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LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK ARCHITECT RECOGNIZED FOR HIS COMMITMENT TO GREEN BUILDING MARVIN WINDOWS AND DOORS: YELLOW ROSE REGIONAL RECOGNITION CONSTRUCTION IN THE 20TH CENTURY GENERALLY IGNORED ANY HARMFUL EFFECTS ON OUR ENVIRONMENT. THERE IS CONSIDERABLY MORE AWARENESS IN THIS NEW MILLENNIUM; HOWEVER, CHANGING EXISTING PRACTICES HAS BEEN A STRUGGLE. HIGHER UPFRONT COSTS HAVE MET OPPOSITION BY HOMEOWNERS AND THE BUILDING INDUSTRY ALIKE. WILLING TO GO THE DISTANCE NEVERTHELESS, PETER CARADONNA IS A SEMINAL ARCHITECT IN THE GREEN CONSTRUCTION MOVEMENT IN LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK. HIS FIRM, PETER CARADONNA ARCHITECTURE & PLANNING, PROMOTES THE LEADERSHIP IN ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN NATIONAL STANDARD FOR HIGH-PERFORMANCE, SUSTAINABLE BUILDING. ALTHOUGH CARADONNA IS THE ONLY LEED ACCREDITED PROFESSIONAL IN SUFFOLK COUNTY, HE IS UNFLINCHING IN HIS COMMITMENT. "IT IS IMPORTANT FOR PROFESSIONALS, CONTRACTORS, FINANCIERS, INSTITUTIONS AND GOVERNMENT TO JOIN THE US GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL," HE SAID. "KNOWLEDGE IS THE TOOL TO ENLIGHTENMENT, BUT IF YOU'RE UNWILLING TO GRASP THE TOOLS WE CAN'T START TO FIX AN INDUSTRY IN DESPERATE NEED OF AN UPGRADE." FORTUNATELY, SOME HEADWAY IS BEING MADE THROUGH STATE LEGISLATURE ENACTING LAWS PROVIDING BENEFITS TO BUILDERS WHO INCORPORATE GREEN ELEMENTS IN THEIR PROJECTS. THERE IS NO QUESTION THAT THERE ARE ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS TO THE "GREEN" APPROACH THAT WOULD UTILIZE MATERIAL, ENERGY AND WATER RESOURCES MORE EFFICIENTLY. MOREOVER, THERE ARE A MYRIAD OF GREEN ARCHITECTURE ELEMENTS THAT WOULD BEHOOVE US TO EMBRACE. FOR INSTANCE, CARADONNA PROPOSES THE USE OF PHOTOVOLTAIC ROOF PANELS, WHICH WOULD ALLEVIATE ENERGY SHORTAGES, NOTORIOUS IN LONG ISLAND ON HOT SUMMER DAYS. THERE ARE ALSO ADVANTAGES TO UTILIZING HIGH LEVELS OF INSULATION AND ROOFTOP WATER CATCHMENT SYSTEMS THAT WOULD REUSE RAINWATER FOR LANDSCAPE IRRIGATION. IN RECOGNITION OF HIS COMMITMENT TO GREEN CONSTRUCTION AND RAISING CONSUMER AWARENESS, CARADONNA WAS NAMED A WINNER OF THE 2003 YELLOW ROSE REGIONAL RECOGNITION PROGRAM, SPONSORED BY MARVIN WINDOWS AND DOORS. THE PROGRAM RECOGNIZES BUILDING INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS IN DESIGNATED REGIONS OF THE UNITED STATES WHO PURSUE EXCELLENCE IN THEIR WORK WHILE PROMOTING THE ADVANCEMENT OF THEIR COMMUNITY. NINETEEN WINNERS WERE HONORED AT THE 2003 MARVIN WINDOWS AND DOORS YELLOW ROSE REGIONAL RECOGNITION AWARDS CEREMONY AT THE INTERNATIONAL BUILDERS SHOW IN LAS VEGAS IN JANUARY. MARVIN WINDOWS AND DOORS WILL DONATE $1,000 TO EACH DISTINGUISHED RECIPIENT'S CHARITY. CARADONNA HAS CHOSEN US GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL'S LONG ISLAND CHAPTER. CARADONNA IS COMPLETELY DEVOTED TO PROVIDING LEADERSHIP TO A BETTER FUTURE, LOCALLY AND GLOBALLY. CONTINUING TO ADVOCATE CHANGES, HE IS CURRENTLY WORKING ON ESTABLISHING A LEED GREEN BUILDING RATING SYSTEM. "BY SETTING THE EXAMPLE," CARADONNA EXPLAINED, "WE INTEND TO CHALLENGE AN INDUSTRY THAT'S MIRED IN PAST PRACTICES AND UNFOUND MYTHS." |