Best from the Best: What BetterBricks Winners Recommend to Build Green

By Amy Rose Davis

When it comes to building green, no one knows how to do it better than winners of the BetterBricks awards, given annually by BetterBricks to architects, engineers, developers, building owners or emerging leaders for their support of sustainable commercial buildings. We asked some of the best green building pros in the industry to share with us their best proven sustainability idea and/or building system. For more information about BetterBricks or the awards see www.betterbricks.com.

Bryan Welsh, P.E., LEED AP, CCP and President of Welsh Commissioning Group, Auburn, Wash:

“It sounds really simple, but the best idea I can recommend is for owners to fully develop the LEED Owner’s Protocol Requirements. The reality is that there are a myriad of projects where adequate time is not taken to properly articulate in detail what the finished project should taste like, look like and smell like. The OPR is the first step that many people are just not spending enough time on.”

Welsh says that skipping this first important step can set up an owner for difficulty in maintaining sustainability in the future. “Owners sometimes want to cram high-tech energy saving things into a building, but they may not be creating something truly sustainable. The people who take care of a building have to be able to maintain it” once the construction is complete.

“This isn’t all that sexy. It’s kind of the boring part that people don’t want to do. But this is the document that incorporates the wishes, desires and needs of the owner. LEED isn’t just about checking a box. Designers and owners need to take the time to develop this OPR properly.”

Richard Franko, AIA, LEED AP, Principal, Mithun Architects+Designers+Planners, Seattle:

FRANKO

“Every project, no matter what the project, should incorporate daylighting. When properly done with the right controls, it reduces power consumption, enhances quality of life and can work really well with a ventilation strategy.”

Franko says there are two levels to designing a truly sustainable building. “At the first level, you have the building response building orientation and quality of the envelope. At the second level, you have high-efficiency equipment. Even if an owner can’t afford that equipment at the time, make sure the building design has the option for upgrading later. The first goal, though, is to really make the highest-performing building shell possible.”

Ed Peters, Capital Projects Director, Edmonds School District, Lynnwood, Wash:

“The best proven technology that I’ve found, but have a hard time getting people interested in, is demand-based controls. It’s something our maintenance department has done sort of pragmatically over the years. They’ve worked out a sequence of operations to control the heat in our buildings that also helps reduce energy usage and improve air quality and user comfort.”

Peters says this is a sustainability option that doesn’t require new equipment. “It’s the programming that seems to produce lots of savings.” The school district used demand-based controls on a new elementary school. “We ran it for one year as designed by the engineer, and then the maintenance team instituted demand-based controls for the next year. In that second year, we saved over $25,000 in operating costs just by changing the programming.

“As a school district with a limited budget, we can’t always be leading edge in green building features. “We can’t afford to build a new building and have it not work. This demand-based control technique gives us a real way to be sustainable in the long run.”

Lisa Rosenow, Mechanical Engineer, Sustainable Building Adviser, CDi Engineers, Lynnwood, Wash:

ROSENOW

The best strategy for building a sustainable building is to treat each project as an individual. I think it’s vital to not take a strategy and fit it into every box. It’s possible to have an idea that works great on one project but can actually have a negative impact on another project.”

Rosenow advocates bringing the entire design team together at the onset of the project “getting all the right heads around the table” to look at every aspect of the project and analyze every potential strategy to make sure the right ones are used. “Maybe someone has an idea for a daylighting strategy that worked on another project, but it takes sitting down with the rest of the team for someone to say, wait a minute, that won’t work here.”

From an even more practical perspective, Rosenow adds that every project can use low-flow plumbing fixtures. “It’s the most obvious and easiest green feature out there. There are so many products out there and they are so inexpensive that there’s just no excuse not to use them any more.”

Jim Walker, Facilities Engineer, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle:

WALKER

“The very best thing everyone can do is a thorough commissioning of the mechanical, electrical and control systems. Lots of buildings go up and the systems go in, but they aren’t really adjusted to minimize heating and cooling and make sure that systems are operating at peak efficiency. Systems can sometimes work against each other, and a commissioning agent will find that out while it’s still easy to correct the problems.”

Walker says that it’s tempting for owners to skip this step because of the expense and time commitment. “Building commissioning is expensive and it does extend the construction schedule. But, you don’t want to do it when the building is occupied. First, it’s disruptive to occupants to do the commissioning, and second, it’s disruptive to correct any problems that may be uncovered. It’s also tough to get the contractors back after the construction is over they’ve moved on to other projects and have other commitments.”

Walker says most issues uncovered by building commissioning cost little to repair. “Mostly, they are just a programming oversight,” he says. “But in the long run, correcting those problems up front saves money and energy, protects occupants and minimizes disruptions to the occupants and owners.”

Teresa Burrelsman, LEED AP, Director of Sustainable Programs, Callison Architecture LLC, Seattle:

“Custom solutions are the best way to create the most sustainable buildings. Going by a checklist mentality can be a useful tool, but ultimately, every project is unique. You have to look at custom solutions.”

Burrelsman says that sustainability is “more about fundamental principles versus the hottest and latest technology. For instance, building orientation and mapping. We have to ask how can we orient the building to maximize daylight? How can we modulate the building form? Many of these options don’t cost anything.”

