Greening your office building
Sustainable retrofits give owners a competitive edge in a tough market
By Skip Allen, Carter & Burgess, Inc. - Phoenix

By now, most people have heard of green buildings. They can conjure up mental pictures of new, exciting buildings on the cutting edge of architectural trends complete with fabulous statistics of energy reduced, water saved and materials recycled.

But green buildings don't have to be brand-new, built-to-suit masterpieces of architectural design. The office building at the center of any busy Southwest city can remake itself green.

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Going green is a unique way for building owners and managers to reposition their property against the competition in a tight real estate market. Green or sustainable retrofits can make a property stand out, demonstrating the owner's concern not only for the health of tenants but also for the world at large. Not only do they promise to make office spaces healthier and more comfortable, but also they can also slash utility bills, paying for themselves within a few years. It's a powerful way to make an office building one of the most desirable and distinctive in town.

High performance facilities

The term "green" design can bring to mind tree-hugging approaches to building design such as straw-bale construction-techniques still so innovative commercial developers rarely consider them. However, a competing term for these buildings is "high-performance." High-performance buildings strive for maximum efficiency in energy and water use; they aim for the highest quality indoor air and light.

Both owners and tenants benefit from high-performance buildings. Owners operate them at lower cost. In fact, energy and water savings can be predicted with reasonable precision. A comprehensive review of studies of green buildings by the California Sustainable Building Task Force concluded that "a minimal upfront investment of about two percent of construction costs typically yields life cycle savings of more than ten times the initial investment."

Tenants enjoy lower lease rates because of lessened utility costs and benefit from a healthier indoor environment. Green buildings use paints and carpets that don't contain volatile organic compounds, preventing the outgassing that can cause sick building syndrome. These buildings provide increased fresh air flow, which is healthier, and use more natural light. Savvy businesses know that workers in green buildings are more productive. One study of West Bend Mutual Insurance Company in Wisconsin documented a 16 percent productivity gain due to a new green building.

Steps to make your building green

The first step in improving the performance of a building is to consider existing systems for power, lighting, heating, cooling and ventilation. One way to approach these systems is through recommissioning.

A relatively new engineering field, commissioning is the process of ensuring systems are working in accordance with original design criteria as well as providing for long-term maintenance. In new buildings, commissioning takes place immediately after construction. In recommissioning, engineers aim to get building systems up to maximum efficiency. When possible, they study system documentation to return systems to optimum setting. However, older buildings, particularly historic sites, might have no documentation at all for the patchwork of systems installed and upgraded over time. In recommissioning, engineers examine building systems to determine what settings are appropriate, what maintenance should be on-going and what improvements need to be made.

The next step in greening a building is to consider it as a whole. Techniques that reduce heat absorption are particularly important in this region, so engineers and architects pay particular attention to areas exposed to sunlight. Water use is another critical factor; new technologies are available that capture rainwater and store it for reuse for irrigation, for example. Specific building elements that are considered include: