Layman's Blog to Green Building

When it comes time to put shovel in the ground on most Green Building projects, the greatest challenge can sometimes be the execution of the contract and subcontracts according the the specified design.  Knowing your contract documents and the language that governs the products, materials, and procedures to use can be overwhelming the first time around. Much like the development of a new building code ( See OBC 2012 ) Green Building standards can catch trade contractors off-guard, especially at the pricing stage.  Innocent looking specs on a product may not be caught at the bid stage, and product availability and cost can create huge headaches for contractors pricing projects aggressively in today's competitive environment. Here are some tips to avoid common estimating errors on Green Building Projects: Check the General Requirements (Division 1) Just about every Green Building Project will make it very clear in Division 01 that there are special product selection pro...

When we refer to integrated design, we are referring to a building that brings all design disciplines into balance so that the "optimized" building design can be found.  The traditional design approach would typically have mechanical, electrical, structural, civil, landscaping, and architectural elements designed in individual groups, then brought together for "coordination" of the design.  (e.g. shift this duct here, run your electrical services through this open space, increased beam depth on these members, add another catchbasin here, remove some shrubbery, or revise glazing locations).  When design elements are left to individual professionals, it is easy to consider mainly the scope of your own profession, with insufficient consideration being given to what sustainability trade offs other disciplines might have to make in order for you to meet your goal.  When a lack of coordination between the disciplines occurs, you can have disastrous results: (For Examp...

The advent of green building design has challenged the established best practices of building designers.   This requires building designers to have a forward-looking viewpoint with respect to the environmental performance and utilization of the building, as well as the emerging need to plan for decommissioning.  This forces designers to incorporate more parties into the design process than is traditionally necessary, thereby reshaping the roles and responsibilities of all parties involved.  In this blog series we will evaluate how current design practices are being morphed into a more collaborative effort of owners, designers, and operators.  We will also identify the necessary change to planning, and the tools (both existing and developing) to facilitate the changing planning requirements.  By educating and understanding client expectations, as well as methods of quantifying the environmental performance of a building, the planning and design process...