OSU Internship Executive Summary and Acknowledgements

I thought these two sections of my internship report were important enough to post on the blog.

Chad

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY


A dilapidated house had been unoccupied for 8 years and was in dire need of a major renovation or, as many thought, needed to be demolished. With the enormous amount of reconstructive work required to refurbish the house to standard building code specifications, it became apparent that using a restoration process based on nationally accepted green building and sustainable construction practices could be used to certify the home within the same budget – so this became the internship’s mission.

Standards for rating a building's "greenness" have been established by several organizations, using point systems to rate energy use, water use, materials, design and more. The largest and most recognized green building protocols in the United States are: the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED); the National Association of Home Builders' National Green Building Standard; and, the U.S. EPA’s ENERGY STAR program. These nationally accepted third-party certification programs set benchmarks for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings.

The internship was conducted under the tutelage of Lorrie Hoefling, President of the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Oklahoma Chapter. Lorrie has over 20 years of construction management experience as well as demonstrated her mastery of green building practices by becoming a LEED Accredited Professional. The USGBC is a 501 c3 non-profit organization committed to a sustainable future through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings. The USGBC’s mission is to change the way buildings and communities are designed, built and operated, enabling an environmentally and socially responsible, healthy, and prosperous environment that improves our quality of life. The location of the internship took place onsite at 3530 E. 21st Place, an infill lot located within a residential neighborhood in mid-town Tulsa, OK.

The internship required me to serve as team leader and general green consultant/liaison. In this position, I worked hand-in-hand with the architect, general contractor, subcontractors, and third-party verifiers, providing research, labor, and support for all written documentation for the home renovation as required for all three of the aforementioned green building programs. Throughout the process, I reported on a variety of topics pertinent to green building enthusiasts and Tulsans who might be considering sustainable construction solutions. I educated the community through site tours, speaking engagements, press releases/media coverage, a website blog (www.obgreen.blogspot.com), as well as providing green building content to local print publications. A secondary goal of the internship was to prepare for professional accreditation offered through either the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) or the U.S. Green Building Council. I’m currently studying for the LEED for Homes Accredited Professional exam in June.



ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank my wife, Amy, for her patience and support while I spent many valuable weeknights at school and weekends writing papers over the past few years. Thanks to Isaac, Nate and Billie – my kids and my life-force. Thanks to fellow ex-submariner and OSU staff member Matt Albright for his unwavering guidance and keeping me in the proper channels. Thanks to Dr. Focht for his candid cross examination about my intentions for the program and allowing me to prove myself in subjects where I had no prior training or knowledge. Thanks to Dr. Ede for teaching so many night classes in Tulsa – you’re a great ambassador for OSU and I wish you all the best.

Thanks to three non-profit organizations and their tireless leaders and volunteers, who kept challenging me to maintain a high level of community involvement: Tulsa Master Recyclers, Sustainable Tulsa and the U.S. Green Building Council, Oklahoma Chapter. I’m forever indebted to Lorrie Hoefling, President of USGBC Oklahoma Chapter, my mentor and all-around fearless green building go-to gal. Lorrie’s experience, hard work and dedication made my life a lot easier.

A very special thanks to key decision makers and product manufacturers who helped make this project a true land-mark for Tulsa: Stephen McNally, TAMKO Building Products; Tim Whaley, EnviroGLAS; Cynthia Sener, Solatube International; Elaine Sagers, Pella Corporation; Ralph Lackner, Jay Rambo Company; Halsey Cook, Carrier; Demilec USA; Mandi Williams, Ozark InSEALators; Chip Meade, Justin Meade, and Terrel Erwin, Anchor Paint; Sean McClanahan, Hahn Appliance Warehouse; Doyle R. Simons, Bart Morton and Glenn Miller, Temple-Inland, Charles Hight, Triple C Companies; Chris Parke, Broken Arrow Electric Supply; Gordon and Mary Colebrook, Colebrook Nursery; Russell Vaughn, Trinity Concrete Works; and Jim and Darlene Belden, General Contractors – the engine that kept it all going.

Additional thanks to the people and service providers who were critical to making this dream a reality: Tim Shoemaker, Pave-Stone Company of OK; Darrin VanRiper and Bart Colburn, Colburn Electric; Keith Hilligoss, Air Solutions; Sean Stevens, M&M Lumber; David Perkins and Mollie Eichman, Perk, Inc.; Dan Regan, Jamie Pryor and Edith, Metal Seams & Tile; Jason Fischer, ICF; Shelley Umezawa, The Met; Stephen and Diane Ornelas; Glenda McHenry, Heatwave Supply; Mike Covington, Linda Parker and Students, TulsaTech; Jamin Swanson, The Womble Company; Angela Rosecrans and Cathy Tatom, OETA; Christy Caves; Stephen Maxwell; Pam Curtis, Reclamation Station; Todd Stephens, TMS Atelier; Chris Howell, Channel 6; Tom Schroeder, Kohler; Andrea Palmer, Guaranteed Watts Savers; Linda McGrew, Tulsa Granite; Harley Hollan; Tulsa Home Builders Association; Mars Tree Service; Jonathan and Leah Campbell; Gene Williams; Jane Talkington; Todd Stephens; all the people in my neighborhood, Jefferson Hills.