Green Building Services

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

During our eco-charrette for the Oregon Sustainability Center, we took some time to examine the role that people play in buildings. Apart from the energy and resources that go into constructing a building, with no one inside, a building becomes energy neutral. But once you add the human element and begin to provide for the health, safety and welfare of building occupants, environmental impacts become substantial.

The energy and resource intake and expenditures of a building are mostly around our need to control our environment. We rarely think of occupants as being part of the building, but people are actually the building’s metabolism*. Bodies generate heat and absorb it. Ventilation, heating and cooling, the materials that come into the building and the solid waste goes out all contribute to making ourselves comfortable. Our presence and actions place demands on the entire system. As an organism within the building’s metabolism, it’s vitally important to look at our function and responsibility.

Passive buildings/active people
We have made our buildings so complex and automated them to such an extent that we have removed ourselves from the process. Occupants expect a building to provide ideal temperatures, optimal light conditions, and all the water they desire without thinking about the resources captured to maintain these benefits. Moreover, the way people do interact with these systems is unpredictable, and individual actions can have large ripple effects.

It’s time to reincorporate the human element into the building function from the earliest phases of design through operations. Rather than overly automating building systems, let’s use our automation technology to give people feedback on their actions and increase accountability. Can we break down information so that what is happening within a building is understandable at the building, organization and personal levels? Facilities personnel should be provided with real-time comprehensible information about how their equipment is performing and what the ramifications are if they alter recommended settings. Occupants could learn to consume fewer resources if they had feedback mechanisms and understand what they do. Imagine a “dashboard” at the restrooms sinks that shows how much water is used if the faucet is left running, or an energy panel in individual office areas that displays the amount of electricity it takes run your personal equipment (computer, cell phone, task light, ipod, etc.) and the impact of turning these things off before you leave your desk.

It becomes important to ask ourselves, how much control over nature do we have to exert to experience comfort? Looking at building programming in new ways could also help bring the people back into the equation of building function. What if there were no specified workstations and we no longer tried to maintain a consistent temperature in all work areas during all seasons? A space conditioning allowance for each floor would let us create areas that are warmer, cooler, brighter, and darker. With a smart monitoring system, an occupant could look up the temperature and illumination (weather) of a specific area and select where they want to be rather than being forced into a general “ideal.”

The Living Building Challenge asks a building to become part of a building, like a system in nature. As the largest component in a building’s metabolism, can we do more? Can we forgo our need to control nature and, instead, work within it to become part of the solution?

*Building Metabolism™
By Ralph DiNola, GBS Principal, Associate AIA, LEED Faculty

Changes and information abound! 

The new LEED Professional program increases the rigor, specificity and credibility of LEED Professional accreditation. But, yes, it can be clear as mud unless it’s your job to stay on top of the latest and greatest information. GBS’ working relationship with the USGBC and unequaled breadth and depth of applied consulting and technical experience distinguish us as your primary resource for information, training and services…including the new LEED Professional Program. We are also an approved continuing education provider for the USGBC, AIA and BOMI and can support your relevant credentialing needs. 

“GBCI, LEED Professional without Specialty, LEED Green Associate, LEED AP+ and

LEED Fellow…oh my!”

First, let’s clarify the terms:

GBCI: Stands for Green Building Certification Institute. The GBCI was created to independently manage LEED project certification and professional accreditation for the USGBC. The primary intent is twofold: 1) to allow the USGBC to focus on rating system development, education and other related initiatives; and, 2) to enable LEED professional credentialing to be ANSI-accredited.

LEED Professional without Specialty: Current LEED professionals (under the former exam) that decide not maintain their credential through re-testing or continuing education.

LEED Green Associate (Tier 1 LEED Professional): New LEED Professional accreditation that reflects foundational awareness, understanding and knowledge in green building and LEED. This credential is appropriate for professionals that support LEED and green building projects but do not directly apply green building or LEED in their professional practice. Examples include lawyers, manufactures, suppliers, administrative staff and government staff.

