LEED and Sustainable Design Principles

Understanding LEED

  • Definition of "Green Building": LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) was established to create a common standard of measurement for what constitutes a "green building."

  • Promoting Integrated Design: It advocates for integrated, whole-building design practices, encouraging collaboration among designers, builders, and clients from the outset.

  • Recognizing Environmental Leadership: LEED aims to acknowledge and reward environmental leadership within the building industry.

  • Stimulating Green Competition: It fosters competition among builders and developers to create more sustainable structures.

  • Raising Consumer Awareness: LEED works to inform consumers about the advantages of green buildings.

  • Transforming the Market: Its ultimate goal is to transform the entire building market towards more sustainable practices.

Benefits of LEED-Certified Buildings

  • Resource Efficiency: LEED-certified buildings utilize key resources more efficiently than conventional buildings constructed merely to code.

  • Healthier Environments: They provide healthier work and living spaces.

    • Improved Productivity: This contributes to higher productivity among occupants.

    • Better Health and Comfort: It also leads to enhanced health and comfort for employees and residents.

  • Societal and User Benefits: The USGBC (U.S. Green Building Council) highlights numerous benefits, including:

    • Improved air quality.

    • Improved water quality.

    • Reduced solid waste.

    • These benefits positively impact both the building users and society at large.

Costs and Returns of LEED Certification

  • Increased Upfront Costs: In some instances, LEED-certified buildings may incur higher design and construction costs due to several factors:

    • Better Building Products: Sustainable construction principles often necessitate the use of higher-quality, often more expensive, building products.

    • Demanding Details: The specific requirements for LEED certification demand more from construction crews, requiring greater precision and adherence to standards.

    • Enhanced Coordination: Closer coordination is needed among designers, builders, and clients throughout the project lifecycle.

  • Application Costs: There are specific costs associated with the certification process:

    • Registration of the project with the USGBC.

    • Hiring specialized LEED design consultants.

    • Paying fees to the necessary Commissioning Authority.

    • These costs are not incurred for non-LEED buildings.

  • Long-Term Financial Recovery: Despite initial higher costs, expenses for "green" projects, such as hospitals, can be recouped over time through:

    • Lower operational costs.

    • Increased employee productivity.

    • Enhanced marketability as a healthier building, which is particularly crucial for healthcare facilities.

ESa's Approach to Sustainable Design

  • Early Adoption: ESa (Earl Swensson Associates) incorporated sustainable, green building initiatives into its designs well before they became widespread industry trends.

  • USGBC Membership: As a member of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), ESa actively supports the creation of spaces that are:

    • Sustainable: Environmentally responsible.

    • High Performance: Optimized for efficiency and functionality.

    • Profitable: Economically viable.

    • Healthy: Beneficial for occupants' well-being.

  • Sustainability and Good Design as Synonyms: ESa views sustainability and the fundamental principles of good design as synonymous.

  • Basis for Design: These principles form the foundation for design in all ESa's projects, from:

    • Front-end Site Selection: Initial choice and evaluation of the project location.

    • Building Placement: Strategic positioning of the structure on the site.

    • Final Selection of Finishes and Furniture: The choice of all interior and exterior materials.

Benefits of Sustainable Design (According to ESa)

  • Improved Human Performance: Sustainable design aims to enhance the performance and well-being of individuals within the environment.

  • Safe, Comfortable, Stimulating Environments: It creates spaces that are safe and comfortable, yet also stimulating, thereby enriching the lives of their inhabitants.

  • Improved Patient Outcomes: In healthcare settings, such designs can lead to better patient outcomes and accelerated healing rates.

  • Significant Cost Reductions: Sustainable design results in substantial savings in various areas:

    • Utility bills.

    • Energy consumption.

    • Overall maintenance costs.

    • Reduced staff sick days.

  • Environmental Balance: It helps achieve a harmonious balance between the built environment and the natural world.

  • Good Stewardship: Sustainable design promotes responsible management of natural resources.

  • Construction Process Awareness: It raises awareness of construction processes and their impact on the surrounding environment, leading to:

    • Minimum construction waste.

  • Community Infrastructure Improvement: It contributes to enhancing a community's overall infrastructure.

  • Carbon Footprint Reduction: It helps in reducing the collective carbon footprint.

