Green Building Services

This was my fifth journey to Lima in the past two years. While others were focused on serving a single project, Productos Roche (first LEED certified project in Peru, Gold) and meeting with potential clients, this trip was the first opportunity to get out and talk to people from a variety of different professions and industry sectors.  We launched a new partnership with IBRID, a green building consulting firm in Peru.  They are a smart, dedicated and professional group.

In addition to exploring some project opportunities, meeting with some of the top real estate business leaders in the country, and enjoying some great ceviche, I also presented at a seminar. On short notice, over 60 people braved Lima’s horrible rush hour traffic to attend this late Friday afternoon seminar. My colleagues from IBRID and I presented for 3 hours at this seminar hosted by the Peru Green Building Council, an organization that is emerging as one of the leaders in green building in Latin America, under the leadership of Executive Director Hector Miranda.

Architect Elda Silva, Associate with IBRID started the seminar with a fascinating overview of the environmental issues and opportunities facing South America and the emerging trends in green building on the continent. Architect Julio Carrillo, the General Manager of IBRID provided a comprehensive review of the scope and value of commissioning, as this practice is still relatively unknown in Peru. I had the opportunity to compliment their presentations with a series of case examples of exemplary LEED certified projects. This was my first opportunity to give a fully fledged public presentation in Spanish, which added a new dimension to my normal preparation.

In reflecting on my week there, I noted that on one hand the state of the green building in Peru is very much like it was in the United States 10 years ago: a new fringe movement trying to raise awareness and get traction, and with decision makers motivated by marketing exposure and operational cost savings, as well as doing the right thing. On the other hand, I feel that they are poised to catch up and perhaps surpass the US in short order.

Why? It seems to me that the impacts of some of the bigger environmental concerns we discuss, such as global climate change, are somewhat remote for the average North American. In Peru, they are staring you right in the face. The majority the population in Peru lives in the arid coastal region that gets less than 1 cm of rain annually. Most of their fresh water comes from glaciers in The Andes, which have been visibly receding for years. Likewise, 80% of their electricity comes from hydroelectric dams, again fed by glacial melt. With a steadily rising population of 29 million people depending on these vanishing glaciers for their livelihood and basic survival, the need for conservation and climate change mitigation are anything but remote. I came away with great hope regarding the will to change course. I am looking forward to working with these great people in this endeavor.

Alan Scott AIA, LEED AP BD+C, O+M
Principal, LEED Faculty

The results from Tuesday’s election make one thing clear: California is committed to environmental protection through good times and bad. Starting the first of the year building owners are going to have to provide energy use data to buyers and tenants.

AB 1103 requires ENERGY STAR Benchmarking.   Assembly Bill 1103 (Saldana, Chapter 533, Statutes of 2007) requires that on and after January 1, 2010, a nonresidential building owner disclose ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager benchmarking data and ratings, for the most recent 12-month period, to a prospective buyer, lessee, or lender. Additionally, electric and gas utilities are required to maintain records of the energy consumption data of all nonresidential buildings to which they provide service for at least the most recent 12 months.

As we continue to see legislation like Assembly Bill 1103,it is important to stay ahead in a competitive market. This can be accomplished by anticipating these types of mandates and ensuring your facility is operating efficiently, your building systems are operating correctly, and you have the relevant data to validate your building’s performance.    GBS Commissioning and Energy Management services offer a wide array of analysis services & tools to help you remain in a leadership position, attract new tenants and add value to your building.

For example, the transparency requirements of Assembly Bill 1103 put an added emphasis on maintaining a clear understanding of how your building performs and making sure you understand the opportunities you have to stay competitive in an already tough market.  Building assessments  can identify ways to improve your ENERGY STAR Benchmark rating and is an easy, affordable way to take the first step in seeing where you stand, identifying opportunities and ultimately support your ability to make informed decisions about how to improve the value and resiliency of your building.

More to come certainly!

Richard Manning – AIA, LEED AP BD+C
Principal, LEED Faculty

LEED Volume Tips from the Trenches!

