National Sustainable Buildings Workshop

A Workshop held at the University of Michigan's Center for Sustainable Systems, and sponsored by Region V of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Green Building Council, and the Huron Valley Chapter of the The American Institute of Architects

Contents

Workshop Objectives and Participants	Contact Information
Rationale and Focus	Concurrent events, open to the public
Workshop Format and Products	Schedule
Presentations	Steering Committee
(pre-workshop-) Tentative List of Indicators	Registration / Continuing Ed / Accommodation
Proceedings (download file): -Sustainability indicators; -Obstacles; -Implementation strategies	.

Workshop Objectives

Background
The Center for Sustainable Systems CSS (formerly the National Pollution Prevention Center for Higher Education, established by the U.S. EPA in 1991) works towards educating college students, faculty, and professionals about Sustainable Development in order to integrate such ideas into all branches of higher education. One of NPPC's main activities was the development of Pollution Prevention curricula in a variety of disciplines. Since fall 1994, NPPC has published 14 such curricula in engineering, science and business. The compendium on Sustainable Architecture, developed under the leadership of Jong-Jin Kim at the University of Michigan's School of Architecture and Urban Planning, is available online.

CSS is beginning the next phase of its Sustainable Development education program in 1999 with a series of workshops based on the completed compendia. The Sustainable Buildings Workshop to take place in October is the second in this series. The CSS workshops will bring together key stakeholders to discuss critical issues facing Sustainable Development in each field. Each workshop will be a forum to develop life cycle indicators to measure progress towards Sustainability, and to also develop strategies to overcome systemic barriers to sustainable practices, while helping to establish an environment enriched with effective incentives and tools for such practices.

Objectives
In a small-group workshop setting, the Sustainable Buildings workshop will:

• Identify indicators of sustainable building design, construction, operation and retirement practices
• Identify technical, organizational, financial, educational and code barriers to sustainability in conventional practices
• Develop strategies for overcoming these barriers, and for establishing an environment that promotes sustainable building practices

Participants
In order to adequately address the complex workshop objectives, representatives of diverse stakeholder groups are invited. It is essential for the success of the effort to draw on the collective expertise and experience of architects and other designers, building owners and users, code officials, bankers, educators, policy makers, and non-governmental organizations and independent research organizations.

Back to the top

Rationale and Focus

The construction and operation of buildings consumes a major portion of the world's natural resources and energy, and generates a significant quantity of landfill waste. The World Watch Institute estimates that construction and maintenance accounts for 40% of the world's resources and energy use. Institutional buildings are a major contributor. Office buildings in the United States, for instance, consumed in 1993 about 27% of the national electricity supply (DOE, 1993). Building construction and renovation is also a major economic sector in the U.S., which contributes about $800 billion annually (National Science and Technology Council, 1994) annually to the GDP.

Based on similarities in occupancy patterns, building types, operation/maintenance issues, and financing, the workshop will focus on buildings of colleges/universities, and on large institutional office buildings. Both, new construction and renovation will be addressed. Rather than dealing with the specific technical approaches used in "sustainable buildings", which already receive substantial attention among the "green building community," this workshop concerns the broader environment in which such activities are nested. For the purpose of concentrating our efforts, the following focus areas have been established:

• Sustainability indicators of buildings (environmental performance assessment)
• Economics of environmentally responsible projects
• Local, state and federal code issues
• Organizational conditions, and
• Education of stakeholders and the public.
  
  

Back to the top

Workshop Format and Products

Format

1: Short opening session with general introduction
(background, current state of GB, future outlook; presentation of two case studies each day, briefly addressing all five focus areas with their successes and failures)

2: Break-out into five parallel working groups (approx. 10 people)
(a) environmental performance assessment, b) economics, c) code requirements, d) organizational conditions, e) educational conditions)

Friday, October 8:
1) Visioning section ("The ideal Sustainable Buildings world")
2) Establishment of Sustainability indicators, perhaps based on the attached working document "Tentative List of Indicators"

Saturday, October 9:
3) Identification of specific barriers to more sustainable practices (in each issue area)
4) Development of strategies to overcome those barriers, and establish an environment that promotes sustainable building practices

3: Daily summarizing sessions
(break-out groups reporting back to all participants, followed by Q&As and discussion)

Workshop tasks description for participants (click here)

