Sustainability in Architecture

by
Elizabeth Cordero
Bachelor of Architecture
California State Polytechnic University, 1992

SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE IN PARTIAL

FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF
MASTER OF SCIENCE INARCHITECTURE STUDIES
INBUILDING TECHNOLOGY
AT THE
MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
JUNE 2001

@2001 Elizabeth Cordero. All rights reserved.

The author hereby grants to MIT permission to reproduce
and to distribute publicly paper and electronic
copies of this thesis document in whole or part.

Signature of Author:

11

Department of Architecture
May 24, 2001

Certified by:
Leon Glicksman
Professor of Building Technology
Thesis Supervisor
Accepted by:

MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE
OF TECHNOLOGY

Roy Strickland
Chairman, Department Committee
on Graduate Studies

JUL 2 4 2001
aOTCt
LIBRARIES

Sustainability in Architecture

by

Elizabeth Cordero
Bachelor of Architecture
California State Polytechnic University, 1992

SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE IN PARTIAL

FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF
MASTER OF SCIENCE IN ARCHITECTURE STUDIES
IN BUILDING TECHNOLOGY
AT THE
MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
JUNE 2001

Reader:

Harvey Bryan
Associate Professor of Architecture, ASU

Reader:

Andrew Scott
Associate Professor of Architecture, MIT

Sustainability in Architecture

by

Elizabeth Cordero
Bachelor of Architecture
California State Polytechnic University, 1992
Submitted to the Department of Architecture
on May 24, 2001 in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in
Architecture Studies in Building Technology

ABSTRACT
Current standard practice in architecture does not take into account the external societal costs that a
building creates. To understand the total consequences of a building, one must consider all of the
ecological and human health factors involved for a specific project and site. The aim of sustainable
architecture is to construct a well-designed building and site environment that is healthy for the occupants, has minimal undesirable impact upon the environment, is effective in the use of natural resources, and is economical and durable. Although tangible impacts are visible only after construction
begins, decisions made on the drawing board have long-term environmental consequences. The
objective of this thesis is to present the information and tools available to the architect to create a
sustainable project. With these tools, the architect can meet the challenges of sustainable design
with an informed decision making process.
This thesis defines sustainability as it applies to architecture, compares environmental performance
rating systems and guidelines, discusses simulation, design, and life cycle analysis tools, outlines
specific green building strategies, devises a methodology for prioritization, and summarizes design
and construction procedures that incorporate these green concepts into the building process. The
thesis finishes with a complete project plan that, when incorporated, will promote the realization of
sustainable buildings.

Thesis Supervisor: Leon Glicksman

Title: Professor of Building Technology

Contents
11
12
17

Chapter One: Sustainability in Architecture

Why Build Green?
Definitions of Sustainability

25
25
27
28
29
30
30
31

Chapter Two: Green Building Guidelines & Rating Systems

City Governments
State and County Governments
In-House Reference Guidelines
Universities
Materials Resource Guides
Environmental Performance Assessment Rating Tools
Five Comparisons

45
47
49
50
51
53
55
56
57
59

Chapter Three: Simulation & Design Tools

Simulation Tools
PowerDOE
Life Cycle Analysis of Building Materials
BEES - Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability
Athena
Life Cycle Cost Analysis
Green Building Advisor
Building Design Advisor
Energy Scheming

63
66
69
70
70
72
75
77
78

Chapter Four: Green Building Strategies

Survey Results
Site
Water
Building Materials
Energy
Indoor Environmental Quality
Waste
Top-Ten Lists

Contents
87
86
89
91
93
95
97
99
101

Chapter Five: The Building Process

Project Inception & Feasibility: Pre-design
Concept Approval: Schematic Design
Development Permit: Design Development
Building Permit: Construction Documents
Award of Construction Contract: Bidding or Negotiation
Construction: Construction Administration
Substantial Performance Occupancy Permit and
Warranty & Maintenance: Post Construction
Building Demolition or Reuse

107
108
108
110
112
112
113
114

Chaper Six: Elements of a Project Plan

Objectives
Information
Tools
Pilot Projects
On-Going Support
Financing Options
Conclusions

117

Appendices

117

A - Background Concepts

123

B - Associations and Directories

135

C - Journals and News

137

D - Green Building Guidelines and Programs

141
145
147
153

E - Sustainability Tools
F - Campus Initiatives
G - Architects and Consultants
H - Case Studies

157

1- Building Materials and Products

167

J - Comparison Study

189

Selected Bibliography

10

Sustainability in Architecture

Building construction, renovation and operation consume more of the earth's resources
than any other human activity. Each year, as much as 40% of the raw materials and energy
produced in the world are used in the building sector. This generates millions of tonnes
of greenhouse gases, toxic air emissions, water pollutants, and solid wastes. No other
sector has a greater impact on the global environment or faces a greater obligation to
improve its environmental performance. With so much of the world's resources consumed in the building sector, learning how to build with the environment in mind will
make a big difference for the global environment.
ASMI, "The Environmental Challenge in the Building Sector" 1999

Sustainability is an accepted term that has been in use since the early 20th century theory
of renewable resource management, most notably in sustainable agriculture and forestry,
and in theories of 'sustained' yield. It was at The World Comission on Environment and
Development, through the Brundtland Commission's report, Our Common Future, that
brought this term to the conscience of the general public in 1987.1 The intent of the Commission was to reconcile the interests of economic development and environmental conservation. While it first focused on biological systems, sustainable theory has been applied
to many disciplines.
The term sustainability, as it refers to architecture, must be defined so that a subsequent
conversation can progress with a full understanding of its meaning. More than just energy
efficiency, it is an ecological approach to design. All the resources that go into a building:
materials, fuels, and the understanding of the users needs, must be considered to create a
sustainable building. While there are many definitions of sustainability (see end of chapter),
it seems to be more of a process than a set of concrete ideas. The basic principles evolve
as conditions, ideals, and technological capabilities change. It is the belief carried throughout this thesis that the aim of sustainable architecture is to construct a well-designed building and site environment that is healthy for the occupants, has minimal undesirable impact
upon the environment, is effective in the use of natural resources, and is economical and

durable. Sustainable design means looking at the building process and design in a holistic
manner because each design decision affects another. For example, the choice early in
schematic design to use natural ventilation and daylighting will affect the capacity of the
HVAC unit specified. Inturn, these decisions all have local, global, natural resource, indoor
environmental quality, and cost implications. While they all have slightly different meanings, for the purposes of clarity, the terms "sustainable architecture", "green building", "highperformance buildings" and "environmentally conscious design" will all be used interchangeably.
When embarking on a new project, the architect is charged with many tasks and responsibilities. In addition to wanting to create a beautiful and memorable building, they must
satisfy a project program, meet all the applicable codes and standards, design a space that
is safe to occupy and structurally sound, accomplishing all within time and budget constraints. Not an easy endeavor. But designing sustainably is not to be thought of as just an
added task. Rather, it's an entirely new way of looking at the whole design process and
therefore, the product: the plan, site and building. In practice, many of the philosophies of
green design have been observed for centuries in vernacular architecture. It was thought of
simply as common sense. Sustainable architecture, as it is conceived of today, builds on
those principles, and adds the technological advances of the modern world. It is an opportunity to design and build a project that is inspiring, timeless, and environmentally responsible.

Why Build Green?

The answer lies inthe role the architect plays in the global sense. While it is an exaggeration to say that architecture is solely responsible for global warming, the loss of biodiversity,
ozone depletion, deforestation, acid rain, and a myriad of other environmental calamities,
buildings do account for 1/6 of the world's freshwater withdrawals, 1/4 of the wood harvested, and 2/5 of the energy and material flow. 2 Buildings also account for about 17% of
the world's greenhouse gas emissions3 and in this nation alone, account for 27% of the
total annual electrical supply. 4 Buildings also emit annually 120 million metric tons of air
pollutants, such as nitrous oxides, sulfur oxides, volatile organic compounds, particulates
and lead.

On a local level, architectural and planning practices can encourage investment in urban
environments and existing infrastructure, which can revitalize neighborhoods and leave
greenfields and natural sites to be enjoyed in their pristine state. It is out of the scope of this
thesis to debate whether these are important issues to which society should focus its
attention; I will assume they are. The point is that architects, through the buildings they
design, have a major impact on the world in which we live. Further, as it has been estimated that most adults spend as much as 90% of their time indoors,6 the built environment
is a key factor in the way we interact, our health and well-being, and our ability to be productive. At even a more basic level, the homes and cities in which live influence the worldviews we ultimately formulate. Therefore, the criteria for assessing whether a building is
beautiful, or award-winning must be based on issues that include sustainability. This thought
is validated by the American Institute of Architects, in a recently passed resolution "to acknowledge Sustainable Design as the basis of quality design and responsible practice for
AIA architects, and therefore, to integrate Sustainable Design into AIA practice and procedures."7
Another reason to build green includes the economic benefits. A small increase in employee productivity can have a dramatic effect on the operating costs of a company. A
study conducted by the Rocky Mountain Institute has shown that a sustainably designed
building can increase worker productivity by 6% to 15%.8 Since payroll costs typically
represent about 85% of a businesses operating costs, 8 about 70 times more is spent on
salaries than on energy. In another study by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute
that looked at student performance in classrooms, the results showed improved test scores
of up to 11 %, and less fatigue and better classroom behavior of students.9 Additional tangible benefits of green building practices include:10
Project first cost savings through reduction of system
requirements, loads and materials efficiencies
Higher developer tenant rent, including rental rates, faster
lease-up and increased tenant retention
Enhanced building operating performance and annual
operating cost savings (energy, water & waste)
Increased building loan potential and building value
due to higher building net operating income

Optimization of employee health and productivity

Reduction in building occupant related illness liabilities
More positive public relations and community support
Decreased environmental impact, including pollution,
global warming, waste and resource consumption
Increased local job creation
Possible investment tax credit benefits (States of California,
New York legislation, and in the future Massachusetts)
In architecture, as in most businesses, the market is a key driver of decisions. A very
powerful reason for architects to design sustainably is that more frequently, clients are
asking for green buildings, and many state and federal municipalities are demanding them.
On a federal level, the introduction of Executive Order 13101 puts into place the Strategic
Plan of the Federal Government under the new Greening of the Government through Waste
Prevention, Recycling and Federal Acquisition." It defines the vision, mission and goals of
the government initiative and establishes agency milestones. Exectutive Order 13123,
Greening the Government through Efficient Energy Management, focuses on the documentation of employed sustainable measures at federal buildings and sites. 2 These two
EO's effectively create a market for sustainable technologies by the fact that emerging
green technology companies have a guaranteed customer in place. The General Services
Administration, the U.S. Postal Service, the U.S. Air Force, the Foreign Services Administration, and the U.S. Navy have all shown their commitment to a sustainable future by
requiring a green building rating for all of their new construction."
Another key element to successfully moving towards a green architectural paradigm is the
education of the architect. It is obvious to state that what is valued and taught in our design
schools will be practiced by newly graduated students. Only when the education of the
student includes issues of sustainability integrated into the design studio, will there be a
shift in what gets routinely designed and ultimately built. It is unreasonable to ask the
practicing architect to spend his/her own time learning a completely new discipline while
still satisfying all the other demands, and unfair to pass those costs onto the client. To help
mitigate that problem, there are a number of simulation tools available to aid in the realization of a sustainable project. Some require advanced knowledge and are expensive to use.
But there are others that are straight forward and appropriate at the schematic design level.

This topic is further explored in Chapter 3, Simulation & Design Tools.

One of the main aspects of sustainability is that there is no single answer or design solution. The use of guidelines and performance rating systems can help one define what is
green for a particular project. By guideline documents, we refer not only to technical strategies, which are important, but every to step that ensures a sustainable project. Green
building guidelines define principles and identify goals of green building concepts and outline a process by which to realize these goals. This includes a reinvestigation of the whole
process of design and construction. While there are many very good guideline documents
available, it is impossible for them to be all encompassing. Many city and state municipalities, universities, non-profit organizations, private firms and federal governmental agencies
have taken the initiative to draft their own sustainability guidelines. The reason for this is to
address their own building types, city codes & regulations, climate & regional concerns,
stakeholders' interests, and definitions of 'green'. Each entity has used a different approach in the development of its guidelines or assessment system. And accordingly, they
have been written with a different audience in mind, consisting of builders and developers,
architects and consultants, government officials and building owners. While it would be
useful to be able to refer to a single document, it cannot be done. By their very nature, each
entity's guidelines are unique and serve a different purpose. In addition to guideines, for the
past several years there have existed environmental performance assessment rating tools
such as LEED (developed by the U.S. Green Building Council), and BREEAM in Canada
and the U.K. The value of these rating tools is to acknowledge and institutionalized the
importance of assessing buildings across a broad range of considerations. They provide a
method to ensure that buildings are constructed in an environmentally sensitive manner.
Chapter 2, Guidelines and Rating Tools, provides an overview of existing guidelines and
environmental performance assessment systems, and looks at five specific documents in
detail.
One of the inherent problems of rating systems is prioritization; typically points are given for
acheiving a task or strategy. But what makes sense for one climate region, building type or
even client may not makes sense for another. The strategies employed in the temperate
climate of California would not be the same as in New England. Or the process of designing a single family house differs from that of a university building. Someone, or some group
of individuals had to predetermine the worth of that strategy. Therefore, for the purposes of

establishing an objective methodology to prioritize green building strategies, a survey was

conducted using MIT's Green Building Task Force14 (GBTF) as a platform. The goal was to
assess the priorities and long-term environmental goals of the MIT community that could be
used to develop the university's mission statement. It comprises criteria and standards of
design for green building. This discussion can be found in Chapter 4, Green Building Strategies.
Green building guidelines, sustainbility tools and design strategies all contribute to a more
sustainable project. But without a planning, design, and building course of action that
incorproate these concepts into the building process, many opportunities will be lost.
Sustainability presupposes a collaborative interaction amoung all the participants, and a
cyclical project delivery process, as opposed to the standard linear model. Chapter 5, The
Building Process, will look at the phases of design and construction in detail and outline
green building activities that are relevant in each phase.
Finally, this thesis outlines a comprehensive plan of action that an architectural firm, corporation, or educational institution could implement that would contribute to the realization of
green buildings and campuses in Chapter 6, Elements of a Project Plan.

Definitions of Sustainable Architecture

American Institute of Architects
In its broadest sense, sustainability refers to the ability of a society,
ecosystem, or other ongoing system to continue functioning into the
indefinite future, without being forced into decline through exhaustion or
overloading of the key resources on which that system.
Building Services Research and Information Association (BSRIA)
The creation and responsible management of a healthy built environment
based on resource efficient and ecological principles.
Carol Cahrmichael, Institute for Sustainable Development and Technology
Sustainable development requires innovative solutions for improving our
welfare that are derived from practices and technologies that work harmoniously with earth's systems and across diverse groups of people. "....con-

sider our actions over greater lengths of time." Most interpretations of the
terms sustainable refer to the availability of natural resources and ecosystem functioning over many generations, and to the enhancement of human
living standards through ecologically sound economic development. The
United Nations defined sustainable development as (The UN World commission on Environment and Development, 1987):........development that
meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs....
Jean-Lou Chameau, Ph. D.
The concept of sustainable development is ethical in nature and requires a
conscious choice to provide for the needs of present and future generations.
Bruce Coldham, Architect
First and foremost, a green building serves the need of the people who
inhabit it. It supports and nurtures their health, satisfaction, productivity,
and spirit. It requires the careful application of the acknowledged strategies of sutainable architecture - nontoxic construction, the use of durable,
natural, resource efficient materials, reliance on the sun for daylighting,
thermal and electric power, and recycling of wastes into nutrients. An
elegant architectural integration of these strategies produces a building
which honors the aspirations of those who use it and engages the natural
world. And it must be more.

Georgia Tech Institute for Sustainable Technology and Development

"Sustainability" is not a product or an outcome: it is a criterion for guiding
decisions in order to help society meet the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
Sustainability promotes careful judgements about a wide range of impacts
of technological development and economic growth, incorporating science
and technology, business, social forces and ethical considerations, and
policy decisions, ranging fro the community level to the entire globe.
Fred Harris, Harris Originals, Inc.
When applied to buildings, sustainability generally refers to the use of
materials that are recycled and recyclable, materials that use resources
efficiently, materials that are nontoxic, and materials that are made from
renewable resources. It also refers to the process of designing and
building is such a way that construction waste is minimized, and the
waste that is produced is immediately recycled. Or it can refer to the
process of designing and building in such a way that the component parts
can be removed without destroying them. This leaves them in good
condition for reuse. Smaller spaces used for multiple purposes can help
to reduce the building size. Sustainability means reducing the energy
consumption of building materials to the lowest level practicable.
Robert Hsin, Florida A&M University
Sustainable design is an ecologically based philosophy which means that
the design principles must be all-encompassing, considerate of the whole
eco-system. The 'green' architect or planner must be concerned with not
only the buildings, but also that of the environment, the resources, the
local culture and economy, the materials, and the environment which the
materials orginated from.
Integrated Waste Management Board
A green building is a structure that is designed, built, renovated, operated,
or reused in an ecological and resource-efficient manner. Green buildings
are designed to meet certain objectives such as protecting occupant
health; improving employee productivity; using energy, water and other
resources more efficiently; and reducing overall impact to the environment.
Jack Kremers, Kent State University
Sustainable architecture describes an approach to architectural design
that minimizes sustenance or resource consumption so as to prolong the

availability of natural resources. Sustainable architecture, then, is a

response to an awareness and not a prescriptive formula for survival.
Brantley T. Liddle, Center for Construction Research and Education, MIT
Sustainability is concerned with two types of limits the environment
imposes on growth or development - source limits and sink limits. Source
limits refers to the environment's finite capacity to provide resources-both
renewables and nonrenewable, and both mere production inputs and
essential, nonsubstitutable "natural" services. The sink limit refers to the
environment's capacity to assimilate the wastes that economic growth and
development cause.may have implied an extreme approach to building 20
years ago. Now it simply means minimizing the ecological impact of a
building. Sustainable design is a balancing act, a matter of concentrating
the architect's time and the client's resources on choices that will do the
most good.
Nadav Malin, Environmental Building News
A sustainable building starts with the quality of its components, as
measured by their environmental impact. There are many variables to take
into account while evaluating the components, including the way they will
be used, the amount that is specified, and aesthetics.
William McDonough, Architect
Designing for sustainability requires awareness of the full short and longterm consequences of any transformation of the environment. Sustainable
design is the conception and realization of environmentally sensitive and
responsible expression as a part of the evolving matrix of nature.
John Norton
Sustainable architecture brings together at least five key characteristics:
environmental, technical, financial, organizational, social. Sustainable
architecture is context specific and relate to the resources that are locally
available, or the customs and need of the local population.
The Royal Australian Institute of Architects
Five principles to realizing a commitment to sustainability: maintain, and
where it has been disturbed, restore biodiversity; minimize the consumption of resources, especially non-renewable resources; minimize pollution
of soil, air, and water; maximize the health, safety, and comfort of building
users; increase awareness of environmental issues.

Wendy Talarico, Architectural Record

Green, or sustainable design may have implied an extreme approach to

building 20 years ago. Now it simply means minimizing the ecological
impact of a building. Sustainable design is a balancing act, a matter of
concentrating the architect's time and the client's resources on choices
that will do the most good.
Alan Traugott, Flack + Kurtz Consulting Engineers

Sustainable design is a common sense approach to building. The goal is

to design a pragmatic building which minimizes pollution output from
construction and operations; uses resources, materials and energy very
efficiently; is reliable, secure, simple to operate and maintain; has a long,
useful life expectancy; provides a highly functional and healthful environment for its occupants.
U.S. Navy

Sustainable design, based on resource efficiency, a healthy environment,

and productivity, incorporates the following: increased energy conservation
and efficiency and use of renewable energy resources; reduction or
elimination of harmful substances and waste in facilities and their surroundings; improvements to interior and exterior environments leading to
increased productivity and better health; efficiency in resource and materials utilization, especially water resources; selection of materials and
products based on their life-cycle environmental impacts; and recycling
and increased use of products with recycled content.
Robert and Brenda Vale, authors of Green Architecture, Design for a
Sustainable Future

That a green approach to the built environment involves a holistic approach

to the design of buildings; that all the resources that go into a building, be
they materials, fuels, or the contribution of the users need to be considered if a sustainable architecture is to be produced.

Notes
1 World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987. Toward Sustainable Development.
Our Common Future, New York: Oxford University Press. Pg 43-66.
2 Worldwatch Insitute, 1995, Paper 124, A Building Revolotion
3Facilities Management Journal, EnvironDesign 2000
4 Annual Energy Review, Department of Energy, 1993
5Asher Derman, PhD, Building Locally, Thinking Globally
6 Environmental Protection Agency, http://www.epa.gov/iedweb00/
7 The AIA Sustainable Design Resolution:
1. Revisions to the AIA contract documents, including the standard legal agreement
between owners and architects. This will help owners clarify the scope of work that is
required to produce more sustainable buildings.
2. Revisions and additional information to Masterspec, the standard specifications system
used as a master document by most architects in the US. This will streamline the process
of selecting and specifying environmentally preferable products.
3. Support for reserach efforts that quantify the benefits of sustainable design, including the
integrated design process and life cycle cost savings. This will help design professionals
and their clients make the case for sustainable design.
4. Support for research efforts to develop design tools and educational resources that will
support the creation of high performance buildings and the next generation of sustainable
design solutions. This action refers to the two primary programs of the AIA Committee on
the Environment. We are creating a program to integrate Sustainable Design into the core
of college and university Schools of Architecture, and we are outlininga research agenda
that will advance our current knowledge base.
5. Advance the knowledge base of information on life cycle environmental effects related to
building products and materials. By lending the support of the AIA as a whole to these
efforts we hope that they will receive the funding necessary to be completed.
6. Support the consideration of sustainable design in the AIA Design Awards program.
This is a logical next step that is needed to provide recognition to exemplary projects, and
to reinforce our broad definition of quality design.
8 Rocky Mountain Institute, Greening the Bottom Line, Increasing Productivity through EnergyEfficient Design, by Joseph Romm and Bill Browning, 1994
9 Cited in Environmental and Energy Study Institute, Energy Smart Schools: Opportunities to Save
Money, Save Energy and Improve Student Performance, November 1999
10Worldwatch Institute, 1995, Paper 124, "A Building Revolution"
1 Executive Order 13103 - Section 401. Acquisition Planning. In developing plans, drawings, work
statements, specifications, or other product descriptions, agencies shall consider, as appropriate, a
broad range of factors including: elimination of virgin material requirements; use of biobased products; use of recovered materials; reuse of product; life cycle cost; recyclability; use of environmentally preferable products; waste prevention (including toxicity reduction or elimination); and ultimate
disposal. These factors should be considered in acquisition planning for all procurement and in the
evaluation and award of contracts, as appropriate. Program and acquisition managers should take
an active role in these activities.

22

Executive Order 13123 - Section 101. Federal Leadership. The Federal Government, as the
Nation's largest energy consumer, shall significantly improve its energy management in order to
save taxpayer dollars and reduce emissions that contribute to air pollution and global climate
change. With more than 500,000 buildings, the Federal Government can lead the Nation in energy
efficient building design, construction, and operation. As a major consumer that spends $200 billion
annually on products and services, the Federal Government can promote energy efficiency, water
conservation, and the use of renewable energy products, and help foster markets for emerging
technologies. In encouraging effective energy management in the Federal Government, this order
builds on work begun under EPACT and previous Executive orders.
13First announced at the U.S. Green Building Council annual meeting, Washington
D.C., April,
2000
12

24

Green Building Guidelines & Rating Systems

One of the most challenging issues in the development of green building guidelines is that
what constitutes 'excellence' or 'best practices' in building performance is unknown, since
such definitions are still in development. Environmental goals are generally complex and
often conflicting. Many times local, regional and global objectives are incompatible. And
even within a particular climate region, different building types have different needs and
therefore, different environmental priorities may apply. This chapter is an introduction to the
guidelines that are available now, or soon will be. Insome cases the guidelines are merely
'checklists', which lead to a final review of the design's 'greenness'. Other documents
reflect an effort to set out a more comprehensive guide, considering every implication in
coherence with an integrated approach to building design. Another type of document is the
environmental performance assessment tool, which usually includes an extensive description and table in which each sustainability sub-goal is connected with a related building
code, and with applicable technologies or strategies, while making a distinction between
'standard practice', 'advanced' and 'innovative' solutions.
Although they are all inherently different, most guidelines include similar issues:

ZCOST

SITE

PLANNING

WATER

HEALTH & WELFARE

DESIGN

MATERIALS

ENVIRONMENTAL MPACT

CONSTRUCTION

ENERGY

MANAGEMENT

OPERATIONS &MAINTENANCE

ENv.QuAL

[BUILDING P ORTE

BUILDING RE-USE

WASTE
Figure 2.1 - Guidelines Issues

City Governments
Local city governments often own and operate their own buildings. As with the federal
government, many cities or other local governments have adopted a sustainabilty directive
for their own projects. They also have many administrative, policy, financial and regulatory
tools at their disposal. Since they have jurisdiction, they can encourage and/or mandate
green building construction practices.
There are three main types of city-sponsored building guidelines. (Fig. 2.2) One type is
mainly for residential design. The first such document was written in 1993 by the city of
Austin, Texas.' Since then many cities have made available similar guidelines. These are
voluntary city-wide initiatives, co-sponsored by the National Home Builders Association
(NHBA). The guidelines provide a template for developing a green builder program, and
include many pre-design issues such as determining projected interest and budgeting. A
second type, which is designed for non-residential projects, is targeted for use by all builders, designers and owners. These are usually written for voluntary use, and are more of a
general guide of strategies. The third type is an in-house document written specifically for
use by city building departments and their consultants. These are usually more prescriptive based, and designed for mandated use on all city owned projects.

State and County Governments

State and county guidelines fall into three main categories. (Fig. 2.3) Again, NHBA sponsored, where the organization provides a 'green builder program' template for the county to
follow. These are voluntary, but have many benefits, including the possibility of lower mortgage rates in some cases. They are developed as a checklist covering the standard environmental issues, i.e. site, water, materials, energy, ieq, waste, etc. The second type of
guidelines focus on non-residential projects and have examples in both voluntary statewide initiatives, and state-owned facilities. These have been drafted with a particular purpose and building type in mind. Of these, Minnesota's Sustainable Design Guide and Rating System has a scoring system that allows the design team to prioritize environmental
criteria, and to evaluate the building's performance. In addition, it contains a project history
guide, so that the lessons learned on one project can be applied to another similar project.
These two features make this guide unique. Pennsylvania's Guidelines for Creating High
Performance Green Buildings is an especially good reference because it incorporates green
concepts into the different project phases of design and construction.

Residential
Central New Mexico
Kitsap County, WA

Non-Residential

- Green Builder
- Build a Better Kitsap

Suburban Maryland -

Building Green

Alameda County, CA -Green Bilder

Guidelines

Florida

- ProcessGuidelines
Buildings
for igh Performanc~e
FNoridCriarocssile
fo

ihPomneBuilding

~9%U~

-uidlinesfor

for
Guidelines
Penysigni
G

State/County wide
Initiative (voluntary)
Figure 2.3 - State and County Governments

State/County owned
Properties (mandatory)

In-House Reference Guides

All of these documents have been written with a particular project, building type, organization or firm in mind. They were either written internally, or by a contracted consultant firm
specifically for their own intentions. The Navy's Whole Building Design Guide is organized
by design criteria: sustainable, secure, durable, cost-effective, productive, aesthetic; building types; and the typical Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) divisions 1 through 16.
Its purpose is to "provide an overview of the various concepts and best practices associated with good building design."2 It is unique in that it is an internet-based guide that provides links to standards and criteria, commercially available green products, technology
resource pages and software-based design tools. HOK's Sustainable Building Handbook
and the Air Force's Environmentally Responsible Facilities Guide both focus on the process of design, while the USPS's Building Design Standards and the U.S. Park Service's
Guiding Principles of Sustainable Design suggest specific actions to be taken. The Greening of the White House and Pentagon, Battery City Park's Residential Environmental Guidelines and the USPS were written with specific buildings or projects in mind.

