Home > Issue by Date > April 2008

A New Perspective On Green Design

Insights from the architect's side of the equation may help fms through green implementations—and implications.

By Nancy Hamill Governale, AIA, CEM

Green Design Image: Created by Jeff Clapp, Creative Director, Group C Communications, Inc. (Photos: iStockPhoto, Stock.XCHNG)

If only the term “green design” existed back in the 1970s. All of those groundbreaking solar thermal projects funded during the Carter administration may still be operational today.

Or would they? Fundamentally, there is a big difference in the motivation behind today’s sustainable building movement and those that happened in the past.

So how do facility managers (fms) make sense of what’s happening today? And how can they ensure they have embraced the most appropriate green designs for their organizations?

The last thing fms want is to have all the bells and whistles current technology and architecture can provide—at least not without getting the performance results as promised. This makes it difficult to find fms who want to be the first kids on the block to buy into a new concept. An idea must prove itself as reliable to pass muster among those who will operate it for the next 50 years.

Great Times For Green

The idea of buying the package—proving “greenness” with certifications, getting the project manager on board so green becomes essential rather than a nuisance, hiring contractors who will do what they say they can do at a reasonable cost—can all be daunting.

Green being the buzzword of the day, every architecture firm is now embracing ever deepening shades of green. Fms can customize their building teams by selecting members who have a track record of success in individual aspects of green building. After all, green building goals should be higher than those for projects that precede them.

This is a great time in the history of architecture. Architects and engineers are working hard to implement energy efficiency projects in new and existing buildings.

It is also a great time for environmentalists who have been on the forefront of waste minimization and pollution control. These professionals are working to limit environmental risks associated with building products, to eliminate sick building syndrome, and generally to improve life on Earth.

And it should be a tremendous time for fms too. But how does the fm get beyond the initial steps to implement a green building project?

Case Study: Loyola University Chicago

In January 2000, Loyola University in Chicago, IL decided to create an energy master plan. Members of the facilities research team proceeded to conduct a comprehensive energy audit of all buildings and central systems at Loyola’s urban campus locations.

Loyola Information Commons The west facing double wall façade of the Loyola Information Commons enabled the building to be transparent while reducing energy consumption to approximately 48% of equivalently sized buildings. (Photo: Courtesy Of Loyola University

Information gathered for the plan led to the development of the roadmap for physical improvements to buildings and utility systems to reduce energy consumption. Projects were completed throughout the campus because they made economic and environmental sense.

At the same time, operating knowledge concerning the campus became clearer because of the overarching principles of the energy master plan. The university installed new central chillers and a new central boiler house, made building automation control upgrades and lighting retrofits, and engineered projects that improved the overall operation of many buildings.

Between 2000 and 2006, the campus added a few new buildings to meet the program requirements of users, although they were not planned to be explicitly green. At that time, the track record of other green buildings did not persuade Loyola officials to commit to designing a new building from an entirely green perspective.

The project team was under the impression that a green project would be too time consuming. That point of view changed in 2006.

A New Approach

When it came time to build a new Information Commons, the philosophy was quite different. Facilities research (the same group behind the energy master plan) convinced the project team to incorporate green into the plans—and a new strategy at Loyola was born.

 

The new Information Commons not only gained LEED Silver status, it also served as a positive reinforcement to incorporate sustainable measures at the onset of planning. In the past, green elements were added to new buildings after the design process already started—too late to make holistic decisions about building systems, envelope, siting, and LEED certification.

With great energy master planning tools in hand, the facilities group at Loyola was able to make the right decision at the right time. The Information Commons building, completed in 2008, pushed the envelope, figuratively and literally.

The Bigger Picture

The Information Commons at Loyola is an excellent example of how a building can achieve a desirable architectural aesthetic while at the same time being energy efficient and environmentally sensitive. It also shows how one building in a campus can have a positive impact on much more than its own footprint. To achieve energy efficiency and sustainability, teamwork between the owner, facilities manager, and consultants should be an ongoing relationship and not just a get together for the design of one building.

But will LEED certification give facility operations what it needs to take the first baby steps towards the next level of sustainable design? Clearly, there is much more to FM in terms of making a difference in resource consumption. Timing is the most crucial factor.

As illustrated by the Loyola example, energy and sustainability master plans may give fms what they need in terms of a good starting point. Architectural projects that are scheduled for construction between now and the next 30 years will be impacted by the knowledge base of the fm.

However, one green building does not make a facilities operation green. The behind-the-scenes research and thought processes undertaken by the fm set the general parameters for the project before an architect is even hired. Design parameters can be set once the fm has a good understanding of the project’s physical environment, current resource usage, condition of existing equipment, and priorities for implementing green improvements.

It is up to today’s fms to accept the challenges of green building so that economic and environmental benefits can lead the planet to a better place. Double checking green energy designs before they are installed may be one of the most important aspects of this fascinating journey.

Hamill Governale is president of Facilities Research, a consulting firm specializing in master plans, energy audits, and A/E project implementation for energy efficiency. She is also an adjunct professor in the IIT College of Architecture, specializing in construction and energy research courses through the Interprofessional Projects (IPRO) team building program.

Do you have a comment about the fm’s involvement in green design? Share your thoughts by writing to schwartz@groupc.com.

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