A new movement for "sustainable buildings" is gaining momentum in the building industry. Anchorage architects and builders are responding to a growing national awareness of how buildings affect the environment, their high costs of operation and the need for buildings to be occupant friendly.
Sustainable in this sense means designing and constructing buildings using fewer resources, operating more economically with greater energy efficiency and being healthier for occupants. Buildings designed with sustainability in mind are referred to as "green" buildings.
In Alaska, past development and environmental battles have given the word "green" a lot of baggage for some. Put that aside. Sustainability and green buildings have nothing to do with pro- or anti-development. Sustainability in buildings is about smart design and operation.
The need for green buildings is clearly evident when you consider the impact buildings have on the use of resources and the environment. The U.S. Green Building Council, a 14-year-old nonprofit industry group, has developed a voluntary national rating system for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings. This rating system is called LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.
According LEED research, U.S. buildings account for:
• 36 percent of total energy used and 65 percent of electricity consumption.
• 30 percent of greenhouse gas emissions.
• 30 percent of raw materials used.
• 30 percent of waste output, amounting to 136 million tons annually.
• 12 percent of potable water consumption.
Buildings with "green" characteristics help counter those statistics. Green buildings pay attention to sustainable site development, water and energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.
The good news: Green buildings make business sense, as well as environmental sense. The cost for greenness is minimal. According to a study by the construction management company Davis Langdon, green buildings bring no significant difference in average construction costs from non-green buildings. Local developers say the added cost for a green building is only about 1 percent to 2 percent of construction costs.
The long-term benefits may well outweigh any short-term costs. An October 2003 report by the California Sustainability Building Task Force states "minimal increases in up-front cost of 0-2 percent to support green design will result in life cycle savings of 20 percent of total construction cost -- more than 10 times the initial investment."
Another benefit of green design is developers think LEED certification provides a competitive advantage. Tenants may prefer a LEED-certified location to one that is not certified.
Design standards, along with the LEED rating system for green buildings, are available at www.usgbc.org. This excellent Web site provides a great deal of information about LEED project certification, professional accreditation and training, as well as other practical resources.
LEED has separate ratings for different types and aspects of buildings including new construction, commercial interiors, core and shell, operations and maintenance, and homes and neighborhoods. There are also specific applications for retail, multiple buildings, campuses, schools, health care, laboratories and lodging. The rating system has levels from certified through silver, gold and platinum, depending on how aggressively the building meets LEED requirements.
Today, more than 41 communities in North America require some sort of LEED certification for city buildings. Major cities include Atlanta, Boston, Calgary, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Phoenix, Portland, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle and Vancouver. Some communities also have LEED requirements for private development. For example, Boston requires LEED certification for all construction of more than 20,000 square feet.
Locally, at the urging of architects, builders and concerned citizens, an "Anchorage Sustainable Buildings Initiative" organization has been created. Its goal: to support a city ordinance with incentives and practices for sustainability in site and building practices. For more information e-mail info@anchorageSBI.com.
The Anchorage mayor's office is considering an ordinance to submit to the Anchorage Assembly requiring LEED certification for municipal buildings, as well as incentives for private sector development to be LEED certified.
The first LEED certified buildings in Alaska are under construction in Anchorage. These include the new wing of the Anchorage Museum of History and Art and the class A office building JL Tower at 39th Avenue and C Street.
The 188 WNL class A office and retail building under construction at C Street and Northern Lights Boulevard, while not LEED certified, is designed with green intents, according to the developer Ruby Investments.
The concept of sustainable buildings makes so much business and environmental sense that it has taken hold nationally and has a foothold in Alaska. I am sure we will see more and more green-designed buildings here, with sustainability becoming the norm and LEED-certification common. This is good news.
Chris Stephens, CCIM, is a local associate broker specializing in commercial and investment real estate. His opinion column appears every fourth Friday.