Figure 2.4 - In-House Reference Guides

Universities
There are many universities across the country that have made a commitment to integrating environmentally responsible development practices into its construction programs. These
practices usually have adopted a policy that addresses resource conservation, waste reduction strategies, disposal of toxic materials and emissions, recycling and the use of
recycled materials. Sustainable development concepts, applied to the design, construction, operation, renovation, and demolition of buildings and landscapes are consistent with
overall campus-wide environmental initiatives. The following campus' all have projects in
development, and have taken different approaches. The three main categories are campus initiatives, process oriented, and building guidelines. Many schools have chosen to
adopt the LEED standard as a base reference. While it is certainly facile to use a LEED
rating, it may not be the best answer for every university. Adopting LEED as a standard
provides the recognition of an established rating for new buildings, and offers the design
team a built-in support system for understanding green strategies. It also allows the consultants a pre-defined guideline document to follow. But the LEED system was written as
a nation-wide standard, therefore it is not region, or building specific. A possible solution
would be to tailor the LEED guideline to incorporate the specifics of the university. This
would be used as an addition to the LEED requirements.

Carnegie Melon University Green Design Initiative

CSU Monterey Bay -

Project in
Development

Greening of the Campus

Duke UniversitV - Environmental

MIT - Green Building Design

Guidelines

Building Guidelines
Figure 2.5 - University Guidelines

Campus

Resource Guides
Resource guides compile the vast amount
of information available and make it easier to
use. They generally include detailed information about materials and product listings.
Some provide case studies. The Sustainable Building Technical Manual is organized
by project phase, with each chapter authored
by a different expert. It is a good general reference guide and provides information for
writing building guidelines. The AIA's Environmental Resources Guide provides in
depth information on the environmental impacts of building materials and offer guidelines for comparing systems such as light
framing, insulation, cladding, wall finishes,
resilient flooring, architectural coatings, glazing and carpeting.

C &ieEthim-

ConTer Reseni

Association, UK -Green
Buiding Handbook

Resource
Guide

Naional Polin Preventon

Cener for igher Educatio, MI Introduction to
Sustainable Design

Arnerica iStvie of Archites Environmental Resource Guide

USGEE, EPA DOE.

Sustainable Building Technical

Manual

Figure 2.6 - Resource Guides

Environmental Performance Assessment Rating Tools

The BREEAM rating system has been in use
the longest of all rating tools, about ten years.
It is now a widely adopted document in the
UK. The LEED system has been used in
the US recently. These two systems will be
discussed infuther detail later. BEPAC, from
British Columbia, is organized by five
catagories: ozone layer protection, environmental impacts of energy use, indoor environmental quality, resource conservation and
site & transportation.

Assessment
ToolE

Figure 2.7 - Rating Tools

Five Comparisons
The following 5 guidelines have been chosen because they are all valuable references in
different ways. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED 2.0) is the
emerging industry standard in the United States. British Research Environmental Establishment Method (BREEAM) is one of the first established, and among the more widely
used environmental performance assessment tools. Pennsylvania's Guidelines for Creating High-Perfomance Green Buildings is a good reference for the process of creating guidelines and integrating the guidelines into the different phases of building. Hellmuth, Obata &
Kassabaum's (HOK) Sustainable Design Guide is written from the design team's perspective, and comes from a firm that has been instrumental in drafting several other guidelines.
British Columbia University's Facilities Branch Environmental Guidelines, was chosen because it is an example of a university developed tool.
Figure 2.8 - Comparison of Five Guidelines and Rating Tools
Name & Date
of
Publication

Users

Type of
Guide

Project
Types

Design
Categories

Project
Phase

-Architects
-Owners
-Developers

Selfassessed
rating
system

-New
Constructio
n
-Renovation
-institutions
-Healthcare

-Site
-Water
-Energy
-Materlals
.IEQ
-innovation

-Schematic
-Design
development
-CD's
-Construction
-Commissioning

LEED 1.0, 1998

LEED 2.0, 2000

.High-rlse

.Application

-Office
-Management
-Superstore -Health
.Energy/CO2
s
-Transportation
-Industrial
-Residential -Water
-Existing
-Materiais
Renovation -Landuse
-Site ecology
-Pollution

-Building
performance
- Design&
procurement
-Management &
operations

Residential
Commercla
I realestate
Thirdparty
assessed
rating
system

BREEAM 1990

-Architects
-Tenants
-Bldg managers
-Owners
-Govemment
agencies

Pennsylvania,

-State agencies Reference

Guide
-Architects
-Decision
makers

1999

-Architects
-Project teams

HOK, 1998

-Team building
-Site
-Enclosure
-Mechanical
-Interiors
-Materials

-Design &
const.
-Design
optimization
-CD's
-Bidding
-Commissioning
-O&M

Master
plans
-Office

-Site
-Energy
-Materials
-IAQ
-Water
-Waste

-Predesign
-Design
-CD's
-Construction
admin.

-Natural
systems
-Energy use
-Health & well
being
-Integration of
principles

-Campus
planning
-O&M
-integrated
design
approaches

-Retail
-Historical
'Constructe
dwetlands
-in house
designteams

BC University,
1995

Checklist

-Office
-Public
-Institutiona
I
-Residence
-Laboratory

Reference -University
Guide

LEED
The US Green Building Council (USGBC) began to develop the LEED rating system in
1995 in response to the market's demand for a definition of 'green building'. Other rating
systems such as BEPAC and BREEAM existed at that time, but there was no such system
in the US. USGBC is a national, non-profit organization with over 500 members nationwide.3 Its purpose is to accelerate the implementation of green building policies, programs,
technologies, standards and design practices. LEED has been adopted and mandated by
many US governmental agencies for their own building design, which will inevitably encourage the market transformation of supporting green technologies. It encourages and guides
a collaborative, integrated design team and construction process. It is a self-rating tool that
results in one of 4 ratings. The rating process can be lengthy and expensive depending
upon the project type and experience of the consultants. There are four levels of certification depending on the number of points awarded:
-

LEED Certified

26 - 31 points

Silver Level

32 - 37 points

Gold Level

38 - 44 points

Platinum Level

45 + points

Criteria

Weighting
Total
Required
Credits Available % of Total

Energy & Atmosphere

Indoor Environmental
uali

17

25

15

22

1
1

14
13
5

20
19
7

69

100

IE__

Sustainable Sites
Materials & Resources
Water Efficiency
Innovation & Design
Process

Total

Figure 2.9 - LEED Criteria Weighting

In addition to the basic credits of site, water, energy, materials, and indoor environmental
quality (Fig. 2.9), there are four innovation credits that LEED does not specifically address,
which can be applied for with innovative green building design or construction practices.
32

These innovation credits are a major difference between LEED 1.0 and 2.0. LEED 2.0
allows for flexibility that is not specifically defined in the document. Other changes in
version 2.0 include a move to performance-based, rather than a prescriptive-based, requirements.
Fig. 2.10 is an example of one of the available credits in the site category. Each credit
identifies the intent of a project, and describes the overall requirements for achieving the
available points, usually citing an existing building code that is either performance or prescriptive based. It then cites technologies and strategies, and provides suggestions for
achieving the stated requirements.
Site Credit 2:

INTENT:

Urban
Redevelopment

Channel development to urban areas with existing

infrastructure, protecting greenfields and preserving habitat
and natural resources.

Points;

REQUIREMENT:
Increase localized density to conform to existing or desired
density goals by utilizing sites that are located within an
existing minimum development density of 60,000 square
feet per acre (2 story downtown development).
TECHNOLOGI ES/STRATEGIES:
During the site selection process give preference to
previously developed sites with urban redevelopment
potential.

Figure 2.10 - Example LEED Criteria

A drawback of any rating system is the problem of prioritization. Inherent in these systems
are value judgements on what constitutes a 'green building'. Because LEED is a national
standard, it could not possibly regionalize the criteria, or give priority weighting to the specific climate zones. Establishing different LEED tools for different building types has been
discussed, such as retail and residential. This would at least address the issue of different
building uses. Another criticism is that these systems can be very 'heavy' in one criteria
area, while virtually ignoring others. Although there are minimum pre-requisites that must
be adhered to, this can lead to a potential non-holistic building by allowing buildings to meet
the threshold by capturing points in only a few areas. The value rests in the requirements
needed to achieve the credits.

The backbone of LEED is the referencing of existing building codes and standards across
the country. (Fig. 2.11) The intent was not to duplicate work already done, but rather to
bring buildings across the nation to a higher than minimum standard. The criticism here
has been that there should be an even higher standard. But again, the intent of this document at this time, is to transform the market and kick-start the supporting green technologies. To achieve the higher ratings, such as silver and platinum, these standards must be
bested by a large marginal percentage.
Maryland Model Erosion and Sediment Control, Sections 4.2 (e) and (f)
EPA/ DOE EnergyStar@ Benchmarking Tool
ASHRAE Standard 62- 1989 (IAQ)
ASHRAE Standard 55- 1992 (Thermal Comfort)
ASHRAE/IES 90.1-1989 (Energy Efficiency)
South Coast Air Quality Mgmt. District 1168 (Low VOC)
Energy Policy Act of 1992 (Plumbing Fixture)
California State Title 24 (Lighting Requirements)
SCAQMD Southcoast Rule #1168 (Building Materials)
DOE Building Measurement and Verification Protocol
US GSA Model Commissioning Plan and Guide Specification
Figure 2.11 - LEED Standards and Building Codes

BREEAM
The Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method, or BREEAM,
was first developed in 1990 by the BRE, ECD Energy and Environment, Ltd.,4 in the UK.
BREEAM was conceived as a marketing and auditing tool, rather than a design tool, which
assesses a buildings' environmental quality and performance in terms of environmental
impact, energy efficiency, health, operations and management. BREEAM is a tool that
allows the owners, users and designers of buildings to review and improve environmental
performance throughout the life of a building. BREEAM works by awarding 'credits' for
meeting different environmental targets. These are summarized on a certificate, which the
client displays in the building or uses in publicity material. For some building types, a
summary of performance is expressed as a single rating of Fair, which is greater or equal
to 60% of the total points available, Good - 70%, Very Good - 80%, or Excellent - 90%,

based on the distribution of credits. BREEAM offers its users pre-assessment design
support from authorized assessors, and independent monitoring and advice during the
34

design process. It provides an opportunity to demonstrate and benchmark environmental

performance recognition with a market label, indicating that a building has achieved a certain level of environmental performance. The methodology is based on a questionnaire, as
well as an on-site visit of the building that includes assessment of the mechanical room,
common areas and typical tenant areas. It also includes a meeting with the building's
management. Measurements are made, including carbon dioxide, lighting and sound levels, and others. Because this is a certification program, all the supporting documents
needed are verified.
The assessment is reported in two stages. The preliminary report indicates how the building performed and recommends realistic measures to improve the rating. The final report
takes into account any of the subsequent improvements. A certificate accompanies the
final report and provides third party endorsement of the building. Credits are awarded in
three sections: global issues and use of resources, local issues and indoor issues. Again,
a criticism is that there is not a user-defined ability to prioritize the criteria. Looking at the
weighting of the criteria, (Fig. 2.12) it is noted that BREEAM rates the use of timber as the
primary criterion for a green building. C02 production and CFC/HCFC emissions is the
secondary priority, and the ecological value of the site is the third priority. The use of hazardous materials, and recycled & renewable resources, as well as the storage of these
items, rate fourth in their value of criteria.
Total Credits
Available

Required
Credits

Criteria
Global Issues and Use of Resources:
Carbon Dioxide Production Due to Energy
Consumption
Low-Energy Lighting
Gas Cookin2
CFC and HCFC Emrissions

Weighting % of
Total

110.5
1
1
11

Timber

2
2
10.5

16..

Renewabel, Non-Renewable and Recycled Resources

Storage of Recyclable Materials
LocalIssues:
Ecological Value of the Site
Water Economy
Indoor Issues:
Hazardous Materials
Dayhlgting
Thiermal Insulation Materials inLofts
House Lo2
Total

4
1
3
2

10
6

1
1
1
16

8.5
6
6
6
100

1
_

______
____

8
8.5

Figure 2.12 - BREEAM Criteria Weighting

Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania's High-Performance's Green Building Guidelines is mainly intended to famil-

iarize decision-makers with the concepts of sustainability. It is formatted to incorporate

theory, practice, concepts, case studies and checklists to present the subject without dictating solutions. It is not meant to be a prescriptive document. The document's value is in
the directive for the process of drafting and integrating green building design guides. It
specifically states all of the steps necessary to overcome stakeholders' hesitancies and
accomplish the goal of a workable document. The process, as it is described involves the
following steps:5
Team building and goal setting, which includes developing a vision statement, and goals
that reflect the vision, defining achievable design criteria, and prioritizing the criteria.
Design optimization, which looks at the systems and products as the building is being
designed to ensure the intended goals are reached and exceeded. One of the
purposes of design optimization is to scrutinize the large, overarching goals set at
the beginning of the project to see if the effort is on track. Another is to take advantage of each additional opportunity as the project evolves.
Development of construction documents and specifications, which includes formulating a statement of intent and creating a performance program to document the
overall strategy for integrating the parameters of the project and specifications by
CSI division. The statement of intent includes a description of how systems are to
perform. The creation of a performance program to document the overall strategy
for integrating the parameters of the project must consider: budgets, site utilization,
space planning, integrated building systems, and occupancy issues, and set target
limits.
The bidding & construction phase, which includes an ongoing budget and cost feedback system. Advantages of the team approach include having the opportunities
for ongoing budget and cost feedback, and for investigating project options as they
occur. It reduces cost-increased bids due to 'specialized' methods and materials.
It controls principles during construction by anticipating the pressure of contractors
and sub-contractors who might want to substitute green materials and practices
with those that are familiar to the general and sub-contractors.
Building commissioning, which is the post-construction process of ensuring that building systems are designed, installed, functionally tested and capable of being oper-

ated and maintained according to the owner's operational needs. Systems that
require commissioning include mechanical: hot water heating, pumps, cooling tower,
air handling equipment and controls; plumbing: service water heaters, pumps, tanks,
compressors, controls; electrical: security systems, emergency generator systems,
fire management systems, controls; and other: sprinklers, elevators, audio/visual
systems, controls.
Operations & maintenence phase, which includes: educating all building occupants
and other appropriate parties about the goals and benefits of the 0 & M program.
The return on investment can only be realized if the design and construction process includes an integrated approach to operation and maintenance.

Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum (HOK)

HOK's Sustainable Design Guide is an example of a document written by an in-house
team that based their recommendations upon their own experiences implementing sustainable design strategies on various projects. It is a good reference for the basic steps.
Their current document, The HOK Guidebook to Sustainable Design, includes a large case-

study section. HOK state that the current design process is largely linear, which is a recognized problem. According to HOK, sustainable design involves 6 key steps in the revised
facility delivery process.6
Team formation. From the beginning of the project, their advice is to include, in
addition to the design team, the engineers, contractors, major sub-contractors,
operations management, various consultants, and in some cases, the key suppliers. (However, they neglect to list the users of the building.)
Project initiation, which has two stages: education and goal setting. The whole
team must be educated concerning basic environmental problems and opportunities, and then environmental goals for the project must be set.
Optimization, which is the process of questioning each component and process to
achieve the best results with the least expenditure of resources. They compare
this to the budget process in that all decisions are reviewed through a 'green'
filter.
The project actions, which, in the HOK guide, refer to the construction documents

and specifications phases.

Bidding and construction. This process can sometimes be complicated because
of the many players involved at this time. According to HOK, there should be
educational sessions on environmental goals, just as there are sessions for
new workers concerning job site procedures and safety.
Post occupancy. As with the other guidelines, attention to operations and maintenance is imperative for sustainable buildings.
The sustainability checklist includes key sustainable design objectives for the three major
project phases, which have been defined as: pre-design, design & documentation, and
construction administration. Each phase is further divided into six areas of sustainable
design: planning, energy, building materials, indoor air quality, water conservation, and recycling and waste management. Table 2.13 is an example of one of their project actions for
the site category. The project actions are recommendations by phase and topic that should
be considered during the design process. In this case the phase is pre-design and the
topic is general. Goals are included to provide additional guidance to the design team and
to assist in measuring performance similar to that of LEED's requirements. For easy
reference while using this document, the letters P, for programmer, and LA, for landscape
architect, are used to denote the design members involved at that phase. Further references indicate the potential effect on the owner, time or expense. For example, the letter 0,
requires consultation with the owner, $F - affects the fees, and $C - affects the construction costs.
Figure 2.13 - HOK Project Action Example

Project Actions - Site

Pre-Design - General
P, LA

0, $F

1. Suggest that an expert on sustainable landscape

planning and design be included as an integral
member of the design team

P, LA

0, $C

2. Check local and state legal requirements for

erosion control. Consider the adoption of more
stringent requirements if necessary to protect the
site and surrounding areas
Goal: Comply with sections 4.2 e. &f of the

Maiyland Model Erosion and Sediment Control

Ordinanceand Section 6 (group2) of the
Maryland Model Stormwater Management
Ordinance

British Columbia Universtiy

These guidelines are primarily directed at teams engaged in designing new facilities for
universities and colleges in British Columbia. They both reflect and communicate an expectation that all new building projects and major renovations will be designed to their self
defined high environmental standards. The first section involves the integration of principles. It is their contention that educational institutions should strive to effect a comprehensive, holistic and environmentally sustainable approach to development and operation
by consideration of all of the following issues:7
Changing context: identifying the environmental design goals and directives.
Respect for Natural Systems: being conscious of, and responsive to, the ecology of
the site and of existing natural systems.
Energy efficiency: emphasizing the importance of energy in sustainable building
strategies and identifying architectural and engineering design strategies to reduce building operating energy use.
Resource Use: engaging in more effective and efficient use of resources in the
construction, maintenance and operation of buildings than is currently practiced
through use of a more detailed definition of sustainability.
Health and Well-Being of Users: considering design strategies which enhance thermal quality, indoor air quality, lighting and acoustic quality.
A final section which identifies key inter-relationships between the various environmental issues and design strategies covered in the previous sections.
The following provides an overview of the sustainability issues, which are being cited as
part of a new agenda for building design and operation. These issues include:
Environmental guidelines - According to BCU, sustainability requires first and foremost an attitudinal shift, to embrace new ways of thinking about the processes
of production, use and disposal of buildings.
Performance goals - Environmental performance goal setting must, however, take
place in conjunction with commitments to economic considerations, public acceptability, and technological and administrative feasibility.
Comprehensive evaluations of design alternatives - Designing post-secondary education facilities to higher environmental standards has both capital and operating cost implications and also has maintenance implications that must be con-

sidered in design alternatives.

Broader environmental commitment - Wherever possible, building design should
make environmental strategies explicit so as to communicate an emerging
emphasis for these broader environmental considerations
Issues covered in guidelines - Changing context in universities, including both management and site related issues:
Section 1 - Introduction
Section 2 - Project planning and management

Section 3 - Energy efficiency

Section 4 - Resource conservation
Section 5 - Health & well-being of users
Section 6 - Integration of systems

SUMMARY: ENERGY GOALS & STRATEGIES

Advanced
Section Applicable

Energy Issue

Innovative

Standards

ENERGY GOALS

3A2.

SITING AND SITE

PLANNING

LJ.

ASHRAE/IES 75% of ASHRAE/IES Std. 90.1

Std. 90.1-

50% of ASHIRAE/IES Std.

90.1

1989

Landscaping strategy integral part of energy Maximum use of ambient

energy sources offered by the
strategy; planting to minimise north
site.
exposure; examination of impact on
daylight potential.
Careful selection and placement of
deciduous vegetation on south orientations;
reflective ground cover to enhance
daylighting in lower buildings.

BUILDING MASSING
& ORIENTATION

12

Building form evaluated comprehensively

taking into account building heat loss, solar
,gain and

daylighting

Figure 2.14 - British Columbia University Summary Example

Conclusions
While all of these guidelines and assessment tools differ, they all greatly emphasize that
sustainability, or green building design is more than just energy efficiency. It is a holistic
approach to planning, design, construction, operations & maintenance, and building reuse.
They redefine buildings in terms of quality of performance, rather than aesthetics alone.
Green building guidelines and rating systems demystify what green buildings are, and define what constitutes a green building by identifying qualitative and quantitative measurements of improvement.

42

Notes
The City of Austin implemented Green Building into their own facilities in 1993. In 1994 a resolution form City Council directed the creation of Municipal Guidelines. http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/
greenbuilder/programs.htm
2 Communication Magazine, Summer 98, Navy takes on a "Whole Building Design" approach, 2
p5
3 United States Green Building Council, http://www.usgbc.org/
4 British Reserach Establishment, http://www.bre.co.uk/sustainable/servicel.html
5 Kobet, Bob & Wendy Powers, Conservation Consultants, Inc., Guidelines for Creating HighPerformance Green Buildings, PennysIvania Department of Environmental Protection, 1999
6 Mendler, Sandra, AIA, Sustainable Design Guide, Hellmuth, Obata + Kassabaum, January
1998,
p.iv-vi
7 Government of British Columbia, Public Post Secondary Institutions,
Environmental Report,
Section 1.6, http://www.aett.gov.bc.ca/environmental/data/environt/sec-one.htm#1.4
1

44

Sustainability Tools
Inorder to develop a better understanding of the building design performance, the operation
of the structure needs to be estimated. There are many different building operations to be
concerned with: thermal performance, energy efficiency, ventilation, heat flow through construction details and lighting quality. To achieve the most sustainable plans, architects
require effective tools for analyzing and understanding the complex behavior of the building
in terms of its environmental impact and indoor environmental quality. To that end, there
has been the development of many computer-based design and simulation tools. The
targets of simulation analysis include providing comfortable indoor environmental conditions at an acceptable fuel consumption level, and optimizing systems performance. Sith
sustainability tools, complicated design problems can be investigated and their performance
can be quantified and evaluated.
The tools available to architects and engineers concerned with building performance are
computer-based building simulation, life cycle analysis and design tools. They range from
the simple and approximate to the detailed and sophisticated. Most of the research relates
to studies of fundamental theory and algorithms of load calculation, which results in some
simplified methods, e.g., degree-day method, equivalent full load hour method, and bin
methods, to predict the energy consumption of buildings, and some detail methods like
weighting factors to predict peak cooling load. Selection of a sustainability program should
consider the project requirements, time and cost to perform the simulation, availability and
capacity of the computer system and the experience of the user.
Although there are many advanced tools available, they remain largely unused by most
architects. In order to analyze and simulate building behaviors, large amounts of detailed
information regarding the location, size, configuration, and context of the building design is
required that is usually input via the keyboard. The outputs are usually in the form of tables
and graphs that are difficult to interpret. As a result, many of these tools require a specialty
consultant to prepare and are very costly. Or conversely, the programs are too rudimentary
and therefore are limited in usable information. Another barrier to using these tools is that
the multiple concerns require different sets of data to be input in different formats, so that
each one requires a different program. Again, this is time consuming and costly to prepare
and review.

Popular applications include:

Simulation Tools
Whole building energy performance analysis
Building energy simulation is performed to analyze the energy performance of a
building dynamically and to understand the relationship between the design parameters and energy use characteristics of the building. Energy analysis can help to
develop effective design strategies and would be used at the design development
phase of the project. Simplified energy analysis programs, such as Energy-10 and
Energy Scheming can be used at the schematic design.
Lighting and daylighting simulation
How the daylight is distributed over the space determines occupant satisfaction and
the level of artificial lighting consumption. Optimization at this level supports decisions
that aim to achieve a healthy environment with minimal electrical costs for the lighting. These tools would be used at the design development phase by the architect or
engineer.
Computational fluid dynamics (CFD)
CFD is widely used in the study of global warming, urban climate, microclimate,
building ventilation, indoor air quality, indoor thermal comfort, fire safety, and smoke
extraction. At this time, most CFD programs are cumbersome and difficult to use.
Life Cycle Analysis Tools
Life Cycle Analysis (LCCA)
Life cycle analysis (LCA), is used for building materials and assemblies to compare
design options based on life cycle costs. This method can be used at all phases of
building by the architect, materials specifications writer, and contractor.
Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA)
These programs are best used throughout the design process, so that decisions can
be made based on up-to-date cost information.

Simplified Design Tools

Design tools are useful in the early design stages because they require simpler and
less input data. The simulations are quick to run, so they can be used easily. Most of
these tools are over-simplified, but are a good starting point when trying to understand the breadth of a sustainable project.

Simulation Tools
One of the most powerful techniques available to the designer is computer modeling and
simulation. Modeling is defined as the art of developing a model that faithfully represents a
complex system, and simulation is the process of using the model to analyze and predict
the behavior of the real system.' The major consumers of energy in a building are the
lighting, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. Therefore it is essential
that thermal performance of buildings and mechanical systems are understood and optimized.
Effective application of building simulation requires a skilled user that can choose a suitable
simulation program, and is knowledgeable in the input as well as interpreting the results.
The goal of design in architecture is to achieve the best balance of performances in a
complete set of application criteria. The architect designs in an iterative creative process
and a full range of architectural issues and criteria have to be considered simultaneously.
Understanding the design and performance relationship is essential and can be facilitated
through building simulation.
Seven
1.
2.
3.

major steps have been recommended as a framework for a successful analysis:2

Defining the problem
Specifying the model
Data acquisition

4. Implementation
5. Planning
6. Experimentation
7. Analysis of results and reporting

Figure 3.1 shows the possible applications of energy analysis at various stages of the
building design process. At the early design stages, only conceptual sketches and schematics, often rough and incomplete, are available. As the design proceeds, more information and detail will be developed. If energy analysis starts early in the generative design
phase, then energy considerations can be integrated into the building form and design
concept. It is believed that the best opportunities for improving the energy performance of
a building occur early in the design process.3

Fig. 3.1 Energy Analysis in the Building Design Process, source: Sam C M Hui, The University of Hong
Kong, www://arch.hku.hk/-cmhui

The following is a discussion of several sustainability tools. For a complete list, see Appendix E.

POWERDOE

PowerDOE is the newest building energy simulation tool from the DOE family, from the
Department of Energy. It is easier to use than the original DOE-2, due to the flexible Windows graphical user interface. PowerDOE's development began in 1992 as a collaborative
effort of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the Electric Power Research Institute. 4 It is designed to serve a wide range of users, including building performance analysts, HVAC designers, architects, and electric and gas utility personnel and contractors.
PowerDOE has a modular structure that allows sections of the program to be accessed
externally or connected with other analysis tools. For example, its Review Results module
can be used as a stand-alone application for post-processing DOE-2 results. The PowerDOE
structure allows third party developers to use these modules. It will also be linked to the
Building Design Advisor, a multimedia-based, integrated building design support tool being
developed separately at LBNL.
=Onmmrri~n
Filr Edit Utilititas

Ruuilding Analyit Toni PInwrDIFI _

= 0i

Virw Help

Figure 3.2 PowerDOE Schematic Design Tool, source CBS Newsletter Summer 1994 p8

Radiance
Radiance was developed at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and is used to
study lighting and daylighting strategies, exterior horizontal light shelves, interior shading
devices, interior layouts and material color selection. The user builds a model of the
interior spaces and inputs each surface's shape, texture, size, location and composition.
The program analyzes the lighting conditions for a specific date, time and type of sky
condition.

Life-cycle Analysis of Building Materials

While design tools aid architects in basic decisions such as building siting and massing,
and energy simulation tools provide information regarding predicted performance, life-cycle
analysis (LCA) tools attempt to quantify the economic, social and environmental components of sustainability as the basis for comparing building products and designs. LCA is a
way of examining the total environmental impact of a product through every step of its lifeincluding raw materials extraction (for example, through mining or logging), and processing, product manufacture, transportation, installation, operation and maintenance, and ultimately recycling and waste management.
A product is claimed to be green simply because it has recycled content, or claimed not to
be green because it emits volatile organic compounds (VOC's) during its installation and
use. These single-attribute claims may be misleading because they ignore the possibility
that other life-cycle stages, or other environmental impacts, may yield offsetting impacts.
For example, the recycled-content product may have a high embodied energy content,
leading to resource depletion, global warming, and acid rain impacts during the raw materials extraction and manufacturing life-cycle stages. LCA thus broadens the environmental
discussion by accounting for shifts of environmental problems from one life-cycle stage to
another, or one environmental medium (land, air water) to another. The benefit of the LCA
approach is in implementing a trade-off analysis to achieve a genuine reduction in overall
environmental impact, rather than a simple shift of impact.

