CitiesGoGreen - January 2009 - (Page 30) bors until conclusions were reached that addressed the concerns. KPG’s approach was to design for the neighbors as the first priority. Vehicles, water and art With several issues of critical significance to neighbors identified and cooperation developed, the next design challenge was the solid waste management issues for the facility. Some concerns paralleled the neighborhood issues, including vehicular movements, protection of the neighborhoods from heavy vehicle traffic, noise, dust and odors, and protection and restoration of Thornton Creek. The neighborhood relationships resulted in public recognition from the Thornton Creek Alliance for restoration and protection of the portion of the creek flowing across the KCSWD property. A fundamental step was eliminating the proposed vehicle bridge. This commitment was upheld and reinforced by the design team through the permitting and construction process. Today the waters of the creek near the transfer station are measurably clearer and of higher quality than before. Additionally, KCSWD, assisted by KPG, facilitated inclusion of public art funded by the King County ‘One Percent for Art’ legislation. dePelecyn Studio was selected in a competitive process. dePelecyn engaged the community, including schoolchildren, in a series of public design sessions focusing attention on aspects of the site and community relevant to the transfer station. The public sessions for art also facilitated and supported neighborhood involvement in the development process. What Are Offsets? Offsets are substitutions of a more sustainable approach for a conventional approach. These can be products, systems, assemblies or even design processes. The secret to successful offsets is knowing in advance, from experience as a project manager, what can be risked while remaining assured of a lesser or equal cost. Some may say this an ‘eyes in the back of your head’ approach to project management —but it works. Effective project management skills—the ability to ‘make it happen’ while respecting the critical team relationships— are essential. It may help to think of this dynamic relationship as being similar to knowing your approximate bank balance on the basis of your deposits and spending, without analyzing your bank statement. worked closely to create a management approach accommodating the US Green Building Council (USGBC) LEED objective of ‘integrated design.’ Integrated design involves the entire design team in an interactive process to determine the best responses to the wide range of environmental, air quality, energy and resource conservation objectives outlined in the LEED Reference Guide. KPG joined the USGBC as a member firm in 2001. Several KPG employees studied the LEED Reference Guide and became LEED Accredited Professionals, an easy process we encourage owners to undertake. Owner commitment King County Solid Waste Division Project Manager Lisa Williams brought exceptional commitment to achieving the sustainability objectives identified by the design team. KPG advises its clients that ‘commitment means 100%.’ Williams and KPG traveled the difficult project path together, sometimes not knowing for sure where it would lead, but always knowing it was the ‘right’ way. Williams persisted through an uncommon process, converting risks into benefits to the county and the neighborhood, and transforming potential opponents into allies through thoughtful, considerate action. Self Test for Owner Project Managers KPG has found a self-test which can be effective in helping managers determine their commitment level to innovative, integrated design projects. If your initial thought about a sustainability approach is “Wow—what a great idea—how can I implement that idea on my project?”—then you may be a good candidate for a LEED project. If your first thought is “How much does that cost?”— it may be better to let the world change a little more before making integrated sustainable design a project objective. Integrated design KPG architects Doug Brinley AIA LEED AP, and DJ Dean, Associate AIA, LEED AP, January 2009 30
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