The Amazing, Mystery Urban Green Building Tour
April 24, 2010

Photos by Mike Stehle

It was an amazing, mystery tour of three green buildings in St. Petersburg, Florida's first green city, that gave 12 people a good look at what made them green. The "bus," a 15-passenger van loaned to The Pier Aquarium by the Science Center of Pinellas County, met the "tour-ists" at the first stop, the Dunkin' Donuts at 7595 Fourth St. N.

The restaurant, owned by Mr. and Mrs. Robert Aziz, Sr. and their son, Robert Aziz, Jr., and opened in September 2008, is the national chain's first LEED (Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design) certified location. Accordiing to Mr. Aziz, Sr. the store is part of "a greater Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) commitment that will provide the company with a central frame of reference for organizational decisions, strategic goal setting and behaviors that respect all of our key stakeholders...and the environment."

The green aspects of this Dunkin' Donuts store include:

A Sustainable Collaboration at a "Green" House
EAT   DRINK   SUPPORT   SUSTAIN
May 1, 2010

 Reprinted with Permission from New Roots News

"Green" is Good
By Andrew Hayslip
Photos by Catie Bruger

The second Sustainable Collaboration fundraiser to benefit education programs at The Pier Aquarium had a simple message: "Eat, Drink, Support and Sustain.” The fundraiser, which was held Saturday, May 1, at a private residence on Treasure Island, also served as the final event of "Green Collaborations,” a series of six sustainable events presented by The Pier Aquarium.

Throughout the years, the term "sustainability” has been increasingly thrown around and it has been accused of being overly vague. However, it points to something very real: people’s growing recognition of the need to alter their lifestyles in ways that minimize the adverse impacts on our communities, economies and ecosystems. It is this holistic nature of sustainability that allows it to garnish such popularity, and humans are now more than ever realizing the connectedness of all things; particularly the connections between our environment, our economy and our community.

Series like "Green Collaborations” are vital in bringing awareness to this cause; and what better setting to productively discuss and learn about sustainability than one in which we are encouraged by E. Howard Rutherford, President/CEO of The Pier Aquarium, to "Eat, Drink, Support and Sustain”?

"Eat and Drink” – Acclaimed chefs from local St. Petersburg restaurants, some considered top chefs in the nation, took the night off from their kitchens to prepare cuisines for the event’s guests. The kitchen masters came from Bella Brava, Marchand’s Bar and Grill, Parkshore Grill, Guppy’s, The Maritana Grille and Agave, and their dishes included mostly local and organic food.

Executive Chef Tyson Grant from Parkshore Grill served a rosemary salt crusted organic New York strip, which came with a local heirloom tomato relish, ranch smoked bacon and a sweet corn puree. The steak and bacon came from Niman Ranch in California, where the cattle and hogs are grass fed and free range – a more sustainable alternative for the meat lover.

Eric Neri, head chef of The Maritana Grille, served pan seared sea scallops with a citrus vinaigrette and a cilantro infused julep; and Bella Brava chef, Domenica Macchia, featured North Atlantic farmed organic salmon with a honey lavender glaze, organic baby arugula, and a spicy potato fritto. Michele Milam, certified sommelier-Court of M.S., Southern Wine and Spirits, was also present to complement each dish with organic wine.

"Support” – Following dinner, guests had the opportunity to peruse sculptures, paintings and other artful creations by various St. Petersburg artists, all of which were up for sale. The proceeds from the artwork benefitted both the artists and The Pier Aquarium in several ways. All the artwork on exhibit was loaned to the event; the sale of those items was split 50/50 with money going to the artists and the aquarium. There was also artwork gifted to the event; those items were tagged as outright donations, and were up for sale with all proceeds going to the aquarium. Lastly, items were donated for a silent auction. Those pieces were put up for bid and the winning bid amounts went to the aquarium. Doug Chenneville from Florida Native Orchids contributed to the visual beauty of the night by loaning and donating an array of colorful orchids.

"Sustain” – The main event for most of the attendees was the tour of the "green” home, or as I like to call it "an environmentally benign abode.” General Contractor Jeffery Wolf and his crew built the house, and Dr. Jennifer Languell, Discovery Channel's green building and sustainable development expert (who led tours at the event), called it "one the most energy efficient houses on record in Florida.” For a sense of how efficient this home is, it is rated -9 on the HERS (Home Energy Rater System) index used by Energy Star.

For a home to be Energy Star certified, it must have a ranking of 85 or below (where 100 equals a reference home built on the 2006 International Energy Conservation Code and 0 equals a net zero energy home). The apparent luxury of everything inside the home may have overshadowed the fact that nearly every finish – from the stained concrete floors to the recycled cardboard countertops – was locally sourced or recycled, or recyclable.

LED lighting, which uses a fraction of the electricity that compact fluorescent lighting does, illuminated the home. And with the 130 mph rated shutters closed – it is a Florida house, so sustainability also means holding up in the face of the constant threat of hurricanes – the home can be rendered completely pitch black in the middle of the afternoon.

Built solidly and smartly, the home uses little energy on its own. In fact, thanks to a seamless array of photovoltaic panels on the roof of the house and an adjacent cabana (built to hold the panels), the home produces electricity during peak sunlight hours. The cabana serves another sustainability-related purpose: it houses the 2,500 gallon rainwater catchment system that waters the Florida friendly landscaping. The homeowners also conserve water by using a greywater recycling system; and over time, as the finiteness of our freshwater resources becomes more and more threatening, this feature is welcoming.

This final sustainable event of The Pier Aquarium's "Green Collaboration” series had the right spirit when it comes to environmental education. That is, all things are connected: from the energy we use, to local support, to the way we nourish our bodies, to awareness of it all. Sustainability isn’t just about environmental preservation. It’s about healthy relationships in the community, the sharing of knowledge, awareness and action. Programs like "Green Collaborations” provide people with the opportunity to capitalize on it all.

Photo album by Frank Baptie Photography