Social responsibility Sustainable Design – Green Desgin

Social Responsibility Every design project, no matter how small or personal, consumes space, resources and energy, generates waste, and affects society as a whole. As designers, we are hired to carry out the wishes of our clients. However, designers have an ethical responsibility to be aware of the impact their designs have on the environments and subsequently on users.

Did you know? Building construction and operating costs account for 40% of the energy and 72% of electricity produced in the US. The US, with less than 5% of the world’s population, generated approximately 24% of the world’s total energy related carbon dioxide emissions in 2002. Rural land is being converted to roads, buildings and industrial uses at a rate of approximately 2.2 million acres per year. The production of this energy from fossil fuels (coals, natural gas, oil) requires extraction, refinement, and transportation all which have a major environmental impact. This generation of electricity results in the release of air pollutants, can cause acid rains, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen and large quantities of greenhouse gas carbon dioxide.

definition Sustainable Design: The practice of designing buildings (and other things) so that they exist in harmony with natural systems. Ideally, the resulting buildings contribute to human and ecosystem health while minimizing harm from their construction and operation.

Green Design Environmental design sustainable design Sustainable design is a way of thinking that considers the impact of these issues on the environments and on human health in the context of building and construction. Green design goes beyond being just efficient, attractive, on time and on budget. It is a design that cares about how such goals are achieved, how it will effect people and the environment. An environmentally responsible professional makes a commitment to constantly try to find ways to diminish design's impact on the world around us. It is also a smart way of doing business: sustainable design is the fastest growing segment of our industry.

Integrated Design Integrated design is a collaborative design process that recognizes the relations among building systems and among the team members that design and install those systems. It requires participation of ALL members of the project team to achieve optimal design. Can begin with a charrette – a group brainstorming session that can take place over a number of days which can effectively kick off the project design by providing a forum of articulating goals and sharing of ideas.

An Integrated Design Team involves: Integrated design is the trend on sustainable design projects. Traditional design is more linear – one person finishes and hand it off to the next person. Integrated design requires much more collaboration. It often involves architects, civil engineer, contractor, cost estimator, facility manager, lighting consultant, spec writer, interior designer, owner, and client.

Integrated Design and Sustainability If green design was viewed as an afterthought – later in the design process - the resulting design would most likely achieve lower levels of environmental performance and come at a higher cost. Major sustainable decisions are made in the early phases of design. (ie: site selection, orientation, and glazing choices) For example if an architect is pursuing a day lighting strategy, the interior designer can contribute layout, lighting and color schemes that complement that strategy. Without open communication and early knowledge of the project goals, the designer could have inadvertently worked against the strategy.

Integrated Design benefits Reducing pollution associated with every phase of building/renovation Minimizing the development footprint of new buildings and infrastructure Protecting the building site Fostering local community goodwill and interaction Using local resources Using energy more efficiently Using materials more efficiently Designing durable and flexible buildings for future adaptability Using water efficiently in the building and the landscaping Minimizing construction and demolition waste

Integrated design and Interior Design An Example: The integrated design process gives the interior designer the opportunity to discuss how design choices will affect other building systems. For example, an integrated design team made the connection between the reflectivity of interior paint and the number and type of lighting fixtures necessary for the interior. Because the interior designer guided the team to select a paint color with a high reflectivity, the lighting engineer was able to significantly reduce the number of lighting fixtures needed. As a result, the HVAC engineer was able to reevaluate, and ultimately reduce the size of the HVAC system. This series of choices – none of which could have been made without the other – led to a higher quality of interior light, reduced energy costs, reduced heat load, and reduced installation and maintenance costs for the HVAC and lighting systems.

USGBC US Green Building Council is a 501c3 nonprofit organization committed to a prosperous and sustainable future through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings. It’s Mission is:

Driving USGBC’s mission to transform the built environment is a robust set of tools, including the LEED Green Building Rating System™, which is now accessible through LEED-Online, and supported by a robust LEED Workshop program and LEED Professional Accreditation program. In addition, the Council supports a rich education and research agenda, it also supports an aggressive education and advocacy program delivered at the local level through 70 chapters across the United States. Since its founding in 1993, USGBC has been focused on fulfilling the building and construction industry’s vision for its own transformation to high-performance green building.

Leed rating system LEED – H LEED – ND LEED- CI LEED- CS LEED-NC LEED-S LEED-HC LEED-EB

The LEED Rating System Sustainable Sites (SS) Innovation in Design (ID) Water Efficiency (WE) Regional Priority (RP) Energy and Atmosphere (EA) Materials and Resources (MR) Indoor Environmental Quality (EQ) Sustainable Sites Site selection and development are important components of a building’s sustainability. The Sustainable Sites category discourages development on previously undeveloped land; seeks to minimize a building's impact on ecosystems and waterways; encourages regionally appropriate landscaping; rewards smart transportation choices; controls stormwater runoff; and promotes reduction of erosion, light pollution, heat island effect and construction-related pollution. Water Efficiency Buildings are major users of our potable water supply. The goal of the Water Efficiency category is to encourage smarter use of water, inside and out. Water reduction is typically achieved through more efficient appliances, fixtures and fittings inside and water-conscious landscaping outside. Energy & Atmosphere According to the U.S. Department of Energy, buildings use 39% of the energy and 74% of the electricity produced each year in the United States. The Energy & Atmosphere category encourages a wide variety of energy-wise strategies: commissioning; energy use monitoring; efficient design and construction; efficient appliances, systems and lighting; the use of renewable and clean sources of energy, generated on-site or off-site; and other innovative measures. Materials & Resources During both the construction and operations phases, buildings generate a lot of waste and use large quantities of materials and resources. The Materials & Resources category encourages the selection of sustainably grown, harvested, produced and transported products and materials. It promotes waste reduction as well as reuse and recycling, and it particulary rewards the reduction of waste at a product’s source. Indoor Environmental Quality The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that Americans spend about 90% of their day indoors, where the air quality can be significantly worse than outside. The Indoor Environmental Quality category promotes strategies that improve indoor air as well as those that provide access to natural daylight and views and improve acoustics. ALSO: Innovation in Design The Innovation in Design category provides bonus points for projects that use innovative technologies and strategies to improve a building’s performance well beyond what is required by other LEED credits, or to account for green building considerations that are not specifically addressed elsewhere in LEED. This category also rewards projects for including a LEED Accredited Professional on the team to ensure a holistic, integrated approach to the design and construction process. Regional Priority USGBC’s regional councils, chapters and affiliates have identified the most important local environmental concerns, and six LEED credits addressing these local priorities have been selected for each region of the country. A project that earns a regional priority credit will earn one bonus point in addition to any points awarded for that credit. Up to four extra points can be earned in this way. See the Regional Priority Credits for your state »

