Greening The Heartland, September 12-14, 2007: Greening the Heartland, Monona Terrace Convention Center, Madison, WI. Hundreds of green building and sustainability enthusiasts from around the Midwest are coming together at the 4th Annual Greening the Heartland Conference (GTH2007) in Madison. The GTH2007 is a joint effort by the eight-state USGBC Heartland region chapters and affiliates and is being hosted by the Wisconsin Green Building Alliance. GTH looks forward to welcoming everyone to the beautiful capitol city of Wisconsin, known for its progressive, forward-thinking legacy of environmental sustainability both past and future.

Date and location:
September 12-14, 2007: at the Monona Terrace Convention Center, Madison, WI

Registration: Go to www.greeningtheheartland.org and follow the link for registration.

Closing the Deal-Getting to and through LEED® Certification,  an opportunity to learn or share your struggles with your peers about what makes or breaks our efforts to achieve LEED certification. Presenter is James S. Brew, FCSI, AIA, LEED AP.
Date and Location: September 18, 2007, 7:45 am - 9:15 am at the Science Museum of Minnesota
Cost: $15 in advance for Chapter Members, $20 in advance for non-members.  Registration opens August 15.

LEED for Homes Tour:  E2 CityHomes, The developer (the Urban Project) and the architect (LHB) will assist with rotating tours of this unique project.  The four townhomes were built with Insulated Concrete Forms, geo thermal heating and cooling and many other Green Features.  The homes have been tested and are registered to be LEED H certified.  We may know more before the event.

Date and Location:  September 25, 2007, 4:00 pm -6:30 pm, 3441-3447 1st Ave South, Minneapolis

Cost:  $15 members, $20 non-members.  Registration opens August 15.

GREENBUILD 2007, November 7-9, 2007, Chicago, IL Click here for more information or to register.

U of M College of Design

Construction Contract Administration for Design Professionals
1 session, Tuesday, September 18, 8:30–11:30 a.m.
3.0 Hrs AIA-HSW; .75 IDP Units; $115; $105 CC
Registration Deadline: September 10
Construction contract administration (CCA) typically requires 20% of professional service budgets. It is important to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of CCA in order to protect profit margins, reduce liability, and produce high quality finished projects. Rigorous adherence to proven procedures and practices is critical to avoid conflicts. This seminar provides a thorough overview of CCA best practices and procedures from design and construction through project completion.
Steve T. Schmidgall, construction administrator, BWBR Architects

Avoiding Moisture Problems in the Design & Construction of Light Frame Buildings
1 session, Tuesday, September 25, 6–9 p.m.
3.0 Hrs AIA-HSW; .75 IDP Units; $105; $95 CC
Registration Deadline: September 17
Moisture is still the biggest problem in building durability and performance today. This seminar will focus on the details that must be designed and implemented in buildings to avoid costly mistakes that can impact the durability of a building and the health of the occupants.
Patrick Huelman, associate professor of residential energy and building systems, Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering

Smart Façades–intelligent Choices
1 session, Thursday, September 27, 6:00–7:30 p.m.
1.5 Hrs AIA-HSW; .375 IDP Units; $65; $60 CC
Registration Deadline: September 17
New transparent ETFE membrane systems are redefining building envelopes and are being used in some of the most innovative designs in the world. Business Week calls ETFE the “miracle polymer for the new Millennium” and “the building material of the future.” Learn why architects around the world are excited about a material that acts like glass but is 1% of the weight, transmits more light, is a better insulator, and costs 25% to 70% less than glass to install.
Bruce N. Wright, AIA, editor of Fabric Architecture magazine