Sustainable building owners and designers practice what they preach

Peter Pfeiffer isn't particularly comfortable with the terms "sustainable" or "green" as commonly applied to design and construction methods.

"Many of these `green' design methods are just common sense," says Pfeiffer, president of Barley + Pfeiffer Architects in Austin, Texas. For example, he explains, "You don't put on a dark-colored roof in the South because it collects heat; you orient the building to the prevailing breezes and away from the sun so you can take advantage of natural cooling. You don't necessarily have to build exotic wall systems or windows; if you use common sense, you'll have a great start toward what people are calling `green construction.'"

The terms "sustainable" and "green" -- when applied to construction, the built environment or building materials -- are used interchangeably but are not easily defined. The concept is not as simple as, say, comparing grams of fat in foods. That's why professionals like Pfeiffer prefer to keep the designations as basic as possible. Until the approaches become commonplace, there won't be any other way to describe it.

Still, many building designers, constructors and developers agree that the best way to promote sustainability is to apply the principle and market the results. Barley + Pfeiffer's recent office renovation is such an example, starting with the common sense, sustainable decision to locate the office near the people who use it.

"We were using an office in the suburbs, and seven of our 10 employees, as well as many of our clients, lived in central Austin," says Pfeiffer, adding that the architects had to drive into the city to pull building permits or conduct other government business. "It just seemed that, although suburban living might be popular, we were consuming a lot of automobile fuel."

That old house

The firm's second sustainable choice was to restore an old house and reuse it as functional and energy-efficient offices, rather than tear down an existing century-old structure to make room for something new. By merely recycling the wood-frame structure, the project eliminated the need to use some two acres of old growth timber, to say nothing of the other building products spared from the local landfill.

"If we were tearing out good wood, it was worth it to pay someone a few bucks an hour to denail the old studs, so we could reuse them," says Pfeiffer.

In addition to recapturing building materials, the office design sought to maximize energy savings. Solar screens on operable windows, a new zoned HVAC system with programmable thermostats, a radiant barrier in the attic and the changing out of incandescent lighting for a fluorescent system all contributed to utility costs of about 60 percent of previous billings. And by using low-flow plumbing and "xeriscaping" -- low-maintenance, arid landscaping -- the firm cut water consumption from 20,000 gallons per month to fewer than 7,000.

Sustainable goals

The indoor environment was another focus, and the firm hoped to see a resultant decrease in employee sick days by improving air quality. Pleated filters and an ultraviolet-light disinfecting system were installed in return air ducts,which were specified as smooth metal with exterior insulation to inhibit mold growth.

According to Pfeiffer and others in the construction industry, it remains difficult to determine the sustainability of a given product or project. In general, however, project designs should minimize energy usage, reduce the possibility of adverse health effects and reduce the frequency of replacement or repairs. If selected materials require mining, harvesting or manufacture, the processes should have no significant impacts or hazardous byproducts. Ideally, they should require a minimal amount of nonrenewable energy, generate as little solid waste as possible and allow for reuse or recycling.

While such requirements are hard to meet, they are increasingly considered in project planning, says Wendy Powers, an associate in Green Building Services with Conservation Consultants Inc. (CCI), a green building consulting firm based in Pittsburgh.

"I think people are beginning to catch on to green or sustainable construction," Powers explains. "People who really look into sustainable design find a number of very good reasons for choosing it for their projects, including better indoor air quality and daylighting, leading to healthier and more productive workers; decreased energy consumption and costs; and an overall reduction of negative impact on our outdoor environment."

CCI put its sustainable ideas to use when it purchased an 83-year-old building in Pittsburgh's historic South Side and developed what is now called CCI Center. Completed last year, the building was envisioned as a resource hub for environmental strategies, both by modeling green building techniques and by housing several like-minded organizations.

In the reconstruction, CCI reused as much existing structure as possible. Although unsound portions had to be demolished, CCI recaptured wood, brick and door and window trim. A salvage program followed to ensure that construction waste streams were minimized.

