Companies, cities embrace green building and design standards

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Companies, cities embrace green building and design standards

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By Kathryn Eakens and Rob Heidrick Friday, 08 January 2010

Investment in sustainable energy and materials could save money in the long term

ROUND ROCK — When REI opened its Round Rock location in 2008, the company unveiled the store as a prototype of its new green building strategy, emphasizing the use of recycled materials and energy efficient fixtures. Renewable bamboo, sunflower seed husks, recycled ceramics, tennis shoe soles and pieces of old car tires were incorporated into the store’s floors, walls and surfaces. The building was also designed to use 43 percent less water and 50 percent less energy than a standard commercial building of the same size.

The approach earned recognition from the U.S. Green Building Council in October, when REI Round Rock received a Gold certification in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design rating system.

The REI store is the first building in Round Rock to earn the designation, but more companies, city leaders and homeowners in Central Texas are beginning to develop green building practices. In addition to conserving natural resources and cutting back on waste, the sustainability movement is gaining popularity because it can help reduce long-term costs for maintenance and utilities, said John Moman, principal with Round Rock-based Moman Architects.

“You’re going to demand less water from the system, you’re going to demand less electricity from the grid and you’re going to have a building that costs less to operate than one next door that didn’t do those things,” Moman said. “So you get long-term cash benefits that way.”

What is LEED?

Developed by the USGBC in 1998, LEED is a third-party verification system that recognizes performance in five key areas: energy conservation, water efficiency, carbon emission reductions and indoor environmental quality.

“Sustainability, green building and LEED are almost interchangeable terms; LEED just happens to be a way to measure that and provide certification of good, sustainable design,” Moman said.

Engineers, interior designers, real estate developers, architects and government officials implement LEED standards, and then buildings are reviewed for accreditation by a volunteer committee composed of experts in the building and construction industry.

Guidelines are flexible enough to encompass both residential and commercial buildings, and they include criteria for initial design as well as retrofitted existing structures. Buildings are judged on a 110-point scale. LEED point categories are weighed differently based on the type of structure. Projects must earn 40 points to earn basic certification, 50 or more for Silver and 60 or higher to be awarded Gold. Platinum status, the top tier of LEED certification, requires 80 points.

City initiatives

The City of Pflugerville hopes to seek LEED certification for upcoming city projects, beginning with an expansion of the public library later this year, Building Official Blake Overmyer said.

Pflugerville has become increasingly involved in encouraging developers to design more sustainable projects. Overmyer said LEED specifications are now more common in agreements between the city council and the developers working on commercial and mixed-use projects.

“It’s a selling point for people who want something from the city, as far as concessions or certain zonings,” he said. “To give up some things, the city will ask for others. I think we asked for a little more with regard to the LEED certification.”

Sustainability was a key issue in discussions with developers of Pacana, a mixed-use development that will be built along the south side of Pecan Street between Windermere Drive and Heatherwilde Boulevard. The project was approved in August after the city council pushed to include guidelines in the development agreement requiring all non-residential and mixed-use buildings to achieve LEED certification.

Development coordinator Cid Galindo, who represents the Las Vegas-based partnership that owns Pacana, said he expects growing numbers of builders to adhere to LEED standards because certified buildings are more marketable and cheaper to maintain.

“People are starting to understand that there are real long-term benefits,” Galindo said. “As the market starts to become more aware and there’s more demand for the benefits of green building, then LEED certification will become more and more important in the ultimate marketability of a commercial project.”

Moman, also a Round Rock city councilman, said the city has discussed methods of encouraging green building, including discounts on water utilities and building permits.

“Since our budget does not have money allocated for cash incentives, we will need to be creative with incentives to encourage green building,” he said.

Examples of green buildings in Central Texas
The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design rating system awards points on a 110-point scale for environmentally friendly design and construction. Builders earn points for using recycled construction materials, renewable energy sources, local building supplies and other sustainable elements. There are four levels of certification: Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum.

Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas, Austin Building features: Only LEED Platinum hospital in the world Reused 47,000 tons of airport runway Natural gas turbine supplies all electricity Energy systems save enough power to fuel about 1,800 homes	REI, Round Rock Building features: Solar panels harvest enough energy in one year to power five homes Low-flow sinks and toilets use 40 percent less water than standard fixtures “Cool roof” reflects solar radiation, reducing demand on air conditioning	AirBorn Inc. manufacturing facility, Georgetown Building features: For each tree cut down for building materials, two are planted in its place High efficiency air-conditioning unit reduces energy use and improves air quality Paints and adhesives are low in chemical pollutants * Anticipated; currently under construction
Sources: Seton Family of Hospitals, REI, Moman Architects, U.S. Green Building Council

Companies go green

Moman recently designed AirBorn Inc.’s 58,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility under construction in Georgetown. Once the facility is complete in March, the company plans to apply for LEED Silver certification.

AirBorn’s new building is designed with a white roof, which Moman said will help reflect heat—as opposed to dark colors that absorb it—and in turn, reduce demand on the building’s air conditioning.

“Another thing LEED likes to see is the use of regional materials, which is defined as products that are grown or manufactured within 500 miles,” Moman said.

Moman estimates that more than 20 percent of the building materials used in the AirBorn facility will qualify as regional, which will earn the project more points under the LEED system.

Additionally, about 75 percent of the waste produced during construction is being diverted from the landfill to the recycling center, he said.

“They have a Dumpster for wood, a Dumpster for concrete, a Dumpster for steel and a Dumpster for paper,” he said. “They’re all separated out, and it’s measured by ton before it’s hauled off to the recycling center.”

Sustainable investments

A challenge within the green building movement is the higher cost of materials. Components made from ingredients such as recycled sorghum grass, rubber, hardwood and metal shavings are more expensive to process. But REI Round Rock manager Todd Callaway said he believes they are worth the investment.

“Certain features are definitely more cost effective and others save more energy, so it will allow us to pick and choose over the years what works well in different stores and what we want to move forward with,” Callaway said. “Obviously, being able to be energy efficient and reduce our carbon footprint helps to preserve the outdoors so our future customers will have somewhere to go to spend time outside.”

With additional reporting by Mary Tuma

REI recycled elements — Many of the display tables in the store are made from recycled sorghum stalks. The flooring on the store’s first level is made from recycled car tires and tennis shoe soles.

How to make your home greener

Insulate your attic. By adding insulation, you will reduce your utility bills.
Tune up your HVAC systems. If you insulate your heating and cooling equipment, it won’t have to work as hard.
Plug air leaks with caulking and weather strips. It will help curb expensive drafts and improve comfortable living.
Install low-flow toilets and shower heads.
Switch to low consumption fluorescent lighting and fixtures.
Weather strip your windows and replace them with thicker paned windows.
Replace old windows with energy-efficient low-E insulated windows.
Purchase awnings or shields for your windows to shield your house from the western exposure of the sun.
Adjust timers and rain sensors on your sprinkler system to optimum performance.
Switch to native and drought-resistant landscaping.
Purchase a rainwater harvesting screen to reclaim rainwater to use for watering plants.