DBIA IQ Summer 2012 - (Page 6)

Boost your IQ// Will IgCC Rock Our LEED-Rated World? By Susan hines oN MArch 27, the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) announced a milestone —the 12,000th commercial project to earn LEED ® certification. Certainly the LEED rating system USGBC established in 2000 has boosted the sustainability of construction. Without LEEDcertification goals to guide the process of creating energy-efficient, eco-friendly buildings and without third-party validation to incentivize that process and create public interest in it, the designbuild industry and owners probably would not have responded as quickly to the call. Despite the downturn in the economy, USGBC has also spawned a thriving green industry. After all, LEED is a registered trademark and brand name. Greenbuild, USGBC’s trade show, has become a must-attend event. With more than 1,000 exhibitors, Greenbuild 2011 was, as one reporter aptly called it, “the Olympics of conferences.” With many spinoff products and collaborations, USGBC reportedly brings in more than $24 million a year. In late March, USGBC announced a partnership with Home Depot to create leedhomedepot.com. The following month, the council partnered with The Princeton Review to create The Princeton Review’s Guide to 322 Green Colleges: 2012 Edition which helps college-bound students select a greener campus or curriculum. The LEED rating system does have its critics. Frank Gehry says the system is too point- and product-oriented and fails to encourage a site-specific approach. Other “haters” include Henry Gifford, who famously attempted to sue USGBC over what he alleged were false claims surrounding the reduced energy use of LEED-certified buildings. Even LEED Accredited Professionals (APs) are beginning to wonder if LEED is particularly meaningful when it comes to building a more sustainable environment. “LEED and Green Globes are great guides on ways to build a green building,” says Suzanne Sowinski, chair of DBIA’s Sustainability Committee. “[However,] the quantity of points achieved certifies the building’s level of sustainability, but does not dictate what should be achieved to safeguard the environment.” Sowinski heralds the International Green Construction Code (IgCC) recently introduced by the International Code Council as the comprehensive guidance many architects and building professionals have been waiting for. The 2012 code treats requirements equally and applies to the entire project, ignoring gratuitious credits for items such as bicycle racks and LEED APs on the team. The definitions are valuable to understanding and applying green building strategies because they establish a common, codified language, according to Sowinski. Sowinski also cheers the inclusion of Life Cycle Assessment as a means of starting conversations on total cost and best value with a client. She warns that site-development and land-use requirements may have to be modified to bring them into compliance with existing individual state regulations, but doesn’t see this as a major problem. “Sustainability will no longer be an owner’s choice or a marketing choice,” Sowinski says. “It will now be about an enforceable law that will exist as part of the basic mandate for professionals to protect the health and welfare of the public.” According to commentator Andrew Michler, Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair of USGBC, once said that his job was to help standardize green building so that the council ultimately could disband. “He is getting one step closer to his wish,” Michler says. “Hopefully, as local jurisdictions adopt the new green code standard, the pressure will be on for green builders to raise the bar even higher.” SuSan hInES IS DBIa’S ManaGInG DIrEctor of puBLIc rEL atIonS/InforMatIon anD EDItor-In-chIEf of DBIa’S IntEGratIon QuartErLy. ShE ovErSEES thE InStItutE’S ELEctronIc anD prInt coMMunIcatIonS, aWarDS proGraM anD MEDIa rELatIonS. 6 summer//2012 the quarterly publication of the design-build institute of america http://www.medepot.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of DBIA IQ Summer 2012

DBIA IQ Summer 2012

DBIA IQ Summer 2012 - (Page Cover1)
DBIA IQ Summer 2012 - (Page Cover2)
DBIA IQ Summer 2012 - (Page 1)
DBIA IQ Summer 2012 - (Page 2)
DBIA IQ Summer 2012 - (Page 3)
DBIA IQ Summer 2012 - (Page 4)
DBIA IQ Summer 2012 - (Page 5)
DBIA IQ Summer 2012 - (Page 6)
DBIA IQ Summer 2012 - (Page 7)
DBIA IQ Summer 2012 - (Page 8)
DBIA IQ Summer 2012 - (Page 9)
DBIA IQ Summer 2012 - (Page 10)
DBIA IQ Summer 2012 - (Page 11)
DBIA IQ Summer 2012 - (Page 12)
DBIA IQ Summer 2012 - (Page 13)
DBIA IQ Summer 2012 - (Page 14)
DBIA IQ Summer 2012 - (Page 15)
DBIA IQ Summer 2012 - (Page 16)
DBIA IQ Summer 2012 - (Page 17)
DBIA IQ Summer 2012 - (Page 18)
DBIA IQ Summer 2012 - (Page 19)
DBIA IQ Summer 2012 - (Page 20)
DBIA IQ Summer 2012 - (Page 21)
DBIA IQ Summer 2012 - (Page 22)
DBIA IQ Summer 2012 - (Page 23)
DBIA IQ Summer 2012 - (Page 24)
DBIA IQ Summer 2012 - (Page Cover3)
DBIA IQ Summer 2012 - (Page Cover4)
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com