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mx2
millennium club
Joined: 18 Jan 2006
Posts: 1909
Location: Miami, Florida
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 Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2007 3:27 pm Post subject: LEED Residential |
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We're pushing for our first LEED project ona residential job...most likely just for Certification. After revewieng the tax credits (nothing to do with LEED certification) for energy effeciency, it seems the government is not really interested in residential projects. The max. $2,000 credit is chump change. The $1.80 per square foot for commercial on the other hand is something meaningful...and then there's local government incentives. Well it turns out not many local governments care much either...
Reminds me of recycling...it's cheaper to dump your garbage in the street. There's just not many tools available to inspire clients to spend up front costs and do something positive. We're trying nonetheless...let's see what happens.
mx2.5
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*Art of Architecture: The conscious use of skill and creative imagination in the production of an aesthetic building.
*Science of Architecture: The calculated use of technical skill and knowledge in the construction of a functional building. |
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joelmckellar
Joined: 31 May 2006
Posts: 80
Location: Charleston, SC
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| Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 12:21 pm Post subject: |
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Sounds like the problem is that you're looking for external incentives when the incentives are built into the LEED program itself. Think LIFECYCLE! A few things to consider:
1. Operating costs: Lower for water and energy. Look for the best payback periods. While solar PV may not be in the cards (20 year payback typical even with incentives), solar hot water can be much more reasonable (about 5 years, as all it really is is a black box with tubes of water in it).
2. First Cost Savings. I've heard (though still don't totally believe and have yet to see numbers) of first cost HVAC savings due to superior insulation requiring significantly reduced tonnage requirements. Even if there weren't really first cost savings, you can bet that the payback would be rather quick. In addition to increased efficiency, we were able to argue for reduced impact fees (on a LEED-CI project) based on our water savings calculations, even though no such legislation existed. We just negotiated the cost with the city.
4. Energy Efficient Mortgages. Less points on a green home. http://money.cnn.com/2005/11/02/real_estate/green_mortgages/
5. Healthy Environments: A large portion of LEED (in fact, the entire Indoor Environmental Quality category) has nothing to do with environmental friendliness or energy efficiency, but instead focus on providing a superior environment from a comfort and air quality standpoint. A LEED building in this respect is a healthier more productive building due to access to natural light, better IAQ, and more rigorous thermal comfort standards. Think "It's good for the children". One caveat: be VERY careful in the claims you make to the client, and/or the claims the developer makes to potential buyers. We have seen a number of articles/case reports of green claims gone wrong. DON'T say things like, "Your home will make your child less likely to get sick." (ESPECIALLY IN A CONTRACT!), but rather "Your home has used low VOC paints and adhesives and increased ventilation which help to improve IAQ."
6. Increased marketability. Green home developments are still new enough to warrant news coverage at the local level, especially when LEED certified. A LEED certified distribution warehouse for a local retailer recently received coverage in our local business journal, main local paper, and our local alternative paper, twice. When was the last time you saw any coverage of any distribution warehouse ever. Same caveat as before though, don't promise anything you can't control, in person or in contract. If you promised a fully leased condo and that doesn't happen because of a bad market, guess who the developer will come for first?
http://www.halfmoonoutfitters.com/halfmoon/dept.asp?s%5Fid=0&dept%5Fid=100000
I could go on...
_________________
Joel McKellar, LEED AP
http://www.reallifeleed.com/ |
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mx2
millennium club
Joined: 18 Jan 2006
Posts: 1909
Location: Miami, Florida
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| Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 4:53 pm Post subject: |
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Excellent response Joel, thanks. I like the way you think and your ideas are very good. I will certainly use them and in fact, if you don't mind, copy your message to others in the office. I'm facing a larger problem getting this off the ground in that we began considering this project for LEED very late in the process (mid-CD's) and it's taking too long to get everyone on board. But I'm still trying...and if it's not this one, then the next project.
mx2.5
_________________
*Art of Architecture: The conscious use of skill and creative imagination in the production of an aesthetic building.
*Science of Architecture: The calculated use of technical skill and knowledge in the construction of a functional building. |
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gleearch
Joined: 07 Jul 2005
Posts: 185
Location: Oakland, CA , USA
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| Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 5:23 pm Post subject: |
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I agree. Joel makes good points.
It's not uncommon to have projects that are in CDs to suddenly desire to go LEED. It happens all too often.
If LEED is considered from the get go and everyone is committed to it and all the design elements are integrated carefully, the first costs savings are significant and has been shown in recent LEED platinum projects in Oregon, there are no premiums for hard costs compared to traditional construction. So no upcharge but plenty of savings over the long haul.
The problem is when a project decides to go for LEED in CDs.
Well there's no integrated design and all everyone is trying to do at that point is to see how many points they can get within reason. Normally there isn't much costs savings because nothing is working of another. Many of the LEED credits actually can feed off each other rather well. Some systems, materials or assemblies can get multiple points.
