of-Custody certification contributed to the environmental goals of the project by demonstrating the company’s ability to trace their wood supply chain. The company’s products have also earned certification from Scientific Certification Systems (SCS) for recycled content and indoor air quality.
Designed and built by Hoffman Corporation of Appleton, Wisconsin, River Crest was completed in August 2008. Hoffman “set a new standard for construction in the Hudson community and has given the District the proud distinction of being a leader in sustainability,” said Mary Bowen-Eggebraaten, superintendent of schools in Hudson.
This week In Our Nature will feature a series of architectural profiles on sustainable buildings, to coincide with the American Institute of Architects (AIA) convention being held in Miami June 10-12. We’ll start off with a recap of the most sustainable building in America to date – Holy Wisdom Monastery near Madison, Wisconsin.
The monastery, built by Hoffman LLC of Appleton, Wisconsin, earned 63 out of a possible 69 LEED points, the most of any LEED-new construction building in the United States to date. The Sisters’ intent was not to set any records; their mission was “to build the most environmentally sound structure as possible and to encourage others to do so by demonstrating that it could be done affordably.”
A key partner in the project was Andersen Windows, which designed special windows for the monastery that allow daylight in while eliminating the need for blinds. The windows provide ample natural light to 85% of the regularly occupied spaces of the building.
“We were excited to work so closely with Hoffman to achieve the results they were looking for,” said Jay Sandgren, commercial-architectural representative at Andersen.
More than 370 Andersen® windows and patio doors were used, with those on the South, East and West sides of the building having a special glazing. The north side windows utilized a standard Low-E4® Sun glazing where direct sunlight is minimal.
“This allowed the designers to reduce the strong sunlight coming in on various sides of the building, while allowing for excellent light and climate control at all times throughout the day without the use of blinds or other window treatments,” said Sandgren. “In the building, if there was too much sunlight, you would need blinds, and with blinds drawn, you would then need to turn on the lights, which drains energy. Our solution eliminated that need.”
The building is expected to perform exceptionally well compared to other structures. “Compared to a LEED baseline building, Holy Wisdom Monastery anticipates a 60% savings in energy cost and a 44% savings in indoor water usage,” said Mark Hanson, director of sustainable services at Hoffman LLC.
Country Living magazine’s House of the Year popped up in Battery Park in the heart of New York City last week. Andersen is proud to be a part of this year’s home, an affordable, 1,900 square-foot, pre-fabricated residence built by Andersen Windows customer New World Home.
This year’s home features Andersen’s new A-Series windows and doors, the highest performing products offered by Andersen, and is the first time a completely green residence has held the House of the Year title. New Yorkers may tour the home from June 4-17 at the World Financial Center.
For more on the project, click here and visit the Home Green Home Country Living website.
Communities for Responsible Energy Environmental Demonstration (CREED), is a nonprofit organization in Minnesota committed to changing beliefs and behaviors through energy education. Andersen Corporation has been a proud sponsor for the last two years.
CREED programs examine the relationship of energy, the environment, and the economy in Minnesota, looking for ways to improve energy efficiency in a manner that harmonizes with the environment and produces a positive effect on the economy. Andersen’s support has allowed Minnesota teachers pursuing continuing education to earn graduate credit toward an Energy Education Certificate through Hamline University.
There are those who think, “How can I use this in real life?” Math students at Hibbing High School know the answer. After attending CREED’s course, mathematics teacher Ross Harvey implemented a program in which his students design, build and test windmills in calculus class. They use calculus they learned during class to prove the maximum amount of energy a windmill can extract from the air. CREED recipient David Olson, an industrial technology teacher from International Falls, also challenges his students to design energy efficiency elements as a part of their house planning projects.
Alice Rivard, a mathematics teacher at City Academy High School in Saint Paul, Minnesota is thankful for the sponsors of the program. “As society shifts from white and blue to green collar workers, our students need to be prepared to handle these new and exciting career paths,” she said. “Your commitment to help educate our youth in this area of alternative energy is sincerely appreciated.”
