Sustainability

Green Building Certification, A Common Sense Approach

March 13, 2018 by John Lister Leave a Comment

As Director of Sustainability for JL Architects, I am active as both a Green Globes Professional and Green Globes Assessor for the Green Building Initiative (GBI). I recently had the pleasure of completing the Green Globes Stage II Verification for the Halstead International’s new warehouse in Rincon, GA, and proudly share that the project successfully achieved 2 Green Globes!

Wondering what this means? Follow along with this (very!) condensed version of a Green Globes Stage II Report, and learn if a Green Globes building certification is the right solution for your next project.

Green Globes Report (condensed)

The Halstead warehouse is a new construction project consisting of a 153,000-square foot, single-story warehouse with a two-story office space built within. The warehouse is a structural steel frame building with a concrete tilt up exterior wall system, aluminum storefront, and membrane roof. It is used as a warehouse facility, to serve the customers of Halstead International.

The Green Globes Stage II verification process included an on-site assessment. During the assessment, I completed the following: a physical review of the completed building, interviews with members of the design and construction team who were responsible for the management of the project, and a review of product submittals and documentation. This allowed for me as the Green Globes Assessor to verify the targeted achievement defined by the project team, and as confirmed in the Construction Documents.

The onsite assessment was performed on January 25, 2018 beginning at 9:30 am. The following people accompanied me on the assessment:

Jonathan Stone, Vice President of Operations, Halstead New England
Rowland Davidson, Randall Gipson, and Steven Barthlow of Lynman Davidson Dooley Architects
Bryon Payne, Building and Site Manager

Discussions focused on substantiating the points from the online self-evaluation using the construction documents, records of the design and construction processes, specification sheets, shop drawings, logs, meeting minutes, reports, computational models, and other relevant information. At 10:30, the facility was toured to verify installation and implementation of the features. Following the tour, a closure meeting was conducted with Jonathan Stone to review the tentative results of the assessment and identify additional information required to complete the Stage II verification process. The tour concluded just in time for the 12:00 Ribbon Cutting Ceremony. During the Ceremony, the Halstead organization shared their commitment to sustainability.

The methodology used to derive the final score was to assess the criteria within each of the following project elements:

Project Management

Meeting minutes were provided to reflect initial and final performance goals. Qualitative values and metrics were provided in the energy model summary data to demonstrate green design, as well as performance goals for electricity, and the use of the solar panels producing onsite renewable power.

Site

The Hydrology report includes calculations to demonstrate that the site meets municipal water quality targets and is designed to retain 50% of the total average rainfall volume.

The technical information was provided for the UltraPly TPO Membrane roof including the Radiative Properties such as solar Reflectance at .79/.68.

Existing large trees were integrated into the surrounding landscape, while the new landscaping combined with the existing native surroundings assures plants are non-invasive and drought-tolerant.

Energy

An energy model was created using ASHRAE 90.1 2010 Appendix G and was used to assess the future energy performance. The provided model summary indicates that the energy costs and consumption to be 63% compared to the reference base building.

On-site Renewable Energy – A study was conducted to determine the technical feasibility and cost effectiveness of on-site renewable energy. The recommendations of the study were partially implemented resulting in rooftop Solar panels and controls.

Water

Contributing to the reduction of potable water demand, the Toilet fixtures have a 1.28 GPF, and lavatory faucets have a flow rate of .5 GPM. The landscaping does not use irrigation.

Materials and Resources

Shipping containers were salvaged and refurbished for use in the design of the office area interior and exterior skin. The shipping container doors are welded open to form sunshades. The reception desk incorporates reclaimed shipping pallets. Decorative mobiles are installed in the reception area and are made of reclaimed wood flooring.

Reports were provided to verify over 75% of construction waste was diverted from the landfill. 120 tons of concrete was hauled off the site to be crushed and reused.

Emissions

Ozone-depleting Potential – R-410A (which contains only fluorine) does not contribute to ozone depletion. Heating and cooling roof top units are capable and equipped with leak detectors.

Indoor Environment

Between 50-74% of the floor area occupied for critical visual tasks achieve a minimum daylight factor. Between 31-59% of task areas have views to the exterior. 149,400 SF of daylit area uses photo sensors.

The warehouse has louvers on the north side of the building. Fans are installed for air circulation as per ANSI/ASHRAE 62.1-2010. All operable openings are readily accessible to the building occupants.

Verification by the assessor resulted in a final score of 486 out of 836 applicable points, which equates to 58.1% and a Two Green Globe rating for the Halstead Warehouse Rincon, GA. This level of sustainability is a notable accomplishment!

