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