Syracuse Center of Excellence represents Central Upstate at Greenbuild 2007

Syracuse Center of Excellence represents Central Upstate at Greenbuild 2007November 06, 2007Martin Wallsmwalls@syracusecoe.org

The Syracuse Center of Excellence in Environmental and Energy Systems (Syracuse CoE) heads to Chicago on Nov. 7 with the goal of putting Central Upstate New York’s best foot forward at Greenbuild 2007, the international exposition of the green building industry, organized by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The Syracuse CoE heads up a team of Central Upstate firms and institutions exhibiting together at Greenbuild. Also having a presence in the Syracuse CoE booth are Syracuse University, C&S Companies, Destiny USA, e2e Materials, National Grid, O’Brien & Gere and the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry.

Throughout the event, the Central Upstate region will be branded under the New York’s Creative Core banner — “Real. Smart. Green.” New York’s Creative Core is a regional economic development initiative leveraging the creative, technological and real property assets in Central Upstate.

This year, Greenbuild expects to attract more than 25,000 green building professionals from around the world. Joining the Syracuse CoE/Creative Core team will be more than 100 Central Upstate organizations. The industry’s premiere event, Greenbuild is an unparalleled opportunity for Central Upstate firms and institutions to increase their visibility within the rapidly growing green building industry. Greenbuild is the signature event of the USGBC, whose president and CEO is native Central New Yorker S. Richard Fedrizzi, a Syracuse CoE board member.

Greenbuild — a two-time IMEX Environmental Meeting Award recipient — this year has asked exhibitors in Chicago to create sustainable exhibits and to reduce materials, waste, and energy and resource consumption. To this end, the Syracuse CoE teamed up with fourth-year SU industrial design students, led by associate professor of design Don Carr, to create its sustainable exhibit.

Included in the students’ design are furniture made out of reused T-shirts and e2e Materials’ biodegradable composite board, a bicycle generator to provide lighting, and walls made from die-cut cards, which double as the booth’s printed “takeaway” marketing materials.

Booth visitors will be asked to take the cards, literally dismantling the booth throughout the expo so that as little waste (and return shipping) is created as possible.

The students will return with samples of their work on Nov. 12. For more information about the Syracuse Center of Excellence exhibit and Greenbuild 2007, or the students’ Greenbuild project, contact Martin Walls at (315) 443-4445 or mwalls@syracusecoe.org.