There are four main life-cycle analysis tools: BEES from the US, Athena from Canada and
Envest from the UK, and EcoQuantum from the Netherlands.

BEES - Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability

Developed by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), BEES 2.0
help designers, builders and product manufacturers evaluate cost-effective green building
products using the LCA approach. It includes comparative environmental and economic
performance data for generic building products used for framing, wall finishes, wall and roof
sheathing, insulation, roof and floor coverings, slabs, basement wells, beams, columns,
parking-lot paving, and driveways
First, one sets the analysis parameters. BEES uses preference weights for environmental
versus economic performance. For example, if environmental performance is the only
important consideration, a value of 100 is entered. Next you are asked to select your relative
preference weights for the environmental impact categories, the following Table 3.1 shows
the choices available

Weight Set:

Natural Indoor Air Solid

Global
Warming Acidifcation Eutrophication Resource Quality Waste
Depletion

User-defined
EPA Science

17
27

17

17

17

16

16

13

13

13

27

28
17

17
17

18
17

15
17

12
16

10
16

Advisory Board
Harvard Study
Equal Weights

Table 3.3 Environmental Impact Category Weights, source: BEES Program

Finally, one enters the real discount rate for converting future building product costs to their
equivalent present value. The maximum value allowed is 20%. The 2000 rate mandated by
the U.S. Office of Management and Budget for most Federal projects, 4.2%, is provided as
a default value.
The next step is to select the building element for comparison. BEES 2.0 allows compari-

son for 65 products across 15 building elements: slabs on grade, basement walls, beams,
columns, roof sheathing, exterior wall finishes, wall insulation, wall sheathing, framing, roof
coverings, ceiling insulation, interior wall finishes, floor coverings, parking lot paving, and
driveways. And finally you must select the transportation distance form the manufacturing
facility to the building in which the product will be installed.
The results are computed and displays the BEES environmental and economic performance scores. By default, three summary graphs are selected for display or printing:
Overall Performance, Environmental Performance, and Economic Performance.
For example, a comparison of three roof coverings, asphalt shingles, clay tiles and fiber
cement tiles can be compared on the basis of their life-cycle costs to determine which is
the least cost means of covering the roof over the study period. For this example the
discount rate is the default 4.2%, a 50% economic and 50% environmental weight and the
EPA-based criteria weighting have been chosen as parameters.
Figure 3.4 shows the BEES Environmental Performance Results displaying the weighted
environmental performance scores for our example. Lower values are better; if a product
performs worse with respect tall environmental impacts, it receives the worst possible
score of 100. The graph breaks down the weighted environmental score by its six contributing impact scores: Global Warming Potential, Acidification Potential, Eutrophication Potential, Natural Resource Depletion, Indoor Air Quality and Solid Waste. In this case, asphalt tiles are the better choice, although not shown are results for embodied energy, which
names fiber cement tiles are the better choice. In sum, the answer depends on the tradeoffs.

____________________________________________

*Acidification
E Eutrophication
[I GlobalWarming

indoor
Air
E NaturalResources
0 Solid Waste
ClayTile

Alternatives
Note: Lower values are beter

Category

ClayTile

Asphalt

Acidification-13%[

13

Eutrophication--13%

12

GlobalWarming--27%1

12

24

IndoorAir--27%1

NaturalResources-13%1
SolidWaste--7%1

Sum1

3
3

13

30

1_7

Fib.Cement
11

[
[
1
1

13
27
0

1
4

69

~7j~

Figure 3.4 BEES Environmental Performance Results, source BEES Program

ATHENA
While BEES is a product comparison LCA tool, ATHENA compares building assembly
options. The program includes low-rise commercial, institutional, light industrial and residential buildings.
The ultimate goal is to encourage selection of material mixes and other design options that
will minimize a building s potential life cycle environmental impacts and foster sustainable
development. 5
An ATHENA user first enters a general description of a building project, including its location, and then specifies a design by selecting from typical assemblies or by entering specific quantities of individual products. The building location is identified as a region by selecting whichever of six cities in Canada best represents the region in which it is to be built.

The model also includes energy use and related air emissions for on-site construction of a
building s structural assemblies. The inventory data includes natural resource, energy and
water inputs to processes as well as emissions to air, water and land for the manufacture,
transportation and use of all of the individual building products.
7

The following summary measures of potential environmental loading is provided:

G a global warming potential index, which aggregates atmospheric emissions
that contribute to the greenhouse problem, developed using the C02 equivalence
method;
air and water pollution indices, developed using the critical volume method for
the worst offender, to indicate the relative toxicity or health effects of groups of
emissions to air and water and;
G an index of the ecological carrying capacity effects of resource extraction (i.e.
effects on the carrying capacity of ecosystems like those of timber harvesting on
bio-diversity or the effects of mining on groundwater quality), developed from a
survey of environmental and resource extraction experts and used in ATHENA to
weight the absolute quantities of the main raw resource required to manufacture
the products of interest.

The following Figure 3.5 shows global warming potential (greenhouse gas) results for a
concrete vs. a steel office building. The results are broken down in the figure by activity
state - resource extraction, manufacturing and on-site construction. These results are
based on Canadian LCI inventory data for typical or average manufacturing technologies
and practices, with the energy use and GWP results taking into account of transportation.

.. 4IIXI

Ir-11 X1 I

Lo

_Isj "A'

Companson

of Global

Warming

Potential

by ble

Cycle

Stage-

Absolute

Value

- GRAPH

FNJ

Figure 3.5 ATHENA Environmental Performance Results, source ATHENA program

Life-cycle Cost Analysis

TLCC = first costs plus all future costs (operating, maintenance, repair and replacement costs and functional-use costs) minus salvage value (i.e. value of an
asset at the end of economic life or study period)
The NIST Building Life-Cycle Cost (BLCC) computer program provides economic analysis
of proposed capital investments that are expected to reduce long-term operating costs of
buildings or building systems. It is especially useful for evaluating the costs and benefits of
energy conservation projects in buildings. Two or more competing designs can be evaluated to determine which has the lowest life-cycle cost. Or a project can be compared
against a 'do-nothing' base case where no capital improvements are made to reduce further costs. Inaddition to comparing two or more alternatives, it computes the Net Savings,
Savings-to-Investment Ration, Adjusted Internal Rate of Return, and Years to Payback. But
these tools require specialized knowledge to use, both in the input and the interpretation of

the results. Another good reference for LCCA is the National Bureau of Standards (NBS)
Handbook 135, Life Cycle Costing Manual for the Federal Energy Management Program: a
guide for evaluating the cost effectiveness of energy conservation and renewable energy
projects.

Simplified Design Tools

There is one main holistic simplified sustainability design tool available, the Green Building
89
Advisor. Another tool, the Building Design Advisor9 is still in development, but promises to
be a very good tool that allows the user to model the project once, and receive project
specific simulated information regarding energy efficiency, lighting, and ventilation. There
are many computer based energy efficiency design tools available, such as Energy Scheming, described below.

Green Building Advisor

This program is a very basic reference tool that gives the user a broad scope of issues to
think about while designing. Because of the limited building description input data, the
recommendations are not project specific. What makes this program unique is that it has
a library of case studies, hot links to building project listings, technical articles and a bibliography. These features make this tool a good resource of information, rather than a project
specific simulation tool. The most beneficial times to use this program are at the predesign and schmatic phases. A student, or designer would input information basic regarding the building description for new and renovation projects. The output is in a written
format, and covers the following issues:
Site & ecosystem: site selection, land development, stormwater, landscaping, regional integration;
Energy use: building envelope, heating, cooling & ventilation, lighting, appliances &
equipment, water heating, energy source;
Water use: landscaping, plumbing & fixtures, appliances, general;
Resources & Materials: resource efficiency, construction and demolition management, future waste minimization, materials by CSI division;

Indoor Environment
The Figure 3.5 below is an example of the information one would receive regarding the
envelope under the energy category.

ACr eva a pov"ekW.s a -v*Je of at %4U

Ac-

ev

a A04*4

ektt
*a.

wi ci-Van d A im

US# dmr3rI

sad-rabty

Vtt ua

weamnende d

Figure 3.5 Envelope Strategies for Green Building Advisor, source GBA

Building Design Advisor 3.0

The greatest value in this tool is that it is linked to the established simulation tools DOE-2 for
thermal and energy costs. It has an internal daylighting and electrical lighting component.
Future versions will link to COMIS for airflow and indoor air quality, Radiance for daylighting,
Athena for life-cycle analysis, a building rating system, cost-estimator, CAD software and
product catalogues. The user then only has to model the project once, or even better, just
input the CAD file already modeled for the construction documents, and will be able to
receive the building simulations from each of these tools in return. While this program has
a lot of promise, it is still is in the development stage and has many bugs. It is cumbersome
to input and the modeling capacity is limited to rectilinear spaces in order to use the lighting
simulation tools. This tool is best used at the schematic phase by a designer or architect.

The building information is modeled using the tools schematic graphics editor and includes
information regarding the building configuration, windows, doors, light fixtures, exterior shading devices, over hang dimensions. The output is in graphical format, which is easy to
interpret. It gives analysis on energy-efficiency and lighting. The figure 3.6 shows the
graphical output of The Decision Desktop, that allows building designers to compare multiple alternative design solutions with respect to multiple design considerations, as addressed
by the analysis and visualization tools and databases linked to the BDA.

CikCoIlmn_ e~jad~c~ulate.,

Solution 1

Solution 2

Solution3

spatial electric light iltuminance

for conference ft)

Figure 3.6 Results of Building Design Advisor, source BDA

Energy Scheming
This program is limited to the Macintosh computer, which makes it less accessible to many
firms. The main benefit is that it is easy to learn and use, which makes it a useful tool for
several design iterations, especially during the schematic design phase. The primary users would be a student or designer for both residential and non-residential projects. A
graphical model can be built in the program, drawings scanned in, or CADD drawing file
imported. The output is in the form of graphs, and text, regarding energy-efficiency analysis. The building description data requirementsare:
Square feet; roofs: area, pitch, slope, materials, color, mass, r-value, lag time, decrement values, absoptivity/conductance values;
Floors: area, type materials, solar zone, r-value;
windows: percent operable, transmittance, tilt, shading coefficients for shading devices, cross and stack ventilating inlets and outlets, stack height, obstructions, exterior shades, Interior shades, cross ventilation, night ventilation;
Massing material;
Occupant zone: area, density and type, schedules;
Equipment zones: area, quantity and type, schedules;
Lighting: zones, area, levels, fixture types, schedules;
Walls: area, orientation, solar zone, grade line, materials, color mass type, r-value,
lag time, decrement values, absorptivity/conductance values;
Interior gains: people, equipment, electric light

60

Notes
1 Hensen, J.L.M. & J.W. Hand, 3rd European Conference on Architecture, Solar energy in architecture and urban planning, Commission of the European Communities, Florence, May 1993, p354
2 Newton, D., James, R. and Bartholomew, D., Building energy simulation - a
user's perspective,
Energy and Buildings, 10, p241-247, 1988

D. H., Building energy simulation and the architect, In Building Energy Simulation Conference Notebook, Proc. of the Building Energy Simulation Conference, Wednesday, August 21, 1985,
Seattle, p45-48, 1985
3 Nall,

Winkelmann, Fred and Kathleen Ellington, Simulation Research Group Building Technologies
Program, CBS Newsletter Winter 1996, p4
5 Trusty, W.B., J.K. Meil, G.A. Norris, Eco-Indicators for Products and Materials - State of Play '97:
An International Workshop, Sustainable Materials Institute,
6 Coldham, Bruce, What is Green Architecture?, www.coldhamarch.com/green/what
7 Trusty, W.B., J.K. Meil, G.A. Norris, ATHENA, An LCA Decision Support Tool for the Building
Community, Sustainable Materials Institute
8Center for Renewable Energy and Sustainable Technology - http://www.crest.org/
9
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory - http://gaia.lbl.gov/bda/
10 Energy Studies in Building Laboratory, University of Oregon - http://www.eren.doe.gov/buildings/
tools_directory/software/energysc. htm
4

62

Green Building Strategies

Buildings are an integration of many interdependent systems: structure, envelope, lighting,
mechanical, HVAC, materials, plumbing, telecommunications, security, etc. How these
systems relate and work together is key in understanding and designing a green building.
According to HOK, "integrated design means capturing the benefits of multiple systems
designed to work effectively together rather than separately. For example, overall comfort
can be raised and energy consumption reduced if site design, lighting, window fenestration,
air delivery systems, and furniture are thought of together rather than as discrete parts of
the project."1
Architecture is a process of creating buildings, which means making decisions based on
cost, feasibility, project constraints, aesthetics, and in the case of green building, the consequences to the environment. One of the inherent problems of green building is that there
are many different technologies, strategies, materials, and methods from which to choose.
In addtion, according to Mauritz Glaumann, "the quality of environmental problems has
changed from mainly local and evident towards more diffuse, complex and invisible, such
as magnetic fields, greenhouse effect, radioactive radiation and harmful solar radiation.
This complexity and invisibility complicates the decision of which measures to take." 2 It is
important to set priorities for each project to figure out which efforts will do the most good.
For example, the embodied energy of building materials is perhaps ten to one hundred
times less important for global warming than burning fuels for heating buildings.? Establishing priorities will provide the critical direction needed by the project team in order to
guide their decision-making process. Therefore, there needs to be a way to prioritize these
strategies and technological choices. According to Hal Levin, "Rarely, if ever, is analysis
conducted to evaluate trade-offs made among environmental features considered important in 'green' buildings even though conflicts occur among design features intended to
improve a building's environmental performance. One 'green building' feature may reduce
certain environmental impacts while increasing others. A method is needed to examine the
total environmental impact of designs."4 Prioritizing environmental effects of buildings forces
designers to rethink their design process.

As part of a study conducted for this thesis, 220 different strategies were compared between five guidelines and rating tools. (See Appendix J for full comparison) The strategies
were then summarized into a survey given to MIT's Green Building Task Force5 to establish
what sustainability concepts and objectives are most important to MIT. The purpose of this
survey was to establish an objective methodology for prioritization.
The categories of concentration are divided into Site and Land Use, Water, Materials and
Natural Resources, Energy, Indoor Environmental Quality, and Waste and Pollution Prevention. Within each of these categories, several specific strategies were listed. The
participant was asked rate (from 1 to 5), each strategy's importance to MIT in terms of
environmental and occupant health issues, and to disregard cost as a criteria. The scores
were correlated to a matrix (Table 4.2), that associates the effects of the strategy with
respect to the related categories of environmental impact, natural resource, occupant health,
and community.
There were 12 participants in the following disciplines: 3-Landscape/Planning, 2-Facilities/
Construction, 2-Environmental Policy, 1-Indoor Air Quality, 3-Utilities/HVAC, 1-Building Technology. The reason to include a cross-disciplinary group of participants was to take advantage of the expertise of the whole project team. A person in the landscape profession would
undoubtedly have a better perspective regarding strategies that relate to site and land use,
just as an engineer would have more technical knowledge in HVAC issues.
The tallies were then averaged within each discipline. The following Table 4.1 is an example of one of the strategies within the Site and Land Use category. The results show that
the total number of points from the landscape and planning professionals was 12, out a
possible total of 15, since there were 3 persons responding. Therefore the average rating
from the landscape was 4, out of a possible rating of 1 to 5. Which means they thought
understanding the site was a high priority for MIT. The facilities rated this strategy with an
average score of 4.5 points, etc.

11. Undertanding the Sic - use microclimate and environmentally

responsive site design strategies; schedule construction to minimize sit
impact; opt to reuse an existing building rather than build on new site.
opt to demolish and reuse the site of an existing building.
Averace
Total
Discipline
12Z
Landscape. Planning
9.
4.5
Facilities, Construction
3
6:
Environmental Policy
31 3
2.3
7
Utilities. HVAC
3
3
Bldgy Technology
40
Total Score:
3
Average Score:

Table 4.1 Sample of Green Building Task Force Survey, Site Category

The averaged scores were then correlated to a matrix (Table 4.2), that associates the
effects of the strategy with respect to the related environmental categories of:
Environmental Impact
Greenhouse gas Emissions
Local Air/water/Soil Quality
Biodiversity/Restoration
Natural Resource Effectiveness
Resource Depletion
Energy Efficiency
Material Recycling
Occupant Health
Indoor Environmental Quality
Community
Urban Environment
The Table 4.2, on the following page provides a breakdown of the results in terms of the
strategies used and the corresponding points awarded. Included is a scale of the impact
relevant to the local, regional or global environment.

Table 4.2 Results from Green Building Task Force Survey

5040

30
20---

Tb

F-

iResults from GBTF Survey

4.3 Rey

Hm

10j4
0

Table 4.3 Results from Green Building Task Force Survey

The results inTable 4.3 show that the highest environmental concerns at MIT, as defined by
the Green Building Task Force, are greenhouse gas emissions and energy efficiency, with
resource depletion and indoor environmental quality a close 3rd and 4th. These conclusions can be used as the driving information for the overall vision statement for the institution and the guiding principles of the project. This process should be repeated for each
individual project to determine the specific priorities for the client, building site and project
type. The following principles could be written from the results of the survey above:
Principle 1: Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Principle 2: Conserve Energy
Principle 3: Minimize Use of New Resources
Principle 4: Respect for Users
Principle 5: Respect for Site
Principle 6: Respect for Community
As a comparison, the following is a ranking of issues that are important in the US, as
defined by scientists in the Ecology and Welfare Subcommittee of the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency's Science Advisory Board.6
Relatively High-Risk Problems:
- Habitat alteration and destruction
. Species extinction and overall loss of biodiversity
- Stratospheric ozone depletion
- Global climate change

Relatively Medium-Risk Problems

. Herbicides/pesticides
. Toxics, nutrients, biochemical oxygen demand, and turbidity in surface waters
. Acid deposition
- Airborne Toxics
Relatively Low-Risk Problems:
- Oil spills
- Groundwater pollution
. Radionuclides
- Acid Runoff to surface waters
. Thermal pollution
It is noticeable that separate entities have different issues to consider and therefore the
rankings should differ. This is true of different projects within the same company, or institution. According to Environmental Building News, there are four critical factors. First is
developing an understanding of what the most significant environmental risks are. For
example, which is worse, the release of toxic waste, the destruction of an endangered
species' habitat, or stratospheric ozone depletion? The second critical factor is an understanding of how the buildings contribute to those risks and how significantly the measures
adopted can help the situation. The third factor is related to the specific opportunities presented by each individual project. And the fourth is the consideration of the available resources and agenda of the client.7
The rest of this chapter outlines specific strategies that when employed together, can contribute to a greener project. Since it only makes sense to discuss specific strategies in
terms of a climate region and building type, for the purposes of this thesis, the strategies
are related to MIT buildings, prioritized in order of main concern, as was determined by the
survey given to the Green Building Task Force. Throughout the categories, design, construction, and maintenance issues are discussed.

Site
All the activities that occur on the site during construction and after the building is complete
are linked to the environment beyond the site's boundaries. Therefore, the purpose of
sustainable site planning is to integrate design and construction strategies that will result in
minimized site disruption and encourage effective landscape practices. One of the most
important decisions in green architecture is made in the selection of the site, before design
even begins. "The impact of the project on the regional energy supply networks, water
supply and treatment, waste streams, traffic patterns and counts, existing civil infrastructure and other site-specific concerns is evaluated against life-cycle cost criteria and environmental planning and design requirements."8 Locating new developments on existing
brownfield sites and in urban infill areas may also have economic benefits since the infrastructure and services may already be in place. The goal is to identify the ecological characteristics of the site, determine whether it is appropriate for its proposed use, and design
ways to integrate the building with the site. The following Table 4.3 lists site design strategies that are applicable to MIT. The strategies listed here, and on the following pages are
from the results of the survey given to MIT's Green Building Task Force. 9
Strate2y
Site & Land Use
1 Building-Site Relationship
Schedule construction to minimize site impact
General site layout - consider issues of building mass, orientation, outdoor spaces, passive principles, sun and shade
patterns, landscaping
Mitigation of negative impacts - reduce heat island effect, avoid adverse impacts on adjacent properties, avoid light
p2ollutionI
Site lighting - use solar power, efficient lighting, reflective surfaces
2 Sustainable Landscape Practice
Planting practices - use native trees, shrubs and plants, avoid allergy-causing plants near bldg. intakes, avoid invasive
species, reduce dependence on fertilizer, consider drip irrigation systems
Soil quality - provide facilities for composting of landscape materials, use mulch to conserve soil moisture, allow
clipins and leaves to decompose on the ground
Resource use - use recycled, renewable and locally available materials for landscape features
3 Encourage Alternate Transportation
Promote use of alternate & public transportation - include bus stop seating areas & bicycle amenities
Provide alternative fueling facilities
Carpool incentives
Create pedestrian pockets
4 Understanding the Site
Site selection - maintain and enhance the biodiversity and ecology of the site, consider building footprint to minimize
the impact on natural resources
Use microclimate and environmentally responsive site design strategies - preserve natural contours of site, understand
the impact of design on nature by a comprehensive site analysis

Table 4.3 Strategies for MIT - Site and Land Use

Water
In the United States, approximately 340 billion gallons of fresh water are withdrawn from
rivers, streams, reservoirs, and wells to support our activities in buildings, agriculture and
recreation, 65% of which is returned after use and/or treatment. 10 Water conservation,
efficiency and management results in decreased demand on the local water supply and
treatment facilities. This in turn can result in monetary savings inwater-use and discharge
fees. For example, in a typical 100,000 square foot office building, low-flow fixtures and
equipment can save 1,000,000 gallons of water per year or more, based on 650 building
occupants each using an average of 20 gallons per day. 10 Water conservation and reuse
are the two strategies most important at MIT.
Strategy
Water
1 Water Conservation
Chillers - select based on water conservation criteria avoid one pass systems
Use efficient water heating and recirculation systems to conserve water
Work with natural drainage systems - supplement with detention/retention ponds and/or filtration systems when
necessary
Indigenous landscaping
Water use/pollution prevention - provide porous surfaces for run-off drainage, filter storm water through plantings
and soil, harvest rainwater, do not use chemical pesticides
Water efficient landscaping - limit or eliminate the use of potable water for landscape irrigation.
Ozonation - consider ozonation in commercial laundering, and condenser water systems
Fixture and fitting selection - use low-water or waterless fixtures, automatic shut-off controls, and metered faucets,
consider the use of biocomposting toilets
2 Water Reuse
Site retainage of rainwater - reduce rainwater runoff from the site, roofs, and building surfaces to minimize stress on

sewer system and to divert and reduce water pollution

Irrigation and specialty use water - use systems that maximize efficient use of pressurized water and use high
efficiency irrigation technologies
Rainwater use - collect and use rainwater

Gray water use - collect and use gray water for water closets and urinal flushing
Excess groundwater - recover excess groundwater from sump pumps for use as a source of recycled water
Steam condensate - collect and use utility district steam system condensate for non-potable uses
Vacuum-assist systems - consider a 'vacuum-assist' system for flushing of water closets and urinals

Table 4.4 Strategies for MIT - Water

Building Materials
Building materials play a significant role in sustainable design because of their impact both
on the environment and on human health. The locations and manners in which they are
extracted, transported, manufactured and packaged have many global implications at each

stage of their life-cycle. Building materials can contain toxins that can harm workers during
installation, or users long after construction is complete. New green building materials
have entered the market recently, many of which are economically competitive with their
conventional equivalents. There are several publications and web-sites devoted to environmentally benign material choices such as the AIA's Environmental Resource Guide, and
the Environmental Building News' GreenSpec. It is important to realize that an assemblage
of green materials in itself does not necessarily make a green building. Rather, it is the way
inwhich they are designed into the project that is important. The building design and specifications, installation, construction and eventual reuse or demolition are all deciding factors
in the success of a sustainable building.
Reusing an existing building minimizes habitat destruction, uses infrastructure that is already in place, reduces solid waste and saves landfill space. But it may not be the most
efficient in terms of energy use, so care must be taken while making these decisions.
Table 4.5 displays strategies for material and natural resource use.
Strategy
Materials & Natural Resources
I Design
-Use materials with low environmental impact during their life cycle - conduct a life-cycle analysis
Material conserving design and construction - design for adal tabilitX and disassembly
Size buildings and systems efficiently
Design and detail efficiently to reduce waste generation
Use materials that are Iong-lasting and low maintenance
Eliminate unnecessary finishes
Design for storage & collection of recyclable
2 Installation
Use low VOC-emitting materials
------IUse materials that contain no CFC's HCFC's or halons
Use of Reclaimed or Recycled Materials and Components
3 Eventual Reuse or Waste
Reuse and recycle building components and materials
Reuse and rehabilitate existing structures
-Use materials that are reusable, recyclable or biodegradable
4 Raw Material Extraction
Use salvaged and remanufactured materials
Use recycled content products and materials
Use materials that are harvested or extracted without ecological damage
Use materials that are made of certified sustainable and renewable resources
5 "Distribution
Use locally manufactured materials

Table 4.5 Strategies for MIT - Materials and Natural Resources

Energy
There are three fundamental strategies to a plan that optimizes energy performance: reduce demand, use renewable energy sources, and maximize efficiency. Reducing demand means careful design. When in the planning stage of the project, time should be
spent writing a program that is consistent with the client's needs. Many times a building is
much larger than it needs to be, which not only uses more energy to heat and cool, but also
more materials to build.
Fossil fuels are used for about one third of energy production in the US." Oil and coal fuel
requires extraction, refining, power generation and distribution, which result in significant
environmental impacts. The production of electricity from coal releases carbon dioxide,
which contributes to global warming. It also produces nitrogen oxides, a contributor to
localized smog, and sulfur dioxide, which contributes to acid rain. Also when considering
the environmental impact, there is an amount of energy wasted through the inefficiencies in
generation and transmission between a power plant and the end user. Accounting for
transmission loss may include siting the building close to existing services, or on-site generation such as fuel cells, or in the case of MIT, the use of a co-generation plant.
The HVAC systems improvements usually offer the greatest potential for energy savings in
most facilities. An example of maximizing energy efficiency is to size the HVAC equipment
for actual use, which also derives a first-cost savings. The following Table 4.6 outlines
twelve detailed strategies relevant to energy use and efficiency.
Energv

Proid
htn dntI

rtedwih letri I hincotrls~

Best practice commissioning - verify and ensurete entire building is designed, constructed, and calibrated to operate
as intended with third party
euality
control assurance
Optimize energy performance - achieve increasing levels of energy performance above the prerequisite standard to
reduce environmental impact associated with excessive energy use
Measurement and verification - provide for the ongoing accountability and optimization of building energy and indoor
environmental qiuality (IEQ) performance over time

Table 4.6 Strategies for MIT - Energy

Strategy
Energy
3 Energy Load Management
Energy management system - use independent advanced control system or for all building controls
Maximize efficiency of electric power and distribution, and service water heating
Monitoring and controls - use controls that optimize system response to building pickup and download, energy
consumption monitoring using hourly graphs, load shedding and peak electric demand reduction through scheduled
equipment cycling, local controllers capable of independently managing equipment operation and gathering data for
reportmn

Selection of control method components - use a building automation system to improve the efficiency of HVAC
system

