Building Matters is a blog that explores news, trends and current events within the building industry. We aim to add a voice to the conversation that is smart, insightful and timely – because matters of the building industry matter to us. We will strive to update this blog frequently, so please check with us often and share your comments or subscribe to our RSS feed. Thanks and welcome.
As the founding director of the EPA’s Energy Star for Homes program, Sam Rashkin – an unassuming fellow with a brilliant mind and passionate energy – almost single-handedly changed the way America builds houses. At a dinner last night at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. attended by 200 people, Rashkin was honored with the Hanley Award for Vision and Leadership in Sustainable Housing and its $50,000 prize.
The Hanley Award is sponsored by The Hanley Foundation, EcoHome and Builder magazines, and their parent company, Hanley Wood, LLC.
Logging more than 100,000 air miles annually as the program grew, Rashkin crisscrossed the country for 17 years, enthusiastically pitching the advantages of Energy Star-qualified homes to builders, product manufacturers, consumers and anyone else who would listen. Meanwhile, inside the EPA, he steadily built a low- budget, high-impact program that few well-funded for-profit corporations could match.
Rashkin’s unwavering mission has paid off hands omely for builders and their buyers, as well as the environment. Energy Star for Homes, the oldest and largest national residential rating system, has qualified more than 1.3 million dwellings since its inception in 1995. The EPA, which administers the program, say those homes have saved nearly $350 million on utility bills while avoiding green house gas emissions equivalent to those produced by more than 450,000 vehicles.
Alex Wilson, founder of Environmental Building News, called Rashkin the ideal candidate for the Hanley Award. “Sam has done more to transform mainstream home building, making homes more energy efficient and more environmentally responsible, than anyone else,” says Wilson, the 2010 recipient of the Hanley Award and a judge in this year’s program.
Before Rashkin, a licensed architect, moved to the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Building America program last June, the EPA began phasing in more rigorous Energy Star for Homes Version 3 guidelines. Once fully implemented this year, the new guidelines will result in houses at least 15 percent more efficient than those built to the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), along with additional energy savings and improved performance from a comprehensive approach to building science.
For an in-depth profile about Rashkin and his years at Energy Star for Homes, see this story in the latest issue of EcoHome magazine that I wrote before joining Griffin & Company.
To produce a commercial building requires teams of engineers, architects, construction companies, specialty contractors and building owners, all doing their part to contribute to the end result. With so many cards in play, it’s easy to see how miscommunication occurs. When you think about it, the sheer numbers of companies involved in any commercial project helps explain why it’s surprising when a project is actually completed on time.
However, there is an emerging trend – integrated project delivery — that aims to bring all the teams together to avoid delays and streamline the design-build process.
What is IPD? Integrated project delivery, or IPD, is a way for architects, engineers, contractors and owners to share information, practices and talent to help deliver a project on time and within budget. With IPD, parties enter into a legal relationship in which people, systems, business structures and practices are integrated into a process that harnesses the expertise and insights of all participants to reduce waste and optimize efficiency through all phases of design, fabrication and construction. Introduced in the early 2000s, the approach is taking off; in a recent survey from Architect magazine, 83% of architects report a growing preference for IPD.
IPD Strengths: IPD has some clear advantages over the design-build process. IPD requires collaboration early on among designers, contractors and fabricators. Under the traditional design-bid-build method, key participants cannot be identified until bids are received – far too late for all parties to meaningfully participate in developing the integrated design.
Because members of an IPD team are contractually bound, their profit ultimately depends on how successful the project is, ensuring all members are working towards the best interest of the overall project. Rather than each member focusing on his portion of the project, IPD aims to maximize communication and streamlines the building process because it allows data sharing directly between the design and construction team eliminating a large barrier to increased productivity in construction.
IPD Weaknesses: A process like IPD might not be cost effective for straightforward projects, like a 30,000-square-foot parking garage, according to the Architect article. Also, IPD often requires the use of Building Information Modeling (BIM) software that, while having many benefits, is is much debated as to its ultimate worth. Plus, according to many architects and engineers we’ve talked to, the software isn’t perfect and sometimes doesn’t account for certain brands or types of mechanical systems.
Lastly, one key member of the project team – the facility manager — is left out in the IPD process. These individuals operate the buildings and their lack of input could result in increased operational costs down the road.
