Green Building Blog

Having worked in the HVAC optimization and wellness field for the last 15 years, I have never seen a better opportunity to have a long overdue discussion about how our mechanical systems direct and drive building wellness. The current worldwide focus on halting the spread of COVID-19 has brought this topic to a level of urgent action.

With the increasing number of catastrophic weather events over the past few years, the concept of Resilience should be top-of-mind for anyone involved in the building industry.

First it was rebuilding. Now it’s resilience. We need to be thinking about, and acting upon, what we can do now to prevent having to start over from scratch after the next 100-year flood that happens only a few years after the last one.

If steps 1, 2 and 3 are Energy Efficiency; Green Building; and High Performance, what’s next? Resiliency!

Use of the word sustainability, based on recorded mentions, skyrocketed starting in the early 1980s and has grown exponentially over the past 3 decades. In the past few weeks alone I have attended two exceptional programs on sustainability, and I see many more in the near and distant future as it becomes a hotter topic at the various green building and commercial real estate industry conferences to which I am invited.

How engineers can work better with the architect so they can design and build a more energy efficient building and better serve the client.

Energy efficiency has been the buzzword among building engineers, and many architects, for some time now. But if a new building is being constructed, added on to or renovated, energy efficiency may not be top-of-mind to the developer. Here’s why it should be, and some tips on how to incorporate energy efficiency measures that make everyone – especially the client – happy.

One of the best things you can do is start thinking about energy early on. The earlier the better! Why? Creating an energy efficient building that is also functional and aesthetically pleasing takes time. Whether or not you’re building for LEED® certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), you can build to USGBC’s guidelines for energy efficiency. Help your client understand that there are no “cookie-cutter” answers here. Each project is unique and will require its own unique solutions. It may cost a little more up front, but it will save the client money throughout the life of the building.

Traditional vs Integrated Design