What’s New in Green Design?

By Peter J. Arsenault, AIA, NCARB, LEED-AP, Principal — Stantec Architecture, Inc.
with contributing author Patti Bacon, Stantec Consulting Inc.

What’s new in green design? Virtually everything under the sun. As concern for our environment and increasingly warm climate grows, green design is showing up in myriad applications throughout the man-made environment. Old buildings, new buildings, government buildings, municipal facilities, airports, and public transportation systems are among the many LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified projects being recognized for their positive contributions to reducing the impact of building construction on the natural environment.

But it doesn’t end there. Even our natural environment is getting greener. Scores of environmental projects today incorporate sustainable design techniques with the overall goal of promoting environmental stewardship over the long term. Wind farm developments, brownfields reclamation, and wetland restoration are but a few.

What’s behind this increasingly global trend to go green? After all, not so long ago being green often also meant being the most expensive choice for construction. First is a compelling set of facts as confirmed by numerous sources ( see, for example, www.architecture2030.org or www.aia.org):

• Buildings and their embedded energy account for 48% of the greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change.
  
  
• Buildings consume 71% of electricity produced at U.S. power plants.
  
  
• U.S. buildings account for nearly the same amount of carbon emissions as the economies of Japan, France and the United Kingdom combined.
  
  

In truth there are many factors driving the current push for sustainable design. These factors are producing professional and regulatory initiatives to create environmentally, socially and economically responsible projects. Some of these are described in their own words below:

• The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has adopted position statements to promote sustainable design and resource conservation to achieve a minimum reduction of 50% of the current consumption level of fossil fuels used to construct and operate buildings by the year 2010. As part of this initiative, the AIA will develop and promote the integration of sustainability into the curriculum for the education of architects and architecture students, so that this core principle becomes a guiding mindset for current and future architects.
  
  
• The U.S. Conference of Mayors voted unanimously to approve the resolution “Adopting the 2030 Challenge for All Buildings.” The AIA position statement calls for the immediate energy reduction of all new and renovated buildings to one-half the national average, with increased reductions of 10% every five years so that all buildings designed by the year 2030 will be carbon neutral, which means that all buildings will use no fossil fuel energy.
  
  
• The mayors also passed a resolution titled, “Establishing a New Municipal Energy Agenda to Help Address the Nation’s Energy and Environmental Challenges and Improve Local Communities.” It contains the following goals:
  
  1. Reduce energy usage in municipal buildings
  2. Promote green buildings
  3. Ensure residential energy assistance
  4. Address climate change
  5. Encourage diversity in energy generation
  6. Improve municipal vehicle fleets
  7. Encourage incentives to improve vehicle fuel efficiency
  8. Invest in transit and walkable communities
  9. Share best energy practices among cities
  10. Encourage private sector initiatives
  
  
• The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has emerged as a national organization with a rapidly growing number of members representing many building design organizations, companies, and design professionals. According to their web site, www.usgbc.org, the “USGBC is a community of leaders working to transform the way buildings and communities are designed, built and operated. We envision an environmentally responsible, healthy, and prosperous environment that improves the quality of life.” The primary USGBC tool for accomplishing this goal is the LEED Green Building Rating System, which has become increasingly recognized as a national benchmark for high performance green buildings and communities. LEED certification is awarded to buildings that prove their design and construction comply with the LEED rating system based on the levels of certified, silver, gold, and the ultimate, platinum.
  
  

State and federal governments have stepped up to become involved in these initiatives by offering a number of financial incentives to building owners for both commercial and residential buildings such as the following:

• The New York State Energy Research & Development Authority (NYSERDA), is a public benefit corporation that helps businesses and municipalities address energy and environmental challenges. NYSERDA sponsors a variety of programs, including an energy rebate initiative for new and existing buildings, innovative alternative energy systems, and grants for special programs and projects.
  
  
• In New York State, recently enacted legislation provides for two new tax credits: the home heating system credit and the clean heating fuel credit. For tax years beginning in 2006 and 2007, an individual can take a credit against their New York State personal income tax based on the costs incurred that are directly associated with the replacement of an existing home heating system. Additionally, a tax credit of up to $0.20 per gallon is allowed for bio-diesel fuel that is used for space heating or hot water production for residential purposes within New York State. The credit applies to bioheat purchased on or after July 1, 2006, and before July 1, 2007.
  
  
• The Federal Government offers The Energy Policy Act of 2005 (Public Law 109-58) as legislation that creates a tax incentive for constructing energy efficient commercial buildings. Specifically, it establishes a tax deduction for expenses related to the design and installation of energy-efficient commercial building systems. However, the deduction is only applicable to building systems installed before January 1, 2009, so it is important to take advantage of this deduction before its expiration. Pending legislation before Congress would also add a Federal Tax Credit (as opposed to a deduction) for certain energy improvements in commercial buildings.
  
