Phipps Conservatory’s Sustainability Training Workshop Provides Roadmap for Industry Leaders

For Immediate Release: Fri., Nov. 17, 2017

Contact: Julie LaBar | Director of Marketing and Communications
412/622-6915, ext. 3801 ǀ jlabar@phipps.conservatory.org

Phipps Conservatory’s Sustainability Training Workshop Provides Tailored Roadmap for Industry Leaders to Get the Green Building They Want
Attendees will gain actionable insights from the only team to achieve Living Building Challenge, LEED, WELL and SITE certifications in one project, held at one of the greenest buildings in the world.

Pittsburgh, Pa. — Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens announces its Sustainability Training Workshop to be held Feb. 20 – 21, 2018.  Interactive hands-on training will provide leaders with new information and tools that answer the question, “What does good look like?” to develop a green building that meets their values and aspirations.

C-level executives, directors, vice presidents and senior staff members of sustainability, operations, programs, capital projects and facilities are invited to attend.  Leaders in environment, health, human resources, public relations and communications who work on sustainability initiatives will also benefit.

This in-depth session will take place at one of the greenest buildings in the world — Phipps’ Center for Sustainable Landscapes with the opening reception on Feb. 20 (5 – 8 p.m.) and immersive workshop on Feb. 21 (8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.).  Registration is $250 and includes access to both the reception and the full-day workshop, as well as food and drink.  Spaces are very limited.  Register today at phipps.conservatory.org/workshop.

The Sustainability Training Workshop will walk attendees through some of the most important rating systems (Living Building Challenge™, LEED®, WELL™ and Sustainable SITES™) related to green buildings, human health and landscapes. The session will also show attendees how to use them to help clearly define expectations before hiring a design team to set their project up for success.

Attendee benefits include:

• Going beyond the classroom to see the rating systems in action with an immersive exploration of one of the greenest buildings in the world.
• Gaining firsthand knowledge from the only team to achieve Living Building Challenge, LEED, WELL and SITES certifications in one project.
• Discovering the nature-inspired systems thinking and facilitated integrative design processes which drive sustainable innovation.

Phipps’ tools and experience are ready to help leaders across sectors in providing an experience that is good for your clients, your team and the planet.

Accredited leaders from Phipps will lead the Sustainability Training Workshop:

• Richard Piacentini, WELL AP is Phipps’ executive director. Since 1994, Richard has led the green transformation of Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, including construction of the Center for Sustainable Landscapes, the only building in the world to meet: the Living Building Challenge, LEED Platinum, WELL Platinum, and 4 Stars Sustainable SITES certifications. Piacentini is interested in the important connection between people and plants particularly as it relates to human and environmental health. He serves as past chair of the International Living Future Institute™ (ILFI) and is a past president of the American Public Gardens Association. He has received numerous professional honors, including ILFI and USGBC leadership awards.
• Jason Wirick, LEED AP is Phipps’ director of facilities and sustainability, working to advance sustainable design, and initiate safe, healthy and green operating practices. He holds a B.S. from Virginia Tech University and a M.B.A., with a focus on corporate sustainability and social responsibility, from Duquesne University. Jason has supervised hundreds of contractors on award-winning projects. In 2015, Jason received Healthcare Garden Design Certification from the Joseph Regenstein, Jr. School of the Chicago Botanic Garden.
• Meghan Scanlon, Phipps' wellness and sustainability specialist, acts as a change agent for the Conservatory, facilitating new ways to connect human and environmental health within Phipps and other organizations. Her expertise in developing and implementing targeted sustainable wellness practice standards enhances Phipps’ mission. In Studio Phipps, she inspires others by sharing the knowledge Phipps has gathered about sustainability and health through our design projects and operations. Meghan holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and public policy, and she has over 10 years of environmental impact documentation, land conservation and green infrastructure design experience.

Learn more and register at phipps.conservatory.org/workshop.

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About Phipps: Founded in 1893, Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in Pittsburgh, Pa. is a green leader among public gardens with a mission to inspire and educate all with the beauty and importance of plants; to advance sustainability and promote human and environmental well-being through action and research; and to celebrate its historic glasshouse. Learn more: phipps.conservatory.org.

About the Center for Sustainable Landscapes (CSL): One of the greenest buildings in the world, the CSL at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens generates all of its own energy and treats all storm and sanitary water captured on-site. It is the first and only building to meet four of the highest green certifications (Living Building Challenge, LEED Platinum, Four Stars Sustainable SITES Initiative, WELL Building Platinum project). As Phipps’ education, research and administration facility, the CSL focuses attention on the intersection between the built and natural environments, and demonstrating that human and environmental health are inextricably connected, inspiring almost half a million visitors annually.

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