Green to the Core

"We are green to the core.  BRIT lives our commitment to long-term sustainability - beginning with our building." - cover of BRIT brochure

The Botanical Research Institute of Texas (BRIT) has just opened its new facility in Fort Worth next to the Fort Worth Botanical Gardens and in a word - WOW!  They are seeking platinum level LEED certification, "the highest level of green" and have done an impressive job of creating a beautiful facility that meets their needs while accomplishing this goal of sustainability.  Their dedication to preserving our natural world is complimented by their commitment to educating the public on how they can contribute to this global initiative.

Richard Smart, Head of Public Programs at BRIT, gave us an after-hours tour of their new campus.  His enthusiasm was contagious and the pride he felt in being part of this project was evident throughout the presentation.  Here is a quick (and incomplete) look at the sustainable qualities of this new facility:


Entrance and vegetative roof

 Water: Water conservation and use is a core element of BRIT's sustainable mindset.  From its two 5,000 gallon cisterns to store runoff water to pervious walkways, BRIT has looked for ways to minimize runoff and create opportunities for rain water to soak back into the earth.  They have incorporated bioswales into their landscaping and installed low to no water usage fixtures in their bathrooms.  One of the greatest water conservation qualities is the vegetative roof, made up of native plants and offering a research laboratory as well as helping to cool the building and reduce run-off.   The hope is that the irrigation will be operated exclusively using run-off and bioswale water and that the green roof in essence erases the footprint of their education building. 

Energy:  BRIT has looked for ways to both reduce their energy use as well as harness renewable energy.  The use of natural light, light harvesting sensors, and motion detectors minimize the use of light in the building.  They have also built a geothermal system that should reduce their heating and cooling energy use by over 50%.  Solar tubes on the roof of the archive building collect solar energy from 360 degrees, maximizing the sun's energy for use on the campus.



sinker cypress wall



Sustainable Material:  BRIT's commitment to sustainable building extends to the materials they selected - looking for recycled, reclaimed, or sustainably farmed materials whenever possible.  The result is a beautiful blend of natural products such as sinker cypress, bamboo ceilings, and wool carpet combined with rubber-based floors made from recycled tennis shoes and tires.  BRIT also used over 20% recycled materials such as steel and ceiling tiles made from recycled sheetrock and recycled over 90% of the materials from the existing building, substantially reducing their contribution to area landfills.

Extra Touches:  One of the things that make this building so special is that BRIT looked for ways to go beyond.  The outdoor theater/meeting place is built using area rocks stacked in geologic order, creating a wonderful learning opportunity on the history of Fort Worth soil.   Wires on the sides of their archive building will help vines grow into a vertical garden and aide in the cooling of the building and provide a visible reminder of the importance of blending with environment.  The learning opportunities in the form of exhibits and classrooms include the treehouse room that showcases a 100+ year oak tree they saved during construction.  BRIT has also created wonderful literature not only sharing when they did to be sustainable, but challenging visitors to seek answers to the question "What can I do?"

The new BRIT campus is amazing and it will come as no surprise that it was also very expensive.  At $45 million for 70,000 square feet it represents a standard out of reach of most individuals and organizations.  The encouraging thing is that this project was financed by people who believe in sustainability and the work of BRIT.  While many donations were substantial, there were no doubt many people who contributed $10 or $25 to this initiative as a way to be part of something significant. . . and beautiful.

LEEDing Edge

U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), founded the organization Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) in 2000 to help meet the growing demand for an ongoing definition and standard for "green" buildings.  While there are many ways to "go green", LEED certification seems to hold the most consistent, credible, and recognized standards, particularly in commercial real estate.  Determining what, if any, certification you want to achieve is one of the earliest steps of a sustainable project. While many of the expectations are the same across different certifications usch as EnergyStar and NAHB, the fact that the government has chosen LEED certification for its buildings gives it an added level of integrity.  One of the most important considerations when undertaking a sustainable project is having all of the many parties involved in the construction or retrofit project ready and able to communicate.  LEED Associated Professionals are educated in terminology and standards that are cutting edge in the industry.

