Press Release

10.04.2018

thyssenkrupp green building expert Monica Miller Brown discusses the future of sustainability at prominent Chicago architecture events

­

• Miller Brown, a highly sought-after speaker in building transportation material transparency, presented at AIA Chicago, Development Management Associates, and IIT School of Architecture
• The thyssenkrupp Sustainability Design Manager was recognized in 2018 as one of the Top 75 sustainability leaders in the world by Environmental Leader and Energy Manager

­

CHICAGO (October 4, 2018) – thyssenkrupp Elevator Americas Sustainability Design Manager Monica Miller Brown came to Chicago the week of September 24 to share her green building design expertise with both novice and veteran architects in three separate events.

On September 27, Miller Brown participated in the American Institute of Architects (AIA)

Chicago’s sustainability event, “Alphabet Soup: Making Sense of the Material Transparency Movement,” where she helped attendees make sense of the various material transparency programs, including Health Product Declarations, Cradle to Cradle, Environmental Product Declaration and the Living Building Challenge, as well how these programs can help designers create buildings that earn points toward LEED v4.

The following day, Miller Brown discussed emerging technologies in green building with key team members from architecture design firm Perkins + Will as well as Development Management Associates, a national commercial real estate project manager with its headquarters in Chicago.

Miller Brown capped off her week on October 1 at the Illinois Institute of Technology, where she discussed new technologies and sustainability with fifth-year School of Architecture students. The day concluded with a review of supertall building projects that the students are working on under the guidance of Dr. Antony Wood, Executive Director for the Council for Tall Building and Urban Habitats (CTBUH). Dr. Peng Du, a visiting professor from China whom also oversees CTBUH China, was also in attendance.

“I love coming to Chicago, a city rich with architecture tradition,” said Miller Brown. “But to ensure the long-term future of those vintage structures as well as those that live in, work at or visit those buildings, we need to improve how we approach a building’s environmental footprint and continue to push the sustainability envelope. This is something architects and designers are committed to doing, and I’m excited to work with them as they pursue a greener future.”

Miller Brown will return to Chicago on November 14 to discuss material transparency at Greenbuild 2018, the world’s largest conference and expo dedicated to green building.

thyssenkrupp has firmly distinguished itself in the world of elevator sustainability by becoming the first elevator company to retrofit existing elevators to achieve net-zero energy. thyssenkrupp was also the first elevator company to value transparency, publishing an Environmental Product Declaration as well as meeting or exceeding the most stringent industry standards, including Cradle to Cradle, the Living Building Challenge, and LEED. thyssenkrupp Elevator is also the first and only elevator company with Declare labels as well as Bronze and Platinum Cradle to Cradle Material Health Certificates. On top of that, thyssenkrupp Elevator also discloses ingredients in its cabs and entrances down to 1,000 ppm per its Health Product Declaration, all manufactured in a LEED Gold certified facility.

On September 26, 2018, thyssenkrupp was awarded the Alliance to Save Energy’s Innovative Star of Energy Efficiency Award in the Built Environment category for MULTI, the first and only ropeless and sideways-moving elevator in the world. Last November, thyssenkrupp Elevator was recognized by BuildingGreen as a Top Product for 2018 for its net-zero energy elevator, material transparency and LEED v4 efforts that exceed all other building transportation companies.