How many are going green, clients?

Energy is more expensive in Europe, so the recovery of the extra investment in green technology makes more economic sense. Anything that is paying itself back in seven years is an automatic go ahead. At ten years we discuss the technology, at 40 years it is an automatic NO (solar).

 

green building is a rapdily increasing market in boston, due to the climate its not always logical but it is becoming more popular every day, cost is very often a secondary consideration

 

My first post.

LEED's in not well known amongst the many client types here in Tennessee/USA. Any added costs these days are frowned upon despite the potential savings.

I do think a form of LEED's will emerge that doesn't have all the turn-off money issues attached.

 

I sell office furniture and have taken the LEED Green class, supposedly its getting popular, i've never had anyone ask me if i was LEED certified yet though.

edit: after re-reading your posts, one of the first things you learn in the class is that a leed green certified building does not cost more than a non-green building. Seems a little hard to believe, but thats what they say :shrugs:

 

I recently did a building for a large corporation that achieved a LEED Gold certification. The client's analysis determined that the premium for the hard costs of the project, when compared with one of their "standard" buildings, was on the order of 10 to 11 percent. It is important to note that this does NOT include soft costs like architectural and engineering fees. I assure you that the cost of all the endless dithering with the USGBC is significant. Achieving LEED certification does come with a premium. Do not believe otherwise.

 

yea im sure that all the usgbc/leed books i have are stretching the truth a bit so that you actually go that route and try to be certified, but youre right i think its pretty silly to think that there wont be a premium


quick funny story...a building that was being built trying to acheive gold had installed bike racks outside and showers inside for employees to rinse off after riding to work...I THINK the requirement for the credit was enough covered bicycle storage for 15or20% of employees and a shower for every 7 or 8 bicyclists...whatever it is, seems easy to acheive...they installed 11 instead of 12 racks or something along those lines, was too late to change the design and they lost out on the credit..spent all this money onthe showers etc and didnt even get the credit! there were other stories about having technically enough showers based on employees but getting screwed because of some being men's some being women's showers and the amount of cyclists didnt equate to the same ratio ...theyre strict!

 

The USGBC has ballooned from a well-meaning, not-for-profit entity that recognized projects which went above and beyond the norm in terms of environmental reponsibility, to what is now a "big business" nfp that is morphing close to being a regulatory agency. I don't believe that's a good thing. I tell my clients that I would rather design them an environmentally responsible building (I never use the term "green" or "sustainable", as I think those words are so over-used and cliche that they are meaningless) and NOT submit it for LEED certification. They can save the cost of the LEED process and invest it in more technology for their building. A budget that would have funded a LEED silver building might well fund construction of a project designed to LEED gold standards. It's the project, not the "plaque" that counts.

 

I have designed an office building through a building managment company / owner's agent recently that is intended to be LEEDs certified. Because they do not want to build for 3-4 years and not get the building certified for at least a few years I am not sure how this will play out. Oddly (and unknowingly), the real land owner is another Fchatter. It is not a huge project, but a nice 3 story 55k s.f. office building in suburban West Palm Beach.

BT

 

One thing I find in the Convention and Hospitality market is that Owners are considering LEED as a marketing opportunity. Finding that most meeting planners are somewhere in their impressionable 20's and early 30s, a facility with a LEED certification of some level vs one without may make a difference in where a company decides to hold their meetings and events. Our company has completed 23 projects from Certified to Gold, and it is discussed on nearly every RFP by inquisitive Owners.

 

so true - good point