Systems integration - assess the interactions between the HVAC equipment and other related systems, such as
office equipment etc.
Computerized control system - use a computerized control system to establish, maintain and document building
climate conditions with a backup system in place
Heating equipment - when reviewing options for boilers, consider oxygen trim controls, draft control inducers, demand
control based on variations in heating demand, water reset control keyed to outside air temperature, burner flame
control
4 Mechanical Systems
Performance improvement - determine overall environmental impact of building energy consumption, maximize
mechanical s stems Performance
Systems integration - consider all programmatic and architectural features when sizing HVAC units
Zoning - use separate HVAC systems to serve areas with different hours of occupancy, perimeter vs. interior spaces,
special occupancies, and spaces with different exposures
Natural ventilation - consider natural vs. mechanical ventilation durin swing seasons
Distribution systems - analyze the benefits of variable air volume systems
Gas heater/chiller - consider the use of a combination gas heater/chiller
Distributed mechanical rooms - consider independent mechanical rooms on each floor to reduce ductwork and
enhance the balance of delivered air
Consider the use of heat recovery systems Partial load conditions - select high efficiency equipment that operates at high efficiencies under both full and partial
load conditions
Modular boilers - consider installation of multiple modular boilers that allow more efficient partial-load systems
operation
Do not use CFC/HCFC refrigerants
Consider the use of condensing boilers
Chiller sizing - evaluate various sizes and models of chillers to identify units that will most efficiently meet demand
requirements; avoid over sizing of cooling and heating equipment which can reduce efficiency
Desiccant dehumidification - consider desiccant dehumidification as an alternative to the conventional practice of
overcooling outside air to remove latent heat prior to removal of sensible heat
5 High Performance Lighting
Lighting power density - design for efficient light source distribution low ambient lighting levels with task lighting
fixtures that provide significant illumination of ceilings and walls
Use high efficiency lamps and luminaires with electronic ballasts, efficiency-based controls, and lumen maintenance
controls
Fixture uniformity - install lower wattage lamps with more frequency

li ghting

Table 4.6 Strategies for MIT - Energy

Strategy
Energy
6 Air conditioners, chillers, and ventilation controls
Generate energy consumption profiles that identify occurrences of peak loads and develop responsive management
strategies for reducing utility bills
Set up the HVAC building control system to operate based on need, if multiple sources are available, minimize
simultaneous heating and cooling and supply thermal conditioning from the most appropr ate/efficient sources
Limit electrical demand during peak hours by turning off non-essential equipment
Establish temperature and humidity set points based on occupancy patterns, scheduling and outside climate and
seasonal condition
Consider C02 and VOC sensors to reduce outside air ventilation in large spaces with variable occupancy
Provide sensors that are capable of adjusting the ventilation rate based on the number of people present in a room
Provide adaptive, programmable thermostats capable of automatically adjusting settings based on recorded demand
patterns
Set supply air-temperature reset controls for variable air volume systems based on space occupancy
7 Site and Massing Considerations
Solar access - orient the building to maximize solar opportunities and minimize unwanted solar heat gain
Prevailing winds - orient the building to minimize thermal loss due to infiltration and maximize opportunity for natural
ventilation
Tree locations - locate so that deciduous trees block summer sun and evergreens block winter wind
om.
Lerh hem1inep to ontimize thermial mjass and/or insulatioan
Tonogranhic almdifctin - osie
8 Building Envelope
Use pasive solar design strategies
Design for natural ventilation
Envelope detailing - avoid thermal bridging, detail the material assembly with best vapor barrier practices
Reduction of convective heat losses from unplanned air flows - reduce unwanted stack effect, plan air pressure
relationships between rooms as necessary
Radiant coolin - for internally loadd buildings5
Use of low-embodied ener materials
9 Electrical Systems and Equipment
Equipment specification - specify energy efficient equipment, such as those with Energy Star Labels, and use of lcd
computer displays screens
Distortion minimization - use harmonic filters to minimize the distortion effects of non-linear loads
Efficient motors - consider premium efficiency motors, controls and variable frequency drives
Direct current utilization - use direct current from photovoltaic systems, fuel cells when applicable
Avoid electromagnetic pollution/exposure - install electromagnetic field shielding
Videoconferencing - design for the use of videoconferencing to avoid unnecessary travel
10 Light Pollution
Reduced night lighting needs - limit lighting to zones where it is necessary for safe passage to entry and exit areas,
control by timers and motion sensors
Proper cut-off angles - use outdoor lighting fixtures with cut-off angles that prevent light from shining upward or too
far beyond the intended area of illumination
11 Interior Layout/Spatial Design
Program zoning - group similar program functions in order to concentrate similar heating/cooling demands and simplify
HVAC zoning loads
Use passive zoning design as buffers
Layout for natural systems - configure occupied spaces to optimize natural ventilation and daylighting
Stairs - provide inviting staircases to encourage the use of stairs rather than elevators in low-rise buildings
12 Use Energy Sources with Low Environmental, Impact
Renewable energy resources - consider the use of building-integrated photovoltaic panels, daylighting, active and
Super-efficient, hybrid and emerging technologies - consider the use of geothermal heat pump, fuel cell, and heat
recovery systems

Table 4.6 Strategies for MIT - Energy

Indoor Environmental Quality

Green building is not just about protecting the environment, conserving natural resources,
or saving energy to reduce heating and cooling bills. It also considers the impact of the
space on the users of the building. Since the EPA has estimated that in the U.S. we spend
as much as 90% of our time indoors, it makes indoor environmental quality (IEQ) one of
our greatest health concerns. Good IEQ includes effective air quality including natural
ventilation, access to natural light and exterior views, optimum thermal comfort and air
temperature, minimum exposure to VOC's, appropriate noise levels, and individual controls. The benefits of attention to these issues include energy and operational savings,
improved health and employee morale.
There have been numerous studies that show a correlation between healthy environments
and increased productivity. For example, the cost of operating an average federal building,
including the amortized construction cost, is about $15 per square foot annually, and the
cost of the federal government employees in those buildings is about $315 per square foot
per year. If there were an increase of productivity of just 5% by improving the working
environment, the annual savings would exceed the annual cost of the building ownership
and operation. 3 In another example, 19 employees of the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency sued and won $1 million, citing sick building syndrome that caused building related
illnesses and multiple chemical sensitivities."
StrategyV
Indoor Environmental
1

Quality

Lig!ht Sources
Daylighting apertures - maximize daylighting through appropriate location and sizing of windows, roof monitors, and
skylihts, and through use of glazing systems and shading devices app2rop~riate to orientation and space use
Light levels - achieve a good balance between uniform light levels and localized variations to create a dynamic and

comfortable visual environment; consider low-level ambient lighting augmented by high quality, flexible task lighting,
varied lighting schemes that respond to general building organization and special features, allowing the lighting
patterns to reflect changing activity scenarios during the working day
Luminaire arrangements - arrange luminaires in types and patterns that clearly respond to the fundamental building
organization, floor layout and entry paths of daylight while allowing for flexibility of space usage, wherever possible,
wire luminaires in parallel to the walls with windows so they can be dimmed or turned off row by row
Diffusers - select diffusers that reduce glare and sufficiently illuminate ceilings and walls to create a visual field similar
to prevailing daylight conditions
Color - provide lamps with high color rendering index, such as tri-phosphor fluorescent lamps
Ballasts - use high frequency electronic ballasts to minimize flicker as lamps and ballasts wear
Window cleaning - schedule regular window cleaning to maximize the amount of daylight entering, particularly where
windows are close to sources of air-borne dust, fumes or gases that reduce the transmission of light
Low-energy lighting - to minimize C02 emissions arising from energy used for artificial lighting

Table 4.7 Strategies for MIT - Indoor Environmental Quality

Strategy
Indoor Environmental Quality
2 Source control
Specif materials with low VOC s and low particulate and odor emissions
Carbon dioxide (C02) monitoring - provide capacity for indoor air quality (lAQ) monitoring to sustain long term
occupant health and comfort
Locate and design air intakes to optimize air supply sources for the ventilation system, isolate building air intakes from
building exhaust air, vehicular exhaust, cooling tower spray, combustion gases, sanitary vents, trash storage, and
other hazardous air contaminants
Reduce potential pollution sources through effective moisture control
Source control - evaluate sources of contamination from neighboring buildings and soil contamination such as radon,
methane and excessive dampness
Isolate potential indoor pollution sources
3 Control Systems
Sensors for relative humidity, temperature, and carbon dioxide should be installed as close as possible to where
occupants are located
Locate sensors to cover areas of similar load conditions
When demand control ventilation systems are used, ensure that carbon dioxide sensors are operating in a reliable

manner
Periodically audit all computer-controlled HVAC systems
Indoor Air Quality
Provide ample ventilation for pollutant control and thermal comfort - minimize production and transmission of air

poll1ution.
Minimum IAQ performance - establish minimum IAQ performance to prevent the development of indoor air quality
problems in buildings maintaining the health and well being of the occupants
5 Occupant Activity Control
Provide views, View space, and Connection to Natural Environment
Maintain a no-smoking policy
Designate an Indoor Air Quality manager who receives ongoing IAQ training
Provide Operable Windows
Personal control - build in a capacity for personal control over the immediate indoor environment, assure that the
global indoor environment is within acceptable limits by bringing air supply points and controls for air quality as close
to individual workstations as possible; balance control system advantages against energy use and maintainability
6

Noise Control
Control noise at the source - site, orient and lay out the building such that external noise sources can be attenuated by
distance of by topographic features or walls
Place acoustic buffers, such as corridors, lobbies, stairwells, electrical/janitorial closets, and storage rooms, between
noise-producing and noise-sensitive spaces
Prevent transmission of sound through the building structure through use of floating floor slabs and sound-insulated
penetrations of walls, floors, and ceilings
Prevent transmission between rooms by wall, floor, and ceiling assemblies by specifying materials with appropriate
sound transmission class ratings, consider using set-off studs with sound-attenuating insulation, floating floor slabs
and sound-absorbent ceiling systems
Consider wrapping or enclosing rectangular ducts with sound isolation materials
Consider the use of sound attenuators and acoustic plenums to reduce noise in ductwork
Absorb or block excessive background noise or interfering single-source sounds in open office environments through
use of resilient flooring, ceiling and sound absorbing or reflecting partitions and furniture
If appropriate conversational privacy cannot be achieved, consider using white noise
Achieve favorable room acoustics by configuring room geometry, positioning furnishings and furniture, and
specifying appropriate surfaces

Table 4.7 Strategies for MIT - Indoor Environmental Quality

Waste
Solid waste disposal has become a critical problem in the US, making up 25% of the waste
stream." There are strict regulations regarding landfills due to filled storage capacity,
contamination of water sources, noxious odors and public resistance to locating landfill
sites in nearby neighborhoods. Construction activities often generate huge amounts of
solid waste. This can either be incinerated into landfills, or more appropriately, recycled or
re-used on site. The design of the building, choice of materials, ordering of materials with
less packaging, the establishment of a waste management plan, and the reuse of on-site
materials such as broken concrete all contribute to the ultimate goal of less waste. In
addition, due to increased costs of hauling and landfill tipping fees and rising material prices,
there can be substantial savings by recycling construction and demolition waste.

Strategy
Waste & Pollution Prevention
1 Conserving Resources
Reuse existing buildings
Design for less material use - use modular dimensioning, and design for minimum square footage
Specif reuse of on-site materials to the greatest extend possible
Design building for adaptability - consider issues of site planning, structural systems, standardization or repetition of
building elements, cladding systems, floor heights, raised floor systems modular interior plannin
Design building for disassembly - consider issues of structural systems, cladding systems, materials, durability, snap
release components modular systems
2 Waste Management
Salvage and recycle demolition waste
Recycle construction waste
Reduce and recycle packaging waste
Reduce and properly dispose of hazardous materials waste
Provide waste-separation facilities for building users
Provide waste-separation facilities for hazardous materials
Educate workers and occupants on recycling, waste reduction and prevention

Table 4.8 Strategies for MIT - Waste and Pollution Prevention

Sustainable architecture by definition is region specific, so the following 'top-ten' lists should
be thought of as general guidance. Each project would demand that reorganization of any
priority-list. Most of the lists have the same strategy suggestions, but vary in the order of
importance. Architecture, and sustainability, are still subjective sciences, therefore, there
is not one single answer to the design solution.

Massachusetts Institue of Technology Top Ten List for Sustainability

Site and Land Use:
1. Consider the building to site relationship
2. Practice sustainable landscape
3. Encourage alternate transportation
4. Select the site wisely
Water:
1. Conserve and reuse water
Materials and Natural Resources:
1. Design for material conservation and recylability
2. Use healthy building materials
3. Use materials with low environmental impact
4. Use locally manufactured materials
Energy:
1. Design with daylighting
2. Design efficient systems
3. Consider energy load management
4. Design mechanical systems efficiently
5. Use high-performance lighting
6. Consider air conditioners, chillers and ventilation controls
7. Consider site and massing issues
8. Design for efficient building envelope
9. Consider electrical controls for motors and equipment
10. Reduce light pollution
11. Design interior layouts efficiently
12. Use energy sources with low environmental impact
Indoor Environmental Quality:
1. Desian liaht sources with aood liaht levels, arranaements and
color rendering
2. Reduce indoor pollutant sources
3. Provide controls sytems CO2 emissions, and load conditions
4. Provide ample ventilation
5. Provide occupant control over immediate environment
6. Control noise during construction and occupation
12 Use energy sources with low environmental impact
Waste and Pollution Prevention:
1. Conserve natural resources by reusing existing buildings, designing for less materials and adaptability and disassembly

Environmental Building News Priority List for Sustainability

1. Save energy - design and build energy-efficient
buildings
2. Recycle buildings - utilize existing buildings and
infrastructure instead of developing open space
3. Create community - design communities to
reduce dependence on the automobile and to
foster a sense of community Reduce material use
- optimize design to make use of smaller spaces
and utilize materials efficiently
4. Reduce material use - optimize design to make
use of smaller spaces and utilize materials
efficiently
5. Protect and enhance the site - preserve or
reserve ecosystems and biodiversity
6. Select low-impact materials - specify lowenvironmental impact, resource-efficient materials
7. Maximize longevity - design for durability and
adaptability
8. Save water - design buildings and landscapes
that are water-efficient
9. Make the building healthy - provide a safe and
comfortable indoor environment
10. Minimize construction and demolition waste return, reuse, and recycle job-site waste and
practice environmentalism in your business
11. Green up your business - minimize the environmental impact of your own business practices,
and spread the word

AIA Checklist for Environmentally Sustainable Design and Construction

Design:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Smaller is better
Design an energy-efficient building
Design buildings to use renewable energy
Optimize material use
Design water-efficient, low-maintenance landscaping
Make it easy for occupants to recycle waste
Look into the feasibility of graywater and rooftop water catchment
systems
8. Design for future reuse
9. Avoid potential health hazards: radon, EMF, pesticides
Siting & Land Use:
1. Renovate older buildings
2. Evaluate site resources
3. Locate buildings to minimize environmental impact

4. Pay attention to solar orientation

5. Provide responsible on-site water management
6. Situate buildings to benefit from existing vegetation
7. Minimize transportation requirements
Materials:
1. Avoid ozone-depleting chemicals in mechanical equipment and
insulation
2. Use durable products and materials
3. Choose materials with low embodied energy
4. Buy locally produced building materials
5. Use building materials made from recycled materials
6. Use salvaged building materials when possible
7. Minimize use of old-growth timber
8. Avoid materials that will give off gas pollutants
9. Minimize use of pressure-treated lumber
10. Minimize packaging waste
Equipment:
1. Install high-efficiency heating and cooling equipment
2. Install high-efficiency lights and appliances
3. Install water-efficient equipment
4. Install mechanical ventilation equipment
Job Site & Business
1. Protect trees and topsoil during sitework
2. Avoid use of pesticides and other chemicals that may leach into
groundwater
3. Minimize job-site waste
4. Make your business operations more environmentally responsible

Pennsylvania's What is a High Performance Green Building

1. A project created via cooperation among building
owners, facility managers, users, designers and
construction professionals through a collaborative
team approach
2. A project that engages the local and regional
communities in all stages of the process including design, construction and occupancy
3. A project that conceptualizes a number of
systems that, when integrated, can bring efficiencies to mechanical operation and human performance
4. A project that considers the 'true costs' of a
building's impact on the local and regional
environment
5. A project that considers the 'life-cycle costs' of a
product or system-these costs associated with
its manufacture, operation, maintenance and
disposal
6. A building that creates opportunities for interaction with the natural environment and defers to

7.
8.
9.
10.
11.

12.
13.

contextual issues such as climate, orientation

and other influences
A building that minimizes demolition and construction wastes and uses products that minimize
waste in their production or disposal
A building that is energy and resource efficient
A building that can be easily reconfigured and
reused
A building with healthy indoor environments
A project that uses appropriate technologies,
including natural and low tech products and
systems, before applying complex or resource
intensive solutions
A building that includes an environmentally sound
operations and maintenance regimen
A project that educates building occupants and
users to the philosophies, strategies and controls
included in the design, construction and maintenance of the project

Governor's Green Government Council Ten Simple Things You Can Do

Planning:
1. Get involved in a region's local policy review and
development process
2. Redevelop existing urban areas
3. Encourage higher density developments
4. Encourage pedestrian circulation
5. Plan developments to be in harmony with the
area's natural environment
6. Plan developments in response to the historic and
cultural context
7. Protect hydrological systems from development
8. Manage storm water runoff and quality
9. Locate development within appropriate topographical areas
10. Locate development within appropriate vegetative
areas
Architecture
1. Establish an energy budget
2. Optimize the design of the building envelope
3. Use high efficiency standards for electric lighting
4. Design for good indoor air quality
5. Use water efficient plumbing fixtures
6. Investigate building materials
7. Manage storm water
8. Use suitable plant material
9. Plan for occupant recycling
10. Recycle construction waste
Interior Design
1. Design for flexibility

2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

Maximize use of natural daylight

Set high lighting efficiency standards
Design for good indoor air quality
Reuse existing materials, use less materials, and
specify environmentally responsible building
materials
Specify energy-efficient and water saving appliances
Use water efficient plumbing fixtures
Design for ease of maintenance and the use of
environmentally friendly cleaning products
Make room for building recycling facilities
Recycle demolition and construction waste

Green Building Digest - Principles of Green Building

Reduce Energy in Use
1. Use maximum possible low embodied energy
insulation, but with good ventilation
2. Use low energy lighting and electrical appliances
3. Use efficient, low pollution heating
4. Make use of passive and active solar energy
whenever feasible
5. Use passive and natural ventilation systems
rather than mechanical
Minimizing External Pollution and Environmental
Damage
1. Design in harmonious relationship with the
surroundings
2. Avoid destruction of natural habitats
3. Re-use rainwater on site
4. Treat and recycle waste water on site if
possible
5. Try to minimize extraction of materials unless
good environmental controls exist and avoid
materials which produce damaging chemicals
as a by product
6. Do not dump waste materials off site but reuse on site
Reducing Embodied Energy and Resource Depletion
1. Use locally sourced materials
2. Use materials found on site
3. Minimize use of imported materials
4. Keep use of materials from non-renewable
sources to a minimum
5. Use low energy materials, keeping high
embodied energy materials to a minimum
6. Use second hand/recycled materials where
appropriate

7. Re-use existing buildings and structures

instead of always assuming that new buildings
are required
Minimizing Internal Pollution and Damage to Health
1. Use non toxic materials, or low emission
materials
2. Avoid fibers from insulation materials getting
into the atmosphere
3. Ensure good natural ventilation
4. Reduce dust and allergies
5. Reduce impact of electromagnetic fields
(EMF's)
6. Create positive character in the building and
relationship with the site
7. Involve users in design and management of
building and evaluating environmental choices

84

Notes
I Mendler, Sandra, Odell, William, The HOK Guidebook to Sustainable Design, John Wiley &

Sons, Inc. 2000, p19

2 Glaumann, Mauritz, and Wolfram Trinius, Environmental Assesment of Buildings
A research
project in co-operation with the building sector, Sweden, June 6, 1996
3 Curwell, March & Venables, Buildings & Health - The Rosehaugh Guide to the Design, Construction, Use & Management of Buildings, RIBA Publications, 1990
4 Levin, Hal, Ten Basic Concepts for Architects and Other Building Designers, Environmental
Building News, 13 Jul 200, http://www.buildinggreen.com/elists/halpaper.htm, p1

5 As of July of 1999, there is a newly established Office of Environmental Management (EMO) at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Their charge is to lead campus environmental initiatives at
MIT. One of the initiatives is to examine MIT's own process of building in terms of sustainability.
Together with the facilities department, the EMO created a Green Building Task Force (GBTF). The
goal of the task force is to produce green building guidelines that will establish principles, processes, and strategies that will lead to the construction and renovation of buildings on campus that
are environmentally sustainable.
6

Reducing Risk: Setting Priorities and Strategies for Environmental Protection, The Report of the

Science Advisory Board Relative Risk Reduction Strategies Committee to the EPA, September
1990.
7 Establishing Priorities with Green Building, Environmental Building News, Volume 4, No. 5 September/October, 1995
8

Guidelines for Creating High-Performance Green Building Guidelines, Pennsylvania Department of

Environmental Protection, 1999, pD4

six strategies charts, Site and Land Use, Water, Materials and Natural Resources, Energy,
Indoor Environmental Quality, and Waste and Pollution Prevention are primarily based on information from the comparison study, found in Appendix J
9 The

10LEED Green Building Reference Guide, US Green Building Council, August, 2000, p50
1 LEED Green Building Reference Guide, US Green Building Council, August, 2000, p69
12 Environmental
13

Protection Agency, http://www.epa.gov/iedweb00/

Greening Federal Facilities, An Energy, Environmental, and Economic Resource Guide for

Federal Facility Managers, Department of Energy, Produced by Greening America, 1997, p2

14LEED

Green Building Reference Guide, US Green Building Council, August, 2000, p118
15 LEED Green Building Reference Guide, US Green Building Council, August,
2000, p159

86

The Building Process

When facilitating a green design process, there are two main factors at play: information
and process. While it is important to employ green-building guidelines, sustainability tools,
and specific design strategies, (Chapters 2 - 4), without a good understanding and awareness of the vast amount of 'green' information available, and a procedure to incorporate it
into the building process, sustainability concepts cannot be realized or fully developed.
The process requires that every decision be examined with respect to its impact upon
human health and the environment. The critical key to accomplishing this is an integrated
design approach, where the evaluation of any building element, material or system is designed and then appraised as an integrated part of the entire building, and not viewed solely
on the basis of its own isolated merit and cost. Under an integrated design approach,
specific materials or systems within a facility may have higher first costs, but these can be
balanced by lower first costs for other components of the design. According to the Navy,
"the goal is to design a facility for which overall quality is higher, life-cycle costs are lower,
sustainability concepts and principles are incorporated to the greatest extent possible, and
first costs are held to the original budget amounts."' There is a need to know what decisions to make in each part of the process, and a need to have a mechanism in place to
transfer that knowledge to future projects. This gives the design team the information
required to know what actions to take at the critical stages, before it is too late to change the
direction of the project. This chapter outlines a green building design, construction, and
maintenance process that integrates green concepts into all aspects of building. Traditionally, the process is a linear one progressing from design to construction to occupancy. But
this linear mode of thinking does not allow for future opportunities for the building, the environmental consequences, or the full life-cycle cost implications of long-term investments in
the building project.
Another change that is taking place in the profession is the advent of 'object-based' software that promises to link architecture, engineering, construction, and facilities management applications into an integrated language and database. This process ties together
architectural and engineering drawings, specifications, project budgets and schedules so
that each profession has access to the same information at the same time. Examples of

this are in place at Disney Corporation, where they have developed standards for their
consultants to follow. With environmentally-conscious design, this is an especially useful
tool for understanding the relationships between all of the design considerations and the
budget.
There are many ways to divde the building process. In the Introduction to Sustainable
Design, by the National Pollution Prevention Center for Higher Education, there are three
main phases.2 The first, Pre-building Phase includes site selection, building design, building material processes and installation. The second, Building Phase, refers to the stage of
a building's life cycle when a building is physically being constructed and operated. The
third, the Post-building Phase, begins when the useful life of the building has ended. For the
purposes of this thesis, the building process has been divided into the following phases:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Project Inception & Feasibility: Pre-design

Concept Approval: Schematic Design
Development Permit: Design Development
Building Permit: Construction Documents
Award of Construction Contract: Bidding or Negotiation
Construction Administration: Construction
Substantial Performance Occupancy Permit & Warranty and Maintenance: Postconstruction and Occupancy
8. Building Reuse or Demolition

Project Inception & Feasibility: Pre-design

One of the biggest frustrations of architects desiring to design sustainably, is that by the
time they are hired, many major decisions have already been made. Feasibility studies,
site selection, and project budgeting are typical examples. These choices have extensive
repercussions and can be especially important to basic green building concepts. For example, after consulting with a team of informed green building professionals, it may be
determined that the best choice for a new building is to renovate an existing one. Or the
implementation of innovative and ultimately cost-saving green technologies most likely has
to be accounted for in the initial budget. Often, budgets are set too low, and thereafter the

project team must labor to include green concepts within that budget. While it is traditionally the architect that leads the design and consultant team, it is becoming more common
for the client to hire engineering professionals (and other consultants) directly. It is often the
case in large projects that the client hires a project facilitator to manage and direct the
project, even at the design phase. This is not a problem when the client takes the initiative
to realize a green building, but that is an infrequent occurrence.
The following Table 5.1 is a list of the architectural responsibilities involved in the pre-design
stage of a project.3 Checkmarks are denoted next to the tasks that are conducive to incorporating green concepts.
Project Inception & Feasibility:
Architect's Services

Special Consultants Services

x Assemble Green Team

xx
x ,Establ ish Green Desig Criteri a
x Set Priorities
x Develop Performance Based Buidin Pro ram
rmi
X
FacilitHazardous
x Space Relationships
x Flow Diagrams
x Establish Project and Energy & Lighting Budget
x Project Development/Scheduling
x Life Cyce Cost Studies
x

1.0 Pre-design

x Land Survey
Geotechnical Analysis
x Environmental
x Urban Planning
x Collect Site Data
X~i~
Municipal Bylaw Review - (Historic, Creeks,
Materias, etc.)
x
Scheduling
Legal Survey
FrinPatcsRve
____________________

Economic Feasibility Studies________

1Site

______________

Selection/Analysis/Utilization_____

__________________

AxEnvironmental Studies
x

Energy Studies

Agency Consulting/Revi ew/Approval

Client-suppT5lied Data Coordination.
Project Management

_______-----____________

__Presentations

iMarketing Studies
Project Financing
S
jclStuddie_
Re-zoning Assistance
Project Promotion

_____________________

OCP/Zoning Review____________________
_Obtain

Consultants Proposals

____________________

Table 5.1 Pre-design

The first step is to set performance goals for the project. This is in the form of a projectspecific mission statement that reflects the client's vision, and a set of environmental and
economic priorities to which the project team can refer while making decisions. Team
formation is the next key step in producing a green building. Decisions made by each
stakeholder may influence the intents and aspects of performance sought by other key
stakeholders of the project. In addition to the architect, the environmental design team
preferably includes a facilitator, the project owner, building users and manager, a cost estimator, engineers, energy simulation consultant, general contractor, and major sub-contractors. When the project involves major urban redevelopment, the public should also be
invited to participate. When each member of the project team is involved at the beginning,
it is easier to ensure that future decisions will be made based on the initial green concept
goals. Early participation also creates an environment of communication between all the
parties involved. This will establish interdependence within the team that will influence the
success of a high performance building throughout all the phases of the design, construction and operations of the building's lifetime. Bill Reed of the Hillier Group puts it this way,
"Whole system design analyzes every building system and integrates them so that the
whole is greater than the sum of the parts. This process requires every member of the
design team to understand and help address the issues of every other member of the
team. An example is the mechanical and electrical engineer looking to the architect to help
the building reduce its energy load. The architect may respond with a design that invites
more natural daylight into the building in order to reduce the electrical lighting loads. The
engineers may then be able to reduce the mechanical system sizing significantly."4
A good way to create green concepts at this stage is to hold an environmental design
charrette. This is where invited parties meet to brainstorm and share ideas and develop
concepts for the project. According to the Green Buildings BC, a charrette is "an intense
workshop in which all project team members come together to set goals and generate
design ideas. This workshop, or series of workshops, takes place in the early phase of the
project's design. The performance targets are referred to throughout the charrette to steer
the goal-setting process and to ensure that key building features meet the requirements.
This process is crucial in establishing team consensus on the project specific performance
targets and the goals, mission statement and key elements of the project."5 The outcome
of the charrette should produce many ideas from which the design team can proceed.
These ideas should then be compared against the project performance goals set by the

client. This is also the phase where time should be spent gathering information regarding
energy and resource conservation, building ecology, environmental approaches to landscaping, waste prevention and reclamation, cultural change and behavioral issues, and
regional scale planning. As part of planning the scope, magnitude and direction of an energy-efficient project, it is necessary to predict the operation, usage, maintenance and
energy consumption patterns of the intended building. Through looking at this information,
it is possible to examine the magnitude of energy efficiency opportunities, and target areas
for energy conservation and efficiency changes. Project scheduling is also an opportunity
to ensure that there is enough time to conduct environmental and energy studies, to run
energy and building simulations, and to explore sustainable options at the start of the project.
In addition, this is the time to schedule commissioning for the building. Too often, the
project runs behind schedule and this very important task is overlooked.