Material specification and construction detailing were equally rigorous. Insulation levels were improved by incorporating densely packed cellulose, double-paned gas-filled windows and Airkrete. Photovoltaic cells were added that, with an energy-efficient HVAC system, helped cut electric bills by $12,000 a year. At this rate, CCI expects to pay back the higher initial cost of construction in about four years.

"The CCI Center is meant to be a showcase to accent the many positive aspects of sustainable renovation," Powers intones. "This concept works now, today. It's no longer just a dream for the future."

Firm foundation

Another showcase of sustainable renovation is the David and Lucille Packard Foundation's renovation of its 22,000-sq.-ft. office building in Los Altos, Calif. The foundation offers grants for community activities and embraces a strong conservation program, which it decided to extend to its renovation project.

The organization retained Hawley, Peterson & Snyder Architects, Mountain View, Calif., and San Francisco-based sustainable building consultant Lynn Simon, principal of Simon and Associates. "Simon advised us throughout the project," says Sharon Refvem, project architect with Hawley Peterson & Snyder, "making sure we looked carefully at every aspect of the building's materials and construction processes."

"The entire project was a collaborative effort between the owner, builder and design team," adds Curtis Snyder, principal with the firm. "Everyone had to contribute to the great deal of research that went on regarding the sustainable materials that we used." According to Snyder, those materials included double-glazed, operable windows, zoned HVAC systems, blown-in cellulose thermal/acoustical insulation, recyclable carpet, biodegradable linoleum flooring and acoustical ceiling tiles, ceramic tile and fabrics made from recycled materials. Tabletops were either wheatboard or sunflower-seed hull.

While the design heavily uses wood finishes, the team elected to use only "independently certified forest products" -- a relatively new concept referring to third-party validation of sustainable tree harvesting.

"We were able to educate a number of vendors and subtrades regarding certified wood," adds Refvem. "If the sustainable movement is going to be sustainable itself, it has to be something other people can replicate."

Only by replicating successful sustainable projects will the green construction industry realize its full potential, say those designers and builders promoting the trend. When the biggest advocates of such construction methods and materials choose to use the process on their own buildings, it is a strong argument, indeed, that sustainable design and construction methods are both practical and here to stay.

RELATED ARTICLE: EPA raises awareness while bringing down an office

Before reconfiguration the 14th floor of its Seattle offices, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) decided to use the opportunity to demonstrate innovative sustainable practices. To undertake the project, the facilities staff assembled a "Green Team" of specialists from the EPA, the General Services Administration -- and even an expert on construction waste recycling from the Seattle Chamber of Commerce.

The EPA Region 10 offices added more green practices to its existing policies of ensuring good indoor air quality and using finishes with low levels of volatile organic compounds, including. Using "certified wood" products; selecting resource-efficient materials; minimizing construction and demolition waste; and designing a sustainable space.

The EPA also employed "source reduction," defined in the Pollution Prevention Act of 1990 as addressing waste where it originates to conserve natural resources and reduce pollutants. In fact, EPA did prevent pollution on several fronts, by:

* Reusing and recycling materials.

* Using energy-saving technologies.

* Employing reusable modular wall units and carpet tiles.

* Purchasing materials made from recycled products.

* Specifying materials manufactured without the release of carcinogens, persistent toxic chemicals or heavy metals.

Reuse. The contractor reused as much material as possible from the job site. Door frames were used to make relite frames surrounding interior glass; standard entry doors were cut into new bifold closet doors. Other reused materials:

* Wood door frames (60 percent).

* Insulation (100 percent).

* Sinks and faucets (50 percent).

* Signage (100 percent).

* Card reader system (100).

Salvage. Materials not reused on site were either stored for future used or sold or donated for reuse, such as:

* Wood doors (60 percent).

* Wood door frames (40 percent).

* Finish hardware (100 percent).

* Toilets (100 percent).

* Sink and faucets (50 percent).

Recycling. More than six tons of drywall were recycled. While the fee for recycling was $50 per ton, the landfill charge of $80 per ton was avoided. Recycled materials:

* Drywall (100 percent).

* Metal framing (100 percent).

* Carpet (100 percent).

* Acoustic ceiling tile (100 percent).

* Glass (100 percent).