Interior Design and Construction Goes Green!
By Charlie Popeck

L.E.E.D. for Commercial Interiors (L.E.E.D.-CI) is yet another L.E.E.D. program that has recently been approved by the members of the U.S. Green Building Council.

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This program concentrates on the design and construction of sustainable tenant space and addresses the overall performance of a tenent improvement project by providing a guideline for design and construction that will result in a healthy, energy and water efficient project. The program can be used to certify tenant improvement projects whether or not the space is located within a L.E.E.D. certified building.

In addition to the hard-dollar benefits of a Green Building, such as reduced operating, maintenance and utility costs, the L.E.E.D.-CI program provides other important benefits like improved employee productivity. The annualized cost for personnel in a typical office situation is about $200 a sq. ft. versus $20 a sq. ft. for construction costs and $2 a sq. ft.. for energy costs. I refer to this as the "200-20-2 Rule".

The highest cost of owning and operating a business is the salaries that are paid to the people working in the building - not construction costs. Obviously, anything that can be done to improve the productivity of workers will provide long-term, tangible and measurable financial benefits to the company.

L.E.E.D.-CI is organized into the same six categories as L.E.E.D. for New Construction, but the point distribution is weighted more heavily on interior components. Some of the items included in this green building rating system for interiors include:

Selection of sustainable tenant space points can be earned by selecting to pursue a tenent improvement project in a L.E.E.D.-NC certified building, by developing a project in a building that is located on a remediated brownfield site, and by controlling the stormwater runoff from the site.

Water efficiency and usage within the