Concept Approval: Schematic Design

Green architecture is recognized to be a "front-end loaded" process, because the opportunities for green design are the greatest at the beginning of the project. This is especially
true at the schematic stage. According to Bruce Coldham, Architect, "the schematic design phase should occupy roughly 40% of the design, rather than the conventional 25%
because systems and envelope design are so interrelated with massing and siting.",6 In
addition to the architect, the schematic design phase may include an energy engineer or
specialty consultant to promote the best possible solution in terms of high performance
design. Many basic decisions made in this phase have far reaching consequences that
cannot be rectified at a later time. The building siting, massing, orientation, envelope,
daylighting and natural ventilation design decisions have major environmental impacts and
economic consequences. Functional and programmatic issues such as efficient use of
space, shared services, building flexibility, adaptability and access are all issues that need
to be considered. Therefore, a team knowledgeable in sustainable strategies at this phase
is imperative. Green building guidelines such as LEED, are a helpful tool to use as a
platform for discussion and a basic checklist for possible suggestions to green design
strategies. (See Chapter 2, Green Building Guidelines and Rating Systems)

Ideally, a few schematic design solutions are worked out, and can be reviewed for cost and

feasibility. As Theresa Coady says, "Typically, building designers tend to work independently in their respective areas of expertise. With conventional building designs, the structure is first massed out, elevations are developed, and finally, the building systems are
added. The obvious drawback to this process is that building designs sometimes become
a tangle of mis-matched systems, interacting poorly with one another, the site and creating
potential problems for occupants."6 This means that the structural, mechanical, electrical,
plumbing, interior design and landscape design concepts should be thought about in an
integral manner.
The British Columbia Building Corporation, for example, has developed eight key steps in
the design phase process. Within each step design goals are set, team members are
identified and their role is defined. Each stage allows for extensive computer modeling to
provide feedback on the effects of the design decisions and to provide a quantitative basis
Concept Approval: 2.0 Schematic Design
Coordination of Normal Engineering

Architect's Services

Services

Client-Supplied Data Coordination

ud Evalatio/Revie
Review Site Characteristics
Confirm Green Desin Criteria
Develop Green Solutions

x
x
x

xReview Alternate Design Approaches

x
x
x
x
"
x
x

x
x
x
x

Structural Design Concepts

Mechanical Design Concepts
Electrical Design Concepts
Statements of Probable Costs
Agency Consultation

------Building Code Review

x Value Analysis
atic
A tectural Sh
Document Green Materials and Systems
Special Consultants Services
Geotechnical Design Concepts
Check Cost
Civil Design Concepts
Schematic Design Coordination
x2-Landscape Concepts
Drawings & Documents
Statements of Probable Costs
Review Construction Contract Types
Costs
Buildig Code Review
Probable
Construction
Statement of
Zoning Amendments
Client Consultation
Zoning Variance
Agency Consultation
Municipal Bylaw Review
Building Code Review
Foreign Practices Review
Interior Design Concepts
Special Studies; e.g. Future Facilities, Environmental
OCP/ Zoning Analysis
Impact
x Traffic Studies
Special Submissions or Promotional Presentations
x Urban Design/Streetscape

Special Models or Perspectives

x View/Sun/Shadow Studies Area Analysis

Project Management
x Value Analysis
x Building Envelope Professional Services

Table 5.2 Schematic Design

92

upon which to measure projected performance. They also employ a thorough cost performance study to allow team members to see how their changes affected the overall cost of
the building and the owner to see how operating cost savings would accumulate. 8
In addition to the typical schematic design presentation of drawings and models, additional
information should be presented to the client to support a green proposal. This would
include projected energy and water consumption, and the proposed selection of building
materials. In addition, the design strategies must be compared based on preliminary life
cycle costs. This will enable the client to base their decisions on the complete existence of
the building, rather than on first costs alone. Sandra Mendler of HOK & Associates suggests, "to negotiate a contract requiring specific deliverables, such as an energy budget
and energy modeling, an indoor environmental quality and resource conservation report,
and even life-cycle analysis of building materials." 9 The Table 5.2 details the steps involved
in the schematic design phase of the project.

Development Permit: Design Development

At this phase, the chosen schematic design scheme is developed further. This includes
the process of analyzing every decision, system, component, and aspect of the design in
respect to the green-concept goals set earlier. It entails evaluating many design and system options so that the most promising solutions can be selected. Such issues as designing for efficient use of materials are thought about in this phase. Materials that are recycled
and reused within the project or bought reused, eliminating unnecessary ornamentation,
designing for durability, and careful detailing are also issues to consider at this time. In the
Sustainable Design Guide, this is called optimization and is compared to a financial budget.
"We can not imagine starting a project without a clear understanding of the budget. The
status of the project budget is the subject of numerous checks throughout the design process and is generally a part of every project meeting. In contrast, an energy budget is rarely
understood, much less commonly discussed and evaluated as part of the design process."10 The Guidelines for Creating Green Buildings puts it this way, "One purpose of
design optimization is to scrutinize the large, over arching goals set at the beginning of the
project to see if the effort is on track. Another is to take advantage of each additional
opportunity that presents itself as the project evolves.""

Design development is a good time to employ simulation tools, which may prompt redesign
and refinements. Building simulation is a useful tool for analyzing the energy performance
of a building for understanding the relationship between the design parameters and energy
use of the building. According to the Green Buildings BC New Buildings Program, computerized energy modeling allows important feedback to the design team concerning the estimated performance of the proposed design. It is also used as a constant update on the
projected savings of various design solutions so that they can be appropriately contrasted
with other solutions. Energy modeling allows feedback so that the design team can find
solutions that have the lowest life-cycle cost. Effective application of building simulation
requires understanding the nature of the issue to be solved, choosing a suitable simulation
program, interpreting the simulation results, and making decisions. Other imperative tasks
at this time are life-cycle analysis (LCA) and life-cycle cost analysis (LCCA). Total life-cycle
costing (TLCC) includes techniques that take into account initial costs and future costs and
benefits (savings) of an investment over some period of time. See Chapter 3, Sustainability
Assessment Tools, for a detailed explanation of simulation and life-cycle analysis tools.
A common complaint regarding creating a high performance building is that they are sometimes more expensive. While this may be true, the lowest initial cost for green materials
and technologies may not be the best in terms of the life-time of the building. Many times,
when the true costs are considered, the project is much less expensive. Table 5.3 shows
the green-concept strategies that can be employed during this phase.

Development Permit: 3.0 Design Development

Coordination of Normal Engineering
Services

Architect's Services

x
x
x
x

Client-Supplied Data Coordination

x Structural Design Development

Design Coordination
Perform Energy Simulations
Refine Green Solutions
Perform Life Cycle Analysis
Performn Life Cycle Cost Analysis
Architectural Design Development

x -Mechanical Design Development,

x Electrical Design Development
x Budget Review/Evaluation
x Statements of Probable Costs
Agency Consultation
Building Code Review
x Value Analysis

Design Development Coordination

x Drawings & Documents
x

Special Consultants Services

x Statement of Probable Construction Costs

_Client
Consultation
Agency Consultation

Geotechnical Design Development

Civil Design Development
x Landscape Design Development

Detailed Construction Cost Estimates,

Quantity Surveys

Building Code Review

Development Permit Submission
Budget Review/Evaluation
Certified Professional Service
x Interior Design Development

Fire Protection
x Acoustics
Building Code Equivalencies
Certified Professional Service

x Special Studies Reports; e.g. Planning Tenant or

Rental Spaces
Promotional Presentations
Models or Perspectives

Energy Utilization Studies

x Building Envelope Professional Services

Project Management
Rezoning Variance Submission
x Value Analysis

x Building Envelope Professional Services

Table 5.3 Design Development

Building Permit: Construction Documents

Although the tangible impacts are visible only after construction begins, decisions made on
the drawing board have long-term environmental consequences. Construction documents,
consisting of drawings and specifications are still the main method of recording the building
process. They convey the intent of the designer and are instructions to the contractor to
build the project. Therefore, it is crucial that these documents also communicate the green
vision and goals set by the owner and project team. This is the last opportunity to revisit the
project before it gets reviewed by the planning department for a building permit. After this,

all changes must go through a change-order process.

The drawings ideally should include a statement of intent and a description of how the
building systems are to perform. Pennsylvania's Guidelines recommend the creation of a
performance program at this time. "Its purpose is to document the overall strategy for
integrating the parameters of the project. These typically include such things as budgets,
site utilization, space planning, integrated building systems, occupancy issues and other
specific needs or goals of the project. The performance program also sets forth the target
limits for many of these systems." 2 They emphasize the importance of documenting the
integrated systems in drawing format. For example, this could be a drawing that explains
the relationship between a raised-floor air distribution system and the wiring and ductwork
in the same space. Drawing such as these would alert the team when there are modifications to the original drawings, and in turn reduce the chance of making changes that would
irrevocably alter the green design intent.
The specifications also need to be carefully written as to relay the appropriate information.
The conventional system of using the Construction Specifiers Institute (CSI), Divisions 1
through 16, does not allow for certain green methods such as construction waste management, and building commissioning. Therefore, additional information needs to be included
regarding issues such as coordination of the structural systems with assembly and disassembly considerations, fabrication methods, material packaging, delivery and building component construction strategies. Table 5.4 outlines the services of the architects and denotes the green strategies that should be employed.

Building Permit: 4.0 Construction Documents

Architects Services
Client-Supplied Data Coordination
Project Coordination
x Review Green Design Intent
Architectural Construction Documents (Working
IDrawing
orm of Contract and S2 ecifications)
Include Construction Waste Management &
Commissioning in CD's
x Include Building System Integration Drawings
x Document Checking and Coordination
x Statement of Probable Construction Costs
Client Consultation
Age Consultation
Building Code Review
Letters of Assurance
x Budget Review/Evaluation
Coordinating Registered Professional Role
Building Permit Submission
Certified Professional Service

x Interior Construction Documents

Alternate Bid Details & Special Bid Documents
Project Management
Area Analysis
Project Lease Plans

Coordination of Normal Engineering

Services
Structural Construction Documents
x Mechanical Construction Documents
x Electrical Construction Documents
Statements of Probable Costs
Building Code Review
Letters of Assurance
Budget Review/Evaluation
Building Permit Submissions
Special Consultants Services
Geotechnical Documents
Civil Construction Documents
Detailed Construction Cost Estimates,
Quantity Surveys
Fire Protection
x Acoustics
Building Code Equivalencies
Certified Professional Service
Energy Utilization Analysis
Security System Design
Existing Condition Surveys
x Building Envelope Professional Services

Tenant Layout Drawings

Multiple Contracts Management
Phased Construction Management

Building Envelope Professional Services

Table 5.4 Construction Documents

Award of Construction Contract: Bidding or Negotiation

The most fundamental way to ensure the project will follow the intended green mandate is
to include the objectives of the design team in the language of the request for proposal
(RFP). This will automatically advise the prospective architect that the selection team will
give priority to those firms with experience in green design. Many times architectural firms
will just include the name of an energy consultant with whom they usually partner, but that

should not be enough. Unless the firm has proven experience in green design, they may
not be sufficiently skilled in the distinctive process of green design.
Another initial barrier to realizing a green building is in the fee structure. Typically there is a
pressure for agencies and clients to accept the lowest bid. This practice, usually mandated by law for government projects, is adversarial and affords poor results. It does not
consider the long-term benefits of many energy-saving technologies, nor does it account
for the externality costs to the city and to the population. In the Pennsylvania's Guidelines,
it describes as a "system wherein design professionals and consultants are paid a percentage of the project cost provides little incentive to work creatively to reduce project costs
while keeping design standards high.""

Typically, a percentage-based fee for services

rendered is charged to the client. A better method would be a negotiated contract, where
the contractor or supplier works closely with the design team from the beginning. The
criteria for selection should be the same as for other professionals, for their skill and experience.

Award of Construction Contract:

5.0 Bidding or Negotiation

Architect's Services

Coordination of Normal Engineering

Services

Client-Supplied Data Coordination

x Issue RFP with Green Language
x Documents Relating Green Concepts to Bidders
Coordinate Issue of Bid Documents

Coordinate/Issue Addenda
x Bid Evaluation

Prepare Bid Documents

Prepare Addenda
x Bid Evaluation
Special Consultants Services

Prepare Bid Documents

Prepare Addenda
Bid Evaluation

Client Consultation

rqaictonCtea

__LPrepare ContractsPrpr

x Consider Non-percentage Based Contracts

Preguality Contractors

Separate Bids or Negotiated Bids

Services Related to Bidders Proposals

Project Management

x Prepare Prequalification Criteria

PrePuality Contractors
Table 5.5 Bidding or Negotiation

Especially in the case of the mechanical engineer, the percentage-based fee can work
counter to producing a green building. Ifthe fee is tied to the size of the HVAC system, there

is the possibility that it will be unnecessarily over-designed. A similar situation can occur
with the structural system, in that many times the structure is over-designed due to liability
reasons. The structural engineer and architect are responsible for the integrity of the building; therefore the rationale isthat it's better to be safe than sorry. Unfortunately, though, this
does not contribute to a project built with minimal resources in mind. The solution is to
account for a fee that reflects the importance of the participation of the engineers and
consultants in the initial stages of the project. This could be accomplished on a time and
materials basis while the scope of the contract is being defined, then in a lump sum for the
duration of the project.

Construction: Construction Administration

Ifthe contractor was involved as part of the project team early on in the project, then the
chances for breakdown at this phase are less. The problems start to arise when the contractor is just introduced to the project at this phase and is unfamiliar with the intent of the
design team, and can worsen if he is unfamiliar with green construction methods. It is
common for the contractor to have a regular group of sub-contractors with which he works,
and a standard way of doing business. Many times the contractor is reluctant to try new
techniques or to hire new subcontractors with expertise in green technologies. It is necessary to convey the importance of keeping the green vision and goals intact while the project
is under construction. A way to avoid this is to hire the construction firm as part of the
design team up-front. This can be either with the intention of retaining the firm for the
project, or by a fee for service consult, followed by taking the project out to bid as usual.
The benefits of this are many. The contractor can work with the design team to work out the
detailing, which will reduce the amount of potential change orders during construction. They
can also offer the services of their cost-estimator to make sure the project stays on budget
while considering different green technologies and options. Critical also, is to include the
major sub-contractors and vendors in the design process. This will minimize the pressure
to substitute conventional products for specified green products. They may even be able to
suggest better alternatives if they are familiar with the green concept goals of the project. In
any case, there needs to be great attention to reviewing shop drawings and product data to
make sure they are in conductive to the goals of the project. The Table 5.6 outlines the
responsibilities of the architect during this phase.

Construction:

6.0 Construction Administration

Coordination of Normal Engineering
Services

Architect's Services

Structural Inspection/Field Review Reports

Construction Inspection/Field Review

Progress Reports Evaluation
mElectrical
Certificates for Payment
Interpretation of Contract Documents
x Educate All Sub-contractors to Green Priorities
x Sho Drawing/Product Data/Sample Review
Review All Submittals and Requests for Alternates

Mechanical Inspection/Field Review Reports

Insection/Field Review Reports
Certification of Progress
Letters of Assurance
x Record (As-Built) Drawings
Special Consultants Services

Ito Maintain Green Priorities

Civil Construction Inspection/Field Review

x Landscape Inspection/Field Review

x Change Orders & Change Directives

x Review of Warranties (1)

x Detailed Cost Accounting

Client Consultation

x Fire Protection inspection/Field Review

,Letters of Assurance

Coordinating Registered Professional Role

x Acoustical Inspect ion/Fi eld Review

Building Code Equivalencies

Substantial Performance Report and Certification (1)
Certified Professional Service
Deficiency Assessment (1)
x Building Envelope Professional Services
Insrutinsfor Correction of Deficiencies (1)
Final Insp~ection and Certification for Payment (0
Agency Consultation
x Interior Construction Inspection/Field Review--Project Rep
_Full-Time
Admin of Separate Contracts
Project Management

Promotional Material
x

Record

(As-Built)

Drawings

-----------

Certification re: Financing

Alternate Dispute Resolution Services
Certified Professional Service
M ultiple Contracts M anagement

_-_--_---_I_------

Phased Construction Management------------Building Envelope Professional Services

Payment certifier role for subcontracts (Lien

legislation)

Table 5.6 Construction

-------

Substantial Performance Occupancy Permit and

Warranty & Maintenance: Post Construction
Building commissioning, post occupancy evaluation, and life-cycle cost monitoring are the
major green concept activities at this phase of building. In a study of the cost effectiveness
of commissioning 44 existing buildings, high rise offices and retail establishments had an
average simple payback of 1.6 years. Medical institutions averaged 0.4 years, and computer facilities had a 0.3 year payback period. Therefore, building commissioning is a very
cost-effective strategy in green building. Post-occupancy evaluation is important to ensure
that the users of the building are comfortable in their environment. Many times the design
or technology does not work as intended. A good example of this procedure is the Vital
Signs Project, in Berkeley, California. The Vital Signs Curriculum Materials Project examines the physical performance of buildings, their patterns of energy use, and their impact
upon occupant well being.1 5
Commissioning is a quality process for achieving, validating and documenting that the facility and its systems are planned, designed, installed, tested and capable of being operated
and maintained to perform in conformity with the design intent. The process extends through
all phases of a new or renovation project, from conceptualization to occupancy and operation, with checks at each stage of the process to ensure validation of their performance to
meet the owner's design requirements. 16

Substantial Performance Occupancy Permit & Warranty and Maintenance:

7.0 Post-Construction
Coordination of Engineering and

Architects Services

Special Consultants Services

x Project Inspection/Field Review

Start-Up Assistance

Deficiency Assessment
Instructions for Correction of Deficiencies
Start-up Assistance
Services Provided After Substantial Performance
Date
Fine Arts/Crafts/Graphics/Non-Building Equipment
Selection
Building Analysis and Reports Services Related to

Services Provided After Substantial

Performance Date
Non-Building Equipment Selection
Building Analysis and Reports
Services Related to Alterations and
Demolition
Life Cycle Cost Monitoring

Systems Performance Review

Alterations and -Demolition

x Life Cycle Cost Monitoring

x Commissioning

x Environmental Monitoring

Pro ject Mlanagement

x Commissioning
_Alternate

Dispute Resolution Services

Expert Witness Services

x Post-Occupancy Evaluation

Table 5.7 Post-construction

Building Demolition or Reuse

Many times a building is demolished without consideration for reuse. The most sustainable
building is one that has been renovated for a new use. Unfortunately inthe US, the building's
life span is thought of in terms of mortgage and lease-years. In Europe, for example,
buildings have stood for centuries, adopting a new use with the evolving needs of the society. The actions to take at this phase are evaluating the building to identify reuse, recycling,
and salvage potentials at the building and component scales. This includes assessment of
the spatial, structural, programming, economic, environmental and human factors related
to reuse or decommissioning.

Demolition or Building Reuse: 8.0 Post-occupancy

Coordination of Engineering and

Architects Services

Special Consultants Services

Evaluate the building to identify possibility for

x renovation
Evaluate the building to identify possibilities for
salvage potential for building assemblies and
x components
x Evaluate the building for material recyclability
x

Hire a demolition contractor with experience

x in waste manaement

Develop a Reuse and/or a Salvage Plan

x Encourage good site maintenance during demolition

Table 5.8 Post-occupancy

Even with a clearly defined process in place, there are many barriers to designing a sustainable building. In her study, "Breaking through the Barriers to Sustainable Building",
Miriam Landman from Tufts University concluded that the main obstructions are: lack of
interest or demand from clients, lack of training/education amoung designers, failure to
account for long-term benefits, and higher first costs, real or perceived.17 Amory Lovins of
the Rocky Mountain Institute lists the following obsticles:18
Developers control the design choices, but typically desire fast, cheap buildings that favor
appearance over long-term value, and rarely take energy efficiency into account.
Lenders are rewarded for closing deals as quickly as possible, and do not have the time or
inclination to study innovative design.
Commercial appraisers tend to not know about energy systems, thereby reinforcing developers and lenders short-term priorities.
Designers, architects and engineers frequently work in isolation and rarely does anyone
take responsibility for the entire enteractive system.
Mechanincal and electrical equipment is often grossly oversized due the the fear engineers
have of their jobs, or being sued.
The best designs often require an investment of time for learning new methods.
The prevailing fee structure and bidding system is tied to a percentage of the project's cost
which allows for oversizing and inefficiencies.

Contractors operate on a fixed budget and are rewarded for cutting corners, so they routinely try to substitute materials.
And finally, landlords do not have any incentives to upgrade their buildings without a financial payback.

Notes
I Naval Facilities Engineering Command Planning and Design Policy Statement - 98-01 Design of
Sustainable Facilities and Infrastructure, 18 June 1998, p4
2 National Pollution Prevention Center for Higher Education, Introduction
to Sustainable Design,
December 1998, pg 22-26
3 This chart is based on information from the AIA's Descriptions of Designated Services for the
Agreement Between Owner and Architect, the Sequence of Scope and Services Chart by the
Architectural Institute of British Columbia, and the Pennsylvania's Guide to Creating High Performance Green Building Guidelines
4 Reed, Bill, AIA, The Hillier Group, A Whole Systems Approach to Building, Lessons Learned Four
Times Square, p39
5 Green Buildings BC New Buildings Program Design Process for Pilot Projects,
www.greenbuildingsbc.com
6 Coldham, Bruce, What is Green Architecture?, www.coldhamarch.com/green/what
7 Coady, Theresa &Zimmerman, Alex, It's the Process, Not the Gadgets!, Green Building Challenge,
1998
8 Green Buildings BC New Buildings Program Design Process for Pilot Projects,
www.greenbuildingsbc.com
9 Mendler, Sandra, AIA, Director of HOK Sustainable Design Group, Be Careful What You Ask For,
Lessons Learned Four Times Square, p41
10 Hellmuth, Obata + Kassabaum, Inc., Sustainable Design Guide, 1998, pv
1' Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Guidelines for Creating High-Performance
Green Building Guidelines, 1999, p5
12 Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Guidelines for Creating High-Performance
Green Building Guidelines, 1999, p7
13 Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Guidelines for Creating High-Performance
Green Building Guidelines, 1999
14 Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Guidelines for Creating High-Performance
Green Building Guidelines, 1999, p11
15 Vital Signs Project, http://www.arch.ced.berkeley.edu/vitalsigns/Default.htm
16 Total Building Commissioning General Principles and Procedures, www.sustainable.state.fl.us/fdi/
17 Landman, Miriam, Breaking through the Barriers to Sustainable Building, http://www.tufts.edu/tie/
tci/pdf/Miriam1.pdf
18 Lovins, Amory, Institutional Inefficiency, IN CONTEXT #35, Spring
1993, p16

106

The Project Plan

All of the tools listed thus far have important roles in green building, but there are more
things that can and should be done for all projects. This last chapter outlines specific action
items that an architectural firm, corporation, or university could implement to establish a
prevailing approach to sustainability for buildings. It is important to stress that all of these
items are hollow without buy-in from the decision-makers and a commitment of resources.
Without the support of the principals or the administration, it would be next to impossible to
implement a standard practice of green building and design. An allocation of funding is
necessary so that there is room for experimentation, success and failure. As Jim Duderstadt,
President of the University of Michigan, says, "Sometimes we can learn as much from a
spectacular failure as a stunning success."1 The victory of furthering the status of
sustainability requires visionary leadership, as well as the allegiance of the firm, and in the
case of universities, the faculty, staff and student body. This involves the challenge of
motivating people to change, a change in the standard way of doing business, a change in
attitude about our role in nature, and a change in our capacity to produce results.

Elements of a well-rounded sustainable project approach include:

Objectives
Mission Statement
Project Goals and Priorities
Information
Research
Library of Case Studies
Green Resources Website
History Guide of Projects
Presentations and Lectures
Training for Building Users
Marketing for Successful Projects
Tools
Template RFQ and RFP
Green Design and Construction Strategies
Green Specifications

Cost-benefit vs. Environmental Impact Analysis Tool

Process of Integration Guide
Pilot Projects
Demonstration Buildings
On-going Support
Student Research Teams
Financing Options

Objectives
Mission Statement
A clearly defined mission statement provides a vision that conveys principles that have
been adopted by the firm or institution. This is the foundation for introducing the ideals that
the firm or university hold most important. It is important that those in positions of responsibility embrace the principles set forth by the mission statement.
Project goals and priorities
Based on the targets of the mission statement, specific goals and priorities need to be
established for each project. This will give the design team a reference upon which to refer
while making conflicting decisions. In an architectural firm, where projects sites could
range in climate zones, and the client is different for each project, the goals and priorities
will change.

Information
Library of Case Study Projects
In order to take advantage of the many examples of previously built green projects, a valuable reference tool would be a library of case studies. This should be made available to all
the team participants at the start of the project. The case studies should identify attributes
of the project to describe the difference between sustainable and traditional construction,
means and methods. A cost analysis would be helpful to compare different strategies and
benefits.

Green Resources Website

There is an abundant amount of information available on the internet on the subject of green
design. An additional important reference tool is a website that provides links to the most
current and relevant material available. This would include a directory to help find green
products and locate suppliers.
History Guide of Previous Projects
There is an opportunity for project team members to benefit from the experiences of others.
Many similar obstacles and challenges have most likely been encountered in a previous
project. A project history guide will enable a team member to look up previous successes,
thereby avoiding duplication of previous mistakes. It will also assist in the refinement of
particular strategies and processes with each subsequent project.
Presentations & Lectures
In order to keep up to date on the most current technologies in green building, lectures and
presentations by knowledgeable professionals are indispensable. These could also serve
as forums for manufacturers to inform clients of their newest "green" products.
Training for Building Users
Even the most efficiently designed building will fail in its attempts if the users of the building
are not sufficiently trained in the technologies employed in the design. Therefore, there
needs to be sufficient opportunity for the users to become educated to the intention of the
designer. This can be in the form of manuals and training sessions.
Project and Firm Marketing
This is an avenue to publicize the firms' commitment to sustainability to the community at
large. One of the greatest advantages of the LEED system is that it is a recognizable
rating, and therefore can be marketed as such. The Four Times Square project in New
York, for example, has received significant press coverage due to the achievements of the
whole project team in high performance building.

109

Tools
Request for Qualifications and Proposals

One of the initial steps in the building process is to solicit requests for qualifications and
proposals from architects and their consultants. In order to alert the prospective project
teams to the intentions of a green building, the RFP must include language to that effect.
Expertise in the area of green building will then serve as one of the criterion inthe selection
process. Included inthe qualification statement should be documentation of previous green
building projects, and a statement of intent from the lead designer describing their philosophy to the project. If the firm does not have prior experience in green building, then a
commitment to work with a sustainable consultant could be sufficient.
Request for Information

As part of understanding the scope, magnitude and direction of a project in terms of green
building design, it will be necessary to review the proposed design. Therefore, at various
phases during the design and construction, it will be helpful to solicit information from the
project team regarding their design intent. The overall goal includes gathering information
and evaluating design options. Through looking at this information, it will be possible to
evaluate the proposed design solutions in the areas of improved health and welfare of the
user, natural resource efficiency, and reduced environmental impact of the proposed design.
Green Design and Construction Strategies

The purpose of a strategies guide is to provide a reference to which the design team can
refer while making decisions. There are many existing available guidelines that outline
specific strategies. One of the biggest challenges is the problem of prioritization. Inherent
in these systems are value judgments on what constitutes a "green building". What is
considered "green" in one city or state may not be considered so in another. Other parameters such as site conditions, building types, client preferences and user needs, also call
for different design strategies. A good guideline reference is written with a specific climate
in mind and allows for variance on a project by project basis. To further customize the
strategies, benchmark information regarding resource consumption data for standard buildings, along with the desired projected values, would be included.