LEED Green Building Rating System

  • Synonymous with Healing Environments: "Taking the green path in architecture" is often equated with creating healing environments through:

    • Provision of healthy indoor air quality.

    • Access to nature.

    • Improved energy performance.

  • Point-Based System: The LEED Green Building Rating System awards points for adherence to guidelines across five key categories:

    • Sustainable Sites.

    • Water Efficiency.

    • Energy and Atmosphere.

    • Materials and Resources.

    • Indoor Environmental Quality.

  • Certification Levels: Four levels of certification are awarded based on the number of points accrued:

    • Certified.

    • Silver.

    • Gold.

    • Platinum.

Case Study: Rockingham Memorial Hospital (RMH)

  • Location: Harrisonburg, Virginia, situated in the pastoral Shenandoah Valley.

  • Certification: Achieved LEED-gold certification.

  • Commitment to Green: The hospital's board of directors decided early in the conceptual stage to build a new, environmentally friendly and sustainable replacement hospital and health campus.

    • This commitment aimed to make it the first LEED-certified hospital in Virginia.

  • Facility Size: The new facility spans 610,000 square feet and includes 238 beds.

  • Green Aspects and LEED Points:

    • Sophisticated HVAC System: Inherent in healthcare facilities for infection control, leading to higher air turnover than offices or schools, and garnering LEED points.

    • Visible Health-Related Aspects:

      • Bicycle racks.

      • Low-VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) paints.

    • Alternate Transportation Encouragement: RMH promoted employees using alternate transportation.

      • Installed showers for employees who bike or run to work.

  • Cost Savings through Early Planning: Harold D. Perry of ESa emphasized that early planning is the biggest cost saver.

    • On-site Recycling: RMH recycled on-site concrete barn and farmhouse foundations by crushing them into gravel for construction use.

    • Subcontractor Recycling: Subcontractors recycled nine distinct materials (metal, drywall, glass, paper, cardboard, plastic, brick and rubble, concrete, and masonry) that typically would be discarded.

    • Emissions Standard Compliance: RMH documented subcontractors' compliance with LEED emissions standards for building materials.

  • ASHRAE 90.1 Compliance and Energy Efficiency:

    • Any facility seeking LEED certification must meet or exceed the requirements of the latest version of ASHRAE 90.1, an energy guideline.

    • This guideline sets energy use thresholds for HVAC equipment, lighting, domestic hot water heating, and building envelope requirements based on climate zone.

    • Compelling Energy Strategy: The most significant energy efficiency credit was achieved by using methane gas from a nearby landfill in Rockingham County for some of the building's heating requirements.

  • Site Selection and Design:

    • The 234-acre site was chosen to maintain the pastoral setting and aid in achieving LEED certification.

    • Design Obstacle: A major design challenge was situating the building to avoid extensive excavations, instead working with the natural contours of the land.

    • Rainwater Management: Rainwater runoff is captured in a containment pond, flows into a lake, and is filtered before re-entering the ecosystem.

    • Layout and Views: The hospital's split-level public spaces capitalize on the rolling terrain, allowing patients, families, and staff to enjoy views of the Shenandoah Valley.

      • Visitors can see through the building upon entry at the first level.

  • Exterior Building Products: Products like sealants, paints, carpets, and flooring were selected based on their chemical composition to prevent pollutant emissions, meeting LEED requirements without significantly increasing costs.

  • Post-Operational Data Collection: Collecting operational data after RMH became functional was considered crucial to help other healthcare institutions pursuing LEED certification benefit from RMH's experiences.

Case Study: Cisco LifeConnections Health Center

  • Location: San Jose, California.

  • Goal: Cisco Systems aims to improve the health status of its employees.

  • Partnership: The project is undertaken with the assistance of Jain Malkin Inc.

  • Facility Size: The new health center is 24,000 square feet.

  • Cisco's Commitment: Cisco's leadership is dedicated to a wellness philosophy and the convenience of an on-campus health center for employees and their families at corporate headquarters.

  • Employee Demographics: The median age of Cisco employees is 40, meaning most of their healthcare experiences have been outpatient.

  • Center's Purpose: The goal for this new center, or clinic, is to cater to the specific healthcare needs and experiences of its employee population.