Architects, engineers, and construction professionals should move aggressively to encourage more clients to build to net zero, says Gunnar Hubbard, FAIA, LEED Fellow, in a column posted at Real Estate Weekly.
Dire warnings in the latest climate report by the United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change require bold action in the built environment, Hubbard writes. “Not all clients are environmentally aware or proactive to the same degree,” he writes. “Regardless, we must do everything in our power to educate them, and should not wait for them to ask how their projects can be more sustainable.”
The AEC profession has the knowledge and the tools to achieve net zero, and in many cases the budget allows that standard to be reached, he writes. This can be done by making the investment and ROI clear, “and getting away from unreasonable paybacks of 3-5 years as a cap on improved performance.”
Thermally sound, climate-responsive architecture including taking into account sun path movement and wind direction, and defining levels of comfort for the building type are critical. That approach, combined with smarter system selection for ventilation and comfort that can be tuned for increased controllability and performance will help achieve the net zero goal.
Related Stories
| May 17, 2012
OSHA launches fall prevention campaign
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently launched an educational campaign to prevent deadly falls in the construction industry.
| May 15, 2012
Suffolk selected for Rosenwald Elementary modernization project
The 314-student station elementary school will undergo extensive modernization.
| May 10, 2012
Chapter 6 Energy Codes + Reconstructed Buildings: 2012 and Beyond
Our experts analyze the next generation of energy and green building codes and how they impact reconstruction.
| May 10, 2012
Resilience should be considered a sustainability factor
Since a sustainable building is one you don't have to rebuild, some building sustainability experts believe adding points for "resilience" to storms and earthquakes to the LEED sustainability rating tool makes sense.
| May 10, 2012
University of Michigan research project pushes envelope on green design
A research project underway at the University of Michigan will test the potential of intelligent building envelopes that are capable of monitoring weather, daylight, and occupant use to manage heating, cooling, and lighting.
| May 10, 2012
Fire suppression agents go greener
Environmental sensitivity is helping to drive adoption of new fire suppression agents.
| May 10, 2012
Industry groups urge Congress to leave contracting decisions to agencies
An organization of several industry groups urged Congress to leave many contracting decisions to the discretion of individual agencies by avoiding blanket mandates.
| May 10, 2012
OSHA proposes new rule to have employers find and fix hazards
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has proposed a new regulation, Injury and Illness Prevention Program, or I2P2, which would compel employers to find and fix safety hazards.