Green Specifications
There exist several very good specifications reference tools, such as the AIA's Environmental Resource Guide, and the Environmental Building News' GreenSpec. They are available either by purchasing a CD, or by entering a code via the web. Since this topic is
changing almost daily, with new companies and technologies emerging, the internet is an
ideal platform for the exchange of information. For example, MIT is in the process of updatin
its specifications book to inlcude green building concepts, strategies and technologies. It
describes the building systems in a graphical manner that allows for cross-reference between CSI division categories. It will be available for all participants on the project team.
Cost-benefit vs. Environmental Impact Analysis Tool
In many instances, approving a high-performance building alternative is not an option unless it can be shown to be cost-effective. However in order for project leaders to have a
basis upon which to make decisions, they must be provided with a full analysis of not only
the projected cost implications of a building, but also the full environmental consequences.
The quantification of environmental benefits is not always a tangible process, but this will
provide the decision-makers with a tool to determine if a green strategy or design is costeffective and/or environmentally benign. It would include a first-cost and a life cycle cost
description, as well as a life-cycle analysis of the materials and processes of the building.
For example, Johnson's Controls, Inc. is currently developing a document that describes
the expected return on investment from specific provisions listed in LEED. It will describe
whether each provision will increase or decrease capital costs or operating costs. It will
also categorize the environmental, social, and economic return on investment for each
provision.2
The reason for this is that there is perception that all green buildings are inherently more
expensive and take more time to build than a conventional projects. Three examples of
high performance buildings prove that they do not. Four Times Square in New York cost
$125 per square foot; SC Johnson Worldwide Professional Headquarters Building in Wisconsin cost $137 per square foot, including the land costs; and the International Netherlands Group Bank Headquarters in Amsterdam was built for $161 per square foot, including
the fixtures, furnishing and equipment.' These three examples are within a competitive
cost range for typical commercial buildings, while providing the economical savings of an
energy-efficient building and affording the occupants with a healthier working environment.

Process of Integration Guide

There is an opportunity to integrate green building concepts into every stage of building
design and construction. Sustainability presupposes a collaborative interaction between all
the participants in a project and a cyclical project delivery process, as opposed to the
standard linear model. This could possibly be one of the most important aspects of realizing a green building. Without a clearly identified building process, many opportunities for
green design implementation may go unrealized. Ideally, the internal design and construction process of the firm or organization would be analyzed and be modified to include green
building concepts.

Pilot Projects
Demonstration Buildings

A demonstration building is a good way to showcase advanced green technologies. But in

the long-term view, it is useful for a corporation or campus to focus on particular green
design strategies, rather than to try to incorporate all of them in to every project. Through
demonstration projects, as well as the other items listed in this chapter, the design team
can mainstream selected green building objectives into its clients' facilities.

On-going Support
Green Design Advisory Board

There should be an advisory board or single representative that is knowledgeable in green

concepts. This group would be present at design meetings, and be available to the project
managers and project team for guidance regarding green concepts and technologies. They
would be responsible for reviewing projects after the pre-design, schematic design and
design development phases. Additional review may be necessary at other key points based
on the needs of the project and design team.
Student Research Teams

Inthe case of universities, a benefit can be realized from their most valuable resource - the
student. Many projects can be developed that could offer an opportunity for the student to
112

learn and to participate in the building process by providing technical assistance to the
design team. For example, it could be beneficial for the facilities department to have available a group of students to run simulations of schematic designs.

Financing Options
Financial capital for energy efficient projects is available from many sources, but the key is
knowing where to look and what to select. While there may exist several variations, there
are five general financing mechanisms for energy-efficient improvements and investments.4
The appropriateness of these tools depends on the type of firm or institution, the complexity
or size of the project, and the expertise of the individuals involved.
- Internal Funds - Energy efficiency improvements are financed by direct alloca-

tions from an organization's own internal capital or operating budget

Debt Financing - Energy efficiency improvements are financed with capital
borrowed directly by an organization from private lenders and includes municipal bonds
Lease or Lease-Purchase Agreements - Energy efficient equipment is acquired

through an operating or financing lease of 5 to 10 years with no up-front costs

Energy Performance Contracts - Energy efficiency measures are financed,

installed, and maintained by a third party that guarantees savings and payments based on those savings
Utility Incentives - Rebates, grants, or other financial assistance are offered by

an energy utility for the design and purchase of certain energy efficient systems
and equipment
An example of a utility incentive program is Savings by Design, a statewide program in
California. 5 It offers technical assistance and cash incentives for the design and production of high performance buildings. The rewards are paid directly to the design teams,
intending to encourage participation between architects, MEP engineers, and lighting designers. Incentives are also directed at clients and project owners.

Conclusions
The concept of sustainable design is an important underlying principle of a new method of
design thinking. It is not a new style of architecture, rather it is a methodology based on
ecological principles. Although society pays for the hidden costs of negligent design through
the externality costs of energy production, natural resource depletion, the destruction of
habitat ecosystems, the pollution of air, water and soil, and higher health risks caused by
the toxic materials and poorly ventilated buildings, it is not the responsibility of society to
change the practices of architects. That obligation rests on the design and construction
profession. As the designers of the buildings we live and work in, we have the duty and
opportunity to lead humanity towards a more sustainable lifestyle. Fundamentally, the client, architect and builder need to make a decision together to contribute to move towards
environmental accountability. Once they do, it will only be a matter of time before green
design becomes standard practice.
Even with all of the means to make a prediction, a building's performance can only truly be
determined after the project is completed. Therefore, by implementing the ideas listed in
this thesis, one can only make the assumption that the project will be more energy-efficient,
have better indoor quality, and be less detrimental to the environment. But, certainly if the
current standard practice of building is not changed, there can be not be a change in the
impact architects' designs have beyond the exterior of our buildings.

Notes
IAs repeated in Changing a Mind-Set, Not Just a Problem-Set: Sustainable Development in
Colleges of Engineering, Presented at: 1999 Engineering Deans Institute, American Society for
Engineering Education, Ethics in Technology and Social Responsibilities, March 21-21, Maui,
Hawaii
2Johnson Controls, Inc. Controls Group, Paul von Paumgarten, paul.vonpaumgarten@jci.com
3 Browning, Bill, Putting the Dollars Together: The First Cost Equations of High Performance
Buildings, Green Development Services, Rocky Mountain Institute
4 Building Resources, Improving Existing Buildings/Designing New Buildings,
www.eren.doe.gov/
energysmartschools/explorefinance
5New
Program Rewards Energy Efficiency in California Commercial Construction, www.pge.com/
savings/home

115

116

Appendix A - Background Concepts

Agenda 21
Agenda 21 & Other UNCED Agreements
http://www.igc.org/habitat/agenda21/ Agenda 21 & Other UNCED Agreements
Agenda 21 and Sustainable Development
http://www.iol.ie/~isp/agenda21/ Agenda 21 and Sustainable Development
Agenda 21 - National Information

http://www.un.org/esa/agenda2l/natlinfo/index.html Agenda 21 - National

Information

Ecological Footprints
Revisiting Carrying Capacity: Area-Based Indicators of Sustainability
http://www.dieoff.com/page11O.htm Revisiting Carrying Capacity: Area-Based
Indicators of Sustainability
What is an Ecological Footprint?
http://www.esb.utexas.edu/drnrm/Whatls/ecofootprint.htm What is an Ecological Footprint?

Ecosystem
Complexity and Connectivity in Ecosystems
http://www.csu.edu.au/ci/vol03/klomp/klomp.html Complexity and Connectivity
in Ecosystems
Ecosystem Valuation
Ecosystem Valuation http://www.ecosystemvaluation.org/

Green Economics
Green Economics Website
http://www.greeneconomics.net/ Green Economics Website

Sustainability
Applying Sustainable Development
http://www.applysd.co.uk/ Applying Sustainable DevelopmentBest Environmental Resources Directories
Brain Food
-

http://www.dieoff.com/Brain Food
Center for Renewable Energy and Sustainable Technology
http://www.crest.org/Center for Renewable Energy and Sustainable Technology
Consulting the Public Interest

http://www.cipi.com/artclsus.shtmlConsulting the Public Interest

Deep Sustainability [National Centre for Sustainability (NCFS)]
Deep Sustainability [National Centre for Sustainability (NCFS)]http://
www.islandnet.com/-ncfs/ncfs/
Defining Sustainability
http://www.arch.wsu.edu/-sustain/defnsust.htmDefining Sustainability
Department of Energy Library
http://vm1.hqadmin.doe.gov/library/Department of Energy Library
Department of Energy - EnergyFiles

http://www.osti.gov/EnergyFiles/Department of Energy - EnergyFiles

Ecosustainable - Sustainable Environment
http://www.ecosustainable.com.au/links.htmEcosustainable - Sustainable
Environment
Environment & Sustainable Living
http://condor.stcloudstate.edu/-dmichael/eco/ Environment & Sustainable
Living
Factor Four (abstract)
http://www2.wupperinst.org/Projekte/Factor4_e/FactorFourBook.html Factor
Four (abstract)
The Florida Center for Understanding Sustainability
http://www.ficus.usf.edu/The Florida Center for Understanding Sustainability
Indicators of Sustainability Training Course
Indicators of Sustainability Training Course http://
www.sustainablemeasures.com/Training/Indicators/index.html Indicators of
Sustainability Training Course
Institute of Energy and Sustainable Design
http://www.iesd.dmu.ac.uk/ecadap/ecadap.htmlnstitute of Energy and Sustainable Design
Interagency Working Group on Sustainable Development Indicators
Interagency Working Group on Sustainable Development Indicators http://
www.sdi.gov/iwgsdi.htm Interagency Working Group on Sustainable Development Indicators
A Paradigm for Sustainability (by Richard Risemberg)
http://www.living-room.org/sustain/paradigm.htm A Paradigm for Sustainability
(by Richard Risemberg)
Sources of Sustainability
Sources of Sustainability http://csf.colorado.edu/elsewhere/index.html Sources
of Sustainability

Sustainable Energy Authority

http://www.sea.vic.gov.au/building/ESCB/links.htmlSustainable Energy Authority
Sustainable Measures
Sustainable Measures http://www.sustainablemeasures.com/ Sustainable
Measures
The Sustainability Report
http://www.sustreport.org/The Sustainability Report
Towards Sustainability
http://www.towards-sustainability.co.uk/Towards Sustainability
World Bank
http://www.worldbank.org/ World Bank
Sustainable Architecture
Alternative Architecture and Sustainable Development
http://apocalypse.org/pub/u/paul/arch.htmlAlternative Architecture and Sustainable Development
Architecture and Building
http://library.nevada.edu/arch/rsrce/webrsrce/
mainOO18.html#Women2717Architecture and Building
Architecture and Community
http://csf.colorado.edu/sustainability/community.htmlArchitecture and Community
Earthship Architecture
http://www.earthship.org/home.htm Earthship Architecture
Environmental Design and Sustainability
http://www.arch.vt.edu/Sustainability/extras/website.htm Environmental Design
and Sustainability
Environmental Sustainable Architecture
http://enertia.com/envirarc.htm Environmental Sustainable Architecture
Green Building Primer
http://www.energybuilder.com/greenbld.htmGreen Building Primer
Green Design Sustainable Architecture
http://www.Jib.berkeley.edu/ENVI/GreenAll.htmlGreen Design Sustainable
Architecture
The Hannover Principles
http://minerva.acc.virginia.edu/-arch/pub/hannoverlist.html The Hannover
PrinciplesIntegrated Building Technology
Sustainable Architecture

http://members.aol.com/reidybrown/htmldocs/architecture
archpg 1.htmlSustainable Architecture
Sustainable Architecture Building and Culture
http://www.sustainableabc.com/Sustainable Architecture Building and Culture
Sustainable Architecture Resource
Sustainable Architecture Resource http://www.umich.edu/-nppcpub/resources/
ResLists/arch.html
Sustainable Building Resource
http://www.iris.ba.cnr.it/sustain/welcome.aspSustainable Building Resource
Sustainable Building Sourcebook
http://www.greenbuilder.com/sourcebook/contents.htmlSustainable Building
Sourcebook
Urban Sustainability
Database on Good Practice in Urban Management and Sustainability
http://europa.eu.int/comm/urban/
Florida Internet Center for Understanding Sustainability (FICUS)
http://www.ficus.usf.edu/
Green Communities Assistance Kit
http://www.epa.gov/greenkit/
Livable Communities
http://www.livablecommunities.gov/
Living Room
http://www.living-room.org/
Smart Growth Network
http://www.smartgrowth.org/
SURBAN (database on sustainable urban development in Europe)
http://www.eaue.de/winuwd/default.htm
Sustainable Communities Resource Package (SCRP)
http://www.web.net/ortee/scrp/
Sustainable Urban Design and Climate
http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/environ/design/design.shtml

120

Urban Ecology Australia

http://www.urbanecology.org.au/
Urban Ecology Design Collaborative
http://www.urbanecology.com/
The Virtual Library on Urban Environmental Management
http://www.gdrc.org/uem/Sustainable Urban Design and Climate
The Hannover Principles

122

Appendix B - Associations and Directories

Associations and Institutions
Aarcosanti: a prototype arcology
http://www.arcosanti.org/
American Indoor Air Quality Council
http://www.iaqcouncil.org/
American Institute of Architecture
http://www.aianewmexico.com/aia-abq/docsb.html
American Solar Energy Society
http://www.ases.org/
Architects, Designers and Planners for Social Responsibility (ADPSR)
http://www.adpsr.org/
Architectural Green Solar Network (AGSN) (Germany)
http://www.agsn.de/
Architecture & Engineering Division, State of Montana
http://www.discoveringmontana.com/doa/aed/index.htm
Association for Environment Conscious Building (AECB)
Association for Environment Conscious Building (AECB)
BASEA - Boston Area Solar Energy Association
http://www.basea.org/
Bioarchitettura (Italy)
http://www.bioarchitettura.org/
Building Concerns
http://www.interiorconcerns.org/
Business for Social Responsibility (BSR)
http://www.bsr.org/

Center for Maximum Potential Building Systems (CMPBS)

http://www.cmpbs.org/
Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT)
http://www.cnt.org/
Centre for Sustainable Design (CFSD)
http://www.cfsd.org.uk/
Centers for Sustainable Living (CSL)
http://coinsO.coin.missouri.edu/community/home-garden/sust-living/
Center for Sustainable Systems
http://www.umich.edu/~nppcpub/index.html
Climate Action Network (CAN)
http://www.climatenetwork.org/
Committee on the Environment (COTE)
http://www.e-architect.com/pia/cote/home2.asp
Contra Costa County Solid Waste Authority
http://www.wastediversion.org/
The Earth Council
http://www.ecouncil.ac.cr/
Ecodesign Foundation
http://www.edf.edu.au/
EcoDesign Resource Society (Canada)
http://www.ecodesign.bc.ca/
Eco-Home Network
http://www.ecohome.org/
Ecological Design Institute (EDI)
http://www.ecodesign.org/edi/
Ecological Living
http://eco-living. net/

EcoRecycle Victoria
http://www.ecorecycle.vic.gov.aul
Environ Design Collaborative
http://www.environdc.com/
Environmental Energy Technologies Division
http://eetd.lbl.gov/software.html
EPA's Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP)
http://www.epa.gov/opptintr/epp
Five E's Unlimited
http://www.eeeee. net/
Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC)
http://floridagreenbuilding.org/
Green Building Alliance (Pittsburgh)
http://www.gbapgh.org/
Green Building Information Council (GBIC), Canada
http://greenbuilding.ca/
Green Round Table: Sustainable Architecture and Design
http://www.greenroundtable.org/
The Green Center (New Alchemy Institute)
http://www.fuzzylu.com/greencenter/
Green Home
http://greenhome.org/
Green Map System
http://www.greenmap.com/
thegreenpages.ca
http://www.thegreenpages.org/
Green Resource Center, Berkeley
http://www.greenresourcecenter.org/

Green Space Design

http://www.greenspacedesign.org/
The Healthy House Institute (HHI)
http://www.hhinst.com/

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

http://www.ipcc.ch/
International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD)
http://iisdl.iisd.cal
Keepers of the Waters
http://www.keepersofthewaters.org/
Low Impact Development Center
http://www.lowimpactdevelopment.org/
National Association of Home Builders
http://www.nahb.org/
National Centre for Sustainability (NCFS)
http://www.islandnet.com/-ncfs/ncfs/
National Councils for Sustainable Development (NCSD)
http://www.ncsdnetwork.org/
National Pollution Prevention Center for Higher Education (NPPC)
http://www.umich.edu/~nppcpub/index.html
Natural Building Resources
http://www.strawbalecentral.com/
The Natural Step (US)
http://www.naturalstep.org/
North East Sustainble Energy Association- NESEA
http://www.nesea.org/
Office of Building Technology, State and Community Programs
http://www.eren.doe.gov/buildings/

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)

http://www.oecd.org/

Partnership for Advanced Technology in Housing (PATH)

http://www.pathnet.org/
Resource Renewal Institute (RRI)
http://www.rri.org/
Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI)
http://www.rmi.org/
Scottish Ecological Design Association (SEDA)
http://www.inverarc.co.uk/seda/
Second Nature
http://www.secondnature.org/
Society of Building Science Educators
http://www.polaris.net/-sbse/web/sbsehome.htm
Soil and Water Conservation Society (SWCS)
http://www.swcs.org/
Southface Energy Institute (SEI)
http://www.southface.org/
SD (Sustainable Development) Gateway
http://www.sdgateway.net/
Sustainable Development International
http://www.sustdev.org/
Sustainable Living Network
http://www.sustainableliving.org/
Union of EcoDesigners (Japan)
http://www.bcasj.or.jp/EcoDesign/
United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat)
http://www.unchs.org/

United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development

http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/csd.htm
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
http://www.undp.org/
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
http://www.unfccc.de/
Urban Ecology
http://www.urbanecology.org/
U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)
http://www.usgbc.org/
The Used Building Materials Association (UBMA)
http://www.ubma.com/
WSU Cooperative Extension Energy Program
http://www.energy.wsu.edu
Wisconsin Green Building Alliance (WGBA)
http://www.wgba.org/
World Bank
http://www.worldbank.org/
WorldBuild
http://www.worldbuild.com/
World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD)
http://www.wbcsd.com/
The World Conservation Union (IUCN)
http://www.iucn.org/
World Resources Institute (WRI)
http://www.wri.org/
Worldwatch Institute
http://www.worldwatch.org/

Directories and Sites on Ecology, Environment and Sustainability

Alternative Architecture and Sustainable Development
http://apocalypse.org/pub/u/paul/arch.html
Architecture Web Resources
http://library.nevada.edu/arch/rsrce/webrsrce/main001 8.html#Women271 7
Best Environmental Directories
http://www.ulb.ac.be/ceese/meta/cds.html
Building Energy Efficiency Research (BEER)
http://arch.hku.hk/reserach/BEER
Campaign Interactive - European Sustainable Cities Project
http://www.sustainable-cities.org/
Commercial Building Incentive Program (CBIP) (Canada)
http://cbip.nrcan.gc.ca/cbip.htm
Ecosustainable
http://www.ecosustainable.com.au/links.htm
Energy in Architecture - Resources

http://arch.hku.hk/teaching/learn.htm - energy in architecture

Green Building Resource Center
http://www.greendesign.net/gbrc/index.html
Green Building Source
http://oikos.com/index.lasso
DOE Headquarters Library
http://vml.hqadmin.doe.gov/library/
Ecogovernment
http://home.earthlink.net/-jluke3l3/government.html

Energy Smart Commercial Buildings Links

http://www.sea.vic.gov.au/building/ESCB/links.html
Environmental Design and Sustainability - Related Web Sites
http://www.arch.vt.edu/Sustainability/extras/website.htm
Environmental Design Library
http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/ENVI/GreenAll.html
European Housing Ecology Network (EHEN)
http://www.ehen-europe.net/
Global System for Sustainable Development (GSSD) [MIT]
http://gssd.mit.edul
Green Buildings for Africa
http://www.greenbuildings.co.za/
Green Haus - Homes and Our Environment
http://home.earthlink.net/-dlombard/
Green Innovations
http://www.green-innovations.asn.au/
Green Office [UNSW]
http://www.emp.unsw.edu.au/GOP/Index.html
Greening the Games (Sydney Olympics)
http://www.sg.com.au/ea/body0l.html
Greening Government - UK

http://www.environment.detr.gov.uk/greening/
GreenWork.TV
http://www.greenworks.tv/
Hybrid Ventilation in New and Retrofitted Office Buildings [lEA Annex 35]
http://hybvent.civil.auc.dk/
IEA-BCS Annex 31: Energy related environmental impact of buildings
http://www.uni-weimar.de/SCC/PRO/

The Integer Project (UK)

http://www.integerproject.co.uk/
Integrated Building Technology
http://arch.hku.hk/teaching
Jamaica Sustainable Development Networking Programme (JSDNP)
http://www.jsdnp.org.jm/index.htm
Residential Environmental Design and Sustainable Architecture for Architects and
Homeowners
http://www.reddawn.com/
Renewable Energy
http://arch.hku.hk/research/BEER/renew.htm
Renewable Energy Policy Project
http://solstice.crest.org/common/crestinfo.shtml
Smart Architecture
http://www.smartarch.nl/
Sustainable Architecture and Building Design
http://www1.arch.hku.hk/research/BEER/sustain.htm
Sustainable Architecture Resource List
http://www.umich.edu/-nppcpub/resources/ResLists/arch.html
Sustainable Building Resource
http://www.iris.ba.cnr.it/sustain/welcome.asp
Sustainable Home
http://www.sustainablehomes.co.uk/index.htm
Sustainability Forum at MIT Department of Architecture
http://destec.mit.edu/forum
The Sustainability Report
http://www.sustreport.org/
Sustainability Web Ring

http://sdgateway. net/webring/default. htm

Vision 2020 Los Alamos - Green Building

http://www.vision202Ola.org/GreenBuilding/green-building.htm
Research Centers
Atmospheric Research & Information Centre, Manchester Metropolitan University
http://www.doc.mmu.ac.uk/aric/
Center for Energy Efficiency & Renewable Technologies (CEERT)
http://www.ceert.org/home.html
Centre of Environmental Philosophy, Planning and Design, University of Canberra
http://design2.canberra.edu.au/fed/fed/CentreEPPD.html
Center of Excellence for Sustainable Development (CESD), USDOE
http://www.sustainable.doe.gov/
Centre for Renewable Energy Systems Technology (CREST), University of
Loughborough, UK
http://info.lboro.ac.uk/departments/el/research/crest/index.htm
Center for Resourceful Building Technology (CRBT)
http://www.montana.com/crbt/
Centre for Studies in Urban Sustainability (CSUS), HKU
http://hkusury2.hku.hk/sustainable-urbandevelopment/
Centre for Sustainable Technologies, University of Ulster
http://www.engj.ulst.ac.uk/SCOBE/CST/index.html
Center for Sustainable Urban Neighborhoods, University of Louisville
http://www.louisville.edu/org/sun/
Ecological Design Group (EDG), The Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, Scotland
http://www.rgu.ac.uk/subj/ecoldes/edg1.htm
Edinburgh Sustainable Architecture Unit (ESAU)
http://www.caad.ed.ac.uk/units/ESAU/
Energy and Environment Research Unit (EERU), Open University, UK
http://eeru-www.open.ac.uk/

Environmental Energy Technologies Division

http://eetd.Ibl.gov/

FICUS-Florida Internet Center for Understanding Sustainability

http://www.ficus.usf.edu/
IVAM Environmental Research (Netherlands)
http://www.ivambv.uva.nl/
MIT Building Technology Group
http://web.mit.edu/bt/www/
Pacific Energy Center
http://www.pge.com/003_save-energy/003c-edutrain/pec/
003c1_pac-energy.shtml
Sandia National Laboratories Renewable Energy Office
http://www.sandia.gov/RenewableEnergy/renewable.html
Sustainable Buildings for China [MIT]
http://btserver.mit.edu/china/index.html
Sustainability Research Profiles [Second Nature]
http://www.secondnature.org/programs/profiles.nsf
Simulation Research Group
http://gundog.lbl.gov/
United Nations Environment Programme
http://www.unep.org/
The Vital Signs Project
http://www.arch.ced.berkeley.edu/vitalsigns/

134

Appendix C - Journals and News

Architecture Week
http://www.architectureweek.com/topics/green.html
Architectural Record
http://www.archrecord.com/GREEN/GREEN.ASP
Architronic
http://architronic.saed.kent.edu/
Ecocycle
http://www.ec.gc.ca/ecocycle/english/default.htm
Environmental Building News
http://www.buildinggreen.com/
Environmental Design & Construction
http://www.edcmag.com/
FacilitiesNet
http://www.facilitiesnet.com/fn/
Building Operating Management
Bhttp://www.facilitiesnet.com/fn/bom
Energy Decisions
http://www.facilitiesnet.com/fn/energydecisions
Green Books
http://www.greenbooks.co.uk/
Green Building News [oikos]
http://oikos.com/
Residential Environmental Design and Sustainable Architecture
http://www.reddawn.com/
Terrain: A Journal of the Built & Natural Environments
http://www.terrain.org/

WinterGREEN Newsletter [Steven Winter Associates]

http://www.swinter.com/company/WinterGREEN.html

Appendix D - Green Building Guidelines and Programs

Guidelines
Greening Federal Facilities
http://www.eren.doe.gov/femp/greenfed/
Guiding Principles of Sustainable Design - US Park Services
http://www.nps.gov/dsc/dsgncnstr/gpsd/toc.html
High Performance Building Guidelines - Pennsylvania
http://www.gggc.state.pa.us/publictn/gbguides.html
Minnesota Sustainable Design Guide
http://www.sustainabledesignguide.umn.edu/
New York City Department of Design and Construction
http://www.ci.nyc.ny.us/html/ddc/html/pdfdl.html#guidelines
Process Guide for High Performance Buildings - Florida
http://sustainable.state.fl.us/fdi/edesign/resource/index.html
EPA & USGBC - Sustainable Building Technical Manual
http://www.sustainable.doe.gov/pdf/sbt.pdf
Greening Federal Facilities - Federal Agency Management Program
http://www.eren.doe.gov/femp/greenfed/
U.S. Postal Service - Building Design Standards
Sustainable Building Handbook - Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum, Inc.
http://www.hok.com/sustainabledesign/
United States Air Force Environmentally Responsible Facilities Guide
http://www.aett.gov.bc.ca/environmental/data/environt/sec-one.htm#sec-one
United States Air Force - Green Base of the Future
http://www.dexix.osd.mil/denix/Public/Library/Eprfguide/eprf1.html
United States Navy Whole Building Design Guide
http://www.wbdg.org/

Green City Programs

Alameda County Waste Authority
http://www.stopwaste.org/fsbuild.html
A Blueprint for Greening Affordable Housing
http://www.globalgreen.org/pdf/index.html
Build a Better Kitsap - Washington

http://www.wa.gov/kitsap/departments/pubworks/buildbetter.html
Cambridge Sustainable City
http://www.sustainablecity. net/
City of Austin Green Building Program
http://www.aett.gov.bc.ca/environmental/data/environt/sec-one.htm - sec-one
Denver, Colorado - Built Green

http://www.builtgreen.org/
Green City Project
http://www.green-city.org/
Green Design / Sustainable Architecture Information Sources [UC Berkeley]
http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/ENVl/GreenAll.html
Green Design Initiative (GDI)
http://www.ce.cmu.edu/GreenDesign/
The Green Engineer
http://www.greenengineer.com/index.shtml
Greenspiration!
http://www.greenspiration.org/
Hydroponics
http://www.hydroponicsonline.com/
Los Angeles, California - Green Building Guidelines
http://www.globalgreen.org/pdf/index.html

Oakland, California - How-to Design Guide for Green Buildings

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - Save Energy Campaign
City of Portland, Oregon - Green Building Options
http://www.ci.portland.or.us/energy/greenbuilding.htm
Green Design Initiative (GDI)
http://www.ce.cmu.edu/GreenDesign/
San Francisco, California - Strategies for Resource Efficient Buildings
http://www.ci.sf.ca.us/90043.htm
San Jose, California - Local Guidelines & Incentives
Santa Monica Green Building Guidelines
http://greenbuildings.santa-monica.org/sitemap.htm
Scottsdale Green Building Program
http://www.ci.scottsdale.az.us/greenbuilding/RatingWS.aspGreen Design
Initiative (GDI)
Seattle Sustainable Building
http://www.ci.seattle.wa.us/seattle/util/rescons/susbuild/default.htm
Seattle, Washington - Sustainable Building Action Plan
http://www.ci.seattle.wa.us/seattle/util/rescons/susbuild/default.htm

