“Green building” is one of many terms—like high-performance, sustainable, resource-efficient, and environmentally sensitive building—that refer to the concept of buildings that use substantially fewer resources in their construction and operation and that foster healthy workplaces or residences.

Organizations as diverse as nonprofits—including the Audubon Society, National Public Radio, and Chesapeake Bay Foundation—and corporations like S. C. Johnson, Duracell, and the Gap, have built green buildings. They have all come to the same conclusion: that there are smarter ways to build and better opportunities to be realized through green building, whether they take this route because of conviction, financial return, or for both reasons. Government administrators are catching on, too.

Benefits of Building Green
The benefits and goals of green building can be broad in range, and some of them are more easily quantifiable than others. Austin, Texas’s goal is to protect its natural environment and ultimately its citizens’ quality of life. Pennsylvania’s goal, according to the state’s secretary of environmental protection, is to reduce the burden on its environment, economy, and taxpayers alike. Their goals demand a win-win situation.

An integrated, whole-building approach takes advantage of the interactions among landscape elements, design features, and mechanical systems. The initial cost of green buildings is at least comparable to that of a status-quo version, but potentially it can be much less. Greater energy efficiency means lower annual operating costs and greater asset value. A building incorporating more daylight and better indoor air quality can raise productivity and cut absenteeism, as well as improve employee morale and retention. Any small improvement in this area will exert a big financial impact because human resources are by far the highest business expense.

Efforts external to the building, such as minimizing stormwater runoff and site impact, help sustain the carrying capacity of a neighborhood and its ecosystem. Revitalization both of small-town main streets and of urban centers is aided by implementing such strategies as renovating outdated or abandoned structures and reusing brownfield sites.

On an even broader scale, resource-efficient buildings generate less pollution and fewer greenhouse gases; contribute to individual and national energy security; and provide positive public relations and a competitive advantage. Existing case studies prove many of these points. State and local governments are actively addressing the issue in a variety of ways.

Public Buildings: Leading By Example
Some governments are institutionalizing resource-efficient building practices into their own operations. The New York City Department of Design and Construction has developed its High-Performance Building Guidelines to use for its public projects. South Jamaica Library, the department’s first project using the guidelines, opened in December 1999 and won a first-prize Award for Excellence in Design from the Queens Chamber of Commerce.

Mayor Paul Schell of Seattle, Washington, announced in January 2000 that the city intends to build all its public buildings larger than 5,000 square feet to meet or exceed the “silver” rating of the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Building Rating System. (LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.) A new city hall, justice center, and other buildings are currently being planned for a civic superblock.

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania was the first state to declare officially that integrated design, energy efficiency, and sustainable technology would be the basis for all future public building programs. In March 1998, Pennsylvania’s Governor Tom Ridge created the Governor’s Green Government Council by executive order, to bring about the incorporation of environmentally sustainable practices into the state’s planning, operations, policy-making, and regulatory functions.

Driven by the governor’s charge that “state government lead by example . . . and shift environmental expectations beyond compliance . . . toward the goal of zero emissions achieved through pollution prevention and energy efficiency,” Pennsylvania has developed Guidelines for Creating High-Performance Green Buildings, a primer on green building designed for decisionmakers, and Model Green Office Leasing Specifications, which details building requirements for its landlords. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s headquarters is the state’s first model green building.

Building Codes
Regulations can quickly advance green building. As part of its Sustainable City Program, Santa Monica, California, has passed two building performance ordinances that focus on reducing energy consumption, decreasing stormwater runoff, and improving runoff quality.

The city’s energy performance ordinance sets targets of 20 percent to 25 percent, depending on building type, below California’s Title 24 energy-efficiency regulation. The ordinance governing urban runoff requires reducing runoff by 20 percent (compared with standard planning) by maximizing permeable area and minimizing the flow over impermeable areas.

Santa Monica’s ordinances allow creative flexibility in the methods used to achieve performance requirements, as is necessary in addressing varied sites and building types. For technical support, the city enlisted a consultant and solicited input from local building professionals toward developing a comprehensive set of recommended practices that are cost-effective, proven, and responsive to the particular opportunities and constraints of a specific project. In addition to outlining design options, the guidelines clearly define the planning requirements and provide the necessary forms.

Incentives for the Private Sector
An alternative approach to regulation for local governments is to provide direct or indirect financial incentives or services. Arlington County, Virginia, is implementing a program in which density bonuses (allowing more square feet of space in a structure) will be used as incentives for developers to “build green.” The U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Rating System will be used as a guide and benchmark.

Arlington County also is leading by example, having incorporated green concepts into two fire stations and having hired architects to design a community center with comprehensive high-performance features, including a “green roof” with soil and vegetation. In California, the Santa Barbara County Planning and Development has established an Innovative Building Review Committee to remove obstacles to applying innovative energy-efficient techniques to building design and construction. Incentives include expedited plan review, free design guidance for energy efficiency, and related information services.

In June 1999, the state of California began its Savings Program, which offers technical assistance and cash incentives up to $300,000 per project to spur the construction of high-performance nonresidential buildings. In New York State, Governor George Pataki proposed legislation to offer tax credits for green commercial buildings. The legislation passed in May 2000.

Other Governmental Programs
Other local governments offer programs that encourage green building through technical assistance and marketing support. Austin, Texas’s Green Building Program, for instance, affords such services to municipal, commercial, multifamily, and residential construction professionals. In all but municipal projects, participation in the program is voluntary. Austin now is developing a template to help other communities start municipal and residential green building programs.

Scottsdale, Arizona, encourages environmentally responsible building to help minimize development’s impact on the fragile desert ecosystem. This consumer-driven, voluntary program provides services and incentives both for homebuilders and for owners.

Green Building Organizations and Consortiums
Getting involved in the overall advancement of green building and in peer-exchange forums is a good way to learn from others and to ensure that public sector concerns are being addressed. Many of the governments mentioned in this article are members of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and its State and Local Green Building Initiatives Committee.

USGBC’s mission is to facilitate and accelerate the use of green building practices, technologies, policies, and standards. Its 350 member organizations represent the building industries, building owners, financial institutions, nonprofit organizations, and all levels of government, and its programs are designed through a consensus-based process. A prominent product of this process has been the LEED Building Rating System. USGBC’s state and local committee seeks to develop a forum for peer exchange and to offer a tool kit for cities and states.

If your local government has undertaken a green building initiative or you would like more information, contact Tom Dietsche at 202/962-3657; e-mail, Tom Dietsche.

Tom Dietsche is assistant project manager, ICMA, Washington, D.C.
 

Resources and References New York City Department of Design and Construction: http://www.ci.nyc.ny.us/html/ddc. Pennsylvania Green Buildings: http://www.gggc.state.pa.us/building/newbldg.htm. Santa Monica Green Building Guidelines: http://greenbuildings.santa-monica.org/index.html.  Austin Green Building Program: http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/greenbuilder; 512/505-3700. Scottsdale Green Building Program: http://www.ci.scottsdale.az.us/greenbuilding; 480/312-4202. U.S. Green Building Council: http://www.usgbc.org; 415/445-9500. Environmental Design & Construction magazine: http://www.edcmag.com; 415/863-2614. Environmental Building News: http://www.buildinggreen.com/; 802/257-7300. Building Operating and Management magazine (includes a quarterly report from the USGBC and frequent articles on relevant issues): http://www.facilitiesnet.com/fn/NS/NS1bom.html; 414/228-7701.