Wow! What a tremendous inaugural Material Health Open Innovation Symposium, co-sponsored with USGBC, and HPDC Annual Member Meeting. Both events took place – virtually – on November 17. We had over 250 participants during the day, many for the entire 6 ½ hours we were together. It’s fair to say that interest in Material Health has never been as high as it is today.
As we look ahead to 2021, we are all too aware of the challenges that confront us. When the pandemic arose in early 2020, we wondered what would happen to the upsurge in Material Health practice that was gaining steam. In fact, in 2020 this growth has accelerated vs a year ago, as measured by the nearly 300% monthly growth in publishing of HPDs, and also the growth in use of the material ingredient credit in LEED by over 200%.
Several factors are contributing to this growth. Rising awareness of disparate health impacts for the most vulnerable people and communities makes even more apparent the need to know how building products affect human and environmental health. A better, more integrated ecosystem of information tools makes creating and using Material Health reports more accessible, and more useful. Building project teams and owners are more often incorporating Material Health into their routine practices. Material Health ratings and certifications are increasingly included in green building procurement. In 2021 we drive forward, working in partnership with all of you, to make each of these areas even better, producing more – and more useful – results.
With these advances, we’re now poised to embark on the next five years of our transparent Material Health journey; a world in which, by 2025, the use of safer and healthier building products is increasingly the norm. Today, over 7,500 published HPDs representing 20,000+ building products make it much easier to find safer and healthier products. In some product categories, many products now have both complete HPDs and Material Health certifications, such as C2C and Declare.
Research and education drive change. HPDC’s partnership with Arizona State University’s Biodesign Institute is one cornerstone in establishing Material Health as a research discipline. We’re starting to apply the advanced tools of information science to find gaps and opportunities. New methodologies are emerging to close the gaps in hazard screening and assessment. Emerging alternative ingredients and product formulations can accelerate the widespread availability of safer and healthier products. Led by Parsons Material Health Lab, a network of over 100 universities is working to expand Material Health resources for architecture and design students.
As the tumultuous year 2020 recedes from view, we mourn for those who have been lost to the pandemic, their families’ loss of loved ones, and for those whose lives have been jolted due to the associated economic and social challenges. The urgency to address long-standing issues of social equity and justice is in the forefront of our minds. The need for action, to work together to make safe and healthy products available for all, is clear.
We look forward to working with you, and the growing Material Health community, and wish to all a happier and healthier 2021!
Wendy Vittori, HPDC, Executive Director
Over 250 Attendees Participate in HPDC’s Inaugural Material Health Open Innovation Symposium on November 17.
The first ever symposium solely dedicated to the rapidly growing field of Material Health Practice was a huge success! Over 250 people participated in the Virtual Zoom event on November 17 from noon to 5 pm EST. U.S. Green Building Council co-sponsored the HPDC event. Many thanks to BuildingGreen President, Nadav Malin, who was fantastic as moderator for the Symposium.
HPDC worked with Katrina Garnes to coordinate the event. Katrina is a marketing and communications strategist with over a decade of experience. She said, “I’ve enjoyed my time working with HPDC on your first large scale virtual event. Now more than ever it’s important that organizations pivot in order to continue to connect with others in their industry and educate people around the world. HPDC hosted a virtual experience like no other with over 250+ in attendance. Congratulations, HPDC family!”
Thanks to our fifteen presenters who are at the forefront of Material Health innovation, and to our co-sponsor, USGBC, who a decade ago innovated with the inclusion of the first Material Ingredients credit in LEED v4. Thank you to everyone who participated and made our first large scale virtual event a success!
HPDC Celebrates Progress During Annual Member Meeting.
Immediately following the Material Health Open Innovation Symposium, HPDC members joined a virtual happy hour and annual meeting.
HPDC Technical and Education Director Tristan Robert shared updates on HPD v2.2, Special Conditions, Quality Control Protocol and Antimicrobials. He also shared development plans for HPD v3 slated for release in 2022.
