Sustainable Design a Primer

8/8/2019 Sustainable Design a Primer

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Sustainable Design &Green BuildingA Primer for AEC Business Considerations

Authored by Jim KissaneRedVector Enterprise Fellow

www.RedVectorEnterprise.comA RedVector Enterprise White Paper


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Todays design professional cannot ignore the wavethats reshaping the world called sustainable design.Design professionals today (architects, urban designers,landscape architects, planners, hydrologists, economists,attorneys, and others) work with community decision-makers and stakeholders around the world to help themdevelop a vision and framework for a sustainable future.

The objective of this paper is to provide an initial frame ofreference for sustainable design and introduce some ofthe evolving standards being utilized in the green buildingarena.

This paper is not intended to provide comprehensivecoverage of the topic of sustainabledesign, but rather to serve as anintroduction to some of the basicprinciples and concepts currentlyunder discussion

Overview

Inside this paper

Definitions of Sustainable Design . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Principals of Sustainable Design. . . . . . . . . . . . 3Sustainable Design Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Benefits and Costs of Sustainable Design. . . . . . 5Strategy for Sustainable Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Strategy for Sustainable Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Understanding Sustainable Design and Green Building - A RedVector Enterprise White Paper Page 1

About RedVector Enterprise

RedVector Enterprise sets thestandard of excellence in onlinecontinuing education for licensedand certified professionals inthe engineering, architectural,construction and long-termhealthcare industries. With an onlinelibrary exceeding 1,000 courses,authored by more than 100 subjectmatter experts and spanning all50 states, RedVector Enterpriseserves more than 600,000 designand construction professionals. Therecipient of numerous communityhonors and industry awards,RedVector Enterprise was founded in1999 and is headquartered in Tampa,Florida. For further informationvisit www.RedVector Enterprise.com.

About the AuthorJim Kissane is a respected consultant to design and constructionfirms, a RedVector Enterprise Fellow, and a well-known AEC industryauthor. His articles and columns appear regularly in numerous AECindustry journals, providing insights to AEC firm leaders seekingto refocus or improve operational performance. Mr. Kissane, whorepresents the third generation of a family of heavy commercialconstructors with over 80 consecutive years in heavy construction, is

a regular session leader at design/engineering/construction conferences across theU.S. He has served on several construction industry boards, is involved with severalindustry education committees, and has been educating AEC professionals andfirms on construction best practices for more than 30 years. Mr. Kissane attendedthe University of Pittsburgh, and pursued advanced education in Mining and MineralEngineering and Program Management. He is a former adjunct faculty member at theUniversity of Pittsburgh and at Clarion Universitys School of Communications.


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Sustainable design is a philosophy of design anddevelopment that meets the needs of the present withoutcompromising the ability of future generations to meettheir own needs. An original definition for sustainabledesign was crafted in 1987: A design and constructionapproach that fundamentally changes the way thatstructures are designed and built, creating spaces that arebetter places to live and work, and by which a structures

resource use is minimized and lessening its impact on theenvironment. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agencydefines sustainability as the ability to achieve continuingeconomic prosperity while protecting the natural systems ofthe planet and providing a high quality of life for its people.

Both of these definitions set a framework for beingresponsible stewards of the resources in the world we livein.

A sustainable building, or green building, is an outcome ofa design that focuses on increasingthe efficiency of resource use

energy, water, and materials whilereducing building impacts on humanhealth and the environment duringthe buildings lifecycle. Some ofthe ways this can be accomplishedare through better siting,design, construction, operation,maintenance, and removal.

Green buildings are designed,in essence, to reduce the overallimpact of the built environmenton human health and the naturalenvironment by efficiently usingenergy, water, and other resources;protecting occupant health;improving employee productivity;and reducing waste, pollution, andenvironmental degradation.

Definitions of

Sustainable Design


Green buildings are designed,in essence, to reduce theoverall impact of the built

environment on human health

and the natural environment . . . .