Representatives from the Minnesota Green Communities Initiative accepted the Green Building, Development, and Land Use award at the 2010 Minnesota Environmental Initiative awards. Andersen is a proud partner of the MEI and sponsored this category at the awards event.
For more than a decade, Andersen Corporation has sponsored the Minnesota Environmental Initiative (MEI) awards held last night in Minneapolis. The awards recognize large and small environmental achievements around the state.
In 2007, Andersen Corporation was honored by MEI in the Green Business and Environmental Management category for the company’s innovative steam generating facility located in Bayport, Minnesota.
MEI seeks solutions to Minnesota’s environmental problems through collaborative action with innovative partnerships. MEI brings together nonprofits, businesses and government agencies to work together on critical issues and respond with actions that have measurable, positive environmental outcomes.
The MEI awards recognize innovative projects that have achieved extraordinary environmental outcomes by harnessing the power of partnership. Award results for 2010 fall into five categories:
Energy and Climate Protection
Environmental Education
Green Building, Development, and Land Use
Green Business and Environmental Management
Natural Resource Protection and Restoration
Congratulations to all the winners, including the Minnesota Green Communities Initiative, which was honored with the Green Building, Development, and Land Use award sponsored by Andersen.
The Minnesota Green Communities Initiative is an effort between the Greater Minnesota Housing Fund, the Family Housing Fund, and Enterprise to foster the creation of affordable, healthier, more energy-efficient housing throughout Minnesota. It also seeks to ensure that new affordable housing built in Minnesota is green. The project partnered with local nonprofits to demonstrate the viability of green affordable housing. All affordable housing units and projects in Minnesota funded with state dollars must now meet the nationally recognized Green Communities Criteria. To date, 4,000 units are complete, under construction, or in planning stages around the state. The initiative also provided green building training and introduced new financing tools, helping Minnesota become a national model for integrating green building into affordable housing policy.
Sustainability is incredibly important to Andersen. The company is committed to creating products that meet rigorous certification standards, like those of the National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC). NFRC is a nonprofit organization that administers the only uniform, independent rating and labeling system for window and door products.
Formed in response to the energy crisis in the 1970s, NFRC recognizes the innovative ways the window and door industry addresses concerns about energy consumption, and serves as a way to compare the performances of different products accurately and reliably. Products are rated on their thermal transmittance (or U-factor). The U-factor is determined by simulating and testing the product’s solar heat gain, visible light transmittance, air leakage and condensation resistance. Today, more than 500 manufacturers, including Andersen, rate and label more 1.67 million products with data provided by NFRC.
Andersen employees Gillian Fischer and Jay Sandgren host Andersen’s booth at the Greening the Heartland conference. Andersen is proud to collaborate with other industry leaders at this conference as we work together to create new sustainable designs and products.
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and Minnesota Green Communities are hosting the seventh annual Greening the Heartland conference featuring Green by Design on May 19-21. Organizers say this year’s theme, Bridging, “seeks to draw valuable connections between people, places and ideas to help create a sustainable heartland region and beyond.”
Professionals from design, planning, products, preservation, funding and more are coming together to develop innovative solutions that meet the vital needs of today’s society and the environment.
The conference’s keynote speaker Cameron Sinclair will speak today about his vision for humanitarian design. Sinclair is the award-winning executive director and co-founder of Architecture for Humanity, a nonprofit that helps architects offer innovative design solutions to humanitarian crises and communities in need around the world.
Other presentation topics include sustainable development and environmental protection and community planning and individual health.
Events like this foster collaboration and bring new ideas to the forefront. The hope is that concrete, workable solutions benefit us all… it’s In Our Nature.
Andersen’s commitment to energy efficiency and environmental sustainability is more than a trend or slogan. Our commitment goes back as far as Andersen itself – more than 100 years. It is in our nature, our company culture and every product we create.
Each country relies on different standards that measure environmentally responsible practices. Often, these methods do not correlate with one another. Established in 1947, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO*), a nongovernmental network of national standards institutes from 159 countries, has been at the forefront of a global effort to establish consistent, international standards that set a benchmark for environmental performance.