HPDC IT and Manufacturer Programs Director John Geyer updated members on the accelerated publication of HPDs since the release of HPD Builder v2.2 in May. Since the launch of Builder v2.2, there have been over 1,817 HPD Reports published. In addition, there has been an increase of 2,119 over last year at this time. John also reported in the successful integration of the Supplier HPD tool integration into the Builder v2.2. and reviewed new developments planned implementation of Builder v2.3 and the Supplier HPD phase 2 implementation in the near future.
HPDC Executive Director Wendy Vittori shared key accomplishments from 2020 including increased responses to social equity, advancing use of the HPD Open Standard and communicating success to the broader community. She also reported on the significant progress being made throughout the Material Health Open Innovation Ecosystem through partnerships with HPDC and USGBC as well as new partnerships with organizations like Construction Specifications Institute that have resulted in implementation of Crosswalk into the HPD Builder v2.2.
Thanks to all of our members who make this progress possible!
HPDC Announces New Board of Members for 2021.
The 2021 Board candidate slate nominated by the Board’s Nominating Working Group was ratified in the Board Election conducted in October. Each year one-third of our 15-member Board seats are open in our election. In addition, this year three new “Community Member” category seats were added, bringing the Board to 18 members. Although we did not receive any Community category applicants this year, we invite all members to work with community organizations to bring the HPD initiative closer to the community, especially for those most vulnerable to human and environmental health issues in underserved communities. Hopefully in 2021 we will begin to welcome new Community members and great candidates for these open Board seats.
Five Board members were elected in this year’s election, joining our 10 returning Board members.
New to the HPDC Board, we welcome:
Tyler Krehlik, SmithGroup – User
Tyler, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP BD+C, is an award-winning architect in SmithGroup’s San Francisco office, where he focuses his practice on designing buildings that are healthy and contribute positively to society. As Principal of the Healthcare Studio’s MOB and Specialty Outpatient Portfolio, he guides clients and teams as they design projects for outpatient health and wellness, public health, ambulatory care, and cancer institutes.
Rachelle Schoessler Lynn, Gensler – User
With over 25 years of experience, Rachelle has devoted her career to design excellence, specifically focused on workplace innovation with an emphasis on how design impacts health and well-being. She is a leader in resilient design and has been an advocate for innovative sustainability solutions for her entire career. Rachelle is one of the original authors of the Minnesota B3 Guidelines (Buildings, Benchmarks and Beyond) and a co-founder of the Minnesota USGBC chapter.
And returning and previous board members…
Gail Vittori, Center for Maximum Potential Building Systems – Ecosystem
Gail, LEED Fellow, Co-director of Center for Maximum Potential Building Systems, works at the intersection of sustainable design and human health. She served on the Board Chair of Green Business Certification Inc., (GBCI) from 2011-2019, including as Chair from 2013-2019, and served on the U.S. Green Building Council Board of Directors from 2002-2010, including in 2009 as Board Chair. Her work has spanned private and public sector projects nationally and internationally. Ms. Vittori is co-author of Sustainable Healthcare Architecture, is a Founding Member and Vice-Chair of the Health Product Declaration Collaborative Board, and was a Loeb Fellow at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design. She received the Hanley Award for Vision and Leadership in Sustainability in 2015.
Tim Cole, Cole Collaborative – Manufacturer
Tim is President & CEO of Cole Collaborative, LLC, where he provides expert advice and solutions focused on manufacturing and B2B business development in the flooring industry. He has served as: Past Board Member – Past Board Chair – ExCom member – GovCom Chair – Community Development Committee Chair – Founding representative – of USGBC. He serves on the EPA Task Group for Environmental Certifications. He’s also an active member of ASTM and ISO Sustainability Committees, and has been involved throughout his career in LCA, EPD and green product development
Mike Manzi, Bora Architects – User
Mike has over 25 years of experience in design and construction with a persistent focus on sustainability. He currently manages specifications and document quality at Bora Architects, where he promotes energy, water, and resource conservation, sustainable material selection and healthy indoor environments. He served on the Steering Committee for the HPD Development Working Group in 2011 and the founding HPDC board until 2015. He also co-chaired the early technical committee and has chaired the current iteration of the Technical Committee since 2015. As TC Chair, he has participated in board meetings and annual strategic planning retreats every year.