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Rob Watson founded the Leadership in Energyand Environmental Design (LEED) Green BuildingRating System of the United States Green BuildingCouncil (USGBC) in 1994, and was its foundingchairman through 2005. He was known not only asthe father of LEED, but was also CEO of EcoTechInternational, a green building consultancy. One ofhis predictions follows:

In the next 20 years, floor space equivalent to theworlds current building stock will be constructed,70 percent of this in China and India. This boomwill strain energy, water and material resources andcause costs to soar worldwide.

Design is the first signal of human intention,stated Bill McDonough, an author , architect,and early pioneer in the arena of the sustainableenvironment.

McDonough, the author of The Hannover Principles

of Sustainable Design, set out to address ourinterdependence with nature and how we canuse design to better protect and improve ourenvironment. The guidelines he established arent

just meant for industrial designers, engineers,architects and others with a hand in creation ormaintenance; they also include the responsibilitiesthat we have, along with those of our organizations,suppliers, and customers, in preserving the earthand its resources.

The nine principles McDonough espoused in TheHannover Principles represent the cornerstone

elements of what today is known as the greenmovement.

Insist on rights of humanity and nature to coexist in a1.healthy, supportive, diverse and sustainable condition.

Recognize interdependence. The elements of human2.design interact with and depend upon the naturalworld, with broad and diverse implications at everyscale. Expand design considerations to recognizingeven distant effects.

Respect relationships between spirit and matter.3.Consider all aspects of human settlement includingcommunity, dwelling, industry and trade in terms ofexisting and evolving connections between spiritualand material consciousness.

Accept responsibility for the consequences of design4.decisions upon human well-being, the viability ofnatural systems, and their right to coexist.

Create safe objects of long-term value. Do not burden5.future generations with requirements for maintenanceof vigilant administration of potential danger dueto the careless creation of products, processes orstandards.

Eliminate the concept of waste. Evaluate and optimize6.the full life-cycle of products and processes, toapproach the state of natural systems, in which thereis no waste.

Rely on natural energy flows. Human designs should,7.like the living world, derive their creative forces fromperpetual solar income. Incorporate the energyefficiently and safely for responsible use.

Understand the limitations of design. No human8.

creation lasts forever and design does not solve allproblems. Those who create and plan should practicehumility in the face of nature. Treat nature as a modeland mentor, not an inconvenience to be evaded orcontrolled.

Seek constant improvement by the sharing9.of knowledge. Encourage direct and opencommunication between colleagues, patrons,manufacturers and users to link long- term sustainableconsiderations with ethical responsibility, and re-establish the integral relationship between naturalprocesses and human activity.

Both the public and private sector are showing

increased interest in and willingness to commit toobserving social and economic sustainable designstandards, and therein lies the chance for moresustainable development. The ultimate goal ofsustainable design is to create communities thatwork as efficiently and elegantly as biologicalsystems, so that we can achieve and maintain, withminimal capital, a high quality of life well into thefuture. The results of this effort will be not just saferdrinking water, cleaner air, and healthier habitats,

9 Principals of

Sustainable Design



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but also a stronger economic base and mostimportantly a more empowered and engagedcitizenry.

To accomplish this lofty goal (and out of necessity),several sustainable design standards have beencreated, among them:

Green Globes

An environmental assessment,education and rating system that is promoted inthe United States by the Green Building Initiative, aPortland, Oregon-based non-profit. Canadas federalgovernment has been using the Green Globes suite oftools for several years under the Green Globes name,and it has been the basis for the Building Owners andManagers Association of Canadas Go Green Plusprogram. The system, which is an online interactivesoftware tool, competes with the Leadership in Energyand Environmental Design (LEED) system from the U.S.Green Building Council.

BRE Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) A voluntary measurement rating for green buildings

that was established in the UK by the BuildingResearch Establishment (BRE), a private organizationfunded by the building industry that carries outresearch, consultancy and testing for the constructionand built environment sectors in the United Kingdom.

Chinas Three Star System of theMinistry of Constructions GreenBuilding Evaluation Standard Chinas first attempt to create alocal green building standard. Asthe introduction of the rating systemnotes, the purpose is to create avoluntary rating system that willencourage green development.China is now in the phase of rapideconomic development, rankingworld No. 1 in terms of annualbuilding volume, with significantlygrowing consumption of resourcesyear by year. China acknowledges thatscientific development philosophymust be steadily created and seriouslyimplemented, and the concept ofsustainable development must be

adhered to so that they may strongly pursue thedevelopment of green buildings. Another purpose ofthe new standard is to regulate evaluation of greenbuildings.