After years in the making, USGBC has released the LEED Volume Program for Building Design + Construction, with the Operations + Maintenance program to follow early next year.  GBS has been fortunate enough to work with several clients pursuing a Volume approach during this pilot phase.  During this time we have learned many lessons about what it takes to successfully certify multiple buildings at once.   While in the LEED Volume Program trenches GBS has cultivated the following tried and true strategies for a green building portfolio.

1.       Know what you’re getting into – LEED certification can be challenging for an individual project.  Make sure you understand the rating system and how the requirements fit into your organization’s structure and process.  Be sure to complete at least two LEED projects or select an experienced team before tackling the full program.

2.       Take it slow – Entering into the LEED Volume Program is a long term commitment; the implications of the plan may have long lasting effects.  It should be about doing the right thing for your organization and team.  You’ll want to assess your portfolio and understand how sustainability fits into your organization.  Set goals and performance metrics that will benefit design, construction, and operations for all buildings.

3.       Select a LEED Volume Champion – Choose one passionate person with the right amount of authority to guide the group, bring the right people together, and communicate the plan.  The Volume Program can be laborious;  successful completion requires a leader with authority.  Additionally, consider hiring a consultant to lead the team through the process, but understand that the directive must come from within your organization.

4.       Integrate – For sustained results consider the concerns of your stakeholders. Involve all parties from your organization, from portfolio-level all the way to building-level.  Consistent and open communication will provide an atmosphere for collaboration that will provide sustainable outcomes that all team members can be proud of.

5.       Check-in frequently – Reviewing project status and overall process with the teams involved will not only continue to educate everyone but also strengthen the quality of the program.  Team members will be reminded of their roles, responsibilities, and be held accountable for their on-going progress leading to success.

6.       Create Checklists – Behind every successful project is a set of detailed checklists.  Checklists ensure all required actions are completed and topics are covered – from agendas, to site visit reports, to cleaning logs.

7.       Allow for flexibility – This program should fit within your organization’s existing framework.  Be flexible and let the program evolve as you do.

8.       Have fun and bask in your glory! – You just certified 900 buildings in 12 months! Write your press release revealing to the world how you’re changing the market place.  Then, go out for a drink!

- GBS Consultants Webly Bowles & Crystal Benson

GBS is taking part in a unique cultural exchange with Guadalajara, Mexico. Thanks to a sister city arrangement through the Jardin Portland Foundation, the people of Guadalajara will be able to experience some of Portland’s best features without having to get on a plane. The one-acre Jardin (garden) Portland will be built in the urban park of Bosque Colomos and include a simulated Pioneer Courthouse Square event space, rose garden, miniature Multnomah Falls bridge and water feature, and a Verde (green) Learning Center with some Timberline Lodge-like architectural touches. But what’s more exciting is the Jardin Portland will be a global model for environmental sustainability and cultural, educational and economic exchange.

The Verde Learning Center at Jardin Portland is being designed for hands-on sustainability education for Bosque Colomos’ one million annual visitors. GBS drafted some preliminary concepts, showing how to incorporate a range of sustainable education tools inside the interpretive center that we thought would be fun and engaging.  Ideas include bikes that power a lighting feature, an energy awareness quiz for visitors and other interactive displays.

Like most non-profit ventures, getting the garden built requires funding. So GBS will help facilitate – in conjunction with Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara in Jalisco, Mexico, the City of Guadalajara and the Jardin Portland board – a sustainability summit at the Universidad Autónoma and at Guadalajara’s Municipal Palace, to benefit the garden. The Sustainable Guadalajara 2040: International Perspectives and Local Solutions conference will take place February 16 and 17. The goal is to motivate, inspire and highlight the positive change green building and green industries can bring to the Guadalajara region. Speakers from Portland and Guadalajara will share strategies to drive change in energy, water and transportation. GBS will present the history of sustainability in Portland. We’ll also facilitate a vision session to get everyone brainstorming about Guadalajara’s vision for sustainability in 2040 and identify the steps needed to make it happen. We hope that the conference produces some “takeaways” that the government, universities, local professionals and other organizations can use as a catalyst for their move toward sustainability.

