Green Building E-Book

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Geisteswissenschaft
• Serie: RSMeans
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 757

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2011

Beschreibung

A unique cost reference, updated and expanded, for architects, engineers, contractors, building owners, and managers Green building is no longer a trend. Since the publication of the widely read first edition of this book, green building has become a major advancement in design and construction. Building codes and standards have adopted much stricter energy efficiencies. Businesses, institutions, and communities have discovered huge savings, along with health and marketing advantages, in sustainable building. Private facilities, as well as public buildings for Federal, state, and local governments are increasingly required to design and build sustainably in both new construction and renovation. This Third Edition has been updated with the latest in green building tech-nologies, design concepts, standards, and costs. The chapters, case studies, and resources give you practical guidance on green building, including the latest on: * Green building approaches, materials, rating systems, standards, and guidelines * Energy efficiencies, implementing energy modeling tools * Designing and specifying, as well as commissioning, green building projects * Often-specified products and materials, as well as a sample spec * Goals and techniques for health, comfort, and productivity * Evaluating the cost versus value of green products over their life cycle * Low-cost green strategies, and special economic incentives and funding * Building deconstruction and cost considerations With a new chapter on greening of commercial real estate, this reference is a one-stop resource for the latest in green building approaches and implementation. The contributors, all prominent leaders in green building, include: * Mark Kalin, FAIA, FCSI, author of the original GreenSpec * Andy Walker, Ph.D., PE, senior engineer with NREL * Joseph Macaluso, AACE, certified cost consultant

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright Page

Acknowledgments

About the Contributors

Foreword

Introduction

Part 1 - Green Building Concepts

Chapter 1 - Green Building Approaches

Resource Efficiency

Demolition/ Construction Practices

Recycling

Environmental Sensitivity

Water/Landscape

Sewage Treatment

Designing for People: Health & Productivity

Green Building Hurdles

Conclusion

Chapter 2 - Introduction to Green Building Materials & Systems

Green Material Alternatives by CSI Division

Alternative Materials

Conclusion

Chapter 3 - Building Deconstruction

What Exactly Is Deconstruction?

Who Performs Deconstruction?

The Deconstruction Process

Economic Benefits

Cost Considerations

Conclusion

Chapter 4 - Efficient Use of Energy & Other Resources

Understanding Occupants’ Needs & Expectations

The Building Envelope & Systems Interactions

Energy Efficiency Strategies

Electrical Power Generation

Renewable Energy & Distributed Generation Technologies

Water Conservation

Conclusion

Chapter 5 - Solar Energy Systems

Background: Energy, Economics, Environment, Health & Security

Energy Use in Different Types of Buildings

The Solar Resource

Passive Solar Heating

Cooling Load Avoidance

Photovoltaics

Solar Water Heating

Solar Ventilation Air Heating

Conclusion

Chapter 6 - Wind Power

Applications & Concerns: An Overview

Other Considerations

Basic Criteria for Using a Wind System

Small Wind System Components

Evaluating the Local Wind Resource

Estimating the Cost of Wind Systems

Obstacles & Incentives

Building Permit Issues

Connecting Wind Systems to Utility Grids

Conclusion

Chapter 7 - Health, Comfort & Productivity

Indoor Air Quality

Thermal Comfort

Quality of Light

Water Quality

Noise Management

Furniture & Furnishings

Flooring & Wall Finishes

Carpeting, Rugs & Mattresses

Conclusion

Part 2 - Designing, Specifying & Commissioning the Green Building

Chapter 8 - The Green Design Process & Associated Costs

Technology & Information Sharing

Team Building & Goal Setting

Cost of a LEED Rating

The Design Team

The Building Program

Design Team Selection Criteria

Design Team Statement of Work

Costs of Energy Modeling

Schematic/ Preliminary Design

Design Development

Construction Documents

Bid Solicitation & Contract Award

Construction

Operations & Maintenance

Measurement & Verification

Establishing a Green Team in an Existing Facility

Conclusion

Chapter 9 - Rating Systems, Standards & Guidelines

Whole Building Multiple Attribute Ratings

Whole Building Single Attribute Ratings

Building Product Labels

Measurement & Management Standards

Conclusion

Chapter 10 - Budgeting & Financing Construction

Initial Costs

Future Costs

Low-Cost Green Strategies

Cost Estimating Overview

Financial Analysis Introduction

Financing Options

Incentive Programs

Conclusion

Chapter 11 - Specifying Green Products & Materials

Building Product Manufacturers & Green Products

What Are Green Products?