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design(LEED) The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)created LEED to become a national and internationalstandard providing reliable information, a rigorousrating system, and a checklist for going green. In theUnited States alone, buildings account for 39% of totalenergy use and 72% of electricity consumption, 38%of greenhouse gas emissions, 30% of raw materialsuse, 30% of waste output (136 million tons annually),and 14% of potable water consumption. As such,buildings are one of the heaviest consumers of naturalresources, and thus, a logical area for sustainabledesign to have a significant impact.

The dominant standard being followed today in theU.S. is LEED. There are several reasons for LEEDsmomentum: It has proven successful for institutionaland commercial buildings, it is becoming morecapital cost-effective with each successive release,

and the benefits of adhering to LEED guidelinesare being realized in reduced lifecycle costs.Additionally, the industry sees value in having theenhanced credibility of an independent third partyand an outsourced verification process.

Sustainable

Design Standards



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Unfortunately, there are still issues with theembracing of sustainable design and LEED. Itbegins with the fundamental understanding thatsustainable design is, in fact, a journey, not adestination. There is an incomplete consensus aboutthe issue of sustainability. Translating social andecological demands into practice while taking intoaccount the legal and institutional frameworks onthe one hand and the profit orientation of business

and industry on the other represents a majorchallenge to the sustainable design movement.Appropriate forums and forms of participation inthe sustainability movement must be found; andcredibility built and transparency promoted.

The varied stakeholders in the global community areall challenged to retool their knowledge and skillsto adapt to the future that awaits them. Not everyparticipant will see the sustainable design movementas a blessing because it will require most players,regardless of their current roles, to change. And

despite the increased societal awareness happeningaround the world, there are still several challengesthat are likely to affect how quickly sustainabledesign / LEED is embraced:

Some owners may be reluctant to buy in. If theowners desire is to decrease operational costs, thenthe designer should first assure the owner that itsgreen design will achieve operational savings thatexceed the potential increased costs of the greenconstruction components. Unless the designer haspresented these costs and benefits to its client andliterally received the owners buy in, the designersdesign philosophy may be at odds with the owners

stated need for low operational costs.Owners may not have correct expectations.Building owners may demand a certain LEED level bemet, in the hopes that it will result in good marketing,tax credits, higher rents, and lower operating costs. Ifthose standards are not achieved, some owners mayseek recompense from the designer.

Building staff cooperation may be an issue. Buildingstaff, including subcontractors, must be aware of how

to operate the green facility effectively and in accordwith the designers / manufacturers expectations.

Vendor management . It is important to ensure thatvendors and suppliers are on the same wavelength(regarding waste management, cleaning services,etc.). Being green implies pollution prevention,waste minimization, recycling, and avoiding harm tothe natural system. It goes far beyond using greencleaning products or materials.

Tenant compliance . Despite the compliance ofthe design and structure, it is essential that tenantsare encouraged to adopt and maintain sound,comprehensive environmental management practices.

Energy Perspective . As mentioned earlier, buildingsare responsible for approximately 72% of electricalconsumption in the U.S., and about half that power isgenerated from coal. This situation puts those of us inthe building design and construction industry right inthe middle of climate issues. In case you were thinkingthere was an easy way out by simply building greenwith the LEED standard, think again. While LEED isa good place to start, basic LEED Certification forbuildings does not automatically guarantee superior

energy efficiency (and associated carbon-emissionreductions). LEED represents a composite greenbuilding score summing several criteria, includingenergy, materials, indoor building environment, waterconservation, etc. all of which are desirable. Butless than half the score of a typical LEED buildingspecifically assesses its energy performance. Only atthe higher reaches of the LEED rating system, e.g.,Gold and Platinum, can one reliably expect substantialenergy efficiency and renewable energy measures.

