Green building movement grows momentum
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The Sundeck restaurant at Aspen ski resort was one of the first green building projects in the world to receive LEED certification. Aspen Ski Company hopes its recently completed Snowmass Golf Club will earn a gold certification. (Photo courtesy of Hal Williams)
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When construction and interior design professionals hear the word "green," a growing number think not of a color but of a concept, and one that may be the next big trend in their industry.
"Sustainable" or "environmentally friendly" also apply to the movement employing the latest energy- and resource-saving technologies to build homes, offices, industrial facilities and public spaces that use energy, water, materials and land more efficiently than traditional buildings.
Agencies set standards, promote technology, best practices
At the forefront of the movement is the U.S. Green Building Council, dedicated to promoting the adoption of sustainable construction practices. Its membership draws from a cross section of related fields including contractors and builders; design, engineering and architecture firms; and product manufacturers and utilities.
In 2000, USGBC established the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program to evaluate and recognize green building projects. Through LEED, council members developed a voluntary Green Building Rating System based on specific criteria. The system awards credits within six environmental categories: sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, and innovation and design. Based on the total credits earned, a building may receive a bronze, silver, gold or platinum level green building certification.
In three years, the U.S. Green Building Council has certified 89 office or apartment buildings, manufacturing plants, condos, convention centers, schools and libraries. National participation in the LEED program has increased from 1 percent in 2001 to a predicted 7 percent of new-building construction for 2004. More than 1,100 buildings have applied for the council's Good Housekeeping-type seal of approval.
The U.S. Department of Energy supports the development of energy-efficient, healthy and comfortable commercial buildings with the High Performance Building Initiative. National laboratories, building owners and professionals in commercial construction work with the program to reduce buildings' energy consumption and improve their quality, occupant comfort, and cost-effectiveness. The initiative's Web site offers information on design and technologies, training opportunities and a searchable database of high performance buildings.
Public sector leads the way promoting green standards
Seeing an opportunity to save energy and money, and to set an example for the private sector, a growing number of government and non-profit agencies are insisting on green features in buildings. Foundations are making green design a condition for grants, while the Federal government requires its new buildings to meet green standards. As of October, the General Services Administration, builder of non-military Federal buildings, requires LEED certification on structures that cost $2 million or more.
At least 10 states and 23 cities and counties — Los Angeles; Seattle; San Diego; Dallas; Kansas City, Mo.; San Jose, Calif.; Chicago and Portland among them — require or are considering requiring a LEED rating for all public buildings. Local governments are adding sustainability planners and managers to their staffs.
Several LEED-certified projects in Western territory fall into the category of municipal, civil or non-profit facilities. The council bestowed green certification on the California Department of Education building in the state's five-building East End project, along with two State Capitol office complexes. In fact, there are currently 75 green projects in northern California with Sacramento boasting the largest concentration.
Not to be outdone, the Audubon Center in Los Angeles is the National Audubon Society's first nature center in California to be constructed from the ground up using environmentally sensitive design techniques. It was also the first building in the United States to achieve a platinum certification under version 2 of LEED's rating system. Using more than 50 percent locally manufactured materials in its construction and generating all its own power made the Los Angeles Audubon Center one of the most environmentally friendly building in the nation.
Practicality, idealism motivate developers to build green
The premium builders pay for green construction can start at less than two percent and increase depending on design features. Commercial developers, however, are recognizing the long-term benefits, including indirect ones such as improved employee health and retention, and responding to a growing market. An up-front investment of $100,000 in green building features on a $5 million project would save at least $1 million over 20 years' occupancy, according to the California Sustainable Building Task Force.
Sacramento Municipal Utility District helps to make sustainability more attractive and contribute to the green building boom in the region with incentives for energy-saving businesses. For some companies, however, commitment to the environment is the main motive for building green. A pioneer in sustainable operation, Aspen Skiing Company is the only ski/snowboard resort with a climate protection policy. That corporate culture drove the resort's decision to build one of the first LEED-certified buildings in the world.
The Sundeck restaurant boasts energy-efficient lighting and uses wind power for 30 percent of its needs. Also, ASC recycled almost every part of the original restaurant when it was demolished to make way for the new energy-efficient building. The cost to tear down the old Sundeck was $93,000, compared to $135,000 for conventional demolition, proving again that even the purest of motives do not exclude good business sense.
ASC is hoping to achieve a Gold LEED rating for its second recently completed green building project, the Snowmass Golf Clubhouse.
New standards target large existing building market
Because green building as a movement is still relatively new, LEED standards continue to evolve. On the horizon, three pilot programs may dramatically increase the number of green buildings in the future.
Last fall, USGBC certified the first LEED-EB projects, a rating for retrofitting existing buildings. The LEED Rating System for Existing Buildings targets a market that is 80 times bigger than the one for new buildings, according to the council. Criteria include whole-building cleaning and maintenance issues, ongoing indoor air quality, energy and water efficiency, recycling, exterior maintenance and systems upgrades to meet green building standards.
LEED's commercial interiors program, released to the public this year, evaluates tenant improvements to a building site. This segment of the building industry is five times larger than new construction. The ratings address selection of sustainable tenant space, efficient water usage, energy performance optimization including lighting and lighting controls, resource use for interior systems and furnishings and indoor environmental quality.
Complementary to the interiors rating, the core and shell programs currently under development are aimed at developers who have put a building shell together, but haven't finished the interior for tenants. Together, the two rating programs will set green building standards for commercial office real estate for use by developers, designers and tenants.