The summit will also include an introductory workshop on using LEED® as a tool to support high performance development.

A major goal of the Jardin Portland Foundation is to bring Portland region’s culture, livability and environmental best practices to Guadalajara, but we are all gaining a mutual exchange of sustainable knowledge and experiences. For the summit, we are working with Dr. José Benito Mauricio Alcocer Ruthling, Director of the Renewable Energy Center at the Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara. Dr. Alcocer Ruthling taught two courses at Portland State University last summer: “The Global Warming Debate: How long Can We Afford to Continue Discussing the Reality of Global Warming” and “Environment and Development in Latin America. In a country that has buildings which have stood for 500 years and remained comfortable without air conditioning, there are clearly many lessons they can impart to us about durability and passive ventilation. We look forward to creating an open dialog where we can share our experiences learn from each other about passive strategies and water conservation.

Ted Spear

At times it is hard not to feel a sense of helplessness as we continue to watch the oil spew from the Deepwater Horizon accident in the Gulf of Mexico.  Leak estimates are now ranging from 60,000 – 100,000 barrels of oil per day. As of now we’re on day 83 with no end in sight. To make matters worse, this spill isn’t out of the norm on a global scale. The United States imports 40% of its oil from the Nigerian Niger Delta[1], where it has been suggested that equally as much oil has spilled at sea, in the swamps and on land every single year as has been lost in the Gulf of Mexico thus far. Local communities around the globe are being destroyed both financially and environmentally by such disasters while U.S. and worldwide consumption and crude oil demand continues to rise.

While policy makers, politicians and oil companies battle over appropriate clean energy solutions and alternatives to fossil fuels, we must consider our responsibility and the actions we can take to ensure that another accident of this scale does not occur. So, what can we do? It is actually pretty simple; collectively we must reduce demand and become more efficient.

The built environment accounts for almost half of total annual U.S. energy consumption and 72% of U.S. electricity consumption[2]. Currently there are over 328 billion square feet of commercial and residential buildings in the United States[3]. Energy upgrades and retrofits, modified occupant behavior and appropriate maintenance and facility management practices can reduce energy demand greatly, and thereby reduce the need for oil drilling globally. Incremental change and small increases in efficiency are no longer enough.

As long as we construct and occupy inefficient buildings, we’re part of the problem. We’re setting ourselves up for reiterative environmental disasters.  Let’s make sure that this never happens again and take responsibility for our future. Now is the time to make a substantial and fundamental change to our built environment. Net zero must be our goal not only for new construction, but also existing buildings, larger communities, and entire cities. Let’s take action now.

Caitlin

[2] U.S. Energy Information Administration. (2008). EIA Annual Energy Outlook.

[3] U.S. Energy Information Administration. Residential Energy Consumption Survey, 2005 & Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey, 2003. Retrieved from http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/recs/contents.html

In a recent National Public Radio story on green building and historic preservation (Dated Feb. 23), the narrative of the story painted a picture that new green buildings can outperform historic buildings and that rehabilitation of existing buildings takes more time or costs more than demolition and new construction, while also leaving the impression that LEED does not adequately credit historic rehabilitation projects compared to new construction projects.  I would like to provide another perspective for this discussion based upon my experience in recent years.  There are several complex issues at play here, and other LEED points we can bring into the discussion.

Over the past several years, professionals in our firm have been on the ground and deeply involved green rehabilitation projects, working with projects teams to develop cost-effective approaches to historic preservation projects and working to balancing in the issues outlined in this article.  We have consulted on the rehabilitation of many historic rehabilitation projects and new construction projects seeking LEED certification, as well as older buildings seeking certification through the LEED for Existing Buildings Operations and Maintenance program.  We agree that the avoided environmental impacts of rehabilitation versus new construction are not clearly understood in the building industry and, in the current form, may not be adequately addressed by the LEED rating system. For example, there is a lack of hard data about the environmental value (CO2 reductions and others) of reuse.  With the LEED 2009 Green Building Rating Systems, the U.S. Green Building Council used an USEPA-developed Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) tool to inform the first-ever “weighting” of LEED credits to more equitably align project LEED and environmental performance. The USGBC is committed to continuous refinement in its biennial update of LEED as scientifically-grounded LCA methodologies mature over time.

