Green Building

The process that applies to buildings, their sites, interiors, operations and.
Communities’ process of continual change creates improved vital communities,
improved healthful indoor/outdoor spaces, and stronger connections to nature
permanent shift (design, planning, construction, operation, end-of-life recycling, and
reusing) to decrease impact, be more sustainable, regenerative built environments

Built Environment
Any environment that is man-made and provides a structure for human activity 2/3 of
all GHG emissions (buildings and transportation) Flexibility/adaptability - responds to
threats of climate change

Triple Bottom Line

coined by John Elkington in 1998 applied to socially responsible business and built
environment projects
goal: ensure that buildings/communities create values for all stakeholders
incorporate a long-term view for assessing potential effects and best practices for 3
resources:
People: (social capital/responsibility): costs and benefits to those who design,
construct, live in, work in, indirectly/directly influenced by projects
Planet (Natural Capital/environmental stewardship): costs and benefits of the natural
environment
Profit (economic capital/prosperity): costs and benefits of a project for stakeholders

Externalities
economists describe costs/benefits incurred by parties, not in transaction green
building process/rating system encourage quantification of externalities
(environmental, social justice, public health)

Mission of USGBC
To transform the way buildings and communities are designed, built, and operated,
enabling an environmentally and socially responsible, healthy, and prosperous
environment that improves the quality of life.

Goal of LEED
Market transformation (to fundamentally change how we design, build and operate
buildings/communities) through certification that honors levels of achievement in
areas such as energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reductions, improved
indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources

(Building) Commissioning
Process of verifying and documenting that a building and all its systems and
assemblies are planned, designed, installed, tested, operated and maintained to
meet owner's project requirements Designed efficiently, installed appropriately, and
operate as intended

Retro-commissioning
A tune-up that identifies inefficiencies and restores high levels of performance
*existing building* continuous improvement
Monitoring and Verification Systems
enable facilities personnel to identify and resolve issues that arise over time and
enhance a building's performance through the life of the project

Building Location
emissions from people traveling to and from work: makeup 1/2 total emissions
associated with project >30% move location accessible via public transportation,
biking, walking, to decrease emissions alternative transportation depends on the
proximity of destinations, connectivity of community and design of surroundings

Adaptive Reuse
The practice of redesigning and using a structure for a use that is significantly
different from the building's original use. Finding new uses for existing structures

Natural Context
climate, sun, wind, soil, precipitation, local flora/fauna

Infrastructural Context
available resources, materials, skills, and connections to utilities, roads, and transit

Social Context
Connections to the community, local priorities, cultural history/traditions, local
regulations, and incentives

Regenerative
Sustainable environmental evolve with living systems and contribute to the long-term
renewal of resources and life Building comprehensive understaffing of the
place/location, site's patterns, and flow of life Healthy coevolution of humans and life
Thrive on Diversity

Net Zero
Using no more resources than they can produce
Net-Zero Energy
Carbon Neutrality
Water Balance

Systems Thinking
Built environmental based on a series of relationships parts affect other parts.
Systems including materials, resources, energy, people, info --> complex interactions

Life-Cycle Approach
Looking at all stages of a project, product, or service
1 - Predesign
2 - Location Selection
3 - Design
4 - Construction
5 - Operation/Maintenance
6 - Refurbishment
7 - Renovation
8 - Demolition/Reuse
Integrative Process
A comprehensive approach to building systems and equipment (interactions among
all building and site systems) Emphasizes connections and communication among
professionals and stakeholders throughout the life of a project / Time-saving
solutions to 1 problem, solution to many problems
Phases
1 - Discovery (most important, predesign, achieve enviro goals cost-effectively)
2 - Design and construction (Schematic Design, incorporate all collective
understandings of system interactions found during discovery)
3 - Period of Occupancy, Operation, Performance Feedback (measures performance
and sets up feedback mechanisms)

System
The assemblage of elements/parts that interact in a series of relationships to form a
complex whole that serves particular functions or purposes can be physically
small/large, simple and self-contained/complex, and interact with other systems
Rarely exist in isolation Systems within systems