Ready to talk about your next Green Building Certification? Want to know more about the common-sense approach to achieving a green building certification? Barbara and JL Architects have completed green building certifications for universities, K-12, healthcare, transportation, distribution centers, offices, multi-family properties, retail, and restaurants. Let’s see how we can help you!

Barbara Clarke, AIA, LEED AP, GGP, GGA

Director of Sustainability

JL Architects

Use Wood

January 23, 2018 by John Lister Leave a Comment

The building industry is one of the leaders in pollution and greenhouse gases. Per the American Forest Foundation steel and concrete consume 12% and 20% more energy to produce, and emit 15% and 29% additional greenhouse gases than wood. To eliminate this statistic, substitute those high energy required materials with wood. Examples of this have been provided below by the American Forest Foundation.

Constructing a wall using kiln-dried wood studs, oriented strand board (OSB) sheathing, and vinyl siding instead of concrete with an exterior stucco coating results in 15 pounds of avoided CO2 emissions for every square foot of wall area.
Using engineered wood I-joists with an OSB sub-floor rather than steel joists and OSB sub-flooring results in 22 pounds of avoided CO2 emissions for every square foot of floor area.

Wood is the most beautiful natural building material you can use. The contrasting hues within its rich grain are often the perfect accent finish for a space. It’s linear form of structure resembles the rhythm of Greek architecture, while also flexible enough to create free form spaces.

You might question the strength of wood versus some of the other materials mentioned. True, however there has been great strides in wood technology. Products like Cross Laminated Timber, and Glulam are making wood an acceptable material for building types such as arenas, gymnasiums, and multi-story structures. A study has found that Cross Laminated Timber is feasible for 12 stories and possibly more. In 2012 the International Code Council approved the use of cross laminated timber through the heavy timber construction classification. In 2015 there were changes to the heights and area allowances for wooden structures. It is even possible to have unlimited building area. This can be met if the construction type is III, IV or V, and the structure has 60 feet or more of open space on all four sides.

Woodworks commissioned two studies: one cost comparison, and one life-cycle assessment on the same big box project designed in steel versus wood. It was found that the wooden building saved approximately 22% in construction costs, with many of the savings being from roof framing, wall framing, and roof insulation. The study also concluded that the proposed wood building impacts are lower than the steel building in each category except ozone depletion, where the percentage was 5% higher.

It seems that technology in wood construction is providing ways to build larger structures, and the code councils are changing the restrictions to allow these structures to comply. Perhaps we as an industry should look at wood as a more viable material for construction.

-Nathan Houser

Main blog image courtesy of Dezeen

Project Delivery Methods – Which One is Right for You?

December 6, 2017 by John Lister Leave a Comment

There are a great many project delivery methods. Of which, three are the most common. They are:

Design – Bid – Build

Design – Build

Integrated Project Delivery

We have learned that one-sized fits one, and that the best delivery method depends on the nature and personality of the project and client.

The following is a quick summary of what each of those project deliveries are, where each excels and who may be best suited for them.

“Design – Bid – Build” or DBB

Overview
1. It is the one you are probably most familiar with. In this method, the design team and client start the project together, and establish the wants and needs of the client. The design team progresses through the stages of the project from programming and schematic design to construction documentation. During construction documentation, the design team prepares drawings and specifications which are used to establish the cost of construction and what will be constructed.
Strength
1. The strength of this delivery method is that the owner has a high level of control over the quality and materials to be used.
2. If a compromise needs to be made to achieve a desired budget, the decision of what to change is up to the owner.
3. The contract can be awarded to the lowest bidder, the most qualified bidder, through a negotiation, or a combination of all.
Weakness
1. The weakness is in the cost controls and timing. The design is prepared with only a general knowledge of costs.
2. Contractors in a design-bid-build relationship may look for places they can charge extra for after the contract is signed.
3. Compromises to achieve the desired budget can result in additional design fees and schedule delays.
Best Suited For
1. This may be best suited for a more sophisticated client who understands costs and values.
2. **TIP** -We recommend cost estimates during the design phase and a realistic and diminishing cost contingency to monitor design and budget alignment.

“Design-Build” or D/B

Overview
1. The design and construction team act as one. The primary contract can be between the owner and either the designer or the contractor. As the design progresses, adjustments are made to keep the design and budget in alignment.
Strength
1. Control of costs; the project will be on budget. The construction team can make changes to the materials used and the design in response to actual costs.
Weakness
1. The weakness is a reduced control of the overall design. Most D/B relationships include a loose description of the project.
2. Cost savings and compromises are made in the quality of materials. Those adjustments may be an equal substitution, or they may affect the long-term durability or quality of components.
3. It is important to have a high level of trust in the D/B team since they control the quality and cost of the project.
Best Suited For
1. This works for an owner whose highest priorities are controlling costs and gaining the desired baseline functionality.

