LEED And Integrated Design - UTSOA

LEED andIntegrated DesignGail VittoriEditorWerner LangAurora McClaincsdCenter for Sustainable Development

I-Context Solutions2

1.3 LEED Integrated DesignLEED and Integrated DesignGail VittoriFigure 1: Sidwell Friends Middle Scool, a LEED Platinum rated building by Kieran Timberlake AssociatesIntroductionLike the human body, a building is a system—comprised of an exquisitely interconnectedseries of sub-systems that together functionas a high performance machine. Moreover,like humans, buildings exist in context.Contexts span from local/site to watershed toeco-regional to global. As humans representan increasingly defining presence on theplanet, interdependencies between building, ecosystem and people are increasinglypronounced. A third salient consideration islife cycle. From source through manufacture,use, and ‘re-source’, a building representsa continuum of inputs and outputs. Thesefoundational constructs—building as system,buildings in contexts, and buildings through thelife cycle—are the bases for integrative design:a process that, more than optimizing a singlesub-system, optimizes the system as a whole,cognizant of contexts and distinct, interconnected life cycle phases.From theory to actionAn integrative design process engages abroad spectrum of project stakeholders in acollaborative team beginning at the early planning and design stages.1 Architect Bill Reedoffers the maxim “early, everyone, everything”as a mental touchstone. “Front-loading” thedesign process recognizes the complexity ofthe inter-related systems. Allocating more timeto gain consensus around guiding principles,critical success factors and metrics early inthe process can streamline decision makingthrough the balance of the design. These foundational parameters are often accomplishedthrough one or more ‘charrettes’, derivedfrom the French word for cart: At the Ecoledes Beaux Arts in Paris in the 19th century,faculty would use carts to collect students’final drawings. Students were known to jumpinto the carts to finish their work at a freneticpace. The Charrette Center offers a contemporary definition: “ a brief but intense designworkshop in which stakeholders and interestedcitizens are invited to contribute to the work ofan interdisciplinary team during the earlieststages of design and planning.”2Creating a strong ‘team’ vs. the more conventional organizational structure (e.g., architects,engineers, landscape architects, interiordesigners focused on specific vs. interrelateddisciplines) leads to collaborative, coordinatedwork towards a shared, coherent outcome. Astructural engineer can help design a structurethat is elegant and efficient according to spatialrequirements determined by the architect. Amechanical engineer can suggest alternatemechanical systems that might involve specialspace requirements that can be incorporatedby the architect early on. Civil engineers andlandscape architects can suggest siting strategies that will result in balancing the building’s3

