I heard someone on the internet say that if you asked about green architecture 10 years ago people would say; "Why would you want to paint your building green?". Actually, green architecture started in the late '60's with the environmental movement but died a slow death along with the peace movement and bell bottom jeans. Green has returned with a vengeance (and so have the bell bottoms) because of gas prices. What is Green Architecture?
Green building has become a buzz word because of federal tax credits. It is time to demystify what it means to be green. In order to have a "Green" building you must meet a laundry list of requirements. The more items one can check off the higher the green rating and, therefore, the more money you save in taxes. Of course you also save money on heating, cooling, and lighting costs after your initial investment.
Green building can cost up to 30% more than a conventional structure depending on how green you go. There are several levels that can be achieved and the tax / energy savings increase as one goes from bronze through silver to gold or platinum crediting. A large amount of paperwork has to be prepared by a LEED accredited architect in order to apply to the government for the tax incentives. This does not mean that you need to have the building designed by a LEED architect but that the forms have to be filed by one. The U.S. Green Building Council, 1998, (USGBC) established Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) to create clear standards for measuring levels of energy efficiency. So what are some of the items that qualify for an energy efficient design?
There are a broad number of categories that are covered by LEED guidelines. Some ways of going green are simple like choosing carpeting that is made of recycled material which saves energy in production of the product. Choosing Energy Star rated appliances and mechanical equipment is a more expensive but obvious design practice. One obscure way to get a credit is to put in bicycle racks to encourage non fossil fuel modes of transportation and there are many esoteric nooks and crannies in the green process.
The largest and most expensive category of LEED design is the composition of the building's overall exterior envelope. This includes not only the wall, ceiling, and foundation design but building orientation, tree and mechanical shading devices, and the orientation of the building on the site. If you are thinking of building green there is a whole new world of ideas that you may want to cover with your architect. You can work with an architect to reach a level of balance between expenses and credits to determine a comfortable initial cost and investment repayment schedule. This is where we separate the bronze from the platinum in Green Architecture.