“Integrated Project Delivery” or IPD

Overview
1. This method is growing in popularity. The designer and contractor are retained by the owner at the start of the project. Each contributes to the project as it progresses in their respective areas of expertise; the architect designs and the contractor watches the cost to construct the design as the process progresses.
2. At the completion of the contract documents, the general contractor can provide a fixed price on budget and quickly begin construction.
Strength
1. The strengths of this process are cost controls, speed of execution, and the level of cost/benefit information available during the design phase.
2. In addition, the design is prepared working to the contractor’s strength. That means that the methods and trades in which the contractor is most competitive are used when appropriate and when the opportunities present themselves. The single greatest benefit between IPD and D/B is the independence of the contractor and designer. That separation adds protection to the owner. While there may be a need to substitute materials or alter designs, the designer can reject the substitution while maintaining a cost commitment on the part of the contractor. This can also lead to shared savings between owner and contractor during the construction process.
Weakness
1. This relationship does not include competitive bidding. Where the parties share a mutual respect and trust for one another, that can be overcome.
2. The owner sometimes decides to put the project into a competitive bidding situation which results in compensating the contractor for their design phase services. If someone other than the original contractor is selected there is a potential for all the conflicts that come with Design-Bid-Build.
Best Suited For
1. This method is most common with sophisticated projects that have very specific requirements and budgets. Most projects can benefit from this delivery type.

A conversation with your Architect regarding your aspirations, goals and budget for your project is the starting point. That conversation will bring clarity and guidance as to what the best process is to achieve your best outcome for your project.

John W. Lister, AIA, LEED AP, GGP

Principal

Planning for 100% Renewable Energy

October 24, 2017 by John Lister Leave a Comment

West Chester’s Sustainability Advisor Committee (SAC) unanimously approved a Clean Energy Resolution for West Chester Borough to transition to 100% clean and renewable energy. The transition for 100% clean renewable electricity will be completed by 2035, and 100% renewable energy for heat and transportation will be completed by 2050. SAC then called on the Borough Council to put together a plan for achieving the renewable energy goal.

West Chester Borough has now become the second municipality in PA, and the 45^th in the U.S. to adopt a clean energy resolution! This exciting and historic commitment to clean energy is bringing community members and municipalities together to plan the way forward.

On October 3^rd, 2017, the Chester County Clean Energy Leadership Conference was held at the West Chester Borough Hall Building. The energy in the room was positive and motivating.

Action Plan:

West Chester Mayor Norley, and Kennett Square Mayor Fetick reviewed the purpose of the resolution to protect our families and communities, specifically to take preventive actions to minimize the impacts of more than a century of high carbon emissions. Around the world, goals to reach carbon neutrality are being set as we try to avoid the most catastrophic changes in weather and climate. Collaboration with neighboring communities will strengthen the mission and develop common plans and resources.

Energy Transition Plan – Share professional resources with our neighboring communities. These can include energy assessments, planners, and RFPs for purchase or installation of renewable electricity. We can share ways to streamline the process for permits, share opportunities for funding, and coordinate our efforts with Regional Planning, County Planning, and local Councils of Government.
Stakeholder Engagement – Encourage participation across all community sectors. This should include community engagement sessions to recognize a collective vision, and create coordination for building capacity and resilience across sectors.
Energy Action/Implementation – Share energy contracts, support progress, maintain focus on renewable clean energy choices, and immediately prioritize the shifting of public facilities and essential services as energy models.

U.S. Cities that Now Use 100% Renewable Energy Include:

Aspen, CO – In 1885, Aspen became the first American municipality west of the Mississippi to use hydroelectric power. Today, the City of Aspen electric system uses 100% renewable energy (46% hydroelectric, 53% wind power, 1% landfill gas).
Burlington, VT – the first in the country to use 100 percent renewable energy for its residents’ electricity needs. In a state known for socially conscious policies, the feat represents a milestone in the growing green energy movement.
Greenburg, KS – Greensburg is 100% renewable, 100% of the time. All electricity used in the city of Greensburg is wind energy.
Kodiak, AK – changed to 100% renewable energy as of 2012. The change not only saves residents money, but they have also reduced their carbon dioxide emissions by 62 million pounds per year!
Rock Port, MO – wind turbines are connected directly into the cities high voltage line. Rock Port uses approximately 13 million kilowatt hours each year. This made Rock Port, Missouri the first community in America capable of meeting its entire annual electricity demands from wind.
West Chester, PA – we look forward to joining this list!!

-Barbara A.W. Clarke, AIA, Director of Sustainability

What Can Green Globes Do for You?