 Beyond training, accreditation, and certification, the USGBC offers the important element of community.  The annual GREENBUILD conference allows professionals the opportunity to learn and teach their peers on the ever-expanding green initiative while spending time with people who share a common goal: sustanability. 

Green is Growing

The green building initiative is growing and as a result green support businesses are sprouting up everywhere.  Here is a look at a few:

Green Commissioning: Commissioning is the process by which someone makes sure the end product of a project (in this case a building) performs the way it was intended it to.  It comes from the historical process of commissioning a ship and allows someone to take their project from idea to reality.  This is not just for new construction, but it is also a growing trend with retrofits.

Green Project Profitability:  One of the challenges with selling green buildings and retrofits is monetizing the potential profit or gain.  While most people agree that the intangible benefits of sustainability are important, there need to be economic incentives for the initial investment.  While initial payback in the form of reduced energy bills is one way to determine profitability, the challenge is gathering enough data to support the long term gains.

Green Lending:  Lending institutions, such as E3 Bank,  that focus on green or sustainable projects are faced with the challenges of monetizing profitability if they choose to qualify projects in a traditional manner.  Currently public funding in the form of grants and refunds is a primary financial source.  Hopefully, as we gather more information about the long term benefits of sustainable construction, there will be increased benefits to property owners, companies, and builders seeking loans for sustainable construction

Interior of a green office building

in Cambridge, MA.

(image: greenbuildingelements.com)


Green Insurance:  There is no question that green buildings are unique and, as a result, they present a unique insurance challenge.  A few insurance companies, such as Fireman's and Traveler's, offer green insurance.  These policies take into account the added expense of green buildings as well as the need to replace them up to current sustainability in the event of a disaster, even offering LEED certified claims adjusters.

 

Green Leasing:  Once the property owner has invested in constructing or retrofitting a green building, policies need to be in place to help insure the building operation supports and maintains its green status.  Enter the green lease.  This lease addresses everything from specific finish out materials to mandating recycling.  As the number of green buildings increase, so will the need to allow property owners to have leases in place that support this initiative.

LEED standards provide guidelines for construction and consistent and credible benchmarks for other support industries and businesses.  Sustainability is here to stay in the building industry.  As the inventory of green buildings increases, companies that have positioned themselves to meet these changing needs will thrive. 

It's Not Easy Going Green

Most people who think about green buildings think about new, modern, cutting-edge construction, but what about the thousands of buildings (about 98% of the buildings in developed countries) that are already built?  If this green initiative is going to have any significant impact on our planet, we can't just look to future buildings - we have to be ready to update exisiting buildings. This is where retrofitting comes into the picture.  By taking existing buildings and updating them with green features, we are able to impact the future today.  The two main goals of retrofitting are to reduce energy use and to minimize the production of greenhouse gasses (GHGs) - the nasty stuff that is a huge contributor to global warming. 



Rendering of Sears Tower rooftop (NYTimes.com)

 Retrofitting seems like a great idea - and it is - but it comes with its own challenges.  The primary concern is the expense.  This is combined with the diffculty in calculating the benefits (saving $$ on energy bills) and a sense that you have to do it big or not at all, causing many property owners to stop before they start.  While there are several major retrofitting projects such as the Empire State Building, Sears Tower, and Sydney Opera House, these high-profile multi-million dollar projects seem to perpetuate this idea that there is no room for smaller updates.  Nothing could be further from the truth. There are many things that a property owner can do to help retrofit their building that are of minimal cost.  Simple things like using compact flourescent light bulbs, insulating behind heaters, reducing water use all play a role in helping to improve the energy efficiency of a building.  While LEED Certification is a wonderful goal, we all need to get comfortable with the idea that this is a work in progress.  Every little thing we can do that moves us toward a mindset of sustainability is a good thing.  It may not be easy going green, but there is little question that it is worth the effort.