Going green in your design-build project is your opportunity to make a difference in the world around you, and at the same time, uncover a variety of benefits that can strengthen your bottom line.
If you're on the fence about going green, it's important to learn about the advantages of sustainable construction, from increasing employee productivity to reducing operational costs. Once you understand them, you'll quickly see how going green is a tremendous opportunity for your business at every level of your organization.
Advantage 1: Building green enhances health and productivity.
According to The New York Times, the average American worker spends 45 hours a week at the office. As their employer, shouldn't you help make those 45 hours as productive and healthy as possible?
Several international workplace studies have reported a green work environment - with its natural illumination and efficient comfort systems- strengthens morale and reduces absenteeism, thereby increasing productivity.
In addition, sustainable construction can help improve your employees' overall well-being. For instance, the indoor air in traditional buildings is often more harmful than the air outside, contributing to many health problems, and in turn, higher healthcare costs. Green buildings help alleviate these issues by creating an environment where everyone can breathe a little easier.
Advantage 2: Green companies attract better employees.
Your extra effort to improve your employees' health and comfort can be an extremely attractive incentive when recruiting new employees. For example, when Clayco Inc., a St. Louis-based real estate, architecture and engineering, design-build and construction firm, built the Edward A. Doisy Health & Research Facility for Saint Louis University, the building's "green features" helped the school attract the brightest researchers from across the country.
Said Father Lawrence Biondi, president of Saint Louis University, "We feel going green was one of the differentiators between the Doisy Research Center and other similar facilities. Researchers want to work and collaborate in buildings that make a difference - just as their research makes a difference."
Today's young employees have a greater appreciation for sustainability and often consider a green working environment as a deciding factor when comparing prospective employers. You can help create an environment where they want to succeed.
Advantage 3: Going green saves money.
When a company partners with a firm like Clayco, which institutes green practices as part of its standard operating procedures and has LEED expert designers and constructors on staff, the additional cost to go green is rarely more than .5 to 4 percent higher than building a traditional structure. Pair that with huge savings down the road, and the value is substantial.
With green initiatives such as high-efficiency HVAC and lighting systems, operation and maintenance costs decline significantly as soon as the building is complete. Green buildings perform 25 to 30 percent better than non-green buildings, according to the New Buildings Institute, and deliver paybacks. For example:
- Energy efficient HVAC ? five-year payback
- Daylight harvesting ? three-year payback
- Water use reduction ? 10- to 15-year payback
As industry acceptance of sustainability continues to grow, the costs of green projects will continue to decline, and in the future, will make going green the more popular construction choice.
Advantage 4: Green buildings look as good as they function.
Companies often decide not to go green because of the stereotypical picture of a "green" building. It's barren. It's cold. It looks unsophisticated. Today's green buildings are, in fact, quite the opposite. In most instances, it's impossible to tell a building is green simply by looking at it.
Corporations want their buildings to reflect their image, not let the "green" aspect take precedent. The Solae Company global headquarters in St. Louis is an excellent example of sustainability meeting great design. The modern, sophisticated - and yes, LEED-certified - building mirrors the company's forward-thinking, aggressive approach in the life science market.
"We wanted to create a headquarters that reflects Solae's commitment to our employees, shareholders, community and the environment," said Mike Reed, of The Solae Company. "Clayco's innovative solutions for our facility offered turn-key results that truly impacted our bottom line while also incorporating the functionality of a state-of-the-art facility. Furthermore, the designs were respectful of the integrity of the current landscape and provided the architectural elegance of a global leader."
Advantage 5: A positive impact on the environment.
Today's buildings use 36 percent of the total energy consumed in the United States. Every step a company takes to curb its energy and water usage frees up priceless natural resources for customers, employees and families.
Water - The U.S. Geological Service reports U.S. buildings use 15 trillion gallons of water a year. Heightened efficiency water closets, urinals and lavatories can drop this number considerably. Furthermore, reducing storm water discharge protects the immediate area around your facility and everyone downstream.
Energy - Energy-efficient HVAC and lighting systems not only reduce energy costs for a business, but significantly lessen carbon dioxide emissions and our reliance on nonrenewable fossil fuels. Since 2003, Clayco's LEED projects have reduced greenhouse gases, or CO2, by 4.5 million pounds.
Waste - Reduce, reuse, recycle: It's the mantra a responsible green builder takes to every jobsite. Many green constructors use high recycled content steel, aluminum and tilt-up concrete panels as building materials and take every step to reduce waste and dispose of it properly.
Those companies that take the opportunity to go green, not only stand out as environmental leaders in the region but help improve the world for all with their efforts.
The Journey to Go Green
Sustainable construction no longer requires the sacrifices it did in the past. Today's green building materials paired with LEED experts like those at Clayco make going green easier, simpler and more affordable than ever before. And once you add in the benefits - improved employee well-being, reduced environmental impact and lower operation costs - going green is a smart financial choice.
Paul Todd Merrill is the director of sustainable construction with Clayco Inc.