Gerding Theatre

Preservationists (of which I am one) intuitively understand that there are many values to reuse and recognize that “embodied energy” is one of them.  However, in the U.S., there exists little research to support these claims.  Some studies have estimated that the energy investment embodied in a typical building is somewhere between 13% and 18% of the building’s total life cycle energy impact, making it important, but not the primary issue in terms of environmental impact of the building.  If the remaining 22% to 87% of the energy (CO2) impact of the building is operating energy, we need to be focusing our attention there as well.  It is true that a rehabilitation project in essence has a jump start on CO2 reductions compared to new construction, since much of the CO2 impact of building the superstructure is avoided through reuse, while a new building will need to “pay down” this CO2 investment through efficient operations.  This is especially important because we all know by now that we are trying to REDUCE CO2 emissions, not increase them.  As Richard Moe, President of the National Trust, has said: “It all comes down to this simple fact: We can’t build our way out of the global warming crisis. We have to conserve our way out. That means we have to make better, wiser use of what we’ve already built.”  It is important to note that as we work to make buildings increasingly energy efficient toward net-zero energy consumption, the “embodied energy” or the impacts avoided through reuse become a much larger portion of the life cycle energy pie.  Ultimately, we are working to make that pie even smaller and reusing buildings is a very important part of the solution.

So let’s get back to LEED.  Perhaps rather than focusing on our desire to have LEED award more points to historic building rehabilitation projects (hopefully they will based upon more advanced LCA methods in the near future), let’s look at the other LEED points that a project can already earn through rehabilitation.  Under LEED for New Construction and Major Renovation (LEED NC), a rehabilitation project can actually earn four (4) points for building reuse. In LEED for Core & Shell (LEED CS), there are five (5) points available plus an additional one (1) point if 95% of the building is reused for a total of six (6) points.  Elsewhere in the rating system there are other nods to existing building rehabilitation projects, such as Energy and Atmosphere Credit 1.  Here, existing buildings get more points for the same level of energy performance compared to new buildings.  For instance in LEED NC, if a rehabilitation projects reduces design energy cost by 24% it will earn nine (9) points, while a new construction project will only earn seven (7) points.  That’s two (2) more points for historic buildings.  There are also two (2) points available for materials reuse, and we have found that existing buildings more often incorporate salvaged materials than new construction projects.  There are also additional opportunities for credit in LEED in the Innovation and Regional Priority credit categories.  In Portland, Oregon for instance, the Building Reuse credit is identified as a Regional Priority credit, thus offering one (1) bonus point to projects that earn this credit. This intentional allocation of points suggests that LEED strategically favors, rather than challenges, reuse, as is sometimes implied.

To date, the USGBC has certified over 50 historic buildings and has over 500 registered projects seeking certification.  I would like to share several fantastic examples of sustainable preservation projects that have earned high levels of LEED certification, achieved significant energy reductions and taken advantage of financial incentive to help reduce costs.  A few of the best examples are within a five minute walk of each other including three Platinum, two Gold and one Silver-rated LEED NC projects.

Mercy Corp World HQ

The Mercy Corps Global Headquarters project recently achieved LEED Platinum and is a beautiful example of the melding of half historic rehabilitation and half new construction in the heart of a historic district.  THA Architecture and the entire project team worked to retain the original building and sensitively add a complimentary addition to provide the program area that Mercy Corps needed.  Just north of the Mercy Corps project is the White Stage Block, home of the University of Oregon’s Portland Program.  Here, Venerable Properties, FFA Architects and a dedicated project team sensitively reused this 3/4 –block property into a catalytic urban project that infuses this historic neighborhood with new vitality.   In a short walk to the west is the Portland AIA Center for Architecture , also LEED Platinum.  Here, Holst Architecture and team reused this building with a contemporary flavor while reducing energy cost and CO2 emissions by more than 50% and 90% respectively. These accomplishments exceeded the 2030 Challenge targets the AIA set out to achieve.  A few blocks away is the Portland Center Stage Gerding Theater, also LEED Platinum. GBD Architects and team fit two theaters, administrative offices and a stellar lobby into the historic Portland Armory Annex building and parleyed incentives that covered more than 40% of the project cost.  To the north is the Jean Vollum Natural Capital Center , a LEED Gold building certified in 2001.  Another Holst project, the Natural Capital Center demonstrates building and materials reuse, and hosts a community of businesses, non profits and government offices in a collaborative green workplace.  The Balfour Guthrie building, a LEED building that THA Architecture redeveloped for their own offices, demonstrates that a beautiful rehabilitation can be achieved cost-effectively.  This project was accomplished for less than $100 per square foot.

