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By Christopher Lamberth We all are experiencing a shift in the paradigm of environmental awareness, behavior and action. Corporations, manufacturers, consumers and municipalities have been turning green or at least exploring, investing in or adapting various green initiatives. Keeping with this growing trend, the IAAM Stadium Committee has been planning for this year’s International Stadium Management Conference (ISMC) in St. Louis with a green theme focused on eco-friendly and sustainable practices. Sustainable operating and maintenance practices are an integral part of running greener, more environmentally conscious facilities. Green building issues and how to apply them can be complex. Covering the complete spectrum of green design would be overwhelming. The goal is to raise the IAAM community’s awareness about the efforts of the architectural, engineering and construction professions to champion the green cause and implement ways to design, build and operate in an eco-friendly and sustainable way. Keeping to the basics, here is some background from a designer’s perspective. The Stats The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) reports that in the U.S. alone, buildings account for 65 percent of electricity consumption, 36 percent of energy use, 30 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, 30 percent of raw materials use, 30 percent of waste output (136 million tons annually) and 12 percent of portable water consumption. Over the last few years, we’ve seen a dramatic increase in new commercial, industrial and residential green buildings that aim to reduce these amounts. Between 2003 and 2007, the increase in the number of cities in the U.S. with green building programs rose more than 400 percent, as cited by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) “Local Leaders Report.” The USGBC also notes that the domestic market of green building products and services nearly doubled from $7 billion annually in 2005 to $16 billion in 2007. That initial figure is expected to increase to $60 billion by 2010. In that same year, it is estimated that 10 percent of all construction projects will be green. A Set of Standards Unfortunately, we have only had a handful of large-scale certified green public assembly facilities. Recent ly, the Medlar Field at Lubrano Park ballpark at Penn State University became a certified green stadium. This year, expect to see the high-profile Washington, D.C., ballpark join the ranks. And more are soon to come, in part influenced by these examples. The AIA has been committed to promoting sustainable design and construction for more than 30 years. Although the AIA does not maintain a set of standards to rate green buildings, they do “support the development and use of rating systems and standards that promote the design and construction of communities and buildings that contribute to a sustainable future.” The most recognized standards currently used for measuring and certifying green buildings are set by the USGBC. Founded in 1983, the USGBC is a nonprofit organization made up of professionals and organizations within the building industry. Their Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system, first released in 1999, seeks to define what makes a building green. Since the program’s inception, buildings that are LEED-certified have been built in 50 states and 41 countries. LEED provides universally understood and accepted tools and performance criteria to qualify a green building and quantify the level of sustainability. The LEED rating system is based on an accumulation of 69 possible points, or “credits,” and seven prerequisites in six detailed categories that apply to a tiered certification with four levels from lowest to highest: Certified, Silver, Gold and Plati - num. The categories include sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, and innovation and design process. It requires rigid standards to be used not only by designers but manufacturers, suppliers and builders as well. Planning Ahead To be eligible to achieve any level of certification, you need to enlist architects, engineers and contractors that are also LEED Accredited Professionals (AP). The LEED AP can navigate the prerequisite, application, review and certification process. It all should start before any building begins and follow through from planning, design, construction and commissioning phases. The independent third-party certification process is detailed. Results are not known until after all phases are complete and verified category thresholds have been met. Building green currently involves certain first-cost premiums. These premiums vary regionally and are typically offset as the ROI in operating savings and reduced impact to the environment in shorter cycles. However, in reaching any LEED rating, you are making a statement to your community at large that you have achieved your environmental goals. The positive marketing and economic potential can be leveraged in several ways. LEED certification can be used as a good PR tool or make you eligible for certain environmental economic incentives at the state and local level. If you are interested in finding out about potential LEED certification for your facility, visit www.usgbc.org. fm Christopher Lamberth, ASC AIA, LEED AP, is the sports business development manager for 360 Architecture. |
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2002-2008
International Association of Assembly Managers635 Fritz Dr. |