Who Selects Green Products?

When Are Green Products Selected?

A Green Product Checklist

Greening Your Firm

Conclusion

Chapter 12 - Commissioning the Green Building

The Programming Phase

The Design Phase

The Construction Phase

The Acceptance Phase

The Post-Acceptance Phase

Conclusion

Part 3 - Analyzing Economic & Environmental Impacts

Chapter 13 - Economic Analysis & Green Buildings

Economic Efficiency

Discounting

Study Period

Uncertainty & Risk

Measures of Economic Evaluation

Supplementary Measures of Economic Evaluation

Basic Steps in LCC Analysis

Selection Criteria for Supplementary Measures

Computer-Supported LCC Analysis

Conclusion

Chapter 14 - Evaluating Products Over Their Life Cycle

Measuring Environmental Performance

Measuring Economic vs Environmental Performance

Overall Performance: Economic & Environmental

Conclusion

Chapter 15 - Evaluation, Analysis & Data Tools

Building Information Modeling

Whole Building Energy Evaluation

Energy-10™

EnergyPlus™

SPARK

HOT3000™

Green Footstep

Building Systems Evaluation

Codes & Standards Compliance Evaluation

Life Cycle Analysis

Case Studies & Databases

Creating Project Cost Databases

Conclusion

Chapter 16 - The Greening of Commercial Real Estate

The Role of Government

Owner/Investor Interests

Tenant Expectations

Factors Limiting the Adoption of Green

Green Investment Instruments

Conclusion

Part 4 - Case Studies

Appendix A: HVAC Equipment Efficiency Tables

Appendix B: Additional Information on Standards & Guidelines

Resources

Glossary

Index

This book is printed on acid-free paper.

Copyright © 2011 by RSMeans. All rights reserved.

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Acknowledgments

The preparation of this book involved a team of experts, support from industry organizations, and input from a number of individuals. The primary and contributing authors and reviewers are listed in the “About the Contributors” section following these acknowledgments. Others who provided guidance and assistance during various stages of the book’s development are listed below.

We would like to particularly thank Building Design & Construction and David Castelli of Design Cost Data for allowing permission to reprint case studies originally published in the magazines. We also want to express our gratitude to the National Association of Home Builders Research Center for granting us permission to use information from their organization.

We are grateful to the following organizations for allowing us to reprint logos representing their green building standards and guidelines: the American Lung Association, Building Green Inc., the Climate Neutral Network, the Collaborative for High Performance Schools, the Forest Stewardship Council, the Global Ecolabelling Network, the Green Building Initiative, Greenguard, Green Seal, the International Living Building Institute, the National Association of Home Builders, Natural Resources Canada, the Natural Step, Rate It Green, TerraChoice Environmental Marketing Inc., the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the U.S. Green Building Council.

Finally, we would like to acknowledge the many organizations and businesses that granted us permission to reprint photographs of their green projects, including: Abundant Renewable Energy in Newberg, Oregon, and Marty Aikens, Business Agent at IBEW, Boston, Massachusetts, for their wind turbine photos; Ann Grimes of the City of Dallas Office of Economic Development for brownfield rejuvenation photos; Pat Bellestri of Soledad Canyon Earth Builders for photographs of the company’s rammed earth homes; Sarnafil for reflective roof photos; Whitman-Hanson Regional High School and Selectman Jim Armstrong for allowing us to photograph the school; the International Dark-Sky Association for photographs representing responsible nighttime lighting; and the landscape architect of Chicago City Hall’s living roof, the Conservation Design Forum, for providing images of that project. Special thanks to the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) for their efficiency recommendations tables, and James Ziobro, PE, of Griffith & Vary Engineers for his rainwater recovery system drawing.