August 29, 2017 by John Lister Leave a Comment

The Green Building Initiative (GBI) was founded in 2005, with a mission to accelerate the adoption of building practices that result in energy-efficient, healthier and environmentally sustainable buildings. They achieve this by promoting credible and practical green building approaches for New Construction (NC), Existing Buildings (EB) and Sustainable Interiors (SI).

The Green Globes system was promoted in the United States by the GBI.

Green Globes is a green building management tool that includes an assessment protocol, a rating system, and a framework of guidance for integrating environmentally friendly design and operation into buildings.

Clients of JL Architects who want to participate in energy savings, costs cutting, and protection of the environment may choose the Green Globes rating and assessment system to benchmark their buildings. Use of the Green Globes tools will help identify effective design elements in new construction and help evaluate existing buildings to improve their current operations. Both methods contribute to the improvement of a building’s performance over time.

The Green Globes third party assessment reports of your new construction project can be shared with all stakeholders to demonstrate a commitment to the environment, as well as provide a process to develop awareness and encourage dialog for solutions that include not just the project team, but the whole community.

Many projects lend themselves naturally to sustainable site selection, community connectivity, alternative transportation, storm water quantity, and quality control opportunities for greater innovation in green design. Criterion found within Green Globes allows building owners to measure these areas for effectiveness and determine if modifications make sense for a more energy efficient future.

Posting Green Globes status summaries on your website will educate, while also prompting discussion and research among your stakeholders.

Below are some of the 2017 projects that JL Architects has led through the Green Globes assessment process. Stay tuned for future JLA presentations where we share the benefits that sustainability initiatives have made in building design, function, and energy reduction.

Barbara A.W. Clarke, AIA, LEED AP, GGP, GPCP, GGA

Director of Sustainability

JL Architects

*NC – Main Line Health Fitness & Wellness Center, Concordville, PA – 2017: 2 Green Globes

***EB – Grant Street Station, West Lafayette, IN – 2017: 2 Green Globes

***EB – South Street Station, West Lafayette, IN – 2017: 2 Green Globes

*NC – Alexander Pointe Apartments, Mebane, NC – 2017: 1 Green Globe

***EB – Mountain Valley Apartments, Morgantown, WV – 2017: 1 Green Globe

***EB – Village Green, Littleton, MA – 2017: 2 Green Globes

***EB – Novus Odenton, Odenton, MD – 2017: 2 Green Globes

*NC – Skye Apartments, Vista Ridge, CA – 2017: 3 Green Globes

**SI – Drexel University, Bossone Research Enterprise Center – 2017: 3 Green Globes

*NC = new construction

**SI = sustainable interiors

***EB = existing building

Efficiencies in Cooling your Building

August 15, 2017 by John Lister Leave a Comment

As we just passed the mid-point of summer here in the United States many of us have been feeling the heat. With heat waves across the states, many of the buildings we spend our time in have been taking a beating by the heat. While there are building codes in place to help preserve our comfort and safety, there are times our climate exceeds their requirements. Below is a list of ways you can help your structure maintain your comfort and minimize repairs.

Roofing Material: A black roof can absorb a lot of heat. The temperature of the roof surface can exceed 50 degrees above the outside air temperature on a hot day. That much heat will easily raise the ambient temperature of your space with the lack of additional insulation. One way to combat this is to review your roofs surface. A white roof will reflect sun off the building and keep the surface temperature down. It is suggested that a white roof is beneficial to anyone located below Zone 4 on the ASHRAE rating; buildings in this area are dominated by cooling loads.

Insulation: You can find insulation in your roof, walls, and even the perimeter of a building foundation. If you are lacking this barrier in any of the previously mentioned locations, it will act the same way as leaving a window open while your air conditioner is running. The efficiency will be greatly depleted forcing mechanical conditioned air units to be overworked.

Windows: Window technology has greatly improved since single pane glass. This day and age triple pane glass is possible. Between these panes several types of gases are inserted to restrict the admission of radiant heat and lower admittance of ultraviolet rays. Several coatings can be applied to the surface of the glazing to ensure sunlight does not enter your space.

Outside Air Access to Mechanical Unit: Mechanical units typically require outside air to function properly. If the unit is isolated by a solid or large surface the surrounding ambient air temperatures can often be much higher than typical. If these extreme temperatures are the circumstances a unit must work with, it will typically only drop the temperature 20 – 30 degrees. In these situations, the unit could fail due to constantly operating without reaching the thermostats set temperature. To avoid these scenarios, locate the unit where it will have access to cross winds and possibly shade to decrease the ambient temperature.

JL Architects has resolved these issues in the past while watching out for them during their current designs. Perhaps your building or design could use our help too.

Photo Credits:

http://download-wallpaper.net/single/65_empty-building-wallpaper_3.html

http://roof.atlasrwi.com/about-roof/sustainability/#ashrae-climate-zone-map