Post-workshop tasks (to be carried out by workshop organizers):

- Production, publication (book/CD), and dissemination of Critical Indicators Handbook
- Production, publication and submission of Implementation Strategies to the appropriate stakeholders, authorities or trade associations
- Production, and publication (book/CD) of Case Studies book

The Three Products

1: Critical indicators handbook
(for professional use by target audience, see below)

2: Implementation strategies for overcoming barriers
(to be taken to appropriate institutions, authorities and trade associations)

3: Scholarly product
(book and CD with case studies from various authors presenting successes and failures of Green-Building projects, while applying the indicators developed during the workshops; might also include the critical indicators list and a Best Practices Compendium)

Both, the critical indicators handbook and the implementation strategies will be categorized by the following five focus areas:
a) Environmental performance assessment, b) Economics, c) Code requirements, d) Organizational conditions, e) Educational conditions

Target Audience includes:
- Architects, engineers, interior designers - Environmental Protection Agency, EPA - Universities/commercial institutions (for planning purposes) - Universities (for curriculums) - Code authorities - Local, state and federal governments - Trade organizations - Environmental organizations - Lending institutions - American Institute of Architects, AIA - U.S. Green Building Council, USGBC - U.S. Department of Energy - American Society for Testing and Materials, ASTM - Public utility organizations - American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy, ACEEE - American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning, ASHRAE

Back to the top

Contact Information

For additional information, please contact:

Peter Reppe, Workshop Coordinator…..phone: 734-936-2542….fax: 734-647-5841….E-mail: reppe@umich.edu

Center for Sustainable Systems, University of Michigan
S.T. Dana Bldg. 430 E. University
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1115

Back to the top

Schedule

Location of workshop activities: University of Michigan Alumni Center (directions), 200 Fletcher Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1007, phones 800-847-4764 and 734-764-0384
Right on Central Campus, between Huron St. and Washington St.; only 5 minutes by foot from either of the hotels.

FRIDAY, October 8	.	.
8:00 a.m.	9:00 a.m.	Registration and breakfast
9:00 a.m.	10:15 a.m.	Welcome address Russell Perry, William McDonough + Partners Presentation of two case studies -Miller SQA Building, Holland, MI, by Judi Heerwagen -ETC building, Sonoma State University, Sonoma, CA, by George Beeler
10:15 a.m.	10:30 a.m.	Coffee/tea/juice/chat break
10:30 a.m.	12:00 noon	Break-out into working groups; Visioning (and start with the establishment of sustainability indicators)
12:00 noon	1:30 p.m.	Lunch (Michigan League, Hussey room)
1:30 p.m.	3:00 p.m.	(Continuation of working group activities) Establishment of sustainability indicators
3:00 p.m.	3:30 p.m.	Coffee/tea/juice/snack break
3:30 p.m.	4:30 p.m.	(Continuation of working group activities) Establishment of sustainability indicators / Wrap-up of findings
4:30 p.m.	5:30 p.m.	Reporting of findings to all participants / Discussion
.	.	.
SATURDAY, October 9	.	.
8:00 a.m.	9:00 a.m.	Breakfast
9:00 a.m.	10:15 a.m.	Opening session with presentation of two case studies -Ridgehaven Green Building Demonstration Project, San Diego, CA, by Adam Saling -EPICenter, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, by Kath Williams
10:15 a.m.	10:30 a.m.	Coffee/tea/juice/chat break
10:30 a.m.	12:00 noon	Break-out into working groups; Identification of specific barriers to more sustainable practices
12:00 noon	1:30 p.m.	Lunch (at the Michigan Union, Kuenzel room)
1:30 p.m.	3:00 p.m.	(Continuation of working group activities) Development of strategies for overcoming barriers, and for establishing an environment that promotes sustainable building practices
3:00 p.m.	3:30 p.m.	Coffee/tea/juice/snack break
3:30 p.m.	4:30 p.m.	(Continuation of working group activities) Strategies to overcome barriers… / Wrap-up of work
4:30 p.m.	5:30 p.m.	Reporting of findings to all participants / Discussion