  

In addition to all of the above, there is a real and growing degree of elevated public consciousness on sustainability issues. There’s a very real fear taking root as people around the world ponder the potentially catastrophic consequences of global warming. Al Gore’s documentary “An Inconvenient Truth” has brought considerable attention to the topic. And even more recently, a 21- page report issued from Paris by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change seemed to confirm the worst. “Warming of the climate system is unequivocal, as is now evident from observations of increases in global average air and ocean temperatures, widespread melting of snow and ice, and rising global mean sea level,” the report concludes. The cause is human activity that results in the copious emission of greenhouse gases. The resulting warming, the panel believes, will continue for centuries even with our best efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

With this sobering prognosis, sustainability is no longer an option, but the only real solution as part of good, responsible building design. My employer, professional design and consulting firm Stantec, for example, has made sustainable design the foundation of its corporate mission.

Accordingly, we have been privileged to participate in diverse recent projects that demonstrate the breadth of use of sustainable design in North America today. The following paragraphs provide a synopsis of just a few of those projects in the interest of sharing some examples of ways to address sustainability issues.

GULF ISLANDS NATIONAL PARK RESERVE OPERATIONS CENTER — SIDNEY, BRITISH COLUMBIA

The Canadian government issued a mandate in 2004 that all newly constructed federal buildings adhere to one of the highest standards in green building design – LEED Gold certification. The first new federal building to be constructed after this mandate took effect was the Gulf Islands National Reserve Operations Center in British Columbia.

Through several “eco-charrettes,” the design team, client and key stakeholders evaluated various sustainable solutions for the construction of this three-story, seaside facility. In the end, the design introduced such green components as native plantings on the site to eliminate a need for a permanent irrigation system; rainwater storage and collection to be used for toilet flushing and washing marina equipment; power efficiencies garnered from highly efficient lighting fixtures, occupancy sensors and photosensors; a building orientation that takes advantage of solar heating opportunities; the inclusion of exterior sunshades to reduce cooling costs; and in-slab radiant heating and cooling systems that incorporate a geothermal ocean loop, which eliminates the need for a traditional chiller system. Though the initial project goal was to obtain LEED Gold certification on this project, it ultimately achieved the highest standard in green building design – Platinum certification.

APCO BROWNFIELD — ROCHESTER, NY

Amidst a sprawling residential neighborhood in Rochester, New York, a brownfield once owned by various developers and contractors served as a private dump for construction and demolition debris for nearly a century. The result was not only unsightly, but dangerously unsafe given the amount of asbestos, pesticides, mercury, petroleum and other contaminants present in the waste. Alarmed area residents formed an association to press their concerns about the site and demand action.

When the site owner declared bankruptcy and abandoned the property, the city stepped in. It authorized a $4 million cleanup that was funded up to 75 percent by the state Clean Water/Clean Air Bond Act. The project team implemented a number of remediation technologies to turn the brownfield green again. Among them, an aboveground bioremediation cell constructed to treat more than 5,000 cubic yards of petroleum- saturated soil that had surrounded underground fuel storage tanks, and an inground oxygen injection system that reduced contaminant levels in plumes of groundwater flowing offsite to well below drinking water standards. Today, 27 new middle-income residences rest atop the former brownfield in a new subdivision that blends seamlessly into the existing neighborhood.

UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO STUDENT CENTRE — TORONTO, ONTARIO

When the University of Toronto undertook the task of designing a new student center, it took some direction from its environmentally concerned students. Through their Student Building Committee, the students espoused a desire for a sustainable student center that would give back to future generations of students.

Green design then became a guiding principle of the project, and the end result has not disappointed. The 50,700-square-foot building, which serves as a gateway to the university, boasts diverse green components. These include rainwater collection and storage to minimize demand on the municipal water supply; low volatile organic compound finishing materials to keep the air clean and occupants healthy; a vegetated “green” roof to help with heating and cooling; a site plan designed to integrate and encourage public transit use; renewable interior building materials such as bamboo floors; daylight management features and natural ventilation; a building orientation that provides solar heating benefits; expanses of open space; and tons of recycled steel incorporated into its structure. The student center is currently under consideration for LEED Silver rating.

STANTEC GREEN ROOF — EDMONTON, ALBERTA

At the Stantec corporate headquarters building in Edmonton, we added the first green roof in the city. Our roof works to help cool the atmosphere, to manage storm water runoff and to reduce water and air pollution. It also helps in some measure to cool the city by reducing the amount of rooftop asphalt exposed to the sun.

The green roof consists of a shallow layer of soil which supports diverse plants that thrive in Edmonton’s northern climate. It also helps us save money, since the plants protect the roofing material and provide insulation. In addition, they help keep the building’s temperature more constant. And finally, they provide an appealing view for the employees of the building’s North Tower, which looks out over this rooftop garden.

CONCLUSION

As the dire predictions about the consequences of global warming grow ever more real, sustainable design is less a choice than a requirement. The good news is that the state of green technologies, the commitment of design professionals, and the range of green design applications are all equal to this great challenge.

2007 VOL 12 NO. 1

QUARTERLY REVIEW

CURRENT LEGAL AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENTS AFFECTING THE DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION AND REAL ESTATE INDUSTRIES