Open System
Material and resources constantly brought in from outside, used, then released
outside the system in a form of waste Nature --> no open systems (everything goes
somewhere) We need to mimic nature and design closed systems

Feedback Loops
The information flows within a system that allows that system to organize itself
Depends on the flow of information

Negative Feedback Loop

Embedded in the system's response to a change is a signal for the system to stop
changing when that response is no longer needed Enable a system to self-correct
and stay within a range of function and performance
Keep systems stable EX: Thermostat (warm, AC, good temp, stop)

Positive Feedback Loop

The stimulus causes an effect and the effect produces even more of that same effect
Self-reinforcing
Examples:
- Reproduction
- Roads/infrastructure (suburban growth)
- Heat Island Effect (increase temp in urban areas, demand for cooling and energy
used, increase carbon emissions)

Real-time information
Immediate, up-to-date information Energy use delivered in a more convenient way

Prius Effect: the hybrid car that gives drivers info about fuel consumption so they
drive more fuel efficient way Connecting elements of a system so they interact and
respond to each other more appropriately in a feedback loop
Emergent Properties of a System
Patterns emerge from the system as a whole and are more than the sum of the
parts.
EX: the culture of a company emerges from the people who work there, the buildings
in which they work, the services or products they provide, the way they
receive/process information, the management and power structure, and the financial
structure. These elements combine and form a unique organization

Leverage Points
To influence the behavior of a system. It is important to find the leverage points
which are places where a small intervention can yield large changes.
EX: providing building occupants with real-time energy information helps alter
bbehavior
Instead of changing the system entirely, the change focuses merely on delivering
available data to a point where it can be acted on appropriately.

Natural Capitalism
capital markets can be used for--rather than against--sustainability, not by
eliminating them or adding intensive regulation, but by using leverage points within
the system

Cradle-to-Grave
Investigating materials from extraction to disposal Linear process/Open Loop

Cradle-to-Cradle
Closed-loop system
No waste
Find another purpose

Embodied Energy
The total amount of energy used to harvest/extract, manufacture, and transport.
install, use the product across life-cycle

Life Cycle Assessment

Attempts to identify and quantify environmental effects throughout the life of
materials, products of buildings Inputs (energy/water/materials)/outputs(waste/by-
products) quantified, and their effects on human and environmental health are
measured

Life-Cycle Cost
Purchase and operating costs and relative savings over the life of the build/product
Calculates payback periods for 1st costs, providing a context for making decisions
about initial investments

Long-Term Savings
Upfront goal setting, and analysis of alternatives will assist in making decisions that
result in savings over the long-term through synergies and integration

Synergy
Actions that complement each other, creating a whole greater than the sum of parts
Iterative Process
A process based on repetition of steps and procedures. A process for calculating the
desired result by means of a repeated cycle of operations. Circular and repetitive
Setting goals, brainstorming solutions, research/refining ideas, synergizing,
implementing or measure

Team Meeting
Group work together to create new synergies

Charrettes
Intense workshops designed to produce specific deliverables. Brings together project
teams with stakeholders and outside experts as needed for creative thinking and
collaboration Integrative problem-solving Energize the group, promotes trust Derive
value from the collaboration of people from different disciplines and perspectives
Strong facilitator

Small Task Group

provides opportunities to explore particular topics, conduct research and refine ideas

Stakeholder Meetings
Held with neighbors community members, and others with a vested interest in the
project. Gain an understanding of the community, issues, concerns, and ideas
essential to gain the trust of local residents and organizations

Project Team
Broad, inclusive, collaborative group that works together to design and complete
project Members are highly invested at all stages

Integrative Project Delivery (IPD)

Project delivery approach that integrates people, systems, business structures and
practices into a process that collaboratively harnesses the talents and insights of all
participants to optimize project results, increase value to the owner, reduce waste,
and maximize efficiency

Importance of Project Goals

Set a clear pathway to ensure that goals are achieved Provide a frame of reference
for the whole project Keep on track for sustainability targets Must be achievable
Reflect spatial scales and time horizons
SMART - Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Timely
EX: "to reduce GHG by 30% by 2030"

Metrics
Measurements that evaluate results to determine whether a project is meeting its
goals