What do you think about integrated project delivery? Let us know. Contact me at wells@griffinco.com.
Green over Grey creates custom living walls, or green walls, capable of growing anything from ground cover to small trees.
 Industry case studies about high-performance buildings are compelling educators. They present instructive lessons to engineers, architects, facility managers and building owners in a kind of problem/solution format, and teach how new products and technologies perform in specific environments.
An excellent example of this is Union Mill in Baltimore, Md. Once the largest canvas cloth producer in the world, the 86,000-square-foot structure was built in 1866. With massive 26-inch-thick walls, this impressive building was in constant use for 150 years as a manufacturing facility. But it needed new life.
Evan Morville, partner, Seawall Development Company, Baltimore, has a passionate desire to revitalize functionally inoperable buildings in historic neighborhoods. He turns abandoned properties into useful nonprofit office space and apartments for Baltimore’s public school system employees. The company’s mission is to provide affordable housing and adjacent work space for new teachers coming to Baltimore to teach kids from the inner city.
Seawall’s design teams have extensive experience with LEED®, energy-efficient and sustainable development. Working closely with the City of Baltimore’s Green Building Standards for commercial and multifamily buildings more than 10,000 square feet, the design team achieved Baltimore’s first LEED Silver-certified project. In fact, the team’s energy model so impressed the local utility, Baltimore Gas & Electric, Union Mill was awarded a $164,258 rebate – the largest the developer had heard of.
 Mike Babcock, managing partner of Sustainable Building Partners, LLC, an engineering firm in Fairfax, Va., said, “A utility incentive of this size is extremely rare in our business. What it all boils down to is this: Through our whole-building, hourly energy-simulation model, we were able to project for Baltimore Gas & Electric an overall annual savings of 450,000 kWh.”
Babcock explained that the baseline methodology is consistent with LEED and ASHRAE 90.1 protocols, and was based primarily on a Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) zoning system from Mitsubishi Electric Cooling & Heating, as well as a high-performance make-up air system, energy recovery ventilator (ERV), high-performance double-pane low-E windows and the walls’ thermal mass.
Seawall’s managing partner was elated. “This is a fantastic system,” Morville said. “Everything in the building is electric, and thanks to the ingenious engineering of the variable speed compressors and heat exchangers, my average apartment energy use is only $50 a month. Our teacher tenants love this living concept and are most pleased with their indoor comfort.”
BrightShelf’s patented ogee curve for delivers glare-free natural light to commercial spaces.
While spring is a great time to clean and re-organize, it is also an ideal time to perform routine checks and maintenance to fix any damage from the winter and prepare the home for hot or rainy summer weather. In fact, May is National Home Improvement Month, so there is no better time to grab your toolbox and set aside a weekend or two to make sure your house is in tip-top shape.
It’s often difficult to know exactly where or how to begin inspections or renovations, so the experts at Griffin & Company assembled a list of tips to help you on any home maintenance project – from the roof to the basement.
 Andersen Insect Screen
- Windows and Doors. Now is the time to weatherproof your windows and doors – before the April showers arrive. Caulk cracks, repair holes in screens and add weatherstripping, which will help prevent unnecessary air conditioning costs. While you’re at it, wash the glass on the inside and outside.
- Basements. Homeowners also should remember to weatherproof their basements. During rainy months, water can seep inside and leave mold on walls, ceilings and floors and musty odors that are tough to get rid of. Check for evidence of water damage, such as a leak in the foundation or discoloration, and if you have a sump pump, make sure it is in working order.
- Roofs and Gutters. Both heavy snow and hot summer sun can wreak havoc on a roof. Inspect your roof for damage to shingles (use binoculars) and call a roofer to make necessary repairs. For gutter maintenance, clear out leaves, check for leaks and direct the downspout away from the foundation.
 Mitsubishi Electric Cooling & Heating
- HVAC. Hire a contractor to inspect your air conditioning system to be sure it is as clean and as efficient as possible. Now is a good time to replace the filters as well.
- Porches and Decks. Before you invite friends and family over for a cookout, check
planks for damage, splinters, rot or algae, and make sure the stairs and railings are stable and secure. Consider power washing and resealing your deck, which should be done once a year.
Everitt & Schilling Co.’s environmentally friendly Barnwood tiles are made of reclaimed or upcycled wood, and come in a variety of sizes and finishes.
|
