Green Building 101

I recently gave a talk to the local Rotary Club on Green Building Basics. What are the different programs and what do they measure. It was very well received and here is a short version of my talk.

What does it mean to build green? There are several certification programs active in the Lowcountry. They all have third party verification requirements and different programs for different building types. Some require performance -based measurements while others have a prescriptive path to the desired performance level. The non-residential programs are led by the design team of architects and engineers and the residential programs are under the purview of the contractor. The major local programs are listed at the end of this post.

There are five general areas that all the programs measure; Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy Use, Materials and Resources, and Indoor Environmental Quality. There are mandatory requirements and a minimum number of earned points in each category. Each program awards different levels of certification based on the number of points earned. For example the LEED programs are LEED Certified, LEED Silver, LEED Gold, and the highest rated LEED Platinum.
The areas overlap and green strategies can often result in points in several categories. The decision to have daylight in all interior spaces can gain points in Energy Use (less need for electric lights) and Indoor Environmental Quality (occupants’ well being is better with daylight and a view).

Sustainable site requirements are focused on minimizing the building impact which includes: locating the project in a developed area, preferably on a pre-developed site within walking distance of essential services; using regionally appropriate landscaping; controlling stormwater runoff both during and after construction; and reducing erosion, light pollution, and construction related pollution.

Water Efficiency rewards water conservation both inside and outside. The interior strategies include high efficient appliances, fixtures and fittings. Water-wise landscaping and water harvesting in rain barrels or cisterns for reuse are exterior conservation options.

The single most important category is Energy & Atmosphere, where the overall goal is to reduce energy consumption and encourage the generation of renewal energy. Strategies include: energy use monitoring; efficient design and construction; efficient appliances, HVAC systems and lighting; use of renewable and clean sources of energy generated on-site or off-site; and natural daylight in spaces by windows or skylights.

Materials & Resources promote the selection of sustainably grown, harvested, produced and transported products and materials. This category also is concerned with the reduction of waste both from the construction site and the manufacturer’s site as well as reuse and recycling. Attention is given to the travel distance of materials and resources to the construction site and to the manufacturer’s plant. Reuse of an existing building, recycled materials, and locally produced materials are the high point favorites.

Indoor Environmental Quality strives to improve indoor air quality; access to natural daylight and views; and improving acoustics. The category focuses on reducing indoor pollutants such as VOC’s (Volatile Organic Compounds) in paint and off gassing of irritants found in adhesives, carpets, composite wood products and furniture. Strategies include managing moisture to prevent mold, increasing ventilation rates and mechanical controls to maintain the proper levels of temperature and humidity.

According to the United States Green Building Council, buildings account for approximately 39% of total annual US energy consumption (31% for building operations, 8% for building construction). Building operations (heating, cooling, ventilation, hot water, etc.) account for 38% of total annual US greenhouse gas emissions. And 72% of all the electricity produced at power plants in the US goes to operate buildings. So it is time for us all to learn more about green building and consider getting your project certified. You might even qualify for a tax credit.

Non-Residential Green Certification Programs

LEED Programs by
U.S. Green Building Council http://www.usgbc.org

Green Globes by
Green Building Initiative http://www.thegbi.org

Sustainable Building Challenge by
International Initiative for a Sustainable Built Environment
http://www.greenbuilding.ca

Residential Green Certification Programs

LEED for Homes by
U.S. Green Building Council http://www.usgbc.org

NAHB National Green Building Program by
National Assoc. of Home Builders http://www.nahb.org

Earthcraft House http://earthcrafthouse.com

Architecture Camp Days 4 & 5

The last two days of Architecture Camp we completed a site analysis, learned how to use a scale, studied the local zoning ordinance and the Historic Review Board guidelines. We also learned about sustainable design and some design strategies for green building (notice the green roof on one of the projects!) The students then designed a building for an infill site downtown. Special thanks to local architect Bill Chambers who loaned us the scale model of downtown. The students then built a scale model of their building for the site.

Architecture Camp Day 3

We had a beautiful windy day for flying kites with so-so success in getting them to fly. The smaller kites that followed recommended proportions worked the best. Everyone had a great time trying to get them to fly.

We started our building design project today by learning about the zoning ordinance, Historic District requirements, and green building strategies. We visited the site and did a site analysis.

Architecture Camp Day 2

The students explored the different design elements of spoons by sorting them differently from all previous students. They sorted by size, function, material, cost, texture, sheen, and finish.

We learned about the Design Process by designing, creating construction drawings and building kites. Tomorrow, if there is enough wind, we will test fly them.

Architecture Camp Day 1

Sketching

We started the day with blind sketching where you can't look at the paper while you are drawing. We then learned some new vocabulary words and went on a walk to sketch examples of them.

Toothpick and Gumdrop Structures

The students were divided into teams and were challenged to build the highest structure using toothpicks and gum balls. All the teams figured out that triangular cross bracing made a big difference.

EGG DROP

Our last activity of the day was to design, develop construction documents and build a device that would protect a egg from breaking when dropped from a second story balcony. The design materials were limited to 1 piece of paper, 3 rubber bands, 4 toothpicks, and glue. We had 3 eggs that didn't break!