LEED AP+ (Tier 2 LEED Professional): Otherwise known as “LEED Professional with Specialty” (“LEED AP+” is not correct), this new accreditation reflects knowledge and expertise in the implementation of green building and LEED, with particular emphasis on one of the five LEED products (BD&C, ID&C, O&M, Homes or Neighborhood Development) . The credential is appropriate for professionals that directly apply green building or LEED in their professional practices. Examples include architects, engineers, contractors, building operators and consultants.

LEED Fellow (Tier 3 LEED Professional): For you Star Wars fans, I like to think of this as the LEED “Jedi” – the omniscient, master, what-have-you. The GBCI plans to further develop this accreditation in 2010.

“I’m (not) a current LEED-AP and I’m interested. What are my options?”

You’re a current LEED Professional

Do nothing:

If you are currently a LEED Professional you have the option to do nothing. If you do, you will be listed in the LEED Professional directory as a “LEED Professional without specialty”. You can still serve as the LEED project administrator and earn the corresponding LEED Innovation Point for projects.

Take the test:

You now must demonstrate eligibility in order to take any of the LEED Professional exams. Current LEED Professionals do not have to take the LEED Green Associates Exam but do have to demonstrate experience on a LEED registered project within the last 3 years. You’ll need a letter from a supervisor that attests to your qualifying experience. To register, create a login on the GBCI website. You’ll see a “My Credentials” page where registration for the new exam that corresponds to the former exam under which you previously credentialed is available. If your professional experience relates more directly to another credential (i.e. you work primarily on commercial interiors, but your current credential is for new construction), you may submit a request to GBCI to take the corresponding exam.

The best prep material for the LEED Professional with Specialty exam is the corresponding Reference Guide: BD+C for New Construction and Major Renovations, EB:O&M for existing buildings, ID+C for Commercial Interiors, H for Homes and ND for Neighborhood Development . GBS also offers live, LEED Specialty-specific exam prep study training. See our website for more information: http://www.greenbuildingservices.com/Services/training_facilitation.asp

The test is run similarly to how it was under the old version- locate a Prometric testing center nearest you on the GBCI website and sign up at a preferred time. The test is comprised of 100, multiple choice questions and you have 2-hours to complete the exam.

Credential:

This is the big new requirement. You may “opt-in” to the new credential maintenance program, which means you complete thirty qualifying credentialing activity hours over the next two years.  Six of those hours have to be LEED-specific and three of those hours have to be reference-guide specific. There are 8 different types of qualifying activities that range from volunteer work to training. Chances are, you are already fulfilling some of these hours in your daily practice and the hours you earn for other accreditations, such as AIA or BOMI, may count for your LEED Professional credential maintenance as well. You may opt in to this option on your “My Credentials” page once you’ve logged into the GBCI website. Once you’ve opted in, you can start self-reporting you activities and hours from the “My Credentials” page starting in November 2009. You may count any qualifying activities dating back to July 8^th, 2009. There is a $50 fee for every 2-year renewal period but this fee is being waived for the first round.

There is strategy involved with planning out your credential maintenance plan if you pursue this route and we’re happy to talk with you about the array of options. The Credentialing Maintenance Program Guide can be accessed here: http://www.gbci.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=202 

“I didn’t squeeze in with the 130,000+ LEED APs under the former version, now what?”

If you want to earn the LEED Professional with Specialty Accreditation you must also pass the LEED Green Associate exam. You may take both exams in one sitting (2, back-to-back, 2-hour exams) or separately. If you take both in one sitting and only pass one, you only need to re-take the other. You have three chances to pass per application period, which is one year. 

You now must demonstrate eligibility in order to take any of the LEED Professional exams. To take the LEED Green Associate, you must practice in a ‘sustainable field’, have involvement in a LEED-registered project or have completed/be enrolled in a green building educational program. You’ll need an official letter from a supervisor for the project or practice options that attests to your relevant experience. For the education option, you’ll need a certificate of completion. Create a login on the GBCI website and upload these documents in your eligibility application on the “My Credentials” page. The eligibility application also includes a $50 fee. The GBCI Green Associate Candidate Handbook is update monthly and can be accessed here: http://www.gbci.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=83

The best test preparation materials for the LEED Green Associate are the USGBC’s Exam Prep Study Guides (developed by GBS, in fact) and the Core Concepts Guide. The USGBC plans to offer the Core Concepts Guide as a supplement to the Exam Prep Study Guide sometime in October/November, 2009. It will be released digitally and then in hard-copy. GBS also offers live, interactive training sessions led by our consultants who bring years of field experience and use these documents as the primary basis for the training.