Targets
Levels of achievement that should be reached
Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
computer programs that process and organize details about places on Earth and
integrate those details with satellite images and other pieces of information Can help
illustrate how different intersect and overlap
EX: soils, infrastructure, wind patterns, demographics, traffic, solid waste, growth
projections

Value Engineering
Formal review based on project's intended function and conducted to identify
alternatives that reduce costs and improve performance

Construction Activity Pollution Prevention Plan

Addresses measures to prevent erosion, sedimentation, and discharges of potential
pollutants to water bodies and wetlands

Indoor Environmental Quality Management Plan

Strategies to protect the quality of indoor air for workers and occupants Isolating
work areas, timing construction, protecting HVAC system from dust, materials with
minimal toxicity

Waste Management Plan

Sorting, collecting, and disposal of waste generated during construction/renovation
Landfill waste and recyclable materials

Ongoing Performance
Orientation and training of the occupants and personnel must be repeated as new
tenants move in, the staff is hired, and lessons are learned. Education of building
occupants encourages their full participation in sustainability opportunities.

What do sustainable sites emphasize site management for?

rainwater, open space, landscaping, reflectance "heat island"

goals of site design and management

reducing environmental impacts of landscaping, minimizing maintenance costs, and
contributing to the restoration of an area

examples of impervious materials

brick, stone, asphalt, and other sealed surfaces

strategies for developing a sustainable site design

minimize hardscape
use native landscaping
prevent light pollution
preserve open space and sensitive areas
protect and restore habitat
strategies for sustainable site operations and maintenance
develop a sustainable site management plan
implement conservation programs
maintain site lighting to prevent light pollution

strategies for rainwater management through design

minimize impervious areas
control rainwater
incorporate rainwater management into the site design

strategies for rainwater management in operations and maintenance

redirect rainwater
harvest rainwater

What is the heat island effect?

The increase in air temperature in a developed area compared with an
underdeveloped area.

consequences of the heat island effect

-additional use of AC increases energy demand costs
-wildlife species not adapted to the higher temperature decline

examples of heat island effect mitigation strategies?

install surface with high solar reflectance (SR) or solar reflectivity index (SRI)

strategies for reducing the heat island effect

install reflective roof surfaces
reduce the area of paved surfaces exposed to sunlight
plant an urban forest or a green roof

What is smart growth?

protects open spaces and farmland by emphasizing development with housing, jobs,
and services near each other

What is infill development?

makes use of sites in previously developed areas and helps limit the amount of land
covered by buildings, pavement, or infrastructure

What are brownfield sites?

The land where development may be complicated by the presence or potential
presence of hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants

strategies to address location

choose redevelopment and infill development
locate near existing infrastructure
protect habitat
increasing density
increase diversity
encourage multiple modes of transportation
strategies to address transportation in design and planning
locate near public transit
limit parking
encourage bicycling

strategies to address transportation in operations and maintenance

encourage carpooling
promote alternative-fuel vehicles
offer incentives
support alternative transportation

strategies for sustainable neighbourhood patterns and design

design walkable streets
include street trees, shade, benches, etc.
use compact development strategies
promote connectivity
provide diverse land use
create a diverse community
support access to sustainable food
ensure that all residents have easy access to groceries

what is the efficiency first approach?

-first look at ways to use water efficiency and reduce potable water use
-the, consider the use of non-potable water and alternative sources of water

what is indoor water use used for?

urinals, toilets, showers, kitchen or break room sinks, and other applications typical
of occupied buildings

What are examples of how indoor water use can be reduced?

-installing water-efficient fittings and fixtures
-using non-potable water for flush functions
-installing sub-meters to track and log water use trends, check fixtures problems, and
identify problems

strategies for reducing indoor water use

install efficient plumbing fixtures
use non-potable water
install submeters

What is xeriscaping?
the use of drought-tolerant native or adapted plants along with rocks, bark mulch,
etc.

how do reduce potable water use for irrigation?

use non-potable water for outdoor applications

strategies for reducing outdoor water use

choose locally adapted plants
use xeriscaping
select efficient irrigation technologies
use non-potable water
install submeters

How can green buildings/neighborhoods reduce the demand for energy?