Impact of a changing economy . Green buildingscommand higher rents and sales prices, are moreefficient and less costly to operate, provide healthierwork environments, and appeal to growing numbers

of tenants demanding green space and willing topay a premium for it. To property owners singingthe blues because they are struggling to pay foroperations and debt service, the thought of spendingfor green programs may seem farfetched. But ownerswith the vision to plant green seeds today may beable to reap rewards relatively quickly without unduefinancial strain.

Benefits and Costs of

Sustainable Design



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Players lack of familiarity with LEED. If we aresomewhat unfamiliar with the performance of a newmaterial, then we are probably even less familiar withthat materials interaction with adjacent components.This lack of familiarity should not be disregardedsimply because the manufacturer assures us thematerial is appropriate for LEED-certified buildings.The additional risk inherent in using innovativeproducts demands a higher degree of rigor on the

part of development teams in evaluating thoseproducts.

Lack of clear understanding/belief in harder toquantify owner/end-user benefits. While it is wellaccepted that benefits of green buildings rangefrom energy and water savings to increased workerproductivity, overall environmental sustainability andconscientious use of local resources, there are other,more difficult to quantify benefits (for example, in aneducational setting, better teacher retention, reducedabsenteeism and improved test scores).

Cost and time associated to gain approval. Buildingcodes frequently present barriers to the approval

of green building alternatives. Those barriers areboth technical and non-technical in nature. Bothgroups of respondents overwhelmingly indicated thatsupporting information for alternativesaccompanying plans was the mostsignificant factor in gaining codeapproval.

Perceived higher first costs. Overa buildings lifetime, the benefitsof green building outweigh slightlyhigher average initial (first) costs.Failure to perform lifecycle costanalysis can result in owners /designers discarding green building

strategies because of resultant firstcosts, which if performed couldresult in a savings on maintenance andoperating costs over the long run.

Strategy for

Sustainable Design


It begins with the fundamentalunderstanding that sustainabledesign is, in fact, a journey, not a

destination.


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Firms and individuals that want to become part ofthe sustainable environment movement can enter ineither an active or passive role. But no matter whatposture they choose to take, there will be significantlearning that will need to occur.

Become aware of the changes involved . As the callfor more sustainable design, in particular in the field of

architecture, becomes louder, more and more diverseexperts are added to the design teams for buildingprojects. The resulting integrated design teamsare comprised of diverse professionals who mustcollaborate to meet an entirely new set of standardswith novel criteria for success and progress.

Setting the right expectations for green buildingis essential. There is great value in using the LEEDscorecard in setting expectations and assessingexpectation risk with owners, contractors, and otherstakeholders.

Focus on benefits of green building . Several goodresources exist to educate stakeholders on the

benefits of green building. Green buildings provide

financial benefits that conventional buildings do not.These benefits include energy and water savings,reduced waste, improved indoor environmentalquality, greater employee comfort/productivity,reduced employee health costs, and lower operationsand maintenance costs. Stakeholders of all typesneed to become better educated on the significantlong-term benefits. Citing findings from a 2008report from Turner Construction , 84% of executivessaid that energy costs were lower in green buildings,and 68% said overall operating costs were lower.Green buildings create an attractive cost/benefit ratioaccording to most executives, and are considered

to be less expensive than non-green buildings forseveral key cost measures. Fully 52% note a higherreturn on investment, 49% higher occupancy rates,46% increased worker productivity, and 41% improvedlearning in schools.

Think long-term investment . Green buildingensures owners who may be concerned about theirinvestment long-term affordability in the form oflower utility bills, fewer maintenance costs, and ahealthier environment.

Look at lifecycle costing instead offirst cost.Recognize that offsetting a higherfirst cost (of 1-4%at present) are things like increased durability. Costsare often recouped in less than 3 years in terms oflower utility costs and lower maintenance costs.Other factors that are sometimes overlooked includethe impact of reduced absenteeism and increasedproductivity; increased building valuation; health,

comfort and well-being of occupants; building safetyand security; decreased insurance rates; lower airemissions; reduced solid waste generation; anddecreased use of natural resources.

Adapting to changes in scheduling of subs,supplies, materials, etc. is a necessity as newgreen methods and materials may affect choiceof contractors and the sequence of construction /installation.