40-49 pts 50-59 pts 60-79 pts 80-110 pts

Sustainable Design Strategies Salvage used materials that would otherwise be landfilled Sort out items that can be recycled Specify materials with recycled content (steel, wallboard, ceiling tiles, flooring, carpet, countertops and tile). Specify locally made products to reduce transportation and energy costs. Use products made from rapidly renewable materials such as bamboo, cork, linoleum. Rapidly renewable materials that are replaced in less than 10 years through natural processes. A designer can help a client evaluate whether or not an existing building would be suitable or not

Water efficiency strategies EPA – Energy Protection Act of 1992 requires toilets to use 1.6 gallons per flush, urinals (1 gallon), faucets (2.5 gpm- gallons per minute). Today, fixtures are even more efficient Dual flush toilets have two flush options Waterless urinals Low-flow showerheads of 1.5 gpm Low-flow faucets and aerators can be attached to existing lavatory faucets. Collect stormwater drainage for future use as nonpotable water (toilet flushing and landscaping.)

Energy and atmosphere Reducing energy usage helps reduce environmental impacts. (less need to destroy the earth searching for coal.) Orientation of building can maximize passive solar heat and light gain. Design thermally efficient: High R-value wall and roof insulation, low U-value windows Energy efficient lighting can reduce energy consumption from lights by up to 50% and cut cooling costs from heat from fixtures. (LED) Occupancy sensors, daylight sensors, dimming controls Energy star ratings (equipment such as computers, televisions, copiers, appliances) Tankless water heaters Renewable energy (ie: solar panels)

Materials and resources Use life-cycle assessment. (LCA is a holistic method for assessing the environmental impacts and performance associated with all the stages of a product's life from-cradle-to-grave. Consider impacts of harvesting or extraction of raw materials Energy used to from harvesting/extraction/transportation Use of harmful chemicals and processes in production Packaging and installation costs Use of product such as off-gassing, cleanings and maintenance upkeep Consider what happens at the end-of-life. Will it be recycled, salvaged, or disposed in a landfill.

Materials and resources The following questions may be useful to designers seeking information from manufacturers: What is the percentage of post-consumer and pre-consumer recycled content in the product? Is there documentation from a 3rd party certification organization that verifies the recycled content percentages? Can the product be recycled at the end of its useful life through established channels?

Materials and resources Examples of products that contain recycled content: Ceiling tile Insulation Carpet and carpet tiles Resilient flooring Metal components Furniture Fabrics Tile Wallcoverings Composite woods (sawmill waste a pre-consumer recycled material)

Materials and resources Examples of salvaged materials include: Wood –salvaged timber is often processed into flooring and structural timbers Brick Furniture and built-in-casework Plumbing and lighting fixtures – older fixtures may need to be upgraded for energy and water efficiency, however. Architectural details, such as millwork, mantles, woodwork, hardware and staircases.

Materials and resources Look for Certified wood by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) will ensure that the wood products originated from sustainably managed forests minimizing the environmental impact of the use of wood and protects forest resources. Manufacturers of FSC-certified wood products include furniture makers. They must obtain chain-of-custody certification to show that they have procedures in place to track wood from certified forests and avoid mixing it with non-certified wood. www.fsc-info.org and www.certifiedwood.org

Indoor Environmental Quality Reduce the presence of volatile organic compounds (VOC’s) Where are VOC’s found: Adhesives Sealants Paints Coatings Carpet Resilient flooring Furniture Wallcoverings Textiles

Indoor Environmental Quality Look at the product’s VOC’s and other chemical content information using manufacturers’ printed data. How can VOC’s be minimized? Look for Green Seal standards for paints – use water-based latex or acrylic primers Look for Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) standards for carpets and carpet adhesives Look for Greenguard Environmental Institute (GEI) allowable emission levels for furniture Use low or no-VOC paints Use vapor permeable wallcovering. Consider installation methods that minimize adhesives Avoid using products with formaldehyde binders Verify finishing treatments in furniture, drapery and upholstery to make sure formaldehyde finishes and other chemical treatments don’t release VOC’s.

Finding reliable information Is your information reliable and accurate? Don’t trust the manufacturer’s environmental claims about their own products. Look for 2nd or 3rd party documentation. FSC The Forest Stewardship Council Greenguard Environmental Institute (GEI) Green Seal, Inc. Scientific Certification Systems (SCS) Carpet and Rug Institute has developed “Green Label and Green Label Plus” The FloorScore program was developed by the Resilient Floor Coverings Institute (RFCI) (Vinyl, linoleum, laminate, wood, ceramic and rubber) Look at GreenSpec Directory from Building Green, Inc www.buildinggreen.com Note: No product you specify is LEED certified.