Fort Baker - Cavallo Point

Farther afield, another important case study and success story is the LEED Gold certification of Cavallo Point, near Sausalito, California.  This 34 building former military complex (FT. Baker), beautifully adapted by ARG into a hotel and spa, demonstrates that these efforts can also be taken to scale, which is clearly the imperative we face to sufficiently ameliorate the relationship between our built and natural environments.  Ultimately, each of these projects has a unique story to tell about the ability of property owners, developers, designers and contractors effectively rehabilitate (both in terms of cost and schedule) historic projects, while at the same time significantly reducing the environmental impact of these buildings.

Portland has served as a virtual laboratory for sustainable preservation, yet we still struggle with these issues.  While the Memorial Coliseum has been protected from demolition with its recent listing on the National Register of Historic Places, recently the City Council voted to allow the demolition of the Kiernan Building, a historic building in a significant historic district.  These are indeed exciting times for historic preservation advocates and green building professionals as American values shift from valuing our history to valuing the “new”.  Through our consulting and advocacy, we will continue to work to build consensus and collaboration in order to help bring about the necessary transition to a sustainable built environment; creative and thoughtful reuse of our existing building stock must be a significant component of the solution.  As the world grapples with how to address climate change and energy scarcity, the historic preservation community must continue to advocate for preservation and reuse and emphasize the importance of their role in addressing environmental sustainability.

- Ralph DiNola, Principal

LEED AP, LEED Faculty, Associate AIA

10. Existing Building Sustainability Focus: the other 300 billion square feet

While much of the last decade had all of us focused on shiny new green buildings as the silver bullet for the many environmental challenges in the built environment, the virtual collapse of new development has helped the industry to refocus on the real solution: greening existing buildings.  There are many strategies one can employ to green existing buildings, but the most recent upgrade to LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance is like your one stop shop for all things to green O&M.  Implementation of building audits, Energy Star benchmarking, retro-commissioning as well as policies and practices will not only green your building, but may just lead to the greening of your entire organization.  Now is the time! 

9. Visibility of Building Performance Data: providing feedback loops

Metrics, Metrics, Metrics!  From building owners and facility managers to occupants and visitors, information is power.  In this information age we expect building owners and facility managers to continue to integrate systems that provide detailed information on building performance.  Seizing scale-appropriate information is the key -from building portfolio tracking, whole building performance, down to the individual occupant or receptacle, real change will come when the data is in clear view.  Captured data and analysis will be leveraged to change behavior, make important capital expenditure decisions and inform building certification.   

8. Occupant Engagement and Behavioral Change: the final frontier in building efficiency

To bring about the kind of dramatic energy reductions we have to make in the next decade, occupants have to be engaged early in the design process, trained on how to occupy and operate the building and provided with detailed feedback on their own resource use within the building.  Remarkably, building users are often completely left out of the process and treated as an unknown.  The next generation of buildings will fully engage these agents of change in the fulfillment of low energy design and operation of buildings. 

7. Training and Education: the tide is rising; build your knowledge and skills

Increasingly rigorous regulations, growing political support, a variety of incentives, and consumer preferences create opportunity for professionals and companies with demonstrated green building and LEED knowledge and expertise. Cities like Washington D.C. now require energy reporting for commercial buildings, countries like Germany have outlawed air conditioning for certain building types, property management companies are certifying buildings in bulk, the LEED 2009 certification and professional programs are out and underway…there’s no time to stop and certainly no time to look back. Training and education is a key strategy to help organizations and individuals tackle the question, “How do I fit in green building and LEED?” Professionals distinguished by their breadth and depth of applied experience in green building and LEED have “been there” and can facilitate your transition from awareness creation to a discipline-specific ability to analyze and execute.