Once you’ve passed the LEED Green Associates exam, you still must demonstrate experience on a LEED project within the last three years to be eligible for the LEED Professional with Specialty Exam.

 The changes to the LEED Professional program have increased the credibility and complexity of the program. GBS is positioned to help your organization craft the most efficient and effective credentialing strategy that is tailored directly to your needs. GBS authors the LEED 2009 Reference Guides and Exam Prep Study Guides and has worked extensively with the USGBC for years- as a certification reviewer, pilot program manager and education provider among other capacities.  This experience plus our unequaled breadth and depth of applied project experience providing consulting and technical services distinguish our ability to help you meet and exceed your green building professional objectives. For more information on training and education, please call GBS Training Manger Terry Miller at 503-467-4745.

Cool Video on our AutoDesk Waltham Project (link below).  This LEED Platinum project has received a great deal of attention since completion. It is one of a few Autodesk projects we have had the fortune to help lead as this great company embraces sustainablity.

AutoDesk Waltham

Here is some recent coverage of our projects and people in the news.

Richard Manning discussing a few projects for Green By Design: http://greenbydesign.com/blog/

Standard Plaza Earns LEED EB: O&M Gold: http://portland.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2009/08/10/daily13.html

US Bankcorp Tower Earns LEED EB: O&M Silver:

http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2009/07/us_bancorp_tower_wins_leed_rat.html

ProLogis Building #4 Obtains LEED NC Gold: http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2009/08/17/daily4.html

The Mercy Corp Building discussed in the Seattle Times:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/thebusinessofgiving/2009650786_northwest_non-profits_have_bee.html

- Andrew

www.greenbuildingservices.com

The Monarch School in Texas was featured on “The Green Room” on channel 39.  This school for disabled children delivers a learning environment for a variety of mentally handicapped and challenged children.   Please take a few moments to watch part 1 and 2 at the link provided. 

http://www.39online.com/lifestyle/goinggreen/

GBS Houston has been working closely with this great institution to help support their efforts.   Amanda Tullos and Alan Scott provided sustainablity consulting and assisted them in obtaining their LEED certification. 

It always feels great to work with a partner that has a mission of service and helping those with exceptional needs.

Achieve Green continues to provide us with affordable development opportunities in a tough economy….press release except below

“Today, Achieve Green NW conference organizers announced new series dates and details for the retooled, online conference series presenting tips for businesses and organizations interested in being green and saving “green Conference attendees will hear from a variety of industry experts on how to incorporate the concept of sustainability in areas such as recruiting and retaining employees, accessing energy efficiency incentives and tax credits, greening office and operational practices and marketing their business as a green leader. All workshops are designed to provide easy and important tips that reduce costs for businesses and preserve the environment.”

July 1, 2009 10:00 – 11:00 a.m.
Putting Your Sustainability Initiatives to Work: Recruiting New Talent and Finding Your Dream Job

July 15, 2009 10:00 – 11:00 a.m.
Show Me the Money: Incentives, Tax Credits and Financing to Help You Pay for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

July 29, 2009 10:00 – 11:00 a.m.
Best Practices for a Green Workplace

August 12, 2009 10:00 – 11:00 a.m.
Marketing That Matters

August 26, 2009 10:00 – 11:00 a.m.
Recycling, Composting and Purchasing in Food Service Operations

Visit www.achievegreennw.com to register and find more information about individual workshops and confirmed speakers.

Contact: Jeff Blosser, Oregon Convention Center, 503-235-7583

I am a presenter at this year’s Summer Sustainability Series, which takes place June 22 through 26. The only program of its kind in the world, this series is limited to 20 select professionals and 15 top graduate students from the region and abroad to ensure direct engagement with experts, policy makers, academics and not-for-profits. It’s a weeklong sustainable immersion course that gives an insider’s view of Oregon as a living laboratory of sustainability successes, challenges, and ongoing experiments.

