The Missing Link: Small Buildings and Sustainability Certification
by Michael J. Crosbie, PhD
Summary: Have you noticed something a little lopsided in sustainable
building certification? The smaller the project, the less likely it will
be certified. The 2006 AIA/Committee on the Environment Top Ten Green
Projects is a good example of this phenomenon. The 10 projects range in
size from just under 2,000 to 380,000 square feet. Of the 10, only 2 are
LEED-NC certified: the biggest one and the third largest, at 109,000
square feet. Only one project, a house, is not eligible for LEED
certification, although LEED for Homes is now in the works and pilot
projects are being tested around the country (more about this
development in a future column).
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Smaller commercial and institutional buildings are the “missing links”
in sustainable certification. How come? Their size is one reason. The
costs and effort associated with the certification process have
traditionally been more effectively distributed over a larger building
area. The little guys (small developers, private institutional clients,
and town-sized governments) have a number of hurdles to clear in
building and certifying a green project, such as the cost of hiring a
separate green consultant as part of the team; conducting energy
modeling; making sure that building systems are properly commissioned;
and ensuring that all of the sustainable materials, systems, and
procedures are thoroughly documented for certification.
cont'd....
http://www.aia.org/aiarchitect/thisweek07/0216/0216rc_face.cfm