Frank Fox AIA, NCARB, LEED-AP Principal Greenfield Architects Ltd Lancaster, PA

Building green helps the environment, uses resources wisely, and saves energy costs once your building is finished. However, the decision to build green has not always been that simple.
Until recently, many building owners with grand “green” intentions scaled back their plans when they reviewed the higher costs of certain green building materials and methods.

Now, technology, research, and new methods are closing the cost gap. Aided in part by government at all levels and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), resources and ideas abound to make building green more affordable.

Frank Fox, principal of Greenfield Architects Ltd., Lancaster, Pa., is one of those resources. He is LEED-AP accredited from the USGBC. His interview with Constructive Advice (C.A.) sheds light on some of the myths and facts of building green.

C.A.: What exactly does your certification mean?

FOX: LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, which is the most widely accepted Green Building Rating System™. As a benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high-performance green buildings, LEED can result in success for every building type and every stage in a building’s lifecycle. The AP stands for Accredited Professional, which an individual earns through intensive study and testing. All LEED certifications, whether for buildings or professionals, are under the USGBC’s auspices.

C.A.: Why did you pursue this certification?

FOX: As an architect, I play an important role in energy efficiency and environmentally responsible building construction. Green buildings offer many benefits to the environment, individuals, and businesses—and they require designers and builders that are experienced in green methods and materials. My certification gives our customers the confidence to make environmentally sound and cost-effective decisions regarding their projects.

C.A.: How confident are you that green building is a trend and not a fad?

FOX: Oh, it is here to stay! Government regulations are increasingly mandating various aspects of building green. For example, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and other agencies mandate that a certain percentage of their new buildings go green at some level or have LEED certification. Around the country, the number of LEED-registered projects continues to grow rapidly. Three years ago, California only had 141 registered projects; now it has 358. Pennsylvania had 66 projects in 2003; now it has 122.

Most customers today ask me how to build a greener building. With more incentives, including tax credits coming down the pipeline—not to mention greater quality of life and productivity benefits—I’m confident the green trend will continue.

C.A.: What concerns do owners have about building green?

FOX: Cost is the biggest concern. What they’ve heard from others and may have experienced themselves in the past, makes owners fearful of the costs and the process. Today, however, there are so many ways to create synergies among systems that bring costs in line. For example, spending more on wall and roof insulation to achieve higher R-values, and purchasing more costly windows with lower U-values and shading coefficeints, may reduce the size and cost of the HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning) system required for a building.
Another concern voiced by owners is payback. Too many owners focus heavily on initial construction costs, while savings from reduced energy and other operating expenses in green buildings are often long-term.

C.A.: How do you help customers understand the benefits vs. costs on systems throughout a building?

FOX: Case studies are a useful way to show how others have successfully pursued and now enjoy the benefits of building green without extravagant spending. The USGBC offers case studies and other resources that address systems and strategies for building green.

Computer modeling of a proposed building’s energy use is increasingly valuable. You can plug-in various components—at various costs—to see how they’ll affect your building. In fact, some builders who use these models are reporting actual performance that is greater than what the program predicted. While the models are not fully refined, they are becoming more accurate and sophisticated.

C.A.: Are there strategies and actions that really don’t add to the cost of a building, but bring unquestionable green benefits?

FOX: There are many ways of building green with little or no additional cost.
On a large scale, for example, you may focus on building orientation. You can orient the building and place windows to take advantage of natural light. This allows you to use less artificial light and run your HVAC systems more efficiently. A building’s orientation can also take advantage of natural ventilation that reduces the HVAC load.

On a smaller scale, owners may focus, for example, on energy-efficient lighting. Energy-efficient light bulbs, such as T-8 lamps with electronic ballasts, last longer and produce higher output than standard bulbs. Other examples include: achieving energy savings during the construction process by asking your builder to use more locally produced materials, which may also reduce shipping costs; and using low VOC-emitting (Volatile Organic Compounds) materials for products such as adhesives, sealants, paints, and coatings, which create better air quality, make occupants more comfortable, and reduce costs.

Some advantages of green building design are not easy to quantify, but should be recognized. Several studies over the last few years showed that offices and schools with good air quality and more natural light benefitted from improved worker and student productivity, fewer worker and student sick days, ease of attracting and retaining workers, and a better community image. Although quantifing these benefits is challenging, it’s an important consideration.

C.A.: Does any particular building delivery method work well in helping owners build green?

FOX: There are many opportunities to adopt environmentally friendly approaches to a project that extend beyond a building’s design. This makes the design-build method ideal. For example, under the LEED program, a builder can increase the credits earned under the Construction Waste Management category by choosing resources that will recycle or salvage at least 50 percent of construction, demolition, and land-clearing waste. The design-build process involves the collaboration of all key players on a project—the designer, the builder, and the owner—during a project’s early planning stages. During this timeframe, the team can best analyze materials, systems, and construction processes to achieve the greatest degree of efficiency and stewardship.