The series is an educational goldmine with great opportunities for collaboration, and Green Building Services (GBS) decided to sponsor a participant to attend. We believe that social equity must remain a vital component of sustainability, so we stipulated that our scholarship go to a community college instructor with the intent of taking the program’s sustainable lessons back to the college, coworkers and students.

It’s essential that our industry build better relationships with community colleges to engage more people in sustainability. Community colleges are the educational venue of choice for a huge number of people. As a training ground for tomorrow’s workforce, a gateway into the university setting, and a learning center for people in all stages of life, community colleges are in a prime position to educate people around the state on sustainable issues.

The administrators of the series awarded Mike Holtzclaw, Ph. D, an associate professor of geography at Central Oregon Community College in Bend, Ore., with the GBS scholarship. We are pleased that Mike shares our view of positively influencing community college students, as he is working to develop a degree in sustainability for his institution.

We were also delighted to discover that our scholarship inspired additional series participation at the community college level. The process of inviting candidates to apply for the GBS scholarship raised awareness and ignited interest in the program – so much so that three other community college instructors are now attending. This is a wonderful offshoot of our scholarship as it will help disburse sustainable education further across the entire community.

Because we all have a stake in our future, protecting our environment needs to become meaningful for people in every job, from all walks of life. Our hope is that sustainable curriculum becomes more deeply integrated into our educational system from K-12 through community colleges and higher education to help everyone in our community better understand and apply sustainable principles and practices.

Jay Coalson, President

Jay Coalson CEO & President

Established in 2000, Green Building Services, Inc. (GBS) is a professional consulting firm dedicated to enhancing the well being of our communities and the environment. GBS is comprised of architects, engineers, interior designers and construction specialists who share a passion for sustainability and a desire to effect positive change. Our consultants actively guide clients to identify and implement green building and facility management strategies. With offices in Portland, OR, Sacramento, CA, Orlando, FL, and Houston, TX, GBS is nationally recognized for its achievements in supporting green building projects.

Recently, Enterprise Community Partners selected GBS as an Approved Technical Assistance Provider for its Green Communities certification program. Enterprise is a nonprofit organization that provides capital and expertise for affordable housing and community development across the nation. As a company dedicated to social equity, we are thrilled to help enhance the standard of living for people and families everywhere.

The Green Communities certification program is modeled largely after LEED for Homes and LEED for Neighborhood Development to guide affordable housing in more sustainable directions. The program reviews and accepts grant applications to fund the incremental cost associated with green design and construction. Enterprise selects projects for funding based on the ability to demonstrate a process that will clearly identify and verify the achievement of sustainable objectives. They also have grant funding available for eco-charrettes.

GBS has written grant applications on behalf of affordable housing developers and public entities and performed eco-charrettes and sustainable project consulting with the subsequent funds. Our new status as an Approved Provider means that Enterprise formally recognizes our demonstrated expertise and in-house technical capabilities. This is exciting news for us because we are always looking to expand our opportunities in promoting social equity.

One of our recent projects where GBS wrote the project scope outline to obtain funds from Enterprise was the Kaupuni development in Oahu. Covering a little more than 3-acres, this 18-unit, single-family home neighborhood is a project of the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL). GBS has supported the State of Hawaii’s efforts to evolve sustainability into their affordable housing projects. Kaupuni marks a major change in the mindset of DHHL, as they are working toward net-zero energy across the overall community and will attain Green Communities certification. The intent is that this community serves as a sub-template for DHHL’s future projects, allowing the agency to evaluate which sustainable features are practical and affordable for Hawaiian projects. A known strategy that all State of Hawaii projects must incorporate now is solar hot water. We are pleased to be part of the Kaupuni team to help create new strategies and work on a community level to achieve net-zero energy.

Another new program Enterprise is piloting will assess opportunities to incorporate sustainability into existing affordable housing properties in need of renovation. The program will measure the impact of existing buildings improvement measures and create feedback based upon performance. As the program launches, GBS will be ready to provide analysis and expertise for these existing projects – both on a building and neighborhood scale.

By Terry Miller, Senior Consultant, LEED AP