The theme of this monthfs Design-Build DATELINE is sustainability, one of the most visible topics in todayfs media. In this issue you will read articles on many aspects of sustainability, including the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED?) Green Building Rating SystemTM land planning and building sciences. Learn why sustainable design is going mainstream. There are articles that discuss air barriers, air infiltration and the healthy building. There is an article on Penn Statefs entry to the Solar Decathlon that showcases the design for a sustainable energy efficient house. As evidenced by the variety of topics on sustainability in this issue, it is a broad spectrum of discussion which will only get larger as we research and explore new approaches to sustainability.
In the book The World Without Us Alan Weisman explains how our massive infrastructure would collapse without constant human intervention, and if we were gone, some of our last remaining buildings may be some of our earliest architectural monuments. This gives one definition of sustainability. That said, the current accepted definition of sustainable building design and construction is to meet the needs of the present without compromising the resources of future generations.
Every day we hear in the news about the rising price of oil, the effects of greenhouse gases and rising earth temperatures. Carbon foot-printing is part of our vernacular. Resources are becoming scarcer and more expensive. Copper prices are on the rise, while cement reaches new heights in price, and recycled steel is a rare commodity. Countries are now staking out resources in the farthest reaches of the earth, including most recently, the Arctic Ocean. Building construction and subsequent operation are significant consumers of our natural resources and energy. Modifying our building design and construction philosophies offers a significant way to reduce the design and construction footprint and improve the opportunities for future generations, while providing durable and lasting structures.
Integrated project delivery (IPD), also known as design-build, provides an alternative delivery method that promotes earlier collaboration and capitalizes on the intellectual sustainable knowledge and experience of all stakeholders. It encourages teams to explore creative design solutions and construction technology, providing best-value solutions that can improve our buildings and infrastructure. IPD promotes more effective communication and coordination of sustainable strategies among the owner/user, architects, engineers, manufacturers and constructors, allowing faster delivery and more efficient use of resources. The ability to focus on collaboration and integrated strategies that are comprehensive in balancing all aspects of the sustainable design, construction and building operations should result in higher performance.
Integrated project delivery has delivered high-performance building projects that consistently deliver improved energy performance, resource efficiency, and indoor environmental quality. The U.S. Green Building Council has recognized many design-build projects with their highest ratings of ggoldh and gplatinumh LEED. The system rewards points for high performance. In Europe, where design-build is a common delivery method, many of the most innovative approaches to sustainable design are incorporated in the projects. The Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) is used to rate building sustainable performance in Europe and abroad. Would the Pharaohs get extra points for longevity of the pyramids or Brunelleschi bonus points for innovation on the Duomo in Florence?
Although there is a growing amount of research on the cost of sustainable high-performance buildings, there is almost no information on how best to deliver high-performance projects. In order to quantify the impacts the project delivery approach can have on building performance, DBIA has submitted a research grant proposal to the Charles Pankow Foundation. This research will seek to measure the effects that project delivery strategies have on sustainable building performance and will consider what impact low-bid, construction management-at-risk, construction management general contractor (CMGC), and design-build can have on sustainable building energy and resource performance. In addition to advancing research in sustainability and building delivery, DBIA has formed a sustainability committee to champion the concepts of sustainable design and construction through integrated project delivery. Those interested in participating in this endeavor can contact the organization at the Web site www.dbia.org.
Getting back to the notion that some of the earliest structures created by mankind might be our longest lived, it might be important to note that many of these projects were design-build!
Think integrated and think green.
Greg Gidez, AIA, DBIA, LEED AP