Environmental Excellence Awards on view at ASU
<p>The winners of Valley Forward’s 29th annual Environmental Excellence Awards will visit ASU Polytechnic as part of a traveling exhibit that will be on display in the Applied Arts Pavilion lobby from March 17 to April 7.</p><separator></separator><p>The Environmental Excellence Awards, co-sponsored by Valley Forward and the Salt River Project, are Arizona’s oldest and most prestigious environmental awards. They honor commitment to sustainable and environmentally friendly growth with awards in 24 categories, including buildings and structures, site development and landscape, art in public places, environmental technologies, and livable communities. Winners this year – 18 first-place Crescordia awards and 31 Awards of Merit – were selected from a record field of 150 submissions.</p><separator></separator><p>The President’s Award, which honors the project with the greatest impact on Valley livability and sustainability, went to the $1.4 billion METRO Light Rail system connecting Phoenix, Tempe and Mesa.</p><separator></separator><p>ASU sustainability efforts took three of the 18 Crescordia awards. The Polytechnic Academic Complex won in the Buildings & Structures category for its LEED Gold-certified design and construction. Vine-covered screens and recycled metal help to shade the exterior of the Academic Complex, reducing energy usage and creating an attractive facade. Storm water and building runoff is captured in pools to support the desert landscaping.</p><separator></separator><p>Other winning projects include ASU Downtown student housing, two 13-story towers in the heart of the downtown campus incorporating an array of energy- and water-saving features, as well as the ASU Campus Solarization project, which is projected to have 10 megawatts of electricity – enough to power more than 2,857 homes – by mid-2010.</p><separator></separator><p>The traveling exhibit is making stops throughout the Valley through June 2010. For more information about Valley Forward and the Environmental Excellence Awards, call (602) 240-2408 or visit <a href="http://www.valleyforward.org">www.valleyforward.org</a>.</p><separator>… by Kari Stallcop</em><br /><strong></strong></p><separator></separator><p><strong>Media Contact:</strong><br />Christine Lambrakis, <a href="mailto:lambrakis@asu.edu">lambrakis@asu.edu</a><br />480/727-1173, 602/316-5616</p>