About the Contributors

Arthur Adler, PE, CEM, author of Chapter 12, “Commissioning the Green Building,” is principal of Applied Energy Engineering & Commissioning located in Manchester, Massachusetts. He has more than 20 years of experience in operating, analyzing, and optimizing HVAC systems for commercial, high tech, industrial, and institutional clients. His company performs energy analysis, commissioning, and retro-commissioning of building mechanical, electrical, and control systems. Mr. Adler has extensive knowledge of sustainable building design and construction practices and is an accredited professional with the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating system.

Jodi Smits Anderson, AIA, LEED AP, author of the Foreword, is the Director of Sustainability Programs for the Dormitory Authority, State of New York. She is an architect, board member of the NY Upstate Chapter of the USGBC, LEED accredited professional, AIA member, and a member of the Architectural Advisory Council for SUNY Delhi. She is a graduate of RPI School of Architecture and has practiced architecture with many firms in the New York State Capital Region as a designer and as a construction administrator. She has given presentations on green building and sustainable choices throughout New York state, trained contractors about greening their work, worked with a talented and knowledgeable committee on “Greening the Executive Mansion,” and had the pleasure of speaking at Greenbuild 2009 as a panelist on “Becoming a Green Government Guru.” She is currently working with interagency councils on several executive orders for New York state, including green procurement and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

James Armstrong, CPE, CEM, LEED AP, author of Chapter 4, “Efficient Use of Energy & Other Resources,” and co-author of Chapter 7, “Health, Comfort & Productivity,” is senior energy engineer at Siemens Industry Inc., Building Technologies Division, where he develops and manages building optimization, commissioning and energy efficiency services for Siemens customers around New England. He has been responsible for commissioning projects as a program manager/account executive for energy and engineering consultants for NSTAR Electric & Gas and as senior project/application engineer for Shooshanian Engineering and Trigen Boston Energy Corporation. Mr. Armstrong’s earlier experience includes managing utilities and facilities for MassDevelopment at the Devens Commerce Center (formerly Fort Devens) and for institutions such as Colby Sawyer College and the Boston Museum of Science. He also served on the Green Schools Certification Task Force, which developed MASS CHPS, now part of the school construction legislation in Massachusetts. Mr. Armstrong is a graduate of the Calhoon MEBA Engineering School and a retired marine engineer and U.S. Navy Veteran engineering officer.

The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) provided the text for Chapter 6, “Wind Power.” AWEA is a national trade association that represents wind power plant developers, wind turbine manufacturers, utilities, consultants, insurers, financiers, researchers, and others involved in the wind industry. In addition, AWEA represents hundreds of wind energy advocates from around the world. The association provides up-to-date information on wind energy projects operating worldwide; new projects in various stages of development; companies working in the wind energy field; technology development; and policy developments related to wind and other renewable energy development.

G. Bradley Guy, Associate AIA, LEED AP, is the author of Chapter 3, “Building Deconstruction.” He is an assistant professor in the Master of Science in Sustainable Design Program, School of Architecture and Planning, at The Catholic University of America in Washington D.C., where he teaches the course, “Building Deconstruction and Design: Recover, Rediscover, Redesign.” He is also on the faculty of the Yestermorrow Design/Build School, Warren, VT, where he teaches the course “Design for Deconstruction and Reconstruction.” Mr. Guy is a member of the USGBC LEED Materials & Resources Technical Advisory Group (TAG), and has consulted on numerous LEED green building projects, including in post-Hurricane Katrina New Orleans. He is also a consultant d/b/a Material Reuse. His areas of expertise include, building deconstruction, reuse and recycling of materials, and design for adaptability and deconstruction in the built environment. He developed the “Green Demolition Certification” to qualify environmentally responsible building removals, and has written books and guides to deconstruction, materials reuse, and design for deconstruction. Mr. Guy holds an MS in Architectural Studies from the University of Florida.