6. Green Leasing: putting it in writing

Owners and tenants can forge partnerships and come away with a win-win scenario with thoughtful approaches to green leasing.  For both tenants and landlords who are interested in green measures for the space, education and relationship building facilitates making green building and operations part of the lease.  Developing a more collaborative relationship, the stage is set to make additions to the lease in the areas of IAQ, energy use, water use, recycling, carbon credits, tenant-build out and green cleaning that will provide an incentive for the tenant and the landlord.  The result is a more efficient building with less impactful operations.  Often an afterthought in many green buildings, establishing this clear and detailed legal agreement ensures that green approaches are followed by the parties involved. 

5. Building Codes Close in on LEED: time to raise the bar

With LEED certification becoming a more feasible and even expected outcome of new construction projects, government bodies are implementing code requirements that closely match the expectations of the LEED framework.   Many of our projects that targeted LEED Silver and achieved LEED Platinum, due both to the tremendous efforts of the project teams as well as advances in the building industry.  Organizations that develop model codes, such as the International Codes Council and others are raising code requirements to help address energy and environmental issues.  These sorts of changes in 2010 will continue to push the USGBC to expand their reach and modify their frameworks at the lower certification levels and beyond their Platinum rating as well as ensure a higher level of accountability. 

4. International Expansion of Green Building: LEED and other rating systems cover the globe

With the growth of green building councils across the globe, the USGBC emphasizing international expansion, and the increase of international firsts in the second half of 2009, we are at the cusp of a wave of international projects going through certification.  As more and more countries develop LEED and LEED-like standards, there continues to be a growing need to translate green building standards and requirements into country-specific approaches that are relevant and appropriate. 

3. Manufacturers and the Supply Chain Retool for the Green Economy:

Vendors continue to work to differentiate themselves from the increasing green noise among their peers.  All one needs to do is walk the exhibition floor at a green conference to hear the emphasis vendors are placing on products with green, sustainable and LEED characteristics.   Through their internal practices and products, manufacturers will continue to push the market forward with their commitment to “green”, authentic or not.  Greening the supply chain will require significant effort.  Organizations such as The Natural Step provides programs and business case studies that help businesses successfully integrate sustainability into their organization.

2. Green Building Goes to Scale: Eco-districts take center stage, neighborhood development standard is launched:

Eco-efficiency at scale will continue to be a hurdle for city planners.  The European “eco-district” approach to a unified community of buildings is gaining traction in the US.  Portland’s Eco-districts program forges a new model for infrastructure, policy, and governance.  In the same vein, the world will learn many lessons from the BC’s Olympic Village (eco-district) this winter.  LEED ND hits the streets!  With the official rating system being released by the USGBC, this exciting standard applies to new master planned development, infill projects and existing communities…just in time for the projected upswing in green development projected for the coming years.

1.  Living Building Challenge, version 2.0: the next step towards a restorative future

Nothing could be more exciting to us than the vision outlined in the new version of the Living Building Challenge.  This Visionary Path to a Restorative Future outlines 20 Imperatives (rather than Prerequisites) under the now seven Petals of the Challenge.  Each Petal outlines the Intent, or why we should focus on these issues and revised Ideal Conditions and Current Limitations, which help us to envision an ideal built environment and describes the barriers to getting there.  The former prerequisites have been updated, and in some cases combined or renamed, while others have been added to complete the standard and make it more all-encompassing.  New elements include: Urban Agriculture, providing food production on-site; and Car Free Living, developing diverse mixed-use buildings and neighborhoods that support alternative transportation options.  New Petals of Health and Equity add the Imperatives of Biophilia, integrating natural elements and forms into projects; Human Scale + Humane Places, places designed for people rather than automobiles; Democracy + Social Justice, moving away from gated communities, providing affordable housing and universal accessibility; and, Rights to Nature including access to Fresh Air (imagine that), Sunlight (ibid), and public access to Natural Waterways. At least four projects are slated to certify this year, with over 70 in design or construction.  This will make is a most exciting start to the decade!

