SOCIAL R

ESPONSIB

ILITY

SU

ST A

I NA

BL E

DE

SI G

N –

GR

EE

N D

ES

GI N

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Every design project, no matter how small or personal, consumes space, resources and energy, generates waste, and affects society as a whole.

As designers, we are hired to carry out the wishes of our clients. However, designers have an ethical responsibility to be aware of the impact their designs have on the environments and subsequently on users.

DID YOU KNOW?

Building construction and operating costs account for 40% of the energy and 72% of electricity produced in the US.

The US, with less than 5% of the world’s population, generated approximately 24% of the world’s total energy related carbon dioxide emissions in 2002.

Rural land is being converted to roads, buildings and industrial uses at a rate of approximately 2.2 million acres per year.

DEFINITION

Sustainable Design: The practice of designing buildings (and other things) so that they exist in harmony with natural systems. Ideally, the resulting buildings contribute to human and ecosystem health while minimizing harm from their construction and operation.

GREEN DESIGN ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN SUSTAINABLE

DESIGN Sustainable design is a way of thinking that considers the

impact of these issues on the environments and on human health in the context of building and construction.

Green design goes beyond being just efficient, attractive, on time and on budget. It is a design that cares about how such goals are achieved, how it will effect people and the environment.

An environmentally responsible professional makes a commitment to constantly try to find ways to diminish design's impact on the world around us. It is also a smart way of doing business: sustainable design is the fastest growing segment of our industry.

INTEGRATED DESIGN

Integrated design is a collaborative design process that recognizes the relations among building systems and among the team members that design and install those systems. It requires participation of ALL members of the project team to achieve optimal design.

Can begin with a charrette – a group brainstorming session that can take place over a number of days which can effectively kick off the project design by providing a forum of articulating goals and sharing of ideas.

AN INTEGRATED DESIGN TEAM INVOLVES:

INTEGRATED DESIGN AND SUSTAINABILITY If green design was viewed as an afterthought – later in the

design process - the resulting design would most likely achieve lower levels of environmental performance and come at a higher cost.

Major sustainable decisions are made in the early phases of design. (ie: site selection, orientation, and glazing choices)

For example if an architect is pursuing a day lighting strategy, the interior designer can contribute layout, lighting and color schemes that complement that strategy.

Without open communication and early knowledge of the project goals, the designer could have inadvertently worked against the strategy.

Reducing pollution associated with every phase of building/renovation

Minimizing the development footprint of new buildings and infrastructure

Protecting the building site

Fostering local community goodwill and interaction

Using local resources

Using energy more efficiently

Using materials more efficiently

Designing durable and flexible buildings for future adaptability

Using water efficiently in the building and the landscaping

Minimizing construction and demolition waste

INTEGRATED DESIGN BENEFITS

INTEGRATED DESIGN AND INTERIOR DESIGNAn Example:

The integrated design process gives the interior designer the opportunity to discuss how design choices will affect other building systems. For example, an integrated design team made the connection between the reflectivity of interior paint and the number and type of lighting fixtures necessary for the interior. Because the interior designer guided the team to select a paint color with a high reflectivity, the lighting engineer was able to significantly reduce the number of lighting fixtures needed. As a result, the HVAC engineer was able to reevaluate, and ultimately reduce the size of the HVAC system.

This series of choices – none of which could have been made without the other – led to a higher quality of interior light, reduced energy costs, reduced heat load, and reduced installation and maintenance costs for the HVAC and lighting systems.

USGBC

US Green Building Council is a 501c3 nonprofit organization committed to a prosperous and sustainable future through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings. It’s Mission is:

LEED RATING SYSTEM

LEED – H

LEED – ND

LEED- CI

LEED- CS

LEED-NC

LEED-S

LEED-R

LEED-HC

LEED-EB

THE LEED RATING SYSTEM

Sustainable Sites (SS) Innovation in Design (ID)

Water Efficiency (WE) Regional Priority (RP)

Energy and Atmosphere (EA)

Materials and Resources (MR)

Indoor Environmental Quality (EQ)

40-49 pts 50-59 pts 60-79 pts 80-110 pts

SUSTAINABLE DESIGN STRATEGIES

Salvage used materials that would otherwise be landfilled Sort out items that can be recycled Specify materials with recycled content (steel, wallboard,

ceiling tiles, flooring, carpet, countertops and tile). Specify locally made products to reduce transportation and

energy costs. Use products made from rapidly renewable materials such as

bamboo, cork, linoleum. Rapidly renewable materials that are replaced in less than 10 years through natural processes.