State & County Municipalities

Nebraska - Moving Toward Sustainability
Central New Mexico - Green Builder
Kitsap County - Build a Better Kitsap
http://www.wa.gov/kitsap/departments/pubworks/buildbetter.html
Suburban Maryland - Building Green

Florida - Process Guidelines for High Performance Buildings

http://sustainable.state.fl.us/fdi/edesign/resource/index.html

Oregon - Green Building Project

http://www.hcs.state.or.us/data-research/greenbuilding/index.html
Hennepin County, Minnesota - Sustainable Design Guide and Rating System
http://www.sustainabledesignguide.umn.edu/
Alameda County, California - Green Builder Guidelines
http://www.stopwaste.org/fsbuild.html

Environmental Performance Rating Systems

Breeam - UK

http://www.bre.co.uk/index.html
Breeam Office 1998 - Canada

http://www.breeamcanada.ca/
Bepac - British Columbia

http://www.bepac.dmu.ac.uk/index.html#What'sHere
British Columbia University - Facilities Branch Environmental Guidelines
http://www.aett.gov.bc.ca/environmental/data/environt/sec-one.htm#sec-one
U.S. Green Building Council - LEED

http://www.usgbc.org/
Eco-Quantum - Holland

Green Building Challenge 2000 - International partnership of 14 countries

Queen's University of Belfast's - Green Building Handbook

Appendix E - Sustainability Tools

Simulation Tools
Building Energy Software: Tools Directory
http://www.eren.doe.gov/buildings/tools-directory/
BE2AM: Building Energy and Environmental Assessment Method
http://www.ecde.demon.co.uk/be2am.htm
Environmental Support Solutions
http://www.environ.com/
EQUER (France)
http://www-cenerg.ensmp.fr/francais/batiment/1 5.html
International Association for Impact Assessments (IAIA)
http://www.iaia.org/
Global Environmental Options (GEO)
http://www.geonetwork.org/
Green Buildings [Center of Excellence for Sustainable Development]
http://www.sustainable.doe.gov/buildings/gbintro.htm

Computer based Tools

Green Buildings [Center of Excellence for Sustainable Development]
http://www.sustainable.doe.gov/buildings/gbintro.htm
Interactive Tools Survey [University of Weimar, Germany]
http://www.uni-weimar.de/SCC/PRO/TOOLS/inter.html
Building Energy Simulation Tools
http://www.inf.bauwesen.tu-muenchen.de/personen/christop/bsim/
building-energy.htm - Energy%20Programs
Introduction to OTTV and Simulation Tools
http://arch.hku.hk/-cmhui/teach/65256-X.htm

Life Cycle Analysis and Costing

Activity-Based Management
http://www.emblemsvag.com/
ATHENA Sustainable Materials Institute
http://www.athenasmi.ca/
BEES (Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability)
http://www.bfrl.nist.gov/oae/software/bees.html
Eco-Quantum (Netherlands)
http://www.ivambv.uva.nl/uk/producten/product7.htm
ENVEST (environmental impact estimating design software) [UK BRE]
http://products.bre.co.uk/envest/
LCAid (Australia)
http://www.projectweb.gov.com.au/dataweb/lcaid/
Life-Cycle Assessment
http://www.emblemsvag.com/LCA.htm
Buildings and Life-Cycle Costing [Canadian Building Digest]
http://www.nrc.ca/irc/cbd/cbd212e.html
Comparing the Environmental Effects of Building Systems [Canadian Wood Council]
http://www.cwc.ca/english/publications/technicalbulletins/techbull_4/
Life Cycle Analysis for Residential Buildings [Canadian Wood Council]
http://www.cwc.ca/english/publications/technical-bulletins/techbull_5/
Life-Cycle Costing
http://dept.lamar.edu/industrial/Graduate/.. %5CClasses/..%5CUnderdown/
eng-mana/LifeCycleCostingShtubch1 O.htm
Life Cycle Costing and Stainless Steel
http://www.assda.asn.au/lifecyclel.html
Life Cycle Costing Program-Version 2.0
http://www.assda.asn.au/lifecyclel.html

LISA (LCA in Sustainable Architecture)

http://www.lisa.au.com/

Design Tools
Energy Design Tools
http://www.aud.ucla.edu/energy-design-tools/
Building Design Advisor
http://kmp.lbl.gov/BDA/

144

Appendix F Green Campus Initiatives

Blueprint for a Green Campus
http://www.envirocitizen.org/cgv/blueprint/index.html
British Columbia University
http://www.aett.gov.bc.ca/environmental/data/environt/sec-one.htm
Brown in Green
http://www.brown.edu/Departments/Brown-Is_Green/
Building a Green Campus
http://www.uvm.edu/~jfrances/report.html
Carnegie Melon - Green Design Initiative
CSU, Monterey Bay - Greening of the Campus
http://kelp.monterey.edu/const/index.shtm
Duke University - Environmental Sustainability Program
Environmental Education and Campus Greening
http://www.lib.msu.edu/link/enved.htm
FGCU Green Building Project
http://www.fgcu.edu/greenbuilding/index.html
Florida A&M University - Guidelines & Principles for Sustainable Community Design
http://fcn.state.fl.us/fdi/index.html
Georgia Tech - Primer for Sustainable Design
Green Campus Design Saving 60% on Energy [CSIRO]
http://www.dbce.csiro.au/inno-web/0600/green-campus.htm
Green Campus Issues [Havard]
http://hcs.harvard.edu/-eac/greencampus.htm
Greening the Campus: Sustainability and Higher Education
http://www.islandpress.org/economics/energy/greencamp.html
Merced Campus - Principle Initiative
Middlebury College - Guiding Principles
"Pathways to a Green Campus" Report
http://www.middlebury.edu/~enviroc/content.html

Sustainability - Green Campus Initiatives

http://www.epa.gov/regionOl/steward/univ/sus.html
Sustainable Development on Campus [IISD]
http://iisdl.iisd.ca/educate/
Tufts University - Greening the Ivory Tower
University of Michigan, Sustainable Architecture
http://www.umich.edu/-nppcpub/resources/compendia/architecture.html
University of Washington - Facility Design Information Manual
http://depts.washington.edu/-fsesweb/fdi99/index.html

Appendix G - Architects and Consultants

Architects
Amacher & Associates
http://amacher.hypermart.net/index.htm
Amstein + Walthert AG
http://www.amstein-walthert.ch/
Andropogon
http://www.andropogon.com/
BEAR Architects
http://www.bear.nl/
Beckman Sustainable Architecture
http://www.nevada.edu/-beckman/
Bob Easton AIA Architects
http://www.bobeaston.com/
Busby & Associates Architects
http://www.busby.cal
Bruce Coldham, Architect
http://www.coldhamarch.com/
Debra Lombard
http://home.earthlink.net/-dlombard/DEBRALOMBARD.htm
Dennis Holloway
http://www.taosnet.com/architectVRe/
Donald Reed Chandler Architect
http://www.coldhamarch.com/
EcoArch
http://ecoarch.com/

Ecological Design Institute

http://www.ecodesign.org/edi/index.html
Ecopolis
http://www.ecopolis.com.au/Eley Associates
Emilio Ambasz and Associates, Inc.
http://www.ambasz.com/
Emilis Prelgauskas
http://www.emilis.sa.on. net/
Enno Wiersma Architect, Urban & Interior designer.
http://www.stratosphere.org/
Entech Engineering HomePage
http://www.entecheng.com/
Environ Design Collaborative
http://www.cstone.net/edc/indexl.htm
Eugene Tsui (Evolutionary Architecture)
http://www.tdrinc.com/
Future Systems
http://www.future-systems.com/
Green Architecture (Javier Barba Studio BC Architects and Urbanism, Spain)
http://www.greenarchitecture.com/
HDR Sustainable Design
http://www.hdrinc.com/Architecture/sustain/default.htm
Helio Dias da Silva
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/2758
HOK - Sustainable Design

http://www.hok.com/sustainabledesign/
Indiana Architecture
http://www.indiana-architecture.com/

Innovative Design
Innovative Design
Jersey Devil Design/Build
http://www.jerseydevildesignbuild.com/
Ken Yeang - Bioclimatic Skyscrapers
http://www.ellipsis.com/yeang/text.html

LiQWood Design Studios

http://www.liqwood-design.com/
Locus Architecture
http://www.locusarchitecture.com/
LOG ID (Dieter Schempp)
http://www.agsn.de/logid/
Marcus and Willers Architects
http://www.vom.com/mwa/mw3hp.htm
Micheal Rosenfeld Inc. Architects
http://www.omr-architects.com/sm/sustainable.html
MFP Australia
http://www.mfp.com.au/
Paul de Ruiter'
http://www.archined.nl/paulderuiter/
Peter Vetsch (Earth & Cave Architecture)
http://www.vetsch.ch/
Pfau Architecture
http://www.pfauarchitecture.com/indexf.html
Ray Bahm and Associates
http://www.rt66.com/rbahm/
Renzo Piano Workshop Foundation
http://www.rpwf.org/

Richard Rogers Partnership

http://www.richardrogers.co.uk/
Robert A. Armon Architect
http://www.sacredarch.com/
rkeytexDESIGN
rkeytexDESIGN
Solar Design Associates, Inc.(SDA)
http://www.solardesign.com/-sda/
Tsui Design & Research Inc.
http://www.tdrinc.com/
Van der Ryn Architects
http://www.vanderryn.com/
White & Gilbride Architects, Canada
http://white.on.ca/
William McDonough + Partners
http://www.mcdonough.com
Consultants
Biospaces
http://rof.net/yp/biospace/welcome.html
ConstructionTech nologies
http://members.home.net/lyfordg/
CSIRO Built Environment
http://www.dbce.csiro.au/ind-serv/brochures/suscon/suscon.htm
Design Advice (UK)
http://www.designadvice.co.uk/
Duluth Timber Company
http://www.duluthtimber.com/

ECD Energy and Environment (UK)

http://www.ecde.demon.co.uk/
Eco-Products
http://www.ecoproducts.com/
Enermodal Engineering Limit.
http://www.enermodal.com/
Enertia" Building Systems
http://enertia.com/
Environmental Support Solutions, Inc. (ESS)
http://www.environ.com/
Green Building Services
hftp://www.greenbuildingservices.com/
Hanna Shapira
http://www.public.usit.net/hshapira/
IRT Environment, Inc
http://solstice.crest.org/efficiency/irt/
PRe (Netherlands)
http://www.pre.nl/
Rezacheck & Associates
http://www.sustainablehawaii.com/
Robert Q. Riley Enterprises
http://www.netzone.com/-rqriley/
Roy F. Weston, Inc.
http://www.rfweston.com/
Siemens Solar Industries
http://www.solarpv.com/
SunStar of Arizona
http://www.azsunstar.com/

Sustainability.com
http://www.sustainability.com/
SustainAbility Ltd. (UK)
http://www.sustainability.co.uk/

Appendix H - Case Studies

901 Cherry in San Bruno, California
http://bacqube.bayareacouncil.org/901/
Adam J. Lewis Center for Environmental Studies
http://www.oberlin.edu/newserv/esc/
Audubon House: Building for an environmental future
http://www.audubon.org/nas/ah/index.html
Barney-Davis Green Renovation
http://www.denison.edu/enviro/barney/
Beddington Zero Energy Development (BedZED)
http://www.bedzed.org.uk/
BRE Environmental Building at Garston
http://projects.bre.co.uk/envbuild/index.html
Case Studies [Smart Growth Network]
http://www.smartgrowth.org/casestudies/casestudyjindex.html
Case Studies at HKU Arch
http://arch.hku.hk/research/BEER/casestud.htm
Chattanooga Sustainability Page
http://new.chattanooga.net/sustain/
C. K. Choi Building, Institute of Asian Research, University of British Columbia, Canada
http://www.iar.ubc.ca/choibuilding/matsuzaki.html
Current Projects of Sustainable Urban Housing in China [MIT Building Technology]
http://chinahousing.mit.edu/english/projects/
Demonstration House I
http://greenhome.org/demo.htm
Demonstration House Il
Demonstration House I

Department of Environmental Protection, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Cambria

Office
http://www.gggc.state.pa.us/building/Cambria/default.htm
ECO DESIGN Octagonal Yurt building
http://www.powerup.com.au/-edesign/yurtpage1.htm
Ecoschool
http://www.takenaka.co.jp/takenakae/schoole/sch03/03_4.html
enCompass - map of recycled-content buildings
http://dnr.metrokc.gov/market/encompass/index.htm
Environmentally Responsible Projects
http://www.takenaka.co.jp/takenaka-e/envpro-e/index.htm
Green Buildings Success Stories [CESD]
http://www.sustainable.doe.gov/buildings/gbsstoc.htm
Green Development Case Studies [RMI]
http://www.rmi.org/sitepages/pid199.asp
GreenHome
http://greenhome.org/
HOK Sustainable Design - Case Studies
http://www.hok.com/sustainabledesign/casestudies/casestudies.html
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Complex, Austin Texas
http://www.wildflower.org/hq.html
NEXT 21 (Osaka Gas Experimental Housing)
http://arch.hku.hk/-cmhui/japan/next21 /next2l -index.html
Pennsylvania's First Green Building: DEP's Southcentral Regional Office Building
http://www.gggc.state.pa.us/building/scrob.html
RITE Head Office
http://arch.hku.hk/-cmhui/japan/rite/rite-index.html

Thoreau Center for Sustainability, San Francisco

http://www.thoreau.org/
Tokyo Gas Earthport
http://arch.hku.hk/-cmhui/japan/tokyo gas/gas-index.html
UNEP International Environmental Center
http://arch.hku.hk/-cmhui/japan/unep/unep-index.html
US Green Building Council - Green Building Case Studies
http://www.usgbc.org/resource/cs.htm
Village Homes: A model solar community proves its worth
http://context.org/ICLIB/IC35/Browning.htm
Vital Signs Case Studies
http://www.arch.ced.berkeley.edu/vitalsigns/
Zion Canyon Visitor and Transportation Center, NREL
http://www.nrel.gov/buildings/highperformance/projects/zion/zion.htm

156

Appendix I - Building Materials and Products

Building Envelope
Gas-Filled Panels (high performance insulation)
http://gfp.lbl.gov/default.htm

Transparent Insulation
http://www.ise.fhg.de/Projects/development99/art4.html
Building Innovation
Research Division of CMHC
http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/rd-dr/en/icontent.html
Highrise & Multiples Innovation Group
http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/rd-dr/en/icontent.html

Building Materials
Bill Lawson's Notes on Materials and Sustainability (UNSW)
http://www.fbe.unsw.edu.au/Learning/material-notes/
Building materials: what makes a product green? (Alex Wilson)
http://www.buildingreen.com/features/gp/green-products.html
casey and amber's Sustainable building materials home page
http://www.uark.edu/depts/dbertonc/CaseyandAmber/index:htm
EnCompass - Map of Recycled Content Buildings
http://dnr.metrokc.gov/market/encompass/index.htm
EcoMarket International
http://www.ecomarket.net/
Green Products Guide [Architectural Record]
http://www.archrecord.com/GREEN/GREEN.ASP
GoodCent.com
http://www.goodcents.com/
Green Building Databases & Design Resources

http://www.greenbuilder.com/general/GreenDBs.html
The Green Culture
http://www.greenculture.com/
Green Shop
http://www.greenshop.co.uk/
Habitat Designs
http://habitatdesigns.com/sbmrg/csi/csistart.htm
Happy Harry's Used Building Materials
http://www.happyharry.com/
The Harris Directory of Pollution Prevention Products for Home, Office and Garden
http://www.harrisdirectory.com/
HOK's Healthy and Sustainable Building Materials Database
http://www.hok.com/sustainabledesign/database/welcome.html
Recycled Content Product Database [California Integrated Waste Management Board]
http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/rcp/
Reusable Building Materials Exchange (RBME)
http://www.rbme.com/
Self-sustaining home products
http://www.longcayebelize.com/ecovillage/selfsustaining products.htm
Sustainable Facilities: Building Material Selection (West Michigan Sustainable
Business Forum)
http://www.sustainable-busforum.org/bldgmat.htm
Sustainable Architecture Building and Culture
http://www.sustainableabc.com/materials.html
Sustainable Materials Building Advisor
http://www.usc.edu/dept/architecture/mbs/tools/sbma/index.html
Sustainable Building Resource (Italy)
http://www.iris.ba.cnr.it/sustain/

158

Sustainable Design Resource Guide, AIA

http://www.diac.com/-ggray/SDRG/
Sustainable Development Resources database
http://www.ncat.org:7050/

Sustainable Home Guidelines [Waitakere City Council, New Zealand]

http://www.waitakere.govt.nz/ecocity/ecobuild/homeguide/defaut.htm

Concrete Reuse
Cement and Concrete: Environmental Considerations [EBN]
http://www.buildinggreen.com/features/cem/cementconc.html
Concrete Network
http://www.concretenetwork.com/concrete/countertops/index.html

Earth Architecture / Natural Buildings

Adobe Builder Magazine
http://www.adobebuilder.com/
Adobe Home Construction
http://www.epsea.org/adobe.html
CalEarth Forum
http://www.calearth.org/
Community Eco-Design Network (CEDN)
http://www.cedn.org/
The Earth Building Foundation, Inc.
http://www.earthbuilding.com/
EcoArch
http://home.earthlink.net/-jluke3l 3/
Ecological Engineering and Sustainable Strategies
http://www.ecological-engineering.com/index.html
Ecosustainable Hub
http://www.ecosustainable.com.au/

Earthship
http://www.slip.net/%7eckent/earthship/
Earthship Architecture
http://www.earthship.org/home.htm
Earthship Internet Community
http://www.earthship.org/
Earthship Landing - Alternative Way of Building

http://www.alternative-way.com/
Earth Sheltered Homes by Davis Caves
http://www.daviscaves.com/
Earthfriendly and Self-Sufficient Architecture (ESSA)
http://csf.colorado.edu/lists/essa/
Earth House
http://earth-house.com/
Enertia Building Systems
http://enertia.com/default.htm
home sweet earth home
http://www.undergroundhomes.com/
The Natural Home Building Source
http://www.thenaturalhome.com/
Natural Spaces Domes
http://www.naturalspacesdomes.com/
Space on Earth (Earth-sheltered)
http://www.earth-sheltered.com/
Strawbale Construction
Addressing institutional barriers to straw bale construction
http://www.azstarnet.com/-dcat/barriers.htm
California Straw Building Association (CASBA)

http://www.strawbuilding.org/
House of Straw - Straw Bale Construction Comes of Age [EREN]
http://www.eren.doe.gov/EE/strawhouse/
The Last Straw
http://www.strawhomes.com/
Natural Building Resources
http://www.strawbalecentral.com/
Strawbale Construction [21 Design]
http://www.21design.com/prodinfo/strawbale/index.html
Straw Bale Home Construction
http://www.epsea.org/straw.html
Strawhomes.com
http://www.strawhomes.com/
Surfin' StrawBale Links List
http://mha-net.org/html/sblinks.htm

Natural Ventilation
Energy recovery possibilities in natural ventilation of office buildings
http://www.byggforsk.no/english/energy.htm
How Natural Ventilation Works
http://www.ae.iastate.edu/naturalventilation.htm
Natural Ventilation
http://fridge.arch.uwa.edu.au/topics/therma/airflow/ventilation.html
Natural ventilation system with heat recovery
http://www.caddet-ee.org/nl-html/994_07.htm
Natural Ventilation - A strategy for sustainability [MIT]
http://naturalvent.mit.edu/

Post-Occupancy Evaluation (POE) or Building Pathology

Post Occupancy Evaluation
http://ind461-01.spOO.fsu.edu/POEabb/

Post-Occupancy Evaluation of Barney-Davis Hall

http://www.denison.edu/enviro/barney/poe.htmI
Post-Occupancy Evaluation of Higher Education Teaching Spaces - A Methodological
Approach
http://www.scpm.salford.ac.uk/buhu/bizfruit/1 998papers/dilanthi/dilanthi.htm
Post Occupancy Evaluation of San Francisco Public Library
http://sfpl.lib.ca.us/www/poe-executivesummary.html
The Power of POE
http://www.fdm.com/db-area/archives/1 999/9906/poe.html

Solar Air-conditioning
lEA Task 25 Solar assisted cooling systems
http://fridge.arch.uwa.edu.au/topics/therma/airflow/ventilation.html
Solar-powered air conditioning
http://www.thesrtgroup.com/prod03.htm
Solar powered LiBr chillers
http://www.suntherm.com/chillers.htm
SC1000-SolarCool DC Evaporative Cooler
http://www.longcayebelize.com/ecovillage/Solar Air Conditioning.htm

Vegetation
Greenroof.com
http://www.greenroofs.com/
Green Roofs for Healthy Cities
http://www.peck.ca/grhcc/main.htm

Roofscapes
http://www.roofmeadow.com/

SOPRANATURE (rooftop vegetation)

http://greenbuilding.ca/soprema/sop-main.htm

Waste Management (solid)

Canadian construction and demolition (C&D) waste
http://www.cdwaste.com/
Construction Waste Management Handbook
http://www.smartgrowth.org/library/constwastemgmt-hndbk.html
Factsheets [Waste Reduction Committee, HK]
http://www.info.gov.hk/wrc/mainfactsheets.htm
Garbage and Recycling [Greater Vancouver Regional District]
http://www.gvrd.bc.ca/services/garbage/
International Waste Management Website
http://terrassa.pnl.gov:2080/fac/

OECD Work on Waste Management

http://www.oecd.org/ehs/waste/index.htm
Office of Waste Management, USDOE
http://www.em.doe.gov/em30/
Recycling Organic Waste: A Win-Win Proposition
http://www.worldwatch.org/alerts/pr970802.html
Urban Agriculture Notes by City Farmer
http://www.cityfarmer.org/
Solid Waste Management [CIVCAL at HKU]
http://civcal.media.hku.hk/solidwaste/default.htm

Water Conservation
Composting Toilets
Biolet
http://www.biolet.com/

The Compost Toilet & Greywater Recycling Systems Manual

http://www.powerup.com.au/-edesign/navbar.htm
The Humanure Handbook
http://www.weblife.org/humanure/
The World of Composting Toilets
http://www.compostingtoilet.org/
Clivus Multrum
http://www.clivus.com/
"Phoenix" Composting Toilet
http://www.compostingtoilet.com/
Sun Mar Composting Toilet
http://www.sun-mar.com/
Nature-Loo
http://www.nature-loo.com.au/
Rota-Loo
http://www.environq.com.au/
VERA Composters
http://www.vera.no/PG/startframeset.html
VERA/Eco-Tech Carousel
http://www.ecological-engineering.com/
Drainwater Heat Recovery
Drainwater Heat Recovery (DHR) System - Gravity Film Exchange (GFX)
http://oikos.com/gfx/

GFX Drainwater Heat Recovery

http://www.eren.doe.gov/buildings/emergingtech/printable/page2d.html

Greywater Treatment
Greywater irrigation - grey waste treatment
http://www.greywater.com/
Living Technologies
http://www.livingmachines.com/
Oasis Design
http://www.oasisdesign. net/
On-Site Wastewater Treatment Systems [Green Center]
http://www.fuzzylu.com/greencenter/tb/tb006.htm
Water Conservation [CMHC-SCHL]
http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/rd-dr/en/water-eau/index. html
Waterless urinals
http://www.waterless.com/
WaterWiser
http://www.waterwiser.org/
Water on the Space Station
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/astO2nov%5F1.htm

166

HI

CD

Strategy

Minnesota
Sustainable

Univ. of
Michigan

New York City

High

Design Guide

Sustainable
Building
Technical

Performance
Building
Guidelines

BREFAM

LEED
2.0

HOK
Sustainable
Design
Guide

aCL
C-

Manual

S i t e
Understanding the Site

Direct development to environmentally appropriate areas -

x
0

protect greenfields, encourage brownfield development

Site selection - maintain and enhance the biodiversity and

ecology of the site, consider building footprint to minimize
the impact on natural resources
Use microclimate and environmentally responsive site
design strategies - preserve natural contours of site,
understand the impact of design on nature by a

a:

comprehensive site analysis

Do not disturb the water table

Schedule construction to minimize site impact
Erosion and sedimentation control

x
x
x

x
x

Building-Site Relationship

General site layout - consider issues of building mass,

orientation, outdoor spaces, passive principles, sun and

shade patterns, landscaping

Improved environmental quality - coordinate landscape with

building envelope design
Mitigation of negative impacts - reduce heat island effect,
avoid adverse impacts on adjacent properties, avoid light

pollution

Site lighting - use solar power, efficient lighting, reflective

surfaces

C/)

Strategy

Minnesota
Sustainable

Univ. of
Michigan

New York City

High

Design Guide

Sus tainable
Building
Technical

Performance
Building
Guidelines

BREFAM

LEED
2.0

HOK
Sustainale
Design
Guide

Manual

Sustainable Landscape Practice

Planting practices - use native trees, shrubs and plants,
avoid allergy-causing plants near bldg. intakes, avoid
invasive species, reduce dependence on fertilizer, consider
drip irrigation systems

Water use/pollution prevention - provide porous surfaces

for run-off drainage, filters tormwater through plantings and

soil, harvest rainwater, do not use chemical pesticides

Soil quality - provide facilities for composting of landscape

materials, use mulch to conserve soil moisture, allow

clippings and leaves to decompose on the ground

Consider species diversity, wildlife habitat, and companion

planting in plant selection
Consider transplanting trees and other vegetation

Stockpile and reuse soil and rock material

Evaluate the possibility of eliminating permanent irrigation

by planting native vegetation

Minimize urban heat island effect through the use of light

colored reflective materials
Resource use - use recycled, renewable and locally available
materials for landscape features
Provide adequate bicycle amnities
Promote use of public transportation - include bus stop
seating areas

Provide alternative fueling facilities

Carpool

incentives

Create pedestrian pockets

IIx

ater

Minimize the Use of Domestic Water

Ozonation - consider ozonation in commercial laundering,

and condenser water s ys tems
Fixture and fitting selection - use low-water or waterless
fixtures, automatic shut-off controls, and metered faucets,

consider the use of biocomposting toilets

Water Quality
Standards - specify plumbing components that meet
minimum standards
Water sampling - water quality should be within EPA

maximum contaminant levels and action levels

Filtration devices at point of entry and/or use - Consider

installation of filters at taps and/or at the service lines
Drinking water - use filtered tap water for drinking instead of

bottled

Water Reuse
C)