She advocates a three-step approach. “First, we have to inform our client about sustainability and it can help their business or complement their business goals. Second, we try to maximize access to views and fresh air. Those are the two things that benefit people the most. And third, build a zero net energy building or as close as possible.

“It’s about tailoring the message to the audience.”

Douglas Howe, President, Touchstone Corp., Seattle:

HOWE

“Urban locations are sustainable locations. This aspect of sustainability doesn’t have a lot to do with the building itself. It’s about what the building is close to transportation, services, housing.”

Howe says Touchstone has been building close-in urban and suburban buildings for years, and keeping this kind of sustainability in mind is paramount. However, other elements also enter into the process.

“There are all kinds of systems and ways to reduce energy. The primary objective is to keep them tailored to the local market. From the beginning of the project, it’s vital to organize a project team that can plan a process for building with clear objectives on what the goals for sustainability and energy and water savings are up front.

“What really irks me is touchy, feel-good green. A lot of things people call sustainable or green don’t really have a bottom-line component. If we spent an extra $2 to $4 per sq ft up front, then we need to know that we’ll get something back from that in the operating costs. It’s about the big picture and creating something with lasting value.”

Norm Strong, FAIA, LEED AP, AIA National Vice President, Partner at Miller|Hull Partnership, Seattle:

STRONG

“The main thing for me is that any design or construction move needs to reduce carbon emissions. The first design move we always suggest is a good basic design with proper orientation, shading, etc. That goes a long way toward sustainability. The second move is typically to look at opening up the building and allowing for natural ventilation. In this temperate climate of the Northwest, that’s the best thing anyone can do to minimize energy use and maximize indoor air quality.”

Strong says that a common misstep for owners is to rely on technology before relying on a good design. “People jump on the technology way too fast. And ‘green’ is an overused, undefined term to me. It’s possible to have a very ‘green’ building that doesn’t reduce energy use and doesn’t meet the Carbon 2030 requirements.

Living Up to Our Eco-Mystique

By Gina Franzosa

We are doing something right on the Left Coast.

Oregon and Washington are home to the most LEED certified buildings per capita. In 2005 Washington was the first state to require by law certification to green standards for public buildings. In 2006, Portland was ranked #1 and Seattle #3 by Sustain Lane for most sustainable of all major US cities.

We export our expertise

What makes me most proud of and honored to work with green building professionals in the Northwest is how humble they are of their achievements, authentic they are in their motivations, and selfless they are in their actions. I believe these traits are due to the fact that these leaders so clearly see the larger picture. The impending crises of climate change, irreversible loss of biodiversity, market threats to our natural resources and economic base, and inequities within our fragile social structure all pale in comparison to energy and water savings in one building. But, these leaders know that their efforts influence larger change and so they strive to do more and better.

In short, we here in the Pacific Northwest and B.C. personify the most sincere intention of creating a world that we are proud to leave for future generations. To be clear, we are all part of this clan of NW green building leaders, whether we are the legacy that created the movement or we are among those inheriting it.

Our blessing is also our curse, of course. The obligation we have willingly or unwittingly assumed is the role of trailblazer. We have professed the ability and desire to reject the status quo and exceed expectations. And now we have this reputation to live up to. I’m pleased to report that in most instances, we are doing just that. One indicator might be the overwhelmingly positive response to the Living Building Challenge and now the Pharos Project. These two programs are on the cutting edge of sustainable building daring us to think beyond green in our buildings and in our materials.

As we learned at Greenbuild a few weeks ago, we in Cascadia are not alone. Teams from across North America are taking up the Living Building Challenge. These allies in innovation are helping us create the space necessary to break down all barriers to truly sustainable building. We in Cascadia are pacesetters and it’s time now to set our sights ever higher. We must not only reject current limitations to broad adoption of “green” building practices, we must remove them.

There are many barriers to green building, but let the first barrier you seek to deconstruct be the misperception that green is sufficient. “Green” should be the minimum accepted performance for buildings. As our understanding of the human and ecological effects of our building practices deepen, so too does our obligation to adjust standard practices.

The second barrier is misperceptions about the intent or goals of the green building movement it is not about one issue or for one segment of society - it is holistic and inclusive. We must reinforce this nature of green building in all that we do: invite new comers and welcome them with open arms; meet skeptics halfway; teach those who want to build green how to do it.

Misperceptions about the cost and value of green building is the third barrier. We all have an integral role to play in debunking this myth. Be honest about the true capital investments required to build responsible buildings and be honest about the long-term value the building will retain. Share what you know so that everyone can wisely and confidently invest to build or remodel green.

The fourth misperception is that green building is only about the constructed result. Even the most efficient building is not green if one’s only method of visiting the building is via a single occupancy vehicle. We have an obligation to weigh in on urban planning issues such as mass transit, zoning, and growth of urban areas. We do not design buildings in a vacuum and so we should not be mute when decisions are made that will affect our ability to build safe, efficient, sustainable buildings.

As members of this bioregional green building clan, I hope that you will seize this obligation. We have been presented an opportunity, perhaps like none we will ever see again. We do have our work cut out for us, but I have no doubt we’ll live up to our eco-reputation and even establish our place in history as a result of our actions.