Sieglinde K. Fuller, PhD, author of Chapter 13, “Economic Analysis & Green Buildings,” is an economist with the Office of Applied Economics of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, a non-regulatory federal agency within the U.S. Commerce Department’s Technology Administration. Her areas of expertise include benefit-cost analysis, economic impact studies, and the pricing of publicly supplied goods and services. As project leader of the NIST/DOE collaborative effort to promote the use of economic analysis for energy and water conservation and renewable energy projects, Dr. Fuller has been involved in developing techniques, workshops, instructional materials, and computer software for calculating the life-cycle costs and benefits of such projects in accordance with federal legislation.

Mark Kalin, FAIA, FCSI, LEED AP, is the author of Chapter 11, “Specifying Green Products & Materials.” He is a registered architect, author of the original GreenSpec, and is currently national chair of CSI’s Sustainable Facilities Practice Group. Kalin Associates is one of the nation’s leading independent specifications consultants, and has prepared specifications for over 150 projects seeking USGBC LEED certification, and Master Specifications for the new sustainable Masdar City.

Alexis Karolides, AIA, author of Chapter 1, “Green Building Approaches,” and Chapter 2, “Introduction to Green Building Materials & Systems,” is a registered architect and principal with the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) in Snowmass, Colorado. Her projects at RMI have included a prototype energy-efficient supermarket for Stop & Shop, a green renovation of a historic building at Hickam Air Force Base, campus-wide energy planning and building retrofit strategies for Berea College, a Hines residential development, the greening of the California State Capitol, and a monastery in Tibet. She is a frequent speaker at national and international conferences and has presented educational seminars and design workshops for communities, businesses, and institutions, including Shell; Perrier; Sherwin Williams; the cities of Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, and Cincinnati; and the Departments of Environmental Protection and Urban Planning in Tianjin, China.

M. Magda Lelek, PE, CEM, co-author of Chapter 15, “Evaluation, Analysis & Data Tools,” is a registered mechanical engineer and a principal with Andelman and Lelek Engineering Inc. in Massachusetts. She specializes in building energy modeling, energy efficiency studies, commissioning services for energy efficiency and LEED projects, and sustainable building development as related to mechanical systems. Ms. Lelek has more than 11 years of professional experience on commercial, institutional, and industrial projects. She has been a member of the Green Schools Task Force, where she was involved in the development of green guidelines for the Massachusetts CHPS High Performance Green School initiative. Currently, Ms. Lelek serves on the Massachusetts Sustainable Design Roundtable in the Metrics Working Group. She is a LEED-accredited professional and certified energy manager. She holds a master’s degree in mechanical engineering with a specialty in HVAC and environmental sciences.

Barbara C. Lippiatt, author of Chapter 14, “Evaluating Products Over Their Life Cycle,” is an economist with the Office of Applied Economics of the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Her primary interest is in developing economic decision methods and tools primarily for efficiently designing and managing buildings. She has applied these decision tools to a wide variety of building problems. In 2003, Barbara was honored for her BEES work with the U.S. Department of Commerce’s silver medal.

Joseph Macaluso, CCC, is the author of Chapter 9, “Rating Systems, Standards & Guidelines,” Chapter 10 “Budgeting & Financing” and co-author of Chapter 15, “Evaluation, Analysis & Data Tools,” and is one of the book’s primary editors. He is a certified cost consultant, chairs the Government and Public Works Special Interest Group of the Association for the Advancement of Cost Engineering, and received their 2008 Technical Excellence Award. He also the chairman of the New York Interagency Engineering Council, and organized their Greening the Apple green building technical conference. Mr. Macaluso is the construction cost estimator for Empire State Development Corporation in New York, a state agency that provides funding and technical assistance for a wide range of projects throughout the state. Over the past 24 years, he has prepared construction cost estimates and schedules, negotiated change orders, and reviewed budgets and contractor qualifications for major public works projects. In addition he has taught cost estimating courses at Long Island University and the City University of New York.

