Environmental Design + Construction - December 2008 - (Page 50)

PERSPECTIVES sustainability, cost and time, and accountability if the stated goals aren’t met. While certification may imply a building is expected to perform better than its non-green counterparts, certification is not an indicator of actual performance. The Green Building Initiative (GBI) formally addressed this issue last year when we introduced the Green Globes module for Continual Improvement of Existing Buildings, which is Web-based and provides a practical way to evaluate, rate and strive to improve commercial buildings on an ongoing basis. If the goals of a building include performance outcomes such as a certain level of energy or water efficiency, a process must be established to measure performance and determine whether those goals are being met. While putting desired outcomes in writing is important, contracts should reflect any decisions made regarding scope, objectives and accountability. Just as green buildings, by their nature, improve upon the status quo, WWW.EDCMAG.COM Establish a Process for Measuring Success standard contracts may need enhancing to fully protect the various parties. It’s in the interest of everyone concerned to ensure that all of the project’s agreed upon attributes are included and to scrutinize the wording for ambiguities that, should disputes arise, could result in legal action. When viewed in the context of the many advances being made in green building, the potential risks associated with liability are in fact an opportunity. In all of the ways described above — from encouraging clear goals to increasing the focus on measurement — the efforts of design and building professionals to protect themselves are helping the movement to mature. This can only encourage more people to adopt sustainable practices. MORE PERSPECTIVES ARE AVAILABLE AT WWW.EDCMAG.COM. ALSO, BE SURE TO CHECK OUT ED+C’S ENVIRO-BLOG ONLINE FOR MORE TOPICS ON GREEN BUILDING. WARD HUBBELL IS PRESIDENT OF THE GREEN BUILDING INITIATIVE, WHICH OVERSEES THE GREEN GLOBES ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND RATING SYSTEM IN THE UNITED STATES. THE INFORMATION ABOVE SHOULD NOT BE CONSTRUED AS LEGAL ADVICE. FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT WWW.THEGBI.ORG. Superior Energy Performance Exceptional Indoor Air Quality Insulating Concrete Forms GREEN-R Solution for Sustainable Construction Building Durability Lower Lifetime Costs 888.711.5625 604.590.3111 www.quadlock.com Reader Service No. 184 www.EDCmag.com/webcard 50 ed+c D E C E MBE R 08 EDC01084Quad.indd 1 Less Environmental Impact 12/13/07 9:28:55 AM Faster Construction Times http://WWW.EDCMAG.COM http://WWW.THEGBI.ORG http://www.quadlock.com http://www.quadlock.com http://www.EDCmag.com/webcard

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Environmental Design + Construction - December 2008

Environmental Design %2B Construction - December 2008 Contents Web TOC Editor's Note Newsline Living Lab Sustainable Perspectives Resources Products Trade Names Suppliers 2008 Top Products Shedding Light on Energy Advertiser's Index Marketplace %2B Classifieds Parting Shot

Environmental Design + Construction - December 2008

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