Back to the top

Workshop Steering Committee

James Christenson, University of Michigan, Director Plant Operations, Ann Arbor, MI
Jean Lupinacci, U.S. EPA (ENERGY STAR Buildings program), Branch chief for ES Buildings technology and implementation, Washington, D.C.
David Orr, Oberlin College, Environmental Studies Program, Oberlin, OH
Russell Perry, William McDonough + Partners, Managing Partner, Charlottesville, VA
Kath Williams, U.S. Green Building Council, Montana State University, Assistant to the Vice President of Research, Creativity, and Technology Transfer for Special Projects, Bozeman, MT
Ramsey Zimmerman, Recycle Ann Arbor, Director Commercial Recycling, Ann Arbor, MI

Back to the top

Registration

Please fill out the on-line Registration Form at http://www.umich.edu/~nppcpub/workshops/reg.html (registration deadline Sept. 19^th, 1999)

Other administrative issues

• There will be no fee for participation
• A total of 25 units AIA Continuing Education credit can be awarded
  

Accommodation

A sufficient number of hotel rooms have been reserved for participants for October 7^th, 8^th and 9^th at the University of Michigan's Cambridge House and the Campus Inn. …..ATTENTION….. Participants need to register with the hotel by September 1^st, and will be asked to pay upon arrival. Registration for the workshop is independent of the hotel room registration.

Cambridge House (directions) 541 Thompson, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1360 phone: (734) 764-5297 fax: (734) 764-1557 Single or Double: $92 plus tax (10 rooms reserved)

Campus Inn (directions) 615 East Huron St., Ann Arbor, MI 48104 phone: (800) 666-8693 (reservations only), (734) 769-2200 fax: (734) 769-6222 Single: $ 106 plus tax (13 rooms reserved) Penthouse single: $147 plus tax (23 rooms reserved)

Back to the top

Tentative List of Indicators

a) Environmental Performance Assessment

• Annual air emissions per unit (sqft or person), categorized by HVAC, lighting, motors, plug loads (note the focus on emission, not on energy consumption)
• Land consumption of building per person
• Reclaimed land vs. newly developed land
• Upstream environmental impacts per unit (sqft or person) (non-renewable resources and land consumption [habitat destruction], rate of renewable resources consumption, solid waste, air/water emissions [ozone depletion, global warming potential, human and ecosystem toxicity, acidification, nutrification])
• Human well-being (bldg. use) (i.e., IAQ, electromagnetic fields, daylight, outside view, operable windows, human-scale buildings, noise)
• Downstream environmental impacts per unit (sqft or person) (reusability, dismantleability, recycleability, biodegradability, solid waste, air/water emissions)
• Toxicity of maintenance and cleaning materials required by exposed surfaces
• Availability of user-friendly, integrated software that merges the steps: architectural design, quantity take-off, environmental life-cycle inventory, use-phase energy calculation, and cost estimate
  
  

b) Economics

1) Lending Institutions and Building Owners

• Payback-time guidelines (i.e., time horizon, importance as decision-making tool)
• Variations in interest rates and down-payments of "green" vs. conventional projects
• Incorporation of hidden benefits into project budget/full cost accounting (e.g., energy and water savings, productivity gains, reduced absenteeism, reduced costs for landfilling and handling/transportation/storage of regulated materials)
• Availability of Grants
• Availability of insurance/warranties for new approaches/technologies/materials

2) Lender and Planner

• Possibility of recouping the higher initial investments costs from bldg. owner
• Standardization/guidelines for calculation of life-time cost savings, including reclamation value of materials
• Energy modeling as an integral part of the project budget
• Use of a performance-based fee structure for architects/planners
• Translation of all GB benefits into Dollar values

3.) State or Federal Government, and Public Utility Commission (?)

• External social/environmental costs of energy, pollution, materials and land consumption included in prices
• Availability of tax incentives for "sustainable" building practices
• Existence and level of federal/state subsidies for environmentally damaging industries
• Availability of low-interest loans for "sustainable" building projects
• Utility rates for power fed back into grid, coming from renewable sources (other costs)
• Demand-Side-Management investment tax brakes
• Price structure for energy consumers (power, NG, oil); progressive vs. regressive
  
  

c) Code Requirements

• Maximum levels of:

1. annual air emissions (by HVAC, lighting, plug loads etc.) (note the focus on emission, not on R-values or energy consumption)
2. Indoor Pollution
3. Embodied energy and resource consumption
4. Recycleability (including disassembleability, reusability)