Phillip R. Waier, PE, LEED AP, is the author of Chapter 16, “The Greening of Commercial Real Estate.” He is a principal engineer at RSMeans, and senior editor of the annually updated publication, Building Construction Cost Data. Mr. Waier manages the activities of Means’ editors, cost researchers, and consultants who collect data from public and private agencies and firms throughout the United States. He has spent 30 years in the construction industry, serving as president and chief engineer for a mechanical contracting firm, project manager for numerous industrial construction projects, and structural engineer for major foreign and domestic projects. Mr. Waier is a registered professional engineer and a member of Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) and Associated General Contractors (AGC).

Andy Walker, PhD, PE, is the author of Chapter 5, “Solar Energy Systems” and Chapter 8, “The Green Design Process & Associated Costs,” and co-author of Chapter 7, “Health, Comfort & Productivity.” He is senior engineer at the National Renewable Energy Lab. Dr. Walker supports the U.S. DOE Federal Energy Management Program Technical Assistance Task, conducting engineering and economic analysis of energy efficiency and renewable energy projects in federal buildings. He has also taught several energy-related classes in the Mechanical and Architectural Engineering Departments at the University of Colorado at Boulder, the Colorado School of Mines, and Metropolitan State College of Denver. He serves on the Executive Committee of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Solar Energy Division and has been an Associate Editor for the Journal of Solar Energy Engineering. Prior to joining NREL, Dr. Walker worked as the Renewable Energy Coordinator for the Colorado Office of Energy Conservation and as a research associate at the Solar Energy Applications Laboratory at Colorado State University. As a Peace Corps Volunteer in Nepal, he taught math and science and completed several projects, including a passive solar school dormitory and a village-scale biogas generator. He has conducted solar thermal and photovoltaics training for developing countries for the U.S. Agency for International Development. Dr. Walker is the author of more than 28 book chapters, journal articles, and conference papers and has been recognized with 11 awards from professional associations and government agencies. He is inventor of a stochastic algorithm to evaluate integrated renewable energy technologies. Dr. Walker’s credentials include a BS, MS, and PhD in Mechanical Engineering, and he is a registered Professional Engineer in the State of Colorado. He has solar heating and PV on his passive solar house, drives a hybrid electric car, and buys 100% of his home’s electric power from wind energy.

Foreword

Green building has moved from its start as a concept for “tree-huggers,” through being a marketing ploy for products and technologies and special services, past that irritating realm of “it’s a cool thing to do if you can afford it,” and finally into its rightful place as a way of building better, smarter, more useful buildings. Ray Anderson of Interface Flooring Company would call this a “so right, so smart” approach to design and construction. For the writers of this book, and many other people who are helping to demystify green building, it is truly common sense—building well for the money, looking at long-term goals for the building users, the environment, and the budget, as well as looking at the shorter term realities of project costs, material availability, and project schedule.

Our class song in college was “The Future’s so Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades.” Unfortunately, our current world is a bit different than the one we envisioned 20+ years ago. It’s a little tougher and more cautious about money, and from this vantage point our future world is very much in debate.

Will we have fossil fuel to burn in 50+ years, and, if so, what will be the cost of this fuel?

Will the temperature of NYC in 2075 be like Atlanta, Georgia, is now?

Will our suburbs be abandoned, as envisioned by James Kunstler in his book World Made by Hand?

What building materials will be developed?

Will prime ocean real estate be worthless, or even gone?

Will we be mining landfills for the metals we will need?

What new codes will we be adopting?

I’m sure dozens of other questions have occurred to you in just reading those few I have presented.

