It is my pleasure to introduce the sustainability issue of Design-Build Dateline. Over the past decade, the design and construction industry has seen a revolution in the development of high performance buildings. This development is the result of increased environmental awareness across both society and our industry. October’s Design-Build Dateline makes one thing very clear — design-build practitioners have made, and are continuing to make, significant contributions to the green revolution.
Our desire to reduce energy costs and resource consumption and improve the quality of indoor and outdoor built environments has led the industry to approach the design and construction of facilities in new and innovative ways. Organizations such as the U.S. Green Building Council (USBGC) and Green Globe have developed metrics that help quantify how “green” a building can be. The USGBC’s LEED™ rating system, which categorizes buildings as Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum, has become a standard benchmark, and many building owners are requiring a specific level of performance based on these rating systems.
Research underway by DBIA and the Pankow Foundation makes clear that integrating design and construction early on enhances our ability to optimize building performance (see page 11 for more on this study). Ratings systems like LEED™ set levels of achievement: It is up to the owner to set the desired standard and it is up to the design and construction team to implement best practices in achieving the owner’s goals. To date, this has been a hit-or-miss proposition, based on the experience of the team members and the processes they choose to employ.
Recognizing the need to improve a team’s ability to work with owners on sustainability goals, DBIA is adding four educational modules to its 2010 education curriculum. Coursework will cover the breadth of the knowledge required to achieve success, including fundamentals of integrating sustainability into projects, defining and documenting sustainability goals, implementing strategies to achieve those goals and finally, real-world contract and risk management techniques.
Developed over the past year by the DBIA Sustainability Committee, education course materials are based on insight and knowledge gleaned from a diverse group of practitioners including architects, engineers, specialty subcontractors, general contractors, owners and sustainability consultants — a true cross section of the industry. DBIA looks forward to building awareness of integrated sustainability practices and providing the knowledge and tools necessary to help the team succeed.
Despite the economic downturn — or perhaps because of it — interest in sustainable high performance facilities has not waned. In fact, when we meet in Washington, D.C., next month for DBIA’s Annual Conference, attendees will find a variety of sessions focusing on sustainability issues.
A highlight of our annual conference in November will be hearing from Larry Eisenberg, executive director of facilities planning and development, Los Angeles Community College District. His keynote address, Design-Build, Sustainability and the Los Angeles Community College District Experience, will explain how the district is implementing a $2.2 billion sustainable construction and renovation program aimed at its nine campuses. Each of the college district’s 44 planned new buildings and every major remodeling project is slated to meet at least basic LEED certification. The LACCD program is among the most ambitious sustainability efforts in the world. (Read more in “A Bright Future” in this issue.)
Like you, I look forward to increasing my knowledge of the relationship between sustainability, and design-build at the conference.
Annual Conference Sessions with a Sustainability Focus
FEMA Headquarters, Winchester, Va.: Implementing a Green P3 Project (I)
Presenters: David Hobstetter, KMD Architects; Joe Cleary, Harvey Cleary Builders
Influence of Project Delivery Method on Achieving Sustainable, High Performance Buildings (A)
Presenters: Keith Molenaar, Ph.D., DBIA, University of Colorado at Boulder; Douglas Gransberg, P.E., CCE, DBIA, University of Oklahoma
Sustainability + BIM + Integration: A Symbiotic Relationship (I)
Presenters: Kelly Cone, The Beck Group; Betsy del Monte, AIA, The Beck Group; Stewart Carroll, Beck Technology
Back to the Future — A BIM Case Study Validating the Future with the Past (I)
Presenters: Robert Smedley, AIA, LEED AP, BRPH Architects-Engineers-Constructors; Perry C. Covey, CGC, BRPH Architects-Engineers-Constructors
Energy Master Planning and Total Quality Commissioning: A Process for Integrated Sustainable Design and Construction of MEP Systems (A)
Presenter: Grahame Maisey, P.E., Building Services Consultants
(I) = Intermediate Level
(A) = Advanced Level
Greg Gidez, AIA, DBIA, LEED AP, is a member of DBIA’s Board of Directors and chair of the Sustainability Committee. Mr. Gidez is corporate design manager at Hensel Phelps Construction Company.