Involve all stakeholders. Design firms (as wellas owners/GCs/subs) need to explain and aboveall, educate. A green building strategy may notmake sense unless you have support from well-informed senior design firm decision-makers. Iffirm

ownership agrees that a program such as LEED isto be undertaken, LEED should be started duringconceptual design. The project chosen for the initialgreen project should be significant and should includewithin its scope systems and finishes.

Be prepared for documentation . While one canrecognize the significant benefits encouraging ownersto construct green buildings, the biggest obstacleto reaching these benefits that was cited in a recentindustry report was the cost of LEED documentation with 54% of executives noting it is an extremely orvery significant obstacle.

Keep up to date on how LEED continues to evolve.

LEED will now be revised every 2 years, with moresignificant changes expected in 2011. Among theseexpectations is that the 2011 LEED version willchange much of the credit content. Additionally, it isanticipated that these credits will be weighed againstsocial and cultural indicators that are just beingdeveloped.

Strategy for

Sustainable Design



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Whether or not you are completely convincedthat human activity is causing global warming,sustainable design is here to stay. There is noreason for designers to shy away from such valuableprojects as long there is a good understanding ofthe basics.

Sustainable, or green, design and constructionseems to have now reached a critical mass.Governments have signed on, especially for publicand commercial buildings. Tax credits are available inmany states, and even financiers are getting into themix. According to USBanker magazine, Banks likePNC Financial Services and Bank of America are atthe forefront of the green-building craze.

In Europe, the European Union has issued a directiveto require new homes to have energy performancecertificates. The U.S., with widely recognized green-building standards such as LEED V3 (2009) being

utilized, is moving ahead as well.

The direction is being set, not just by a set of avant-garde thinkers who wish to make a statement aboutsaving the planet, but by a much larger contingentof people globally that have determined that ourfuture quality of life depends upon it. And its not

just designers involved. There are, as I have triedto point out in this brief summary, both significantrisks and benefits for owners, architects, engineers,contractors, and manufacturers as the pioneerscreate a path through this new frontier. Like thepioneers that discovered the New World, there will

be mistakes made and casualties incurred.

We can expect that emerging technologies andmethods will be created, and some will fail toperform as expected. Likewise, we should alsoexpect that greenwash marketing (that is, marketingthat exaggerates the impact of green building)will occur ahead of performance testing, and non-believers will attempt to dissuade others from goingdown this path by pointing to these false claims.

Those firms and individuals that lack the knowledgeand ability to address green building correctly maydiscover that the feedback system for their misstepswill involve lawsuits and expensive financial claims.But despite these concerns, the sustainable designengine will continue to refine itself, with the promiseof transforming our world into a much different

place.

LEED 2009, which we will discuss in our next paper,is seen as a significant movement for the USGBCbecause it offers a much-needed transitional stepbetween the former LEED system and the one thatis expected to emerge in 2011. It is an importantstep that will enable our industry to move closer tothe sustainable environment goal. However, withLEED 2009 and the future enhancements to follow,the emphasis will be placed on change, and LEEDprofessionals will have a significant and evolvingrequirement to upgrade their knowledge and skills

to keep pace with the moving target the industryhas set before them.

There is much new happening in the design andconstruction industry. Clearly, the future will belongto those designers and builders that catch thesustainable design wave and invest in acquiring theknowledge and skills to insert themselves into thisexciting new era of design and construction. Thequestion is, Are you positioned to take advantageof the next era?

Conclusion


Citations

i Brundtland Commisssion, (1987), WORLD COMMISSION ON ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOP-

MENTii Braungart, Michael; & McDonough, William (2002). Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make

Things. North Point Press. ISBN 0-86547-587-3.iii Braungart, Michael; & McDonough, William (2003). The Hannover Principles. William McDonough &

Partner. ISBN 1-55963-63501 .iv Wiliams, Daniel, FAIA (2005)A Sustainable Approach to Neighborhood and Regional Development.

Livability 101, AIA,v Edmonson, Amy PhD, Professor, Harvard Business School and Barrett, Frank J, PhD, Visiting Scholar,

Harvard Business School, Workshop on sustainable designvi Kats, Gregory, H, (2003) Green Building Costs and Financial Benefitsvii Turner Construction Companys 2008 Green Building Market Barometerviii ibid

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