Three Directors Emeriti Appointed
The HPDC Board also appointed three Directors Emeriti, Jean Hansen (HDR), Susan Kaplan (HLW International) and Anthony Ravitz (Google). Jean, Susan and Anthony are all Founding Board Members of HPDC, and tremendous champions for the HDP Open Standard since its initiation a decade ago.
Please join us in welcoming new, and returning members to 2021 our HPDC Board of Directors.
Call for Applications: HPDC Technical Committee Members.
Each year the HPDC Board of Directors appoints/reappoints 50% of the HPDC Technical Committee, which has a two-year term for its members. We are now seeking applicants for membership on the HPDC Technical Committee for the 2021-22, which starts on March 1. The deadline for Technical Committee applications is Friday, January, 22, 2021 at 5 pm PST.
Individual members qualify for membership on the Technical Committee if they are duly appointed representatives of HPDC General Member organizations, as follows:
• Up to 9 representatives from General Members from the user category
• Up to 2 representatives from General Members from the manufacturer category
• Up to 2 representatives from General Members from the ecosystem category
• Up to 2 representatives from General Members from the community category
Questions about the Board of Directors nominations or the Technical Committee applications processes may be directed to membership@hpd-collaborative.org
HPDC Webinar Introduces Builder Users To A New Federal Government Green Facilities Procurement Tool.
HPDC recently hosted two webinars with presenters Wendy Vittori, Executive Director, Michael Bloom, High-Performance Buildings Program Advisor in the Office of Federal High-Performance Buildings of the U.S. General Services Administration’s (GSA) and Paul Shahriari, CIO and Founder of ecomedes.
The webinar introduced product manufacturers with published HPDs to a new program called Sustainable Facilities Tool (SFTool) that enables Builder Users to enhance their listing by completing a simple spreadsheet with five fields of product data. ecomedes, working with the GSA, manages the data in SFTool to align with the government’s system of product categorization.
The Product Search Platform powers the procurement process for 500M square feet of buildings operated by the federal government, and is the largest catalog of products compliant with the Federal Green Procurement Guidelines.
HPDC Opens Pilot Period on Improved Polymers Reporting.
HPD reporting methodology typically relies on the identification of a single chemical substance by a single CASRN. Health hazard information can then be identified using that CASRN. However, polymers (including many common plastics) are common in building products, and the CASRN system falls short. In response, an HPDC working group has completed a first draft “Special Condition” policy for how manufacturers will be asked to report polymer information in the next version of the HPD Open Standard. This policy addresses key issues, such as:
- Complete reporting of residual monomers, impurities, and functional additives.
- The molecular weight of the polymer (a key measure of how “reacted” the polymer is)
- The specific chemistry of the polymer utilized.
The pilot period, which has begun and will run into early 2021, gives manufacturers an opportunity to test the feasibility of making additional information requests to their suppliers and giving feedback on this process to HPDC. If you are interested in participating, or simply want to learn more, please email HPDC Technical Director Tristan Roberts at troberts@hpd-collaborative.org.
MEMBERS CORNER
If you would like to share your organization’s leadership story in the Members Corner, please contact us.
Make Informed Product Choices With mindful Materials Free Library.
The mindful MATERIALS (mM) Library is a free, online platform with aggregated product information from leading manufacturers, vetted by experts. As we collectively grow the mM Library to 20,000 products by the end of 2020, we invite you to join us. The more firms utilizing the mM Library and manufacturers submitting qualified products, the more options and opportunity we’ll all have to make choices that support a healthy and sustainable built environment. Visit the mM Library.
HBN Helps Guide New Green Communities Materials Criteria.
Healthy Building Network (HBN) has a rich history of lending our expertise to standard development efforts. The greatest compliment to our work is when it is adopted by organizations and individuals into their own thinking on material health. HBN is proud to have contributed to the development and evolution of the Green Communities Criteria for 2011, 2015, and now, 2020.