-by capturing natural, incident energy (sunlight, wind, geothermal potential) to reduce
loads

What did the Montreal Protocol do?

banned the production/use of chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) refrigerants

strategies for reducing energy demand in design and planning

establish design and energy goals
site the building appropriately
use free energy
insulate

strategies for reducing energy demand in operation and maintenance

use free energy
monitor consumption

what is a demand response strategy?

encourages electricity consumers to reduce their usage during peak demand times

what is energy intensity?

getting the most work per unit of energy

what are common metrics for buildings and neighborhoods?

energy use per square foot and use per capita

What are the percentages of the total consumption in commercial buildings by

end use?
space heating - 36%
lighting - 21%
cooling - 8%
water heating - 8%
ventilation - 7%
refrigeration - 6%
cooking - 3%
computers -2%
office equipment - 1%
other - 8%

strategies for achieving energy efficiency

-address the envelope
-install high-performance mechanical systems and appliances
-use high-efficiency infrastructure
-capture efficiencies of scale
-use energy simulation
-monitor and verify performance

what does "green power" include?

solar, wind, wave, biomass, and geothermal power

strategies for meeting energy the demand with renewable energy

generate renewable energy
purchase off-site renewable energy or carbon offsets

what is commissioning?
The systematic investigation by skilled professionals who compare building
performance with performance goals, design specifications, and owner's
requirements

what is retro-commissioning?
a commissioning process applied to an existing building intended to keep a budding
on track for meeting or exceeding the original goals

strategies for incorporating ongoing performance measurements into a project

adhere to the owner's requirements
staff ranking
conduct preventative maintenance
create incentives for occupants and tenants

what is the focus of materials and resources (MR)?

focuses on minimizing the embodied impact associated with the entire life-cycle of
building materials

strategies for conserving materials throughout a project's life cycle

reuse existing buildings and salvaged materials
plan for smaller, more compact communities
design smaller, more flexible homes and buildings
use efficient framing technologies
promote source reduction in operations

what are environmentally preferable attributes to consider?

-support the local economy
-sustainably grown and harvest
-have intended end-of-life sceneries that avoid landfill
-contain recycled content from industrial or consumer sources
-made of bio-based materials
-free of toxins
-long-lasting, durable, and reusable
-made in factories that support human health and worker's rights

strategies to promote sustainable purchasing design and operations

-identify local sources of environmentally preferable products
-develop a sustainable materials policy
-specify green materials and equipment
-specify green custodial products

what are the 4 preferred strategies for reducing waste in landfills?

source reduction, reuse, recycling, and waste-to-energy

strategies to reduce waste during construction

design buildings that produce less waste
develop a construction waste management policy
establish a tracking system

strategies to reduce waste during operations and maintenance

develop a solid waste management policy
conduct a waste stream audit
maintain a recycling program
monitor, track, and report
compost
provide recycling for durable goods

what do indoor environmental quality goals focus on?

providing stimulating and comfortable environments for occupants and, minimizing
the risk of bustling-related health problems

strategies for designing good interior air quality

prohibit smoking
design for proper ventilation
poorest air that comes into the budding
test for radon or other on-site contaminants
design for entryway systems
specify low-emitting materials

strategies for improving indoor air quality during construction

keeping the building clean during the construction
protect materials and equipment
conduct a flush-out

strategies for improving indoor air quality during operations and maintenance
ensures adequate ventilation
monitor outdoor airflow
monitor carbon dioxide
calibrate sensors
prohibit smoking
develop/implement a green cleaning policy
conduct custodial effectiveness
use entryway systems
use integrated pest management
strategies for improving occupants' comfort and control
use daylighting
install operable windows
give occupants temperature and ventilation control
give occupants lighting control
conduct occupant surveys
provide ergonomic furniture
include appropriate acoustic design

what are examples of innovative strategies?

-developing green building educational programs for the community
-implementing programs for the community to direct waste from outside sources to
recycling locations

Closed system
A system in which materials and resources are reused or recycled.

Downstream activity
An activity related to the processing of materials all the way through to the delivery of
the final product to the end user.

