News
Sustainable design: Good for the planet and your bottom line
03/08/2009
Published in Prairie Business: March 2009
http://www.prairiebizmag.com/articles/index.cfm?id=9605
The environmental and economic cost of constructing buildings is profound. Green building design helps create healthier, more productive and more resource-efficient models of development, construction, renovation, operation and the eventual demolition of buildings and sites.
The construction and operation of buildings make a significant impact on the health of the planet. According to the U.S. Green Building Council, in the United States buildings account for:
— 36 percent of the nation’s total energy use — 65 percent of the nation’s consumption of electricity —30 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S.
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| A rendering of the future Lakeland Mental Health Center in Fergus Falls, MN. | ||
— 30 percent of waste output (136 million tons annually)
—12 percent of potable water consumption Building material and construction costs have increased dramatically in the last decade. The capital cost of constructing buildings and homes is significant, but it is important to analyze facility costs throughout a building’s entire useful life. Utility costs alone will eclipse the initial building cost over the life of a typical institutional facility.
Prudent design can reduce the operational cost of buildings, while also reducing their impact on the environment.
Green building overview
By implementing green design for new, remodeled and existing buildings, the energy consumption, operating cost and environmental impact of the built environment can be cut dramatically. Sustainable design takes into consideration many factors:
Land and ecosystems — Utilizes land development patterns that minimize urban sprawl and retain areas of native habitat.
Water — Reduces water consumption through limited lawn irrigation, water-saving plumbing fixtures and utilization of rainwater.
Energy — Maximizes energy efficiency through critical design analysis of building orientation, passive solar heating and daylight, tight building envelopes and well designed and managed mechanical systems.
Materials — Uses materials that are resource-efficient in acquisition, manufacture, installation and eventual recycling.
Waste reduction — Reduces the quantity of solid waste generated by demolition and construction by recycling, packaging reduction and construction site waste management.
Toxin reduction — Reduces toxins released into the environment through appropriate specifications of materials.
Healthy indoor environments
The quality of indoor spaces, including clean air and access to daylight and views, has an impact on the health and productivity of the building’s occupants.
Holistic process
New technologies and processes are available to model the performance of buildings during the critical design phase where scenarios can be tested and measured across the full spectrum of building performance. This collaborative effort between owners, architects, engineering disciplines and green professionals is the hallmark of the green building design process. By modeling design concepts holistically, efficiency gains have a multiplier effect.
One example involves window openings and shading overhangs being modeled. With appropriate orientation, the sunlight is allowed to enter the building in the winter, but direct sunlight is shaded in the summer, reducing the heating load in the winter and cooling load in the summer.
With an interior light shelf the daylight is reflected deep into the building without creating glare. Artificial lighting systems automatically reduce output when sufficient natural lighting is present.
This reduces electrical demand for the building. Subsequently, the cooling load is further minimized by the reduction of heat gain produced by light fixtures.
Green Building Council and LEED
The U.S. Green Building Council is the nation’s foremost coalition of leaders from every sector of the building industry that works to promote buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable and healthy places to live and work. The U.S. Green Building Council developed the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design green building rating system, better known as LEED. LEED has become a nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of sustainable green buildings. The rigorous LEED design and review process challenges owners and designers to consider the full range of possibilities to create healthy, efficient buildings with reduced environmental impacts.
LEED’s rating system recognizes projects that earn enough green points at Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum levels.
The cost
What does green building design add to the construction cost? The average extra project construction cost increase for LEED projects certified to date is less than 3 percent, and there are numerous case studies of projects that have not incurred additional capital costs. Any additional construction costs are quickly repaid through operational cost savings within only a few years of operation.
The maximum impact on operational efficiency, indoor environmental quality and reduced environmental impact can be realized through critical analysis during early building design. By working with an architect, engineering consultants and green practitioners, sustainable design can reduce the impact of the built environment on our planet, increasing productivity and reducing operating costs.
Shultz, AIA, LEED AP, is president of Fargo-based architectural and planning firm Shultz & Associates Ltd. Shultz can be reached at (701) 476-0714 or by e-mail at david@TheArchitectFirm.com.
