Sustainability/Green

“Green” is also a term that has become widely used in relation to building technologies and generally, can refer to the environmental impact of a particular product, system, or whole building. Green labeling takes into account the entire life cycle of the building or product including sourcing materials, manufacturing, use/operation, and disposal. A building lot or site can also be considered “green,” for instance an infill lot or brownfield site or a site within walking distance to shopping, schools, and public transportation.

Several national green building programs, such as LEED, LEED for Homes, and the National Green Building Standard, have been developed.

In addition, many local green building programs, such as those in Austin, Texas, Denver, Colorado, New Mexico, and several locales in Washington State, have been created. Nearly all consist of sections related to site development, resource efficiency, energy efficiency, water efficiency, and healthy indoor air quality. A set of mandatory requirements and a series of elective guidelines are typically associated with a point system. Each program usually offers the user the option of several “tiers of green.” All these programs involve some type of third party verification that includes plan review and site inspection. Even if you are not able to have or are not interested in having your project designated by one of these programs, it can be useful to review their guidelines to get ideas for sustainable measures that may be realistic to include in your project.