Thanks -   GBS Consulting Staff

Just wanted to remind everyone that the GBCI review fees will be increasing beginning next Monday, January 11. Below are some highlights, please click HERE for more details.

New Construction

• Registration Fee is doubling – increasing from $450 ($600 non-members) to $950 ($1,200 non-members)
• Design Phase Fee – Review fees in all 3 categories increasing by 60%; Appeal and expedited review fees stay the same.
• Construction Phase Fee – All fees staying the same.

Existing Buildings

• Initial Certification Review – Review fees in all 3 categories increasing by 20%; Appeal and expedited review fees stay the same
• Recertification Review – Review fees in all 3 categories increasing by 20%; Appeal and expedited review fees stay the same

LEED-CS Precertification

• Fee – Review fee increasing by 30%; Appeal and expedited review fees stay the same.

Free upgrade to LEED 2009!

Projects currently registered under a previous LEED Rating System may upgrade to the corresponding LEED 2009 Rating System with no registration fee through 1/10/10.  The instructions to do so can be found on GBCI’s website HERE.

This time last year, the Green Building World was nursing their collective GreenBuild 08 Boston hangovers and preparing for what looked to be a tough 2009 for our collective economy and our own commercial real estate industry.

GBS tightened our belts and made sure that our existing clients remained happy and sought out new opportunities; A/E firms designing beautiful sustainable buildings as well as a number of building owners leveraging green retrofits as a way to stay competitive, attract tenants and lower costs.

Some Highlights:

LEED 2009 Reference Guides: As green building professionals we all get to know these guides intimately.  GBS was part of the team who the USGBC contracted to develop the LEED 2009 Reference Guides.  As long time LEED project reviewers, we worked closely with the USGBC on this effort and continue to receive thanks for this work.

Existing Buildings: Our existing building world took center stage as the number of non-government new construction projects abated.  Elaine Aye’s Building Management Solutions (BMS group is managing a number of great projects focused on improving our existing buildings’ efficiency of operations and reduced energy use, water, carbon, etc.  The Oregonian did a front cover piece on Elaine’s efforts.  Give it a read.  In addition we underwent a great project with Kennedy Associates out of Seattle who are pursuing certification under the Volume program with the USGBC for LEED-EB:O&M.  Great project and a great client!

Advanced Climate Solutions: GBS expanded our technical offerings by forming our Advanced Climate Solutions (ACS) group.  With the added emphasis on Carbon, energy efficiency and the built environment’s impact on the natural environment, our ACS group augments our consulting practice. For example, A/E firms leverage their technical solutions to confirm optimal building performance based on design decisions.  Our ACS team has been very active helping form the dialogue around these issues in our building community as well as with our new and existing clients.

Commissioning & Energy Audits: GBS has always been known for our Green Building insight, LEED Consulting and project management work but we have continued to provide commissioning services and energy audits to a number of clients…whether they are pursuing LEED or not.  Our highly experienced team has a number of very happy clients who see commissioning as one of the best things anyone could do in a down economy to improve building performance and value.

LEED Certification: We certified our 100^th and 150^th buildings using the USGBSC’s LEED framework in the past year.  This client-served number continues to tick upwards as we successfully finish projects.  We have over 300 projects in the hopper at different stages of certification.

LEED 2009 Study Guides: In addition to the Reference Guide work mentioned above, we were thrilled to work with the USGBC again on their development of their first official LEED AP study guides.  So when you are out there studying with your official Study Guide from the USGBC for your LEED GA, or any of the different LEED AP designations…remember GBS and their Verification and Program Development (VPD) team.

Going Global: GBS formed a strategic partnership with ECADI.  ECADI is a professional provider for comprehensive design services including architectural design; structural and mechanical engineering; interior and landscape design; and urban planning. GBS will provide consulting services to support ECADI’s sustainable design, research and training efforts throughout China and across the globe.   We are currently working on two projects in China, Peru, Mexico, Vietnam, Japan and others(more to come on these soon).