Use biological waste treatment systems - to reduce the

volume of blackwater entering the municipal system

Green roofs - plant roof areas to reduce the discharge of

stormwater and to reap the benefits of increased green

space

Site retainage of rainwater - reduce rainwater runoff from the

site, roofs, and building surfaces to minimize stress on sewer

system and to divert and reduce water pollution

Irrigation and specialty use water - use systems that

maximize efficient use of pressurized water and use high

efficiency irrigation technologies

Rainwater use - collect and use rainwater

Graywater use - collect and use graywater for water closets
and urinal flushing

Excess groundwater - recover excess groundwater from

sump

pumps

for use as a source of recycled water

Strategy

Minnesota
Sustainable
Design Guide

Univ. of
Michigan
Sustainable
Building
Technical

New York City

High
Performance
Building
Guidelines

BREFAM

LEED
2.0

HOK
Sustainable
Design
Guide

Manual

Steam condensate - collect and use utility district steam

system condensate for non-potable uses
Vacuum-assist systems - consider a 'vacuum-assist'system
for flushing of water closets and urinals
Water Conservation
Conserve Cooling Tower Water Consumption
Select chillers based on water conservation criteria; avoid

x
x

one pass systems

Use efficient water heating and recirculation systems to

conserve water
Work with natural drainage systems; supplement with
detention/retention ponds and/or filtration systems when

x
x

necessary
Indigenous landscaping

Water efficient landscaping - limit or eliminate the use of

potable water for landscape irrigation.
My a t e r i a I s
Raw Mtaterial Extraction
Use salvaged and remanufactured materials
Use recycled content products and materials
Use materials that are harvested or extracted without
ecological damage
Use materials that are made of certified sustatinable and
renewable resources

x
x

x
x

x
x

Distribution

Use materials with low environmental impact during their life

cycle - conduct a life-cycle analysis

Use locally manufactured materials

X
x

X
x

X
x

Design

Material conserving design and construction - design for

adaptability and disassembly

Size buildings and systems efficiently

Dimension materials carefully to minimize waste
Design and detail efficiently to reduce waste generation
Use materials that are long-lasting and low maintenance
Reuse the land and existing infrastructure
Use of Non-conventional Building Materials
Eliminate unnecessary finishes
Consider life cycle costs of products

x
x
x

x
x
x
x

x
x

Design for storage & collection of recyclable

x
x

Installation

Use low VOC-emitting materials

Use materials that contain no CFC's, HCFC's, or halons

Use of Reclaimed or Recycled Materials and Components

Ewntual Reuse or Waste

Reuse and recycle building components and materials
Reuse and rehabilitate existing structures
Use materials that are reusable, recyclable or biodegradable

x
x
x

x
x
x

E ne r gy
Use Fnergy Sources with Low Env. unpact
Renewable energy resources - consider the use of buildingintegrated photovoltaic panels, daylighting, active and
passive solar collection systems
Super-efficient, hybrid and emerging technologies - consider
the use of geothermal heat pump, fuel cell, and heat

recovery

systems

Site and Massing Considerations

Solar access - orient the building to maximize solar
opportunities and minimize unwanted solar heat gain
Prevailing winds - orient the building to minimize thermal
loss due to infiltration and maximize opportunity for natural
ventilation

Strategy

Minnesota
Sustainable

Univ. of
Michigan

New York City

High

Design Guide

Sustainable
Building
Technical

Performance
Building
Guidelines

Manual

I ree location - locate so tnat deciduous trees DiocK summer

sun and evergreens block winter wind

-___

BREEAM

LEED
2.0

HOK
Sustainable
Design
Guide

___

Topographical modifications - consider earth forms, berming

to optimize thermal mass and/or insulation
Interior Layout/Spatial Design

Program zoning - group similar program functions in order to

concentrate similar heating/cooling demands and simplify
HVAC zoning loads
Use passive zoning design as buffers
Layout for natural systems - configure occupied spaces to

x
x

optimize natural ventilation and daylighting

Stairs - provide inviting staircases to encourage the use of

stairs rather than elevators in low-rise buildings
Building Fnvelope
Use passive solar design strategies
Design for natural ventilation
Envelope detailing - avoid thermal bridging, detail the
material assembly with best vapor barrier practices
Reduction of convective heat losses from unplanned air
flows - reduce unwanted stack effect, plan air pressure

x
x

x
x

x
x

relationships between rooms as necessary

Radiant cooling - for internally loaded buildings

Use of low-embodied energy materials
Daylighting/Sun Control

Glazing - specify glazing with high visible transmittance and

integrate placement to avoid glare
Consider the design and use of monitors, clerestories,
photocell-dimming sensors, light shelves, courtyards and
atriums and fiber-optics to encourage daylight into the
space

x
x

Provide daylighting integrated with electric lighting controls

Light

Pollution

Reduced night lighting needs - limit lighting to zones where

it is necessary for safe passage to entry and exit areas,
control by timers and motion sensors
Proper cut-off angles -use outdoor lighting fixtures with cutoff angles that prevent light fromshining upward or too far
beyond the intended area of illumination
High

Performance Lighting

Lighting power density - design for efficient light source

distribution low ambient lighting levels with task lighting
fixtures that provide significant illumination of ceilings and
walls
Use high efficiency lamps and liminaires with electronic
ballasts, efficiency-based controls, and lumen maintenance
controls
Fixture uniformity - install lower wattage lamps with more

frequency

Eectrical Systems and Equipment

Equipment specification - specify energy efficient

equipment, such as those with Energy Star Labels, and use
of

lcd

computer displays screens

Distortion minimization - use harmonic filters to minimize the

distortion effects of non-linear loads
Efficient motors - consider premium efficiency motors,

x
X

controls and variable frequency drives

Direct current utilization - use direct current from

photovoltaic systems, fuel cells when applicable

Avoid electromagnetic pollution/exposure - install

electromagnetic field shielding

Videoconferencing - design for the use of

videoconferencing to avoid unnecessary travel

x
________

____

___

____

Strategy

Minnesota
Sustainable

Univ. of
Michigan

NewYork City
High

Design Guide

Sustainable
Building
Technical

Performance
Building
Guidelines

BREFAM

LEED
2.0

HOK
Sustainable
Design
Guide

Manual

Mechanical Systems

Performance improvement - determine overall environmental

impact of building energy consumption, maximize

mechanical systems performance

Systems integration - consider all programmatic and

architectural features when sizing HVAC units

Zoning - use separate HVAC systems to serve areas with

different hours of occupancy, perimeter vs. interior spaces,
special occupancies, and spaces with different exposures
Natural ventilation - consider natural vs. mechanical
ventilation during swing seasons

Distribution systems - analyze the benefits of variable air

volume

systems

Gas heater/chiller - consider the use of a combination gas

heater/chiller
Distributed mechanical rooms - consider independent
mechanical rooms on each floor to reduce ductwork and
enhance the balance of delivered air
Consider the use of heat recovery systems Partial load conditions - select high efficiency equipment
that operates at high efficiencies under both full and partial
load conditions
Modular boilers - consider installation of multiple modular
boilers that allow more efficient partial-load systems

x
x

operation

Do not use CFC/HCFC refrigerants

Consider the use of condensing boilers

Chiller sizing - evaluate various sizes and models of chillers

to identify units that will most efficiently meet demand
requirements; avoid oversizing of cooling and heating
equipment which can reduce efficiency

Des s icant dehumidification - consider dessicant

dehumidification as an alternative to the conventional
practice of overcooling outside air to remove latent heat
prior to removal of sensible heat
Energy management system- use independent advanced
control system or for all building controls
Maximize efficiency of electric power and distribution, and
service water heating

Monitoring and controls - use controls that optimize system

response to building pickup and download, energy
consumption monitoring using hourly graphs, load
shedding and peak electric demand reduction through
scheduled equipment cycling, local controllers capable of
independently managing equipment operation and gathering
data for reporting
Selection of control method components - use a building
automation system to improve the efficiency of HVAC

system

Systems integration - assess the interactions between the

HVAC equipment and other related systems, such as
lighting, office equipment, etc.
Computerized control system - use a computerized control
system to establish, maintain and document building climate
conditions with a backup systemin place
Heating equipment - when reviewing options for boilers,
consider oxygen trim controls, draft control inducers,
demand control based on variations in heating demand,
water reset control keyed to outside air temperature, burner
flame control

Minnes ota
Sustainable
Design Guide

Univ. of
Michigan
Sustainable
Building
Technical

New York City

High
Performance
Building
Guidelines

BREEAM

LEED
2.0

HOK
Sustainable
Design
Guide

Manual

Air conditioners, chillers, and wntilation controls

Generate energy consumption profiles that identify

occurrences of peak loads and develop responsive

management strategies for reducing utility bills

Set up the HVAC building control system to operate based

on need, if multiple sources are available, minimize
simultaneous heating and cooling, and supply thermal
conditioning from the most appropriate/efficient sources

Limit electrical demand during peak hours by turning off non

essential

equipment

Establish temperature and humidity setpoints based on

occupancy patterns, scheduling and outside climate and

seasonal condition

Consider C02 and VOC sensors to reduce outside air

ventilation in large spaces with variable occupancy

Provide sensors that are capable of adjusting the ventilation

rate based on the number of people present in a room

Provide adaptive, programmable thermostats capable of

automatically adjusting settings based on recorded demand

pattems

Set supply air-temperature reset controls for variable air

volume systems based on space occupancy______________

X
______

________

____

Control strategies for chilled water plant - chiller speed

control through variable speed drive controllers, selection of
modular chillers or chillers with multiple compressors and
chilled water reset, condenser water reset, chiller
sequencing, soft-starting of chiller motor, demand control,
use of two-speed motors or multiple units for pumps/fans,
use of variable speed controllers for fans and pump motors

Design Efficient Systems

Use of energy-efficient appliances with timing devices

Best practice commissioning - verify and ensure the entire

building is designed, constructed, and calibrated to operate
as intended with third party quality control assurance
Optimize energy performance - achieve increasing levels of
energy performance above the prerequisite standard to
reduce environmental impact associated with excessive
energy

use

Reduce carbon dioxide production due to energy

consumption

Measurement and verification - provide for the ongoing

accountability and optimization of building energy and
indoor environmental

quality

In doorrEqn

(IEQ)

performance

over time

ro n me n t

Indoor Air Quality

Provide a Clean and Healthy Environment - Provide an

environment for occupants that is physiologically and

psychologically healthy.

Provide ample ventilation for pollutant control and thermal

comfort - minimize production and transmission of air

pollution.

Minimum IAQ performance - establish minimum IAQ

performance to prevent the development of indoor air
quality problems in buildings, maintaining the health and
well being of the occupants

Strategy

Minnesota
Sustainable

Univ. of
Michigan

NewYork City
High

Design Guide

Sustainable
Building
Technical

Performance
Building
Guidelines

BREEAM

LEED
2.0

HOK
Sustainable
Design
Guide

Manual

Employ setbacks and landscaping buffers to protect

openings from vehicle pollution; avoid the use of

sporulating plants

Carbon dioxide (C02) monitoring - provide capacity for

indoor air quality (IAQ) monitoring to sustain long term
occupant health and comfort
Human Comfort
Provide Appropriate Thermal Conditions - Provide needed
operational control of systems to occupants.
Provide Effective lighting

Provide Appropriate Building Acoustical and Vibration

Conditions - Provide the full range of supportive sensory
conditions (olfactory, thermal, vibracous tic, tactual and
visual) for occupants.

Provide views, Views pace, and Connection to Natural

Environment

Accommodate Persons with Differing Physical Abilities

Source control
Source control - evaluate sources of contamination from
neighboring buildings and soil contamination such as

radon, methane and excessive dampness

Locate and design air intakes to optimize air supply sources

for the ventilation system, isolate building air intakes from
building exhaust air, vehicular exhaust, cooling tower spray,
combustion gases, sanitary vents, trash storage, and other
hazardous air contaminants
Reduce potential pollution sources through effective
moisture control

Specify materials with low VOC's and low particulate and

odor emiss ions

To avoid occupant exposure to airborne pollutants, perform

cleaning and pest control activities when the building is

largely unoccupied
Ventilation

Develop ventilation strategies that support operable

windows, where appropriate to the site and function

To avoid stagnant air in occupied spaces, design for at least

0.8-1.0 c.f.m./s.f. air movement

Isolate potential pollution sources through separate zoning

of areas where contaminants are generated
Construction IAQ management plan - prevent indoor air
quality problems resulting from the construction/renovation
process, to sustain long term tradesman and occupant
health and comfort
Indoor chemical and pollutant source control - avoid
exposure of building occupants to potentially hazardous
chemicals that adversely impact air quality.
Design mechanical systems that can provide and maintain
the required ventilation rate, design ventilation system for
high air change effectiveness, avoid short-circuiting supply
air to return registers
Specify ventilation systems that feature an economizer
cycle, design and control HVAC economizers so as to
prevent moisture problems
Consider supplying ventilation air primarily to occupied
zones using distribution systems such as underfloor air
ducting
Use rainproof louvers and limit intake air velocities to
discourage water intrusion
To prevent wetting downstream surfaces, select proper air
velocities through cooling coils and humidifiers

vX
_____________________

_____

___

____

Strategy

Minnesota
Sustainable

Univ. of
Michigan

NewYork City
High

Design Guide

Sustainable
Building
Technical

Performance
Building
Guidelines

BREEAM

LEED
2.0

HOK
Sustainable
Design
Guide

Manual

Provide filtration capable of 60% or greater dust spot

efficiency, installed to intercept all make-up and return air

Consider use of low pressure drop, high efficiency air filters

Avoid the use of fibrous duct liners and loose mineral fiber
for internal ductwork insulation; use non-porous duct liners,
external thermal insulation, or acoustical baffles in lieu of
linings in strategic locations

Prevent condensation of water vapor inside the building

envelope by proper use of moisture barriers, appropriate
locations and amounts of thermal insulation, control of
indoor-to-outdoor pressure differences, and control of

indoor humidity

Commission the ventilation system to assure that design

conditions are met, proper air deliver occurs in each zone,
and optimum performance is achieved under full and partial
load conditions
Isolate potential pollution sources through separate zoning
of areas generating contaminants
Vent kitchens, toilet rooms, smoking lounges, custodial
closets, cleaning chemical storage and mixing areas, and
dedicated copying areas to the outdoors, with no
recirculation through the HVAC system
Avoid use of ozone-generating devices to clean or purify
indoor air
Control Systems
Sensors for relative humidity, temperature, and carbon
dioxide should be installed as close as possible to where
occupants

are

located

x
__

Locate sensors to cover areas of similar load conditions

When demand control ventilation systems are used, ensure

that carbon dioxide sensors are operating in a reliable
manner

Periodically audit all computer-controlled HVAC systems

Specify controls on variable air volume systems to ensure

that the amount of outdoor air delivered to the occupants is
maintained, even when the total air supply is decreased
In VAV systems, special controls may be needed to ensure
that minimum outside air intake into the air handling unit is
achieved during all operating conditions
In VAV systems, at minimum, install temperature sensors in
return air sections of air handling units to maintain air
temperature at acceptable levels
Construction Methods/Precautions
Prevent storage of soft products on site during wet
processes, unless separated and sealed
Schedule installation of wet materials (sealant, caulking,
adhesives) and allow them to dry or cure before installing
dry materials that could serve as sinks and absorbents of

VOC's

Ensure that construction materials such as concrete are dry

before they are covered (with carpet or floor tile) or enclosed
in wall cavities
Ensure that the contractor uses metal ductwork instead of

substituting fiberglass

Control fiber or particle release during installation of

insulation and require general area cleanup prior to building
occupancy
Flush the building with 100% outside air for a period of not
less than 30 days beginning as soon as systems are
operable and continuing throughout installation of furniture,
fittings, and equipment

Strategy

Minnesota
Sustainable
Design Guide

Univ. of
Michigan
Sustainable
Building
Technical

NewYork City
High
Performance
Building
Guidelines

BREFAM

LEED
2.0

HOK
Sustainable
Design
Guide

Manual

Occupant Activity Control

Maintain a no-smoking policy

Designate an Indoor Air Quality manager who receives

ongoing IAQ training

Provide Operable Windows

Simplification - provide building users and maintenance staff

with a level of control over automated building systems that
is appropriate to their level of technical expertise
Personal control - build in a capacity for personal control
over the immediate indoor environment, assure that the
global indoor environment is within acceptable limits by
bringing air supply points and controls for air quality as
close to individual workstations as possible; balance control
system advantages against energy use and maintainability
Light

X
_

Sources

Daylighting apertures - maximize daylighting through

appropriate location and sizing of windows, roof monitors,
and skylights, and through use of glazing systems and
shading devices appropriate to orientation and space use

Light shelves, surface reflectance - extend window light

throw through the use of light shelves, prismatic glazing or
louvers and through appropriate room surface reflectance
and colors
Light distribution - where appropriate, encourage use of
relatively low general lighting levels and of predominantly
reflected light, mainly from the ceiling

Avoiding glare - Avoid arrangements of light sources and

reflecting surfaces that cause direct or indirect glare and
veiling reflections of light sources in visual task areas; avoid
overlighting of spaces, use of deep window recesses, low
partitions and strategically located high -reflectance s urfaces
Light levels - achieve a good balance between uniform light
levels and localized variations to create a dynamic and
comfortable visual environment; consider low-level ambient
lighting augmented by high quality, flexible task lighting,
varied lighting schemes that respond to general building
organization and special features, allowing the lighting
patterns to reflect changing activity scenarios during the
working

day

Luminaire arrangements - arrange luminaires in types and

patterns that clearly respond to the fundamental building
organization, floor layout and entry paths of daylight while
allowing for flexibility of space usage, wherever possible,
wire luminaires in parallel to the walls with windows so they
can be dimmed or turned off row by row
Diffusers - select diffusers that reduce glare and sufficiently
illuminate ceilings and walls to create a visual field similar to

prevailing daylight conditions

Color - provide lamps with high color rendering index, such

as tri-phosphor fluorescent lamps

Ballasts - use high frequency electronic ballasts to minimize

flicker as lamps and ballasts wear
Views - design a building organization and floor layout that
gives each occupant adequate visual access to the outdoors

x
x

and to the general organization of the building

Window cleaning - schedule regular window cleaning to

maximize the amount of daylight entering, particularly where
windows are close to sources of air-borne dust, fumes or
gases that reduce the transmission of light

Strategy

Minnesota
Sustainable

Univ. of
Michigan

New York City

High

Design Guide

Sustainable
Building
Technical

Performance
Building
Guidelines

Manual

Low-energy lighting - to minimize C02 emissions arising

from energy used for artificial lighting

Daylighting - to improve the level of visual comfort

produced by the lighting

Noise Control
Control noise at the source - site, orient and lay out the
building such that external noise sources can be attenuated
by distance of by topographic features or walls

x
x

Attenuate Noise Along the Path of Transmission

Place acoustic buffers, such as corridors, lobbies, stairwells,

electrical/janitorial closets, and storage rooms, between

noise-producing and noise-sensitive spaces

Prevent transmission of sound through the building

structure through use of floating floor slabs and sound-

insulated penetrations of walls, floors, and ceilings

Prevent transmission between exterior and interior by

ensuring appropriate fabrication and assembly of walls,
windows roofs, ground floor and foundations
Prevent transmission between rooms by wal, floor, and
ceiling assemblies by specifying materials with appropriate
sound transmission class ratings, considerusing set-off
studs with sound-attenuating insulation, floating floor slabs

and sound-absorbent ceiling systems

Situate mechanical room doors across from non-critical

building areas, consider the use of sound-rated acoustic
doors and acoustic seals around these doors
Avoid locating outside air intake or exhaust air discharge
openings near windows, doors, or vents where noise can reenter

the

building

BREEAM

LEED
2.0

HOK
Sustainable
Design
Guide

Consider wrapping or enclosing rectangular ducts with

sound isolation materials
Consider the use of sound attenuators and acoustic
plenums to reduce noise in ductwork

Noise Control in the Space Itself

Absorb or block excessive background noise or interfering

single-source sounds in open office environments through
use of resilient flooring, ceiling and sound absorbing or
reflecting partitions and furniture

If appropriate conversational privacy cannot be achieved,

consider using white noise
In an open plan office space, offset workstations so that coworkers are not in direct line of sight or sound isolation and
reduce sound reflection, install partial-height freestanding
walls between workstations or work groups
Achieve favorable room acoustics by configuring room
geometry, positioning furnishings and furniture, and
s ecifying appropriate surfaces
Was t e & Pollutlon-

Conserving Resources

Reuse existing buildings

Design for less material use - use modular dimensioning, and

design for minimum square footage
Specify reuse of on-site materials to the greatest extend

possible

Design building for adaptability - consider issues of site

planning, structural systems, standardization or repetition of
building elements, cladding systems, floor heights, raised
floor s ystems, modular interior planning

Design building for disassembly - consider issues of

structural systems, cladding systems, materials, durability,
snap release components, modular systems

x
I

Strategy

Minnesota
Sustainable
Design Guide

Univ. of
Michigan
Sustainable
Building
Technical

NewYork City
High
Performance
Building
Guidelines

BREFAM

LEED
2.0

HOK
Sustainable
Design
Guide

Manual

Waste Management

Salvage and recycle demolition waste

Recycle construction waste
Reduce and recycle packaging waste
Reduce and properly dispose of hazardous materials waste

x
x
x
Sx
x

Provide waste-separation facilities for building users

Provide waste-separation facilities for hazardous materials
Educate workers and occupants on recycling, waste
reduction

and

prevention

x
x
x

x
x

x
x

x
x

x
x
x
x
x
x

Selected Bibliography
Design:
American Institute of Architects, Checklist for Environmentally Sustainable Design and Construction,
Crosbie, M. J., Green Architecture: A Guide to Sustainable Design, Rockport Publishers,
Rockport, Mass., 1994.
Daniels, K. (English translation by E. Schwaiger), The Technology of Ecological Building: Basic
Principles and Measures, Examples and Ideas, Birkhauser, Verlag, Basel, Switzerland, 1997.
Environmental Building News, Building Green on a Budget, Vol 8, No. 5, May 1999
Environmental Building News, Establishing Priorities with Green Building, Vol 4, No. 5, September/October, 1995
European Commission, Directorate General XVII for Energy, A Green Vitruvius: Principles and
Practice of Sustainable Architectural Design, James & James, London, 1999.
Kim, J., Rigdon, B., Sustainable Architecture Module: Introduction to Sustainable Design,
National Pollution Prevention Center for Higher Education, December 1998.
Landman, M., Breaking Through the Barriers to Sustainable Building - Insights from Building
Professionals on Government Initiatives to Promote Environmentally Sound Practices, Tufts
University, 1999.
Levin, H., Ten Basic Concepts for Architects and Other Building Designers, Environmental
Building News,
McDonough, W., The Hannover Principles, UVA Architecture Publications, 1992.
Mendler, S., In Search of Design Guidance: A Review of Design Guides and Guidelines for
Sustainability,
RMI, A Primer on Sustainable Building, Rocky Mountain Institute, Snowmass, Colorado, 1995.
Steele, J., Sustainable Architecture: Principles, Paradigms, and Case Studies, McGraw-Hill,
New York, 1997.
Stitt, F. A. (ed.), Ecological Design Handbook: Sustainable Strategies for Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Interior Design, and Planning, McGraw-Hill, New York, 1999.
Tsui, E., Principles of Evolutionary Architecture, excerpted from website: www.tdrinc.com/prin/
html
Wilson, A., Malin, N., Establishing Priorities, Environmental Building News, Sept./Oct. 1995.

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Yeang, K., Designing with Nature: the Ecological Basis for Architectural Design, McGraw-Hill,
New York, 1995.
Zeiher, L. C.,. The Ecology of Architecture: A Complete Guide to Creating the Environmentally
Conscious Building, Whitney Library of Design, New York, 1996

Construction:
Atkisson, A., Building it Right, In Context, No. 41, Summer 1995, Pg. 45
Augenbroe, G., Pearce, A., Sustainable Construction in the United States of America, Georgia
Institute of Technology, CIB-W82 Report, June 1998.
Kibert, C., Establishing Principles and a Model for Sustainable Construction, CIB TG, 16,
Sustainable Construction, Tampa FL, November 6-9, 1994. Kibert, C., Establishing Principles
and a Model for Sustainable Construction, CIB TG, 16, Sustainable Construction, Tampa FL,
November 6-9, 1994.
Liddle, B., Construction for Sustainability and the Sustainability of the Construction Industry,
CIB TG, 16, Sustainable Construction, Tampa FL, November 6-9, 1994.
Loftness, V., Hartkopf, V., Mahdavi, A., Shankavaram, J., Guidelines for Masterplanning
Sustainable Building Communities, CIB TG, 16, Sustainable Construction, Tampa FL, November 6-9, 1994.
Ove Arup & Partners, The Green Construction Handbook: A Manual for Clients and Construction Professionals, JT Design Build, Bristol, 1993.
Recycling Plus Program Manual: A Best Practices Manual For Jobsite Recycling, by the Clean
Washington Center,
Schaefer, K., Site Design and Planning for Sustainable Construction, CIB TG, 16, Sustainable
Construction, Tampa FL, November 6-9, 1994.
Sustainable Building Technical Manual: Green Building Design, Construction and Operations,
Public Technology, Inc., Washington, D.C., 1996.
WasteSpec: Model Specifications for Construction, Waste Reduction, Reuse and Recycling,

Economics:
Edwards, B. (ed.), Green Buildings Pay, E & FN Spon, London, 1998.
Farmer, J., Green Shift: Towards A Green Sensibility in Architecture, Butterworth-Architecture,
Oxford, 1996.

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Gilman, R., Design for a Sustainable Economics, IN CONTEXT, No. 32, Pg. 52, Summer 1992.
Slessor, C., Eco-tech: Sustainable Architecture and High Technology, Thames and Hudson,
London, 1997.
Vale, B. and Vale, R., Green Architecture: Design for Sustainable Future, Thames and Hudson,
London, 1991.

Energy:
Baker, N. and Steemers, K., Energy and Environment in Architecture: A Technical Design
Guide, E. & FN. Spon, New York, 1999.
Bryan, H., Efficacy of Environmental Assessment Systems in Addressing Energy Concerns,
published for the Mainstreaming Green Sustainable Design for Buildings & Communities
conference, Chattanooga, TN, 1999.
Guzowski, M., Daylighting for Sustainable Design, McGraw-Hill Publications, 1999.
Toluca, A., Energy-Efficient Design and Construction for Commercial Buildings, MCGraw-Hill
Publications, 1997.

Global and Local Consequences:

Goodland, Ecological Limits, IN CONTEXT, No. 36, Pg. 12, Fall 1993
French, H., Governing the Global Commons, Worldwatch Paper 107, After the Earth Summit:
The Future of Environmental Governance, March 1992.
Lovins, A., Lovins, H., Real Security, IN CONTEXT, No. 4, Pg. 13, Autumn 1983
Meadows, D. H., Meadows, D., Randers, J., Beyond the Limits to Grow, IN CONTEXT, No. 32,
Pg. 10, Summer 1992

Indoor Air Quality:

Bower, J., Indoor Air Pollution: It's Time to Clean Up Our Act, Greenkeeping, May/June, pg 12,
1992.
Bower, J., Principles of Healthy Construction, Southface Journal, pg. 4, Winter 1990.
Fisk, W., Rosenfeld, A., Improved Productivity and Health from Better Indoor Environments,
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Center for Building Science News, No. 15, Spring
1997.

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Fisk, W., Rosenfeld, A., Potential Nationwide Improvements in Productivity and Health
From Better Indoor Environments, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, May 1998.
Roodman, D.M, Lenssen, N., A Building Revolution: How Ecology and Health Concerns are
Transforming Construction, Worldwatch Paper 124, Washington, DC, March 1995, p. 5.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Introduction to Indoor Air Quality: A Reference Manual,
National Environmental Health Association

Life Cycle Analysis & Externalities:

Eley, C., Kennedy, J., Measuring Progress Toward Sustainability,
Fisk, P., MacMath R., Vittori G., Life Cycle Design Principles for the Architecture and Planning
Professions, ASES Annual Meeting, Asheville, NC, 1996.
Glaumann, M., Trinius, W., Environmental Assessment of Buildings, A Research Project in Cooperation with the Building Sector, Gavle, Sweden, June 6, 1996.
Goldberg, R., The Big Picture: Life Cycle Analysis, Academy of Natural Sciences, May, 1992
Jonsson, A., Review of Environmental Tools in the Building Sector, Technical Environmental
Planning, Chalmers University of Technology, 412 96, Goteborg, Sweden.
Roudebush, W. H., Environmental Value Engineering (EVE): A Green Building Performance
Assessment Methodology, Bowling Green State University, Ohio, 1997.

Materials:
Spiegel, R. and Meadows, D., Green Building Materials: A Guide to Product Selection and
Specification, Wiley, New York, 1999.
St. John, A. (ed.), The Sourcebook for Sustainable Design: A Guide to Environmentally Responsible Building Materials and Processes, Architects for Social Responsibility, Boston Society of
Architects, Boston, Mass., 1992.
Sustainable Building Sourcebook: Supplement to the Green Builder Program, Environmental &
Conservation Services Dept., Austin, Texas, 1995.

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Water and Site & Land Use:

Ewing, R., Best Development Practices, American Planning Association, 1996.
Grosskopf, K., Coble, R., Sustainable Water Resources and Urban Reuse Technology, CIB TG,
16, Sustainable Construction, Tampa FL, November 6-9, 1994.
Thompson, G.F., Steiner, F., (ed), Ecological Design and Planning, John Wiley & Sons, 1997.
Wilson, A., Green Development: Integrating Ecology and Real Estate, Rocky Mt. Institute,
1998.