• Regional planning issues (e.g., provisions for re-development of lots and buildings, provision of parking vs. public transportation access/bike racks)
• Requirement for life-cycle assessments and life-cycle costing
• "Green" approaches to sanitary/public hygiene issues (compost toilets, biological on-site waste water treatment)
• Prescriptive vs. performance codes
• Building permits including environmental performance requirements
• "Adequate" protection of workers throughout entire chain of product life (raw material extraction, processing, building construction, maintenance, deconstruction, transportation, recycling)
  
  

d) Organizational Conditions

1) Owner/Architecture Firm/Contractor

• Environmental issues addressed in design and construction specifications
• Existence of performance-based design criteria and architects fees (common guidelines?)
• Ownership clarified for dismantled materials
• Management tools that support an integrated design team process
• Whole-systems design approach start at programming phase (e.g., design charrettes with building owner and users, architects, engineers, contractors)
• Commissioning and post occupancy monitoring with the designers on the team
• Performance contracting for lighting, acceptable "thermal conditions", energy generation, office furniture, and/or flooring
• Upper-level administration commitment to Sustainable Buildings (e.g., environmental goals statement, allocation of resources, outside promotion)

2) Local, State and Federal Governments

• Regulatory requirements to build "green" (e.g., ordinances re environmental performance of buildings, emissions trading)
• Financial incentives to build "green" (e.g., tax incentives, inclusion of external costs, grants, loans)
• Regional planning issues (e.g., provisions for re-development of lots and buildings, provision of parking vs. public transportation access/bike racks)
• Regulatory and financial incentives to expand re-manufacturing and recycling industry
• "Adequate" protection of workers throughout entire chain of product life (raw material extraction, processing, building construction, maintenance, deconstruction, transportation, recycling)

3) Trade Organizations

• Existence of widely accepted "testing institution" for new materials/products/technologies
• Availability of user-friendly software that merges the steps: architectural design, quantity take-off, environmental life-cycle inventory, use-phase energy calculation, and cost estimate
• Inclusion of environmental aspects in AIA and NCARB certification procedures
  
  

e) Educational Conditions

1) K-12

• Ecosystem-Human society interaction
• Outdoor education
• Environmental performance of school buildings
• Transparency of school buildings systems
• Environmental effects of energy use and renewable energy choices

2) Trade education (manufacturing, construction, demolition)

• Focus on indigenous technologies/materials
• Emphasis on energy/water/resource efficiency
• Commissioning and monitoring for quality control
• Availability of workshops on the practices and benefits of "sustainable" approaches/technologies
• Quality of work

3) Colleges/Universities

• Presence of environmental sustainability issues in curriculums (architecture, business, engineering, policy, economy, urban planning)
• Transparency of environmental performance of campus facilities, and explicit use for educational purposes

4) Commissioning and Maintenance Force

• Education on the environmental impact of their work and systems
• Availability of continuing education programs (new technologies)

5) Building Users

• Level of knowledge about equipment operation
• Instruction "intensity" about environmental impacts of building systems
• Existence of informational programs (e.g., public service announcements) to inform the public about Sustainability/built environment issues

6) Building Owners

• Existence of programs to educate them about the environmental impacts/cost relationship
• Existence of educational programs on the availability and desirability of "green" technologies/design strategies, in order to demand them from designers
• General level of interest in Sustainability issues
• Awareness of, and ability to quantify hidden benefits of "greener" project budgets (e.g., energy and water savings, productivity gains, reduced absenteeism, reduced costs for landfilling and handling/transportation/storage of regulated materials, longer product life)

7) Architects/Designers/Planners

• Continuing education programs about:

1. building-related environmental impacts
2. new "greener" technologies/approaches/materials and code requirements
3. IAQ, electromagnetic fields, and other well-being issues (e.g., daylight, outside view, operable windows, human-scale buildings, noise)
4. integrated design software
5. performance based contracts
6. commissioning and monitoring

• Public appreciation of designer's "greening" efforts (e.g., Green Project of the Year, Contractor of the Year, Subcontractor, Manufacturer, Supplier, Permit Granting Agency, "Trash Hauler", Owner of the year)
  
  
  

Back to the top

Return to the CSS Homepage

E-mail: css.info@umich.edu
last revised: Nov. 29^th, 1999.