PCBC (formerly known as the Pacific Coast Builders Conference) kicked off its 50th anniversary in San Francisco, California on June 17–19. The theme, “the New Age of Invention”, was apropos. In this economic climate, it’s time for us in the design and construction industries to re-invent ourselves, innovate, and work towards a more sustainable way of doing business.
My first PCBC event this year was the green building tour for which I co-hosted a tour of Mosaica, one of the largest green, mixed-use projects located in San Francisco. Forty five architects, engineers, contractors, and developers convened in the community room to learn about the project’s green features. All were highly impressed with the sustainable design goals that the developer, Citizens Housing Corporation, set out and the way the architect, Solomon E.T.C., A WRT Company, responded to the client’s needs through creative design.
On the second day of the conference, I attended the panel discussion on “The Future of Home and Community.” Mr. Christopher Leinberger, Metropolitan Land Strategist and Developer of The Brookings Institution, discussed the “pent up market for growth of existing and new regionally significant walkable urban places that would mostly be anchored by rail transit.” Mr. J. Walker Smith, President of Yankelovich Partners, shared his ideas on the “emerging culture of responsibility” in which consumers are now looking for innovation, optimism, and the elimination of irresponsibility. I believe it is time for us to re-prioritize our values and look towards the optimism that the future holds.
After the presentation, I started my walk through of more than 400 exhibit booths. There were less exhibitors and attendees than last year and the overall mood was mellow. However, I found a handful of building products that I’m really excited about and will share in upcoming articles:
- FusionSolar by Custom-Bilt Metals: a thin film solar laminate bonded to standing seam roofing;
- Knauf EcoBatt™ Insulation by Knauf Insulation: an insulation made of sand, post-consumer recycled bottle glass, and bio-based binder free of phenol and formaldehyde; and
- Warm Board Radiant Subfloor by Warm Board: a 4’ x 8’ plywood with pre-fabricated grooves for pex tubing, which serves as a subfloor as well as a support system for radiant piping.
At the end of the day, I received news that the 990 Polk (Senior Housing) project that I worked on for Citizens Housing Corporation had received the PCBC Gold Nugget Grand Award for “Outstanding Affordable Project–30 du/acre or more.” It was a great way to wrap up the conference, knowing that strong sustainable design is recognized and sets a high standard for the industry. Optimism and innovation will be instrumental in the next stages of sustainable planning, design, and construction.
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