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LEED |
But first... what is Sustainable Design?Sustainable design seeks to reduce negative impacts on the environment, and the health and comfort of building occupants, thereby improving building performance. The basic objectives of sustainability are to reduce consumption of non-renewable resources, minimize waste, and create healthy, productive environments. Sustainable design principles include the ability to:
Utilizing a sustainable design philosophy encourages decisions at each phase of the design process that will reduce negative impacts on the environment and the health of the occupants, without compromising the bottom line. It is an integrated, holistic approach. It is the approach that SDC President Bill Bobenhausen believes in, espouses and has continually put into practice on approximately 400 high performance/green/sustainable/LEED projects for over 30 years. LEED, is the widely accepted vehicle utilized to achieve a high degree of sustainable design in a methodical and quantifiable manner. What is LEED?
LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design), developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), provides building owners and operators a concise framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions. LEED was structured across all the metrics that matter most: energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts. LEED is a point system has application for all building types - commercial as well as residential. In 1998 the LEED 1.0 pilot program was released; and by March 2000 LEED 2.0 was released to the marketplace. Over the past decade, LEED has since grown from one standard for new construction to the LEED-2009 comprehensive system of standards covering all aspects of the development and construction process. LEED-2009 points are awarded on a 100-point scale, and credits are weighted to reflect their potential environmental impacts. Additionally, 10 bonus credits are available, four of which address regionally specific environmental issues. A project must satisfy all prerequisites and earn a minimum number of points to be certified. Buildings can qualify for four levels of LEED-2009 certification:
Certification of project documentation is through the independent Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI.org) assuring that LEED buildings are designed and constructed as intended. At the end of 2009, USGBC released updated statistics for its LEED green building program. Commercial office ventures are the most frequently registered LEED projects with over 12,000 total projects registered or certified. Retail projects are next with 4,400; higher education projects come in third with about 3,000 registered buildings, multi-unit residential (2,800), campus (2,400), military base (2,100), restaurant (2,100), industrial (1,700), community development (1,600), and K-12 education (1,600). LEED is now widely used as the basis of design by various public agencies including: the federal General Services Administration; Executive Order 111 in New York State; and Local Law 86 in New York City. See www.usgbc.org for additional details. SDC LEED ClientsSDC has successfully provided complete LEED services for major clients (and repeat clients) in all sectors including: governmental, industrial, corporate, universities and other educational, environmental, health, and others. A partial list of these clients includes:
Brief Outline of LEED ServicesA. LEED Design PhaseBegins with Owner/Architect review of the schematic architectural plans and a related assessment of the project site from the LEED perspective.Conduct a goal-setting meeting or Charrette with the entire project team (owner, architect, engineers, key consultants, etc.) to familiarize the team with the applicable LEED rating system points/issues in the basic LEED categories of: Sustainable Sites; Water Efficiency; Energy & Atmosphere; Materials & Resources; and Indoor Environmental Quality. Prepare a LEED scorecard that outlines all of the potential LEED credit (points) that may be available for the project taking into account owner considerations. Research and review potential LEED credits in detail in order to recommend whether they should be incorporated in the project. Coordinate all major areas of work including HVAC, Plumbing & Lighting. Review and develop with the architect-led design team, the design and selection of major construction systems and materials on the project, outline their environmental qualities and LEED suitability, and make recommendations for alternative materials and/or systems where appropriate. Participate in project meetings and design reviews as needed. Assist in the preparation of Technical Specifications. Provide Division 1 specs such as: LEED Requirements; Construction Waste Management; Sequence of Finish Operations; and Indoor Air Quality Management Plans. Review technical specifications. Optional Services: As appropriate for the project, SDC provides:
B. LEED Construction PhaseReview shop drawings for all LEED-related credits to ensure LEED compliance.Beginning with Bid, and Kick-off Meetings, participation in numerousconstruction meetings. The Construction Phase is a critical period for LEED Certification when anticipated points can be easily lost through misunderstanding, or lack of follow-through. C. LEED Documentation & CertificationWork with all responsible parties (i.e., architect, contractor, owner) to prepare LEED templates and other documentation materials needed for submissions to the GBCI (Green Building Certification Institute).Two submissions are usually made as follows, and in accordance with LEED Guidelines. 1. Design Submission (made when design is set, and after construction begins) 2. Construction Submission (made after conclusion of construction). LEED Documentation & Certification is a process of submissions, reviews and responses that generally is finalized four to eight months after completion of construction. At that time a plaque can be ordered, and celebration scheduled. |
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