A designer can help a client evaluate whether or not an existing building would be suitable or not

WATER EFFICIENCY STRATEGIES

EPA – Energy Protection Act of 1992 requires toilets to use 1.6 gallons per flush, urinals (1 gallon), faucets (2.5 gpm- gallons per minute). Today, fixtures are even more efficient

Dual flush toilets have two flush options Waterless urinals Low-flow showerheads of 1.5 gpm Low-flow faucets and aerators can be attached to existing

lavatory faucets. Collect stormwater drainage for future use as nonpotable

water (toilet flushing and landscaping.)

ENERGY AND ATMOSPHERE

Reducing energy usage helps reduce environmental impacts. (less need to destroy the earth searching for coal.)

Orientation of building can maximize passive solar heat and light gain.

Design thermally efficient: High R-value wall and roof insulation, low U-value windows

Energy efficient lighting can reduce energy consumption from lights by up to 50% and cut cooling costs from heat from fixtures. (LED)

Occupancy sensors, daylight sensors, dimming controls Energy star ratings (equipment such as computers, televisions,

copiers, appliances) Tankless water heaters Renewable energy (ie: solar panels)

MATERIALS AND RESOURCES

Use life-cycle assessment. (LCA is a holistic method for assessing the environmental impacts and performance associated with all the stages of a product's life from-cradle-to-grave.

Consider impacts of harvesting or extraction of raw materials Energy used to from harvesting/extraction/transportation Use of harmful chemicals and processes in production Packaging and installation costs Use of product such as off-gassing, cleanings and maintenance

upkeep Consider what happens at the end-of-life. Will it be recycled,

salvaged, or disposed in a landfill.

The following questions may be useful to designers seeking information from manufacturers:

What is the percentage of post-consumer and pre-consumer recycled content in the product?

Is there documentation from a 3rd party certification organization that verifies the recycled content percentages?

Can the product be recycled at the end of its useful life through established channels?

MATERIALS AND RESOURCES

Examples of products that contain recycled content:

Ceiling tile

Insulation

Carpet and carpet tiles

Resilient flooring

Metal components

Furniture

Fabrics

Tile

Wallcoverings

Composite woods (sawmill waste a pre-consumer recycled material)

MATERIALS AND RESOURCES

Examples of salvaged materials include:

Wood –salvaged timber is often processed into flooring and structural timbers

Brick

Furniture and built-in-casework

Plumbing and lighting fixtures – older fixtures may need to be upgraded for energy and water efficiency, however.

Architectural details, such as millwork, mantles, woodwork, hardware and staircases.

MATERIALS AND RESOURCES

Look for

Certified wood by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) will ensure that the wood products originated from sustainably managed forests minimizing the environmental impact of the use of wood and protects forest resources.

Manufacturers of FSC-certified wood products include furniture makers. They must obtain chain-of-custody certification to show that they have procedures in place to track wood from certified forests and avoid mixing it with non-certified wood.

www.fsc-info.org and www.certifiedwood.org

MATERIALS AND RESOURCES

INDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY

Reduce the presence of volatile organic compounds (VOC’s)

Where are VOC’s found:

Adhesives

Sealants

Paints

Coatings

Carpet

Resilient flooring

Furniture

Wallcoverings

Textiles

INDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY

Look at the product’s VOC’s and other chemical content information using manufacturers’ printed data.

How can VOC’s be minimized?

Look for Green Seal standards for paints – use water-based latex or acrylic primers

Look for Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) standards for carpets and carpet adhesives

Look for Greenguard Environmental Institute (GEI) allowable emission levels for furniture

Use low or no-VOC paints

Use vapor permeable wallcovering.

Consider installation methods that minimize adhesives

Avoid using products with formaldehyde binders

Verify finishing treatments in furniture, drapery and upholstery to make sure formaldehyde finishes and other chemical treatments don’t release VOC’s.

FINDING RELIABLE INFORMATION

Is your information reliable and accurate?

Don’t trust the manufacturer’s environmental claims about their own products. Look for 2nd or 3rd party documentation.

FSC The Forest Stewardship Council

Greenguard Environmental Institute (GEI)

Green Seal, Inc.

Scientific Certification Systems (SCS)

Carpet and Rug Institute has developed “Green Label and Green Label Plus”

The FloorScore program was developed by the Resilient Floor Coverings Institute (RFCI) (Vinyl, linoleum, laminate, wood, ceramic and rubber)

Look at GreenSpec Directory from Building Green, Inc www.buildinggreen.com

Note: No product you specify is LEED certified.