This book does not hold all the answers to these questions, but it does present useful knowledge from a wide range of savvy professionals, along with tools and references about how to design and build buildings today that will also deal with that uncertain future. We must all design and build to reduce waste in operations, protect the health of the building’s users, and program for resilience in the use of the buildings. These buildings will perform better for their owners and users, while outlasting their traditional counterparts. To make the point even more clear: the value of green buildings exceeds that of non-green buildings, rental rates have proven to be higher, and even insurance companies are beginning to offer special premiums for proven green construction.

We are finally moving past the egocentric view that we can build whatever we like and then engineer the systems that will condition the spaces to make them comfortable for others to live and work in. We realize that we can save money and energy as well as improve our health, if we use the relatively free things that nature gives us by incorporating location-based diversity into how we design and build and renovate buildings.

We also see that construction work is the one endeavor that will nearly always improve the local economy, and we can intensify this benefit by sourcing local materials when possible, and using local talent that understands the regional landscape, flora, fauna, and workforce issues. Renovation of existing buildings is even more powerful, because it improves our existing building stock, helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reduces energy costs, and usually improves local appeal and tax base.

We now know that balancing triple bottom line (people, planet, and profit) will give us the best project for the dollars we spend. Clients are demanding it. Laws are requiring it. Incentives and grants are supporting it. Even the planet is calling for it.

Green Building is a complex puzzle. It’s hard work to design and build and cost out even a simple project well, and many people are only at the start of the long learning curve that will culminate in true green building. Green building tends to be more complex, because it makes use of the benefits of the natural world and combines that with a deeper understanding of program and space needs—all the while introducing highly integrated technological systems and controls. Architects need to not only figure out what the owner wants, but work more directly with the team structural engineers, MEP engineers, landscape architects, and contractors. All of these items multiply the intricacies. Then, add in the fact that typically unpredictable people will live in, use, and maintain these buildings, and you’ve got a boatload of challenges inherent in every project.

There is a perceived budget hit with green building. It is easy to allow the famed “additional cost” to derail planning for a green building. Green construction does not need to cost more, and it can actually cost less up front if the team is willing to work together to make the many tough trade-off decisions that are part of the complexity of project planning—it’s not easy, but it’s possible. And remember, a green building is not one that is completely designed as normal and then “greened up” with materials and PV panels on the roof. Finally, green building will certainly save the owner money in operations and maintenance over the life of the building, so long as the building users are also trained regarding the proper use of the building and its systems.

It’s a busy and ever-changing world out there. Products and technologies have changed and increased in number. Green building seems to have opened up the creative juices of product manufacturers, engineers, architects, scientists, students, and others who are finding ways to reduce waste, remove toxins from manufacturing processes, and to more efficiently condition the buildings we inhabit. The tools and resources, third party verification systems, and rating systems are also numerous and sometimes confusing. Life cycle analysis, energy modeling, charrette leadership, green consultants, commissioning authorities, etc. are all fairly new pieces of the building process that is green.

This book is an excellent resource to help you deal with the complexities we all face in building greener. It touches on this broad world of products, tools, rating systems, and technologies, as well as some of the less quantifiable value aspects of green buildings. Health and productivity, integrative design, general concepts inherent in green building, and, finally, the beauty that is often created in building green are all explored in these pages. Green Building: Project Planning & Cost Estimating is a lot like the green buildings it will help us to build. It is a practical guide that also inspires us, making it not only a useful resource book, but an enjoyable read as well. Green building is “common sense,” but until common sense is indeed as common as we would wish, this is one of the best tools out there to help you to integrate green building into all of the work that you do.

Read on, and build ever greener.

Jodi Smits AndersonAIA, LEED APDirector, Sustainability Programs, Dormitory Authority,State of New York

Introduction

Green, or sustainable, building has experienced rapid growth and matured in the four years since the second edition of this book was published. Central to this movement are the now clearly established economic benefits of building green. Large and small businesses; educational, health care, and other institutions; government facilities at all levels; and home builders/homeowners are profiting from resource efficiencies and improved comfort and productivity. The commonly held belief that green building necessitated higher initial costs has proven a false assumption, as design and building professionals, together with product manufacturers, have found ways to achieve savings in up-front costs.

