CitiesGoGreen - January 2009 - (Page 31) High Performance Buildings Synergies KPG led the design team, assisted by its consultants, in identifying the range of ideas appropriate for the project. With those identified, they considered the possibilities for synergy. The design team was surprised, for example, to learn that by reducing the amount of water used by fixtures, less energy was required to heat a significant portion of the water. Such synergies are essential to achieving the higher certification levels of LEED Gold and Platinum. Project features The Shoreline Recycling and Transfer Station energy-saving and sustainable features include: • Rainwater harvesting system collects water to wash industrial floors and flush toilets. This reduces water needs by 57%, saving 254,000 gallons of potable water every year. • 15kW solar panel array generates electricity even during cloudy days, providing at least 10% of the building’s energy needs exclusive of industrial equipment. • Natural daylight through structured plastic glazing panels strategically positioned in exterior walls and overhead skylights reduces lighting costs by 50%. • Exterior wall openings are located to promote controlled passive ventilation, reducing ventilation energy needs by 80% compared to a conventional design. The passive system works in concert with active ventilation systems. • Low volatile organic compound paints and adhesives contribute to healthier indoor air. • Green building materials are used, such as recycled-content steel, Forest Stewardship Council-certified wood and concrete with 15% substitution of fly ash for cement equivalent. • Landscaped bioswales slow water flow to reduce stream bank erosion along Thornton Creek. • Plants filter contaminants and sediment from surface water runoff. • Pavement reduction is achieved by providing parking for industrial vehicles beneath the building, also reducing noise impacts on the neighborhood. • A high percentage of construction waste was diverted from landfills. The LEED difference KPG, along with other industry-leading design and engineering firms, has found through the course of LEED projects that additional costs can be effectively offset. For example, a conventional design approach begins with presumptions that are not substantively different from a LEED project. The difference is that the design team must learn to adapt to an integrated process. We believe the range of additional costs for most projects over $5 million should not exceed 2% of the cost of construction to achieve a LEED Gold certification. The reason for the additional cost is twofold: Some sustainable technologies will have a higher initial cost despite offsetting techniques, and it takes training for field personnel to manage documentation based on information from subcontractors. Most contractors are not yet experienced with LEED and have not found a comfort level that, once developed, would reflect our ‘no-cost/low-cost’ approach. There is a tendency in the architectural/ engineering/construction (AEC) industry to assume the owner’s project budget should bear the costs of initial implementation of LEED. We believe that AEC firms should be compensated for all services having value to owners. However, there is a moral imperative that management architects and engineers in particular educate themselves about sustainability beyond the context of the project. When the management team takes this approach the overall team results are leveraged, and an “offset” approach can preserve the owner’s project budget (see Offsets page 30). We believe management education is in the interest of the firm, just as having effective legal representation and a good accountant are good business practices, not to be confused with direct costs to owners and their projects. Raising the bar As a member firm of the USGBC, KPG advocates continuing commitment from USGBC members to adapt and expand the range of sustainability projects. KPG promotes continually raising the bar for sustainable design on projects. Several efforts by the USGBC and component organizations aim at moving beyond reducing project impacts to facilitating projects with environmentally restorative effects by 2030. v Doug Brinley AIA, CSI, CCS, LEED AP is Principal Architect at KPG, Inc., with offices in Seattle and Tacoma, WA. He leads a team of designers for municipal construction and capital projects. Doug encourages strategies for ‘no-net-increase’ USGBC LEED Silver project certifications. (206) 383-9653 cell, doug@kpg.com January 2009 31 http://your.kingcounty.gov/solidwaste/facilities/documents/Shoreline_brochure.pdf http://your.kingcounty.gov/solidwaste/facilities/documents/Shoreline_brochure.pdf http://www.CitiesGoGreen.com
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