Ten Steps to a Sustainable Building
Step One: Set Design Goals
The design goals for the building should be
clearly defined and clearly communicated to all team members. The goals for a
building design projects are driven by one of three principle orientations:
- Capital Cost Driven – For example, the goal may be set to meet
the requirements of LEED Certified and save 25 per cent on energy costs OR
the goal may be to design a building with no increase in first costs (to
meet the CBIP requirement).
- Financially Driven – For example, the goal may be set to
achieve 35 per cent to 50 per cent energy savings as well as meet the
requirements of LEED Silver (must have a payback of less than six years).
- Environmentally Driven – For example, the goal may be to
demonstrate leadership by achieving LEED Gold and a 50 per cent energy
savings.
Step Two: Select the Right Team
Team members should possess the following
characteristics:
- A wide range of knowledge.
- Significant previous experience with green buildings.
- A commitment to achieving energy efficiency, this interest is
especially important for the mechanical engineer and architect to share.
Step Three: Add Sustainability Expert to
the Team
The design team should include a
sustainability expert who is independent of the design architect and engineers;
these professionals are thus able to focus on achieving a high performance
building. The sustainability expert should be familiar with energy and green
technologies, as well as the CBIP and LEED programs. The sustainability expert
has several roles:
- Provide innovative suggestions for saving energy and improving
the environmental performance of buildings.
- Perform the building energy and day-lighting simulations.
- Be the advocate for the highest environmental building
standards.
Step Four: Avoid Percentage-Based Fees
Traditional design billing, a percentage of
the total construction cost, provides no incentive for downsizing equipment or
increased energy efficiency. It is recommended that building design teams be
reimbursed on a fixed-fee basis, or better yet, on a performance basis. Paying
the CBIP incentive to the design team is a performance incentive that
recognizes that good design costs more initially, but saves in the long term.
Step Five: Add Green Technologies Early in
Design Process
As soon as the functional plan is complete,
begin thinking about environmentally-friendly and energy-saving concepts. This
early planning is beneficial, as the cost of adding green measures increases as
the design develops. It is wise to develop a simple energy model based on the
floor plans in order to begin testing the role of massing and orientation on
building performance. This model can be updated as the design progresses.
Step Six: Integrated Design Process
A series of workshops is a good way to
progress through the building design process. The workshops are intended to
encourage open dialogue between disciplines to determine the best means of
meeting energy and sustainability goals. The most effective workshops have the
following characteristics:
- A series of two to five workshops (based on the size and
complexity of the building).
- Each workshop focuses on a single element of the overall
building design, for example siting, envelope, mechanical, lighting,
interior design/materials.
- All team members should participate , but most importantly the
building owner, architect, mechanical and electrical engineers, energy
expert and cost consultant; others involved in the project could also
attend workshops, for example the structural engineer, interior designer,
facilities manager or the tenant.
- Workshop results are summarized by the sustainability expert
and circulated to the entire design group.
Step Seven: Apply Cost Trade-offs
Most energy efficiency technologies have an
impact on the size, design and requirements of the building heating, cooling
and lighting systems. Only a full cost accounting analysis can identify those
places where energy efficiency measures result in financial benefits. For
example, an energy efficient building envelope may allow for downsizing in
mechanical equipment and elimination of perimeter heating. In many cases, the
incremental cost of innovative measures can be lower than or equal to the price
of the conventional practice by accounting for the downsizing of systems.
Step Eight: Be Open to New Ideas
Conventional practices are not always the
best practices. The best sustainable buildings have broken with tradition and
implemented innovations such as the following:
- Radiant cooling panels.
- High-performance windows (to eliminate perimeter heating).
- Under-floor air distribution.
- Stormwater retention ponds (for cooling).
- Residential HRVs in apartment buildings.
Step Nine: Incorporate Sustainability into All Building
Areas
A truly sustainable building must address
all environmental impacts of building. The design should address site
development, water consumption, energy use, material selection, waste
management and indoor environment. Similarly, energy efficiency plans should
address all energy and uses: heating, cooling, fans, lighting, water heating
and process loads.
Step Ten: Develop a Commissioning Plan
To ensure systems are operated the way they
were intended to work, and that anticipated savings are realized from the
beginning, building commissioning is an important part of the process. Building
commissioning enhances occupant and operating staff satisfaction, and reduces
the number of callbacks conducted by the construction and installation teams.
It is preferable to have the commissioning be conducted by an agency separate
from the design team.