However, it really isn't that hard to hit LEED certified. It's actually too easy and most buildings tend to be more than halfway there. Just make sure you are scoring way more points than the minimum because you are not going to get everyone of them.
Get the project registered asap and fill out the scorecard. The scorecard helps you understand where you stand and what each team members needs to do. Get the entire team to a LEED meeting and get everyone to commit to the credits they believe they can hit. Then work on the maybes. Forget anything they say they cannot make and move on. Revisit credits if you suspect you could make some easily even though they are kicking up a fuss and if you really do need those points.
Remember that some credits have smaller up front costs than others. Some hardly any at all. Get the GC to be on board and get him to commit some of his subs.
There are some GCs out there who have been diverting waste from landfills on their own and without knowing about LEED. I have met a few and typically they already are doing many of the things you can score well in like IAQ management during construction, etc.
You will lose out on some efficiencies like additional commissioning because you are already in CDs. Pay close attention to substitutions and the language in your spec that covers it. Especially if you are going for VOCs, recycled, or regional. If you don't check the substitutions carefully or if you forget to ensure that anything they sub meets the same LEED criteria, you will find that you shot yourself in the foot.
Don't waste all that effort by not checking your project manual intent.
Try to get the relevant LEED reference guide if you can. Since the different LEED categories (NC, CS, CI, EB etc) have variations. Small but enough to make a difference.
Good luck.
_________________
Gerard Lee Architects
http://www.gleearchitects.com
San Francisco bay area, Oakland, CA based sustainable architecture & planning firm specializing in residential, education, commercial, community & civic projects. |
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joelmckellar
Joined: 31 May 2006
Posts: 80
Location: Charleston, SC
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| Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2007 5:23 am Post subject: |
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Going for LEED in CD's is going to yield more trouble than benefits. If I were you I'd consider not going LEED but still implementing whatever green/IEQ benefits you can fit in. There are plenty of sustainable buildings that are not certified. Many of the requirments in LEED are things we should be doing anyway.
I'm all for certification, but understand you're adding significant spec, drawing and documentation requirments late in the game (easily in the hundreds of hours). If you don't have a LEED fee in your contract, I would definitely have a discussion with the client about additional services fees.
_________________
Joel McKellar, LEED AP
http://www.reallifeleed.com/ |
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mx2
millennium club
Joined: 18 Jan 2006
Posts: 1909
Location: Miami, Florida
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| Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2007 8:10 pm Post subject: |
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sorry guys...got slammed...anyway, thanks for some surprisingly great responses with so many clear and interesting ideas and suggestions. I have come to my first experience with the conclusion that it is indeed a process that must begin early in the design process. I have to report by saying the latest twist and turn is that the project has been pushed (by others) towards energy-efficiency tax credits and now completely avoiding LEED certification because the client actualy wants to remain anonymous and quiet. As odd as that sounds, what they want is a savings while not becoming one of the first LEED projects in our region...
...so close.
damn.
well, at least they are considering the bigger picture...energy efficiency. That's worth something...
mx2.5
_________________
*Art of Architecture: The conscious use of skill and creative imagination in the production of an aesthetic building.
*Science of Architecture: The calculated use of technical skill and knowledge in the construction of a functional building. |
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gleearch
Joined: 07 Jul 2005
Posts: 185
Location: Oakland, CA , USA
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| Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2007 5:27 pm Post subject: |
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It may not be a total loss.
You can tell the client that there are still some things you can do to follow leed guidelines but not go for the certification.
Once clients see the fee proposals for doing the paperwork, they tend to blanch. However you can suggest using the guidelines for some of the design work. It's what many call the low hanging fruit because many of the credits can be achieved with minimal costs.
It's a good exercise for you and the client. Use the scorecard and go through it. It helps educate them and you at the same time. Makes the project far more interesting and you might actually get some of it implemented.
They can still say they have implemented a number of green strategies in their home.
It's worth a shot.
_________________
Gerard Lee Architects
http://www.gleearchitects.com
San Francisco bay area, Oakland, CA based sustainable architecture & planning firm specializing in residential, education, commercial, community & civic projects. |
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mx2
millennium club
Joined: 18 Jan 2006
Posts: 1909
Location: Miami, Florida
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| Posted: Fri Jul 27, 2007 10:31 am Post subject: |
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we decided to spec green products and require manufacturer certification statements for which the client will certainly get a maximum $500 tax credit. It's a no brainer...but I like your idea of using the score card anyway as a good lesson for us. We're going to implement "green" in all that we can and not sweat it in the end. Client hopes to get a "green mortgage" which apparantly can save up to 15% off the mortgage, if they qualify. But this "program" if very vague...either way, it's been a rough start but a start nonetheless.
mx2.5
_________________
*Art of Architecture: The conscious use of skill and creative imagination in the production of an aesthetic building.
*Science of Architecture: The calculated use of technical skill and knowledge in the construction of a functional building. |
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