More jurisdictions are utilizing the new International Green Construction Code as a tool to address sustainable construction for new and existing buildings. Fort Collins, Colo., and Kayenta Township, Ariz., are the most recent in a series of local and state governments that have adopted the IGCC, according to the International Code Council. These two actions follow earlier adoptions by Richland, Wash. and the state of Rhode Island. Fort Collins is the first jurisdiction in Colorado to adopt the IGCC and Kayenta is the first Native American tribal adoption and the first jurisdiction in Arizona to adopt the IGCC. The Code Council expects several more state and local adoptions of the IGCC within the next few months.
In March, the Fort Collins City Council voted to approve significant extractions from the IGCC and the National Green Building Standard, ICC 700, as part of green building code amendments to the city's building codes, which already includes nine I-Codes. The effective date for the provisions is January 2012.
Kayenta adopted the IGCC Public Version 2.0 on a voluntary basis and the code may be incorporated into the community’s Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance. Kayenta adopted the code with specific requirements related to greenfields, conservation areas, and agricultural land.
“The emergence of green building codes and standards is an important next step to provide communities with the opportunity to build sustainable and safe buildings,” Richard P. Weiland, International Code Council Chief Executive Officer said. “We are pleased to recognize Kayenta Township and the Navajo Nation as the first Native American community in the United States to adopt the International Green Construction Code and Fort Collins for being the first jurisdiction in Colorado to adopt the code."
The IGCC applies to new and existing, traditional and high-performance commercial buildings. It includes ANSI/ASHRAE/USGBC/IES Standard 189.1 as a compliance option. Coordinated with the ICC family of codes, the IGCC is designed to go beyond traditional code requirements for communities that are pursuing safe and sustainable construction.
The IGCC Public Version 2.0 offers a Zero Energy Performance Index (zEPI), requiring buildings to use no more than 51 percent of the energy allowable in the 2000 International Energy Conservation Code.
Examples of provisions in Public Version 2.0 include:
- A 20 percent water savings beyond U.S. federal standards for water closets in residential settings
- New requirements for identification and removal of materials containing asbestos
- Land use regulations including new provisions addressing flood risk, development limitations related to “greenfields,” use of turf grass and minimum landfill diversion requirements
- Clarification of responsibilities from the registered design professional to the owner to prevent potential conflicts with state and local requirements
- Greater consistency with industry standards for air handling systems
The IGCC’s cooperating sponsors are the American Institute of Architects (AIA), ASTM International, the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), the U.S. Green Building Council, and the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES).
IGCC will be published in 2012 after code development hearings in May and final hearings in November.
About the International Code Council
The International Code Council, a membership association dedicated to building safety, fire prevention and energy efficiency, develops the codes used to construct residential and commercial buildings, including homes and schools. Most U.S. cities, counties and states choose the International Codes, building safety codes developed by the International Code Council. The International Codes also serve as the basis for construction of federal properties around the world, and as a reference for many nations outside the United States.
Related Stories
Sponsored | Metals | Jul 20, 2015
Life cycle assessment, and why you should care
LCA is a way of quantifying the environmental impact generated by the manufacture and delivery of a product.
Green | May 5, 2015
Top three 2030 Challenge trends
The growth of IPD is among the key takeaways from the USGBC Region 7 Conference.
Green | Feb 23, 2015
State of the green union, and the next big shift in sustainability
The history of the green movement offers cues that we are on the precipice of another significant shift in the green union.
Multifamily Housing | Feb 18, 2015
Make It Right unveils six designs for affordable housing complex
BNIM is among the six firms involved in the project.
Energy Efficiency | Jan 28, 2015
An urban wind and solar energy system that may actually work
The system was designed to take advantage of a building's air flow and generate energy even if its in the middle of a city.
| Dec 29, 2014
Leo A Daly's minimally invasive approach to remote field site design [BD+C's 2014 Great Solutions Report]
For the past six years, Leo A Daly has been designing sites for remote field stations with near-zero ecological disturbance. The firm's environmentally delicate work was named a 2014 Great Solution by the editors of Building Design+Construction.
| Dec 23, 2014
5 tech trends transforming BIM/VDC
From energy modeling on the fly to prefabrication of building systems, these advancements are potential game changers for AEC firms that are serious about building information modeling.
| Dec 19, 2014
Zaha Hadid unveils dune-shaped HQ for Emirati environmental management company
Zaha Hadid Architects released designs for the new headquarters of Emirati environmental management company Bee’ah, revealing a structure that references the shape and motion of a sand dune.
| Oct 30, 2014
CannonDesign releases guide for specifying flooring in healthcare settings
The new report, "Flooring Applications in Healthcare Settings," compares and contrasts different flooring types in the context of parameters such as health and safety impact, design and operational issues, environmental considerations, economics, and product options.
| Oct 27, 2014
Report estimates 1.2 million people experience LEED-certified retail centers daily
The "LEED In Motion: Retail" report includes USGBC’s conceptualization of the future of retail, emphasizing the economic and social benefit of green building for retailers of all sizes and types.