The only national green building standard designed specifically for affordable housing projects, the Enterprise Green Communities Criteria has a major impact on how affordable housing properties are constructed.1 The Criteria is integrated into the funding process for affordable housing projects in 28 states and dozens of cities.2 Learn more about Enterprise Community Partners next generation of Green Communities Criteria.
The HPD Public Repository is the authoritative resource for all published HPDs. Visit the Repository to access over 7,500 published HPDs, representing over 20,000 building products, from 500+ manufacturers –
Thank You To 89 Manufacturers Publishing Over 636 HPDs During The Past 2.5 Months:
Activar Construction Products Group
Allegion
American Architectural Millwork
American Hydrotech, Inc.
ARDEX Engineered Cements
Armstrong Flooring, Inc.
Armstrong World Industries
ASSA ABLOY
ASTYL
Babcock-Davis
Benjamin Moore & Co.
CEMEX Mexico
Concertex LLC
Continuus Materials LLC
Custom Building Products
Designtex
Dinoflex Group LP
dormakaba
DuPont Specialty Products USA, LLC
egetaepper A/S
emeco
Excel Dryer
FabriTRAK Systems, inc.
Forbo Flooring Systems
Goldray Glass
HARMONY
Helmitin Inc.
Hilti
Hyundai L&C Corporation
ICP Group
Inpro
Interface
JLC-Tech LLC
Kelly-Moore Paints
KI
Kirei USA
Knauf Insulation, Inc.
KnollTextiles
KRION SOLID SURFACE S.A.U.
Kvadrat A/S
Lamitech
LATICRETE International
Mannington Mills
manugypse
Marazzi Group
Master Builders Solutions
Mecho
Mermet Corporation
Moderco inc.
Mohawk Group
MOZ Designs, Inc
National Gypsum Company
Nystrom
Object Carpet
Owens Corning
PABCO Gypsum
Package Pavement – Spec Mix
Pallas Textiles
Patcraft
Permacon
Philadelphia Commercial
Pliteq Inc.
Pointe International Inc.
PPG Architectural Finishes
Prysmian Group
Pyroguard UK Ltd
QUIKRETE Companies, LLC
RedBuilt LLC
Richlite Company
Saint Gobain
Shaw Contract
Siga
Silicalia SL
Siplast, Inc.
Sloan Valve Company
Soprema
Specified Technologies Inc.
Suzhou Tuntex Fiber and Carpet Co., Ltd.
ThyssenKrupp Elevator
Unika Vaev
United Metal Coating LLC
USG
Valdese Weavers
VELUX America, LLC
Verosol
Versa Designed Surfaces
Vescom America Inc.
Wilsonart
Woodwright Hardwood Floor Company
HPDC continues to grow our membership now with over 300 member organizations. Membership is open to any organization that participates in the industry and supports the goals of transparency and material health practice of the HPDC. See a full list of HPDC Members and Sponsors.
Please Join Us in Welcoming Our Newest Members to HPDC:
- NIBCO
- ROCKFON
- Element Designs
- Orco Block
- City of Austin
- Custom Metal Contracting (Western) Limited
- Brook Charles Group
- LLC Kerama Marazzi
- Alpha Systems, LLC
- ROCKWOOL
- Harmony
- Maxxon Corporation
- Kaleseramik Çanakkale Kalebodur Seramik Sanayi AŞ
- JLC-Tech
- Dunn-Edwards Corporation
Learn more about HPDC membership. For the full list of HPDC members – now over 300 organizations – click here
HPD Collaborative is a not-for-profit member organization responsible for the maintenance and evolution of the HPD Open Standard. For more information, or to join HPD Collaborative, please visit the HPDC website. The work of HPD Collaborative is made possible by our members—through their volunteer efforts and annual dues—and by our sponsors, with their generous financial contribution. We would like also to thank the JPB Foundation for their support of our work through the HAMP project.
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