I-Context Solutionswater demand with on-site water resources,and create a horticultural-based stormwatermanagement system. Interior designers canspecify finishes that will ensure healthfulindoor air quality. A contractor can evaluatethe constructability of the design and containfirst costs, while a facility manager can assessoperability and maintainability and associatedlife cycle costs. Local citizens can offer knowledge of place and ensure that the public goodand social equity concerns are respected. Theoverriding goal is to make well-informed, confident decisions and establish measurable goalsand guiding principles early. Together, theseguide decisions through building occupancy,and later inform the day-to-day decisions ofpeople responsible for building operations andmaintenance.These common reference points, co-createdand collectively owned by the team, areparticularly important as projects are pulledto meet intractable schedule and budgetparameters. Front-loading the process andestablishing measurable goals—with the teamestablishing the project’s salient definitionalmeasures—is key to differentiate wants fromneeds, especially during value engineering.For example, if daylighting is one of a project’scritical success factors—a need—then theintegrative design process should support thisthrough a concomitant reduction in mechanicalsystem sizing, a high performance direct/indirect lighting scheme, lighting controls equippedwith daylight and occupancy sensors, highalbedo materials and light shelves to bouncelight deep into the floor plan. Successful daylighting design is indeed an integrated systemaffecting many building assemblies, systemsand materials. This continuum of integrativethinking through the building life cycle is anessential element of green building.Measuring performanceThe U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a voluntary, consensus-based, marketdriven third party green building rating system,initially launched in 2000. For many projectspursuing integrative, sustainable design, LEEDoffers a useful metric to track performance andprovides for independent third-party certification, verifying that what were intended performance outcomes were achieved. LEED isorganized in six categories (from LEED 2009,Building Design and Construction): 4Sustainable SitesWater EfficiencyEnergy AtmosphereMaterials ResourcesIndoor Environmental QualityInnovation in Design/Operations Regional PriorityLEED 2009, released in April 2009, evolvesthe basic LEED structure by introducingweightings, based on direct environmental andhuman benefits, and regional-based creditsto emphasize bioregional diversity based onproject location. To date, more than 23,000 TKprojects are LEED registered, with more than2,400 TK having achieved LEED certification.In addition, more than 114,000 people haveachieved the LEED Accredited Professionalcredential. As of January 2009, LEED registration, certification, and professional credentialing are administered through the GreenBuilding Certification Institute (GBCI).The LEED ‘family’ of rating systems corresponds to specific building sectors andphases, as follows: LEED For New ConstructionLEED For HomesLEED For Commercial InteriorsLEED For Core and ShellLEED For SchoolsLEED For RetailLEED For Existing Buildings/Operations MaintenanceLEED for Neighborhood Development (inpilot)LEED For Healthcare (in development)For LEED 2009, each rating system is basedon a 100-point scale, with certification levels(Certified, Silver, Gold, Platinum) representingachievement of all prerequisites and varyingnumber of optional points that vary depending on the specific credit achieved. Ten bonuspoints are available for innovation in design,exemplary performance, or regional significance. Rating systems are comprised of common prerequisites and credits, and others thatare customized to reflect a specific buildingsector or phase. For example, LEED for Existing Buildings/Operations and Maintenance,offers credits for Integrated Pest Management,Erosion Control and Landscape ManagementPlan and Alternative Commuting Transportation in the Sustainable Sites category.LEED development processThe LEED Rating System uses an open,consensus-based process to develop andevolve its content, aligned with ANSI (American National Standards Institute) requirements. Specific, volunteer committees areformed of diverse groups of practitioners andexperts representing a cross-section of thebuilding and construction industry for each rating system. These committees prepare creditsbased on their specialized knowledge andresearch in their fields. Product developmentcommittees are augmented with USGBC’stechnical advisory groups (TAGs) to ensuretechnical consistency and rigor. The LEEDdevelopment process includes a pilot phase,public comments on draft rating systems(usually two rounds), and final balloting byUSGBC members prior to launch. These stepsprovide for a transparent, consensus-basedprocess, and allow for a broad spectrum ofviews to be considered. Beginning with LEED2009, USGBC has established a standardizedcontinuous improvement development cycle toprovide a higher level of predictability associated with revisions. This is similar to revisionschedules adopted by other standards-settingbodies, such as ASHRAE.The value of integrative designJust as Marshall McLuhan proclaimed “ .themedium is the message”, for design, processdefines product. Analyses of the businesscase for green buildings consistently point toan integrative design process, initiated earlyin planning and design and involving multiplestakeholders, as a significant contributor element for projects to meet budget and schedule. If the project team affirms sustainabilityas an overarching project goal with specificmeasures and, importantly, the owner standsbehind that intention, then establishing a process that delivers on Bill Reed’s maxim “early,everyone, everything” is requisite.ConclusionWhile change is hard for humans, changingthe design process to deliver successful, highperformance, elegant green buildings is a21st century imperative. City, county, state,and federal governments are increasinglyrequiring LEED certified or certifiable buildings (or equivalent) for their publicly-fundedbuildings; some are extending the requirementto privately-funded projects. Similarly, scoresof corporations, production homebuilders,housing authorities and developers are doingthe same. Acknowledging the value of theintegrative design process to achieve theserequirements and realize aspirations is a markof prudent stewardship of our collective assets,including financial, natural, public health andsocial. Integrative design is a pre-text for abuilt environment consistent with broader civic,social and ecological value.

1.3 LEED Integrated DesignNotes1. Don Prowler, “The Role of Buildings andthe Case for Whole Building Design,” WholeBuilding Design Guide, http://www.wbdg.org/wbdg approach.php (Accessed November2008).2. Accessed newlongview.asp?a spf&pfk 1&gk 7FiguresFigure 1: BaryHalkin, “Sidwell Friends MiddleSchool” AIA Top Ten, D 775BiographyGail Vittori is Co-Director of the Center forMaximum Potential Building Systems, a nonprofit sustainable planning and design firmestablished in 1975. She is Chair of the U.S.Green Building Council’s Board of Directors,the convener and a Co-Coordinator of theGreen Guide for Health Care and FoundingChair of the USGBC’s LEED for Healthcarecore committee. Gail was a Loeb Fellow atHarvard University from 1998-1999. Sheis co-author, with Robin Guenther FAIA, ofSustainable Healthcare Architecture, publishedby Wiley, and was featured as an Innovator:Building a Greener World in TIME Magazine inMarch 2007.5

experts representing a cross-section of the building and construction industry for each rat-ing system. These committees prepare credits based on their specialized knowledge and research in their fields. Product development committees are augmented with USGBC’s technical advisory groups (