August 31, 2006

Plenty Magazing (2006/08): A TV Star Returns to His Roots

Green Home: A TV Star Returns to his Roots By Bari Nan Cohen ADRIAN GRENIER, the star of HBO’s hit comedy Entourage and this summer’s film adaptation of The Devil Wears Prada, is relaxing in Brooklyn, tossing around phrases like “off the grid” and “r-value,” the term that identifies insulation’s resistance to heat flow. His Prius is parked in Hollywood, but his biggest commitment to environmental conservation is in the heart of Brooklyn, where he’s building a sustainable home. At this moment, he’s the opposite of his Entourage alter ego, Vinny Chase, who’s much more interested in finding off-the-hook parties than off-the-grid energy sources. …. “Renovating is daunting enough, but adding the additional research and decision-making to create a greener house makes it that much more stressful,” says Grenier. “I’ll be honest—sometimes I wanted to give up and go with the status quo.” Instead, he surfed the Internet in search of ideas, ultimately finding GreenHomeNYC (greenhomenyc.org), a volunteer organization of professional green building consultants that offers advice to New York City tenants and homeowners on greening up their living quarters. With the help of consultant Lauren Gropper, Grenier was able to direct his contractor to eco-friendly materials for practically every application in the house

July 6, 2006

New York Post (July 6, 2006)

SMELLS LIKE GREEN SPIRIT: THE CITY’S SMALL BUILDINGS – AND APARTMENTS – TURN ECO-FRIENDLY By Max Gross – July 6, 2006 July 6, 2006 — GITA NANDAN, a Brooklyn-based architect and designer, is a model of harmony. She teaches a class at CUNY and is president of GreenHomeNYC, a nonprofi t that promotes eco-friendly homes. By all accounts she’s likeable and goodhearted. But, nevertheless, Nandan is smack in the middle of “a race for time.” “We’re competing with another architecture firm that’s literally [working on a building] around the corner.” Are they competing over air rights? Sight lines? Customers? None of the above. Whoever finishes first will have erected the fi rst environmentally friendly building of its size in Williamsburg.

April 9, 2005

New York Post (April 9, 2005): GREEN SCENE

GREEN SCENE – ENVIRONMENTAL BUILDING EMERGES AS A HOT NEW YORK-AREA TREND New York Post – New York, N.Y. Author: CHRIS ERIKSON Date: Apr 9, 2005 Start Page: 08.R Section: NYP Home And Green Home NYC, a nonprofit collective that promotes green building in the city, reports a jump in interest in their monthly forums and annual green-home tours – the most recent one sold out within a week. “Its growing and growing and growing,” says architect Gita Nandan, a member of the group. “It feels like were at a tipping point.” Landmark green buildings that have opened in recent years include the Helena; the Solaire in Battery Park City, the citys first residential tower to get a gold rating from the U.S. Green Building Council; 1400 Fifth Ave. in Harlem, the citys first green low- income housing.; and 4 Times Square, the citys first green office building.

September 30, 2004

Past Publications by GreenHomeNYC Staff

“Solar in the City” by Josh Radoff
Solar Today, September/October 2004 “Greening New York One Building At a Time” by Bomee Jung
Progressive Planning, Spring 2004 “GreenHomeNYC: Getting the Word Out on Green Building” by Josh Radoff
LOOT, March 9, 2004 “The Rebuilding and Greening of the World Trade Center Site: Why Green Building Could Play a Role in Lower Manhattan” by Ariella Rosenberg and Alison Drury
The New American City, January 5, 2004 “Green Buildings” by Josh Radoff
Gotham Gazette, January 5, 2004 “NYPV Blue” by Josh Radoff
Alternatives Journal, Winter 2003 “The Price of Wind” by Josh Radoff
NY Opinion

April 1, 2004

City Limits (2004/4): Betting on a Green Building Boom

Includes statement by GreenHomeNYC founder Bomee Jung “Betting on a Green Building Boom” by Elizabeth Cady Brown New York can become a leader in environmentally sound development–if big business buys in. Here’s how well-paid professionals are building a marketplace movement. On a frigid morning in early February, about 30 building-industry executives gathered in the conference room of Bovis Lend Lease, on the ninth floor of the MetLife building. It was by all appearances an unremarkable event, except that this group of seasoned architects, developers, engineers, contractors, designers, and planners had come to plan an environmental revolution. They do this on the first Wednesday of every month, before scurrying off to jobs at many of the most prestigious building firms in the city. The topic was indoor air quality, and Catherine Bobenhausen, a mild-mannered industrial hygienist who is one of New York State’s foremost experts on the subject, had been invited to address the group about testing for pollutants. She used a lot of jargon, but she didn’t mince words. Rather than constantly testing for noxious chemicals in our air ducts, said Bobenhausen, we should construct buildings that are less toxic and better-ventilated. Read on at City Limits