This third edition is revised and updated with particular emphasis on the most applicable green building guidelines and standards, which have greatly evolved over the past several years.

Two new chapters have also been added: on wind energy and green building’s added value to commercial real estate. Other chapters have been updated, including several cost and technology-focused topics such as economic incentives, funding sources, and software programs and other methods used to evaluate the cost/benefit of green methods. The book also includes efficiency tables for HVAC equipment and requirements for rating systems, including checklists for LEED.

The case studies in Part 4 of this book are completely new—a diverse collection of building types and green strategies. The majority of the projects have been completed over the past three years and have achieved USGBC LEED ratings. The case studies include overviews of project goals, special challenges, materials, and systems, along with cost breakdowns.

This book is intended as a resource for anyone who seeks to incorporate green features into structures that they are conceiving, designing, specifying, estimating, constructing, remodeling, or maintaining. Its mission is to provide, in one volume, an understanding of green building approaches, materials, project management, and estimating requirements. Many excellent additional green building resources are listed at the back of this book.

The construction industry consumes a major share of resources. Its products are the places in which we live and work, and its materials and methods can either enhance or detract from both our environment and our budgets. Choosing green is now recognized for its merits as improving both the quality of our lives and our fiscal health.

Part 1

Green Building Concepts

Chapter 1

Green Building Approaches

Alexis Karolides, AIA

A common assumption in recent years is that the built environment will necessarily degrade the natural environment. But for most of Earth’s history, structures built for shelter have typically enhanced bio-diversity and benefited the surrounding community. Beaver dams, for instance, create pools where wetlands form, supporting a vast array of diverse life not possible in the original stream. Why should an office building be any different?

Green building is a way of enhancing the environment. Done right, it benefits human well-being, community, environmental health, and life cycle cost. This means tailoring a building and its placement on the site to the local climate, site conditions, culture, and community in order to reduce resource consumption, augment resource supply, and enhance the quality and diversity of life. More of a building philosophy than a building style, there is no characteristic “look” of a green building. While natural and resource-efficient features can be highlighted in a building, they can also be invisible within any architectural design aesthetic.

Green building is part of the larger concept of “sustainable development,” characterized by Sara Parkin of the British environmental initiative, Forum for the Future, as “a process that enables all people to realize their potential and improve their quality of life in ways that protect and enhance the Earth’s life support systems.” As the World Commission on Environment and Development (the Brundtland Commission) phrased it, “Humanity has the ability to make development sustainable—to ensure that it meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

Ideally, green building is not just an assemblage of “environmental” components, nor a piecemeal modification of an already-designed, standard building. In some cases, these incremental approaches add to the building’s cost, while producing marginal resource savings. It is much more effective to take a holistic approach to programming, planning, designing, and constructing (or renovating) buildings and sites. This involves analyzing such interconnected issues as site and climate considerations, building orientation and form, lighting and thermal comfort, systems and materials, and optimizing all these aspects in an integrated design.

Figure 1.1

The Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens Welcome Center in Pittsburgh, PA, was built targeting a LEED Silver rating. Photo courtesy IKM Incorporated - Architects (Photographer: Alexander Denmarsh Photography.)

To capture the multiple benefits of synergistic design elements, the “whole system” design process must begin early in the building’s conception and must involve interdisciplinary teamwork. In the conventional, linear development process, key people are often left out of decision-making or brought in too late to make a full contribution. Thorough collaboration, on the other hand, can reduce and sometimes eliminate both capital and operating costs, while at the same time meeting environmental and social goals. In addition, the process can anticipate and avoid technical difficulties that would have resulted in added expense to the project. Collaboration can also produce a “big picture” vision that goes beyond the original problem, permitting one solution to be leveraged to create many more solutions—often at no additional cost.