EverGreen Development: GBS formed partnership with Evergreen Development (out of Phoenix) to improve our overall product by combining our best in class services to deliver fully integrated green building service to our mutual clients.

Historic Restoration: Ralph’s work with the National Trust in DC and our organization’s dedication to the reuse of our existing buildings has led to an internal and external emphasis of discovering projects that focus on historic restoration.  One example was that our Texas office had the opportunity to do an assessment on the the Moody Mansion in Galveston Texas, and we were proud to work with Mercy Corp on their new world HQ in a partially restored downtown Portland facility in Old Town.

GreenBuild Phoenix: The GBS team was in full swing down in the heat in Phoenix.  Not just there for Vitamin D, Elaine, Ralph, Alan, Ted all gave well attended presentations while all of our principals engaged with our great friends at the USGBC. 

There are many more that didn’t make this list, but that is a nice selection of some of the things we are very proud of here at GBS from 2009.

As usual the real credit goes to our employees who continue to put our clients first.  As green building consultants we are always striving to support, guide and occasionally push the most environmentally and economically sound decisions for our clients.  Here is to a great 2010 and we will see everyone in Chicago for GreenBuild next November.

- Andrew

Mercy Corps’ new global headquarters in Portland, Ore. reflects the charitable organization’s mission to create more secure, productive, and just communities in a unique and tangible way. GBS was honored to partner on this LEED Platinum-certified project that embodies the interconnected core concepts of sustainability the environmental integrity, social equity and economic stability.

The headquarters are a physical reflection of the organization in multiple ways. Set in Old Town, Mercy Corps’ decision to consolidate several offices and locate in this part of the city catalyzes redevelopment momentum and revitalizes this re-emerging neighborhood. Directly adjacent to downtown, the urban locale leverages existing infrastructure, offers employees an array of alternative transportation options and concentrates development to protect agricultural and natural habitats in the outlying areas while infusing the adjacent district with long-term investment and ownership.

THA Architecture and their consultant team designed a thoughtful response to programming needs through appropriately sizing the facility for its employees and reclaiming a historic structure that comprises half of the new facility. As an organization that frequently provides services in regions where there is significant resource depletion, the building’s advanced energy and water-saving measures will prudently conserve resources for decades to come. The measures – along with durable construction materials – demonstrate a commitment to financial responsibility.

Social equity is a core competency of Mercy Corps, as the organization seeks to understand how people live, relate to and are affected by their bioclimatic region. Inspiring local participation, the teams bring tools, techniques, technology and processes to partner with on-the-ground stakeholders and help them sustain themselves. The global headquarters’ embodies these principles with passive and integrated strategies and technology that addresses and interacts with the Willamette Valley’s bioclimatic conditions to lower energy and water use. Drawing upon local and regional materials helps support community manufacturers and services and lighten climate impacts from transportation of goods. The influx of employees brings economic activity to this micro-region of the city. Within the building, daylight, views, green measures and spaces for collaboration spur human interaction and staff wellbeing with a healthy, inspiring and productive work environment.

The Action Center opens its doors to our community and invites us all to see the imperatives we face across the globe, to experience the work of Mercy Corps first hand and to engage in solutions at whatever level we can.

Mercy Corps describes the people who work for them as “activists, optimists, innovators and proud partners of the people we serve.” These qualities mirror the professionals at GBS. Clearly, it’s a large part of why this project is so important to us. We have a deep affinity for the people, mission and work of Mercy Corps as it dovetails with our values. Working with building owners across the nation and in places like China and Peru, we bring insights, tools and resources to our partners. Our hallmark is a process of collective participation to motivate stakeholders toward more environmental, economic and socially sustainable outcomes. Within the built environment, we strive to assist owners, facility managers, asset managers, tenants and occupants make choices that enhance their lives and the lives of those around them to promote integrated thriving communities. We are proud that the new Mercy Corps world headquarters achieves these objectives.

By Ralph DiNola, GBS Principal, Associate AIA, LEED Faculty