Regenerative building
A closed system that uses only as much water and energy as it can produce.

Upstream activity
An activity related to the extraction of the raw materials used in a product.

Portable water consumption: % from buildings in the US

14%

Waste output: % from buildings in the US

30%

Raw materials use: % from buildings in the US

40%

Carbon dioxide emissions: % from buildings in the US

38%

Energy use: % from buildings in the US

24-50%

Electric consumption: % from buildings in the US

72%

Did the cumulative effect of conventional practices in the building industry have
profound implications for:
Human health, the environment, and the economy

Green building % less energy usage

26%

Green building % fewer maintenance costs

13%

Green building % fewer Emissions of carbon dioxide CO2

33%

Green building percent higher levels of occupant satisfaction

27%

Green building is a process that applies to what five things?

Buildings, their sites, their interiors, their operations, and the communities in which
they are situated.

What are the five stages of green building?

Planning, design, construction, operations, and ultimately end-of-life recycling or
renewal of structures.

Do green buildings pursue solutions that represent a healthy and dynamic

balance? environmental social, and economic benefits.

And sustainability means creating places that are what five things?
Environmentally responsible, healthful, just, equitable, and profitable.

Greening the built environment means looking holistically at

Natural, human, and economic systems and finding solutions that support quality of
life for all.

Who coined the triple bottom line?

John Elkington in his 1998 book cannibals with forks: the triple bottom line of 21st-
century business.

What are externalities?

Economists used to describe costs or benefits incurred by parties that were not part
of a transaction. For example, the purchase price of the car does not account for the
wear and tear it will have on public roads are the pollution it'll put into the
environment.

What percentage of their time to people and united spend an average indoors?
90%

What percentage are green building occupants more productive?

2-16%

When was the USGBC formed?

1992
When was the first LEED green building rating system launched?
2000

What is the mission of the USGBC?

To transform the way buildings and communities are designed, built, and operated,
enabling an environmentally and socially responsible, healthy, and prosperous
environment that improves the quality of life.

What percentage of all greenhouse gas emissions does the built environment
including buildings and transportation systems amount to?
2/3rds. 66%

What is important other than building design and construction for a green
building?
Location. An office building in the suburbs generates 11.8 tons of carbon per person
half the total emissions associated with the project. That same building in a location
with public transportation reduces omissions to more like 4.6 tons per person.

What uses more energy and how much? The energy expended by office
workers commuting to and from the building? or the building itself for heating
cooling lighting other energy uses?
30% more commuting

What is adaptive reuse?

And the practice of re-designing and using a structure for use a significantly different
from the building’s original use

Green building in a location: what are the three factors?

Natural context
infrastructural context
social context

Are green building more expensive to build?

Less than 2% more

What percent more do green buildings rent for?

2%. But really 6% because they are more full.

What is regenerative design?

The regenerative design tries to make things better not only reduce how bad things
are as compared to other buildings. The regenerative building might try to clean the
air instead of reducing the amount of pollution it creates.

What is net zero?

using no more resources than they can produce

What is system thinking?

The built environment is understood as a series of relationships in which each part
affects many other parts
What are the systems and systems thinking?
Materials
resources
energy
people
information
the complex interactions and flows between these elements a crawlspace and
through time

What is the Prius a fact and how does it relate to feedback loops?
When people could see how efficient they were being with the use of their gasoline
they did a better job of regulating it. Providing information is an important part of a
feedback loop. It is the feedback.

What are leverage points?

Places where a small intervention can yield large changes. Providing building
occupants with real-time energy information is an example of using a leverage point
to alter behavior, rather than changing the elements of the system.

What are the emergent properties of a system?

Is a linear design process a system-based approach?

No! In linear design, the solutions to one problem may cause other problems
elsewhere in the system. Multiple problems can often be soft at the same time in a
system is based approach.

What are the lifecycle steps?

Pre-design goalsetting
Location selection
Design
construction
operations and maintenance refurbishment
renovation
Demolition or preferably
reuse

What are the upstream effects in the lifecycle process?

The things that happen before the material is used

What are the downstream effects of the lifecycle process?

The impacts associated with its operation and end of life.