Binghamton NY Going LEED
Binghamton joins nationwide trend to make buildings more environmentally friendly
By George Spohr
Press & Sun-Bulletin
LEED. Green design. Sustainable buildings.
They're industry buzzwords, but they're also changing the way buildings in Binghamton are engineered and designed. And with global warming regularly making headlines, a lot is riding on that shift.
John Knudson, senior principal at Bearsch Compeau Knudson Architects & Engineers in Binghamton, recalls telling his staff, "Guys, we have a role in this. We can make a difference in our little world here."
That philosophy is gaining momentum here and across the nation. At BCK, for example, management set a goal of having four professionals receive the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) accreditation. It has 12. In 2002, there were 2,443 LEED accredited professionals nationally. Now there are 39,636.
What's the appeal?
Philippe Dordai, an expert on sustainable design at RMJM Hillier of New Jersey, one of the nation's largest architectural firms, said he's seen a "snowball effect" borne of a heightened awareness of environmental issues -- and an ability for businesses to save money by incorporating green principles into their buildings.
"I don't think it's unique to Binghamton," Dordai said. "Depending on who the client is, there's certainly always an element of it being the right thing to do, but probably more so, there's an element of economic sense here. I think the green building movement, and especially LEED, has been smart about positioning itself as a way of saving money.
"I think that, to be really blunt, the money-saving side is the greater motivator, and, along with it, you get some brownie points in terms of being a better citizen," he said.
For some clients, being a better citizen is the selling point, said Chris Kopec, BCK's director of sustainable design.
"People are really starting to realize the impact that these buildings that we design have on the environment," he said. "We, as architects and engineers, really are just seeing the opportunity there that something needs to be done, and we're in a great position, just by our profession, to make a significant change."
Kopec said his research shows that buildings account for:
* 40 percent of the nation's energy usage.
* 30 percent of the nation's raw materials.
* 15 percent of the nation's water usage.
BCK is on track to deliver Greater Binghamton's first LEED certified building with the Jennie F. Snapp Middle School in Endicott. And in Ithaca, several buildings have been LEED certified. Certified buildings maximize energy efficiency and are designed to be as environmentally sound as possible.
"For the building industry, becoming an accredited professional encourages and promotes a higher understanding of LEED and supports (our) mission of transforming the built environment," said Ashley Katz, a U.S. Green Building Council spokeswoman.
Kopec said green designed projects are often more cost-effective than traditionally designed projects. Even projects that don't meet LEED standards can be built to higher environmental standards.
"There are some minor administrative additional costs with the LEED certification itself, but just in the sustainable design portion of it? It really depends," he said. "You can take this to an extreme and it could cost additional money, but the way we approach it is we have a set budget on these projects. ... Ultimately, when done successfully, this can save the owner costs on their municipal waste, as well as the electrical cost itself."
In Binghamton, many projects are "adaptive reuse" ventures -- projects that, unlike new construction, involve using an existing building and adapting it to new uses. That lends itself well to environmentally sound projects, sometimes more so than new buildings, Dordai said.
"The most sustainable thing you can do is reuse an old building," he said. "In fact, there are a number of credits in LEED that reward you for placing buildings in higher-density areas. One of the great advantages of building in an urban-renewal area is all of the infrastructure is already there. You just tap into them.
"Most cities, like Trenton (N.J.) or Binghamton, probably have a wealth of infrastructure that really isn't being used," he added. "Those cities grew and then they shrank. From a sustainability point of view, it's tremendously advantageous to work in denser communities. To build in a place where people can take mass transit to work. To build in a place where people can even walk to work."
Knudson said all of his firm's projects are built with green design in mind -- even those that won't qualify for LEED certification.
"While LEED is what we're following right now, and what we're going after in the Union-Endicott project, the importance of the strategies and practices in sustainable design are carried through in all our projects," he said.
By George Spohr
Press & Sun-Bulletin
LEED. Green design. Sustainable buildings.
They're industry buzzwords, but they're also changing the way buildings in Binghamton are engineered and designed. And with global warming regularly making headlines, a lot is riding on that shift.
John Knudson, senior principal at Bearsch Compeau Knudson Architects & Engineers in Binghamton, recalls telling his staff, "Guys, we have a role in this. We can make a difference in our little world here."
That philosophy is gaining momentum here and across the nation. At BCK, for example, management set a goal of having four professionals receive the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) accreditation. It has 12. In 2002, there were 2,443 LEED accredited professionals nationally. Now there are 39,636.
What's the appeal?
Philippe Dordai, an expert on sustainable design at RMJM Hillier of New Jersey, one of the nation's largest architectural firms, said he's seen a "snowball effect" borne of a heightened awareness of environmental issues -- and an ability for businesses to save money by incorporating green principles into their buildings.
"I don't think it's unique to Binghamton," Dordai said. "Depending on who the client is, there's certainly always an element of it being the right thing to do, but probably more so, there's an element of economic sense here. I think the green building movement, and especially LEED, has been smart about positioning itself as a way of saving money.
"I think that, to be really blunt, the money-saving side is the greater motivator, and, along with it, you get some brownie points in terms of being a better citizen," he said.
For some clients, being a better citizen is the selling point, said Chris Kopec, BCK's director of sustainable design.
"People are really starting to realize the impact that these buildings that we design have on the environment," he said. "We, as architects and engineers, really are just seeing the opportunity there that something needs to be done, and we're in a great position, just by our profession, to make a significant change."
Kopec said his research shows that buildings account for:
* 40 percent of the nation's energy usage.
* 30 percent of the nation's raw materials.
* 15 percent of the nation's water usage.
BCK is on track to deliver Greater Binghamton's first LEED certified building with the Jennie F. Snapp Middle School in Endicott. And in Ithaca, several buildings have been LEED certified. Certified buildings maximize energy efficiency and are designed to be as environmentally sound as possible.
"For the building industry, becoming an accredited professional encourages and promotes a higher understanding of LEED and supports (our) mission of transforming the built environment," said Ashley Katz, a U.S. Green Building Council spokeswoman.
Kopec said green designed projects are often more cost-effective than traditionally designed projects. Even projects that don't meet LEED standards can be built to higher environmental standards.
"There are some minor administrative additional costs with the LEED certification itself, but just in the sustainable design portion of it? It really depends," he said. "You can take this to an extreme and it could cost additional money, but the way we approach it is we have a set budget on these projects. ... Ultimately, when done successfully, this can save the owner costs on their municipal waste, as well as the electrical cost itself."
In Binghamton, many projects are "adaptive reuse" ventures -- projects that, unlike new construction, involve using an existing building and adapting it to new uses. That lends itself well to environmentally sound projects, sometimes more so than new buildings, Dordai said.
"The most sustainable thing you can do is reuse an old building," he said. "In fact, there are a number of credits in LEED that reward you for placing buildings in higher-density areas. One of the great advantages of building in an urban-renewal area is all of the infrastructure is already there. You just tap into them.
"Most cities, like Trenton (N.J.) or Binghamton, probably have a wealth of infrastructure that really isn't being used," he added. "Those cities grew and then they shrank. From a sustainability point of view, it's tremendously advantageous to work in denser communities. To build in a place where people can take mass transit to work. To build in a place where people can even walk to work."
Knudson said all of his firm's projects are built with green design in mind -- even those that won't qualify for LEED certification.
"While LEED is what we're following right now, and what we're going after in the Union-Endicott project, the importance of the strategies and practices in sustainable design are carried through in all our projects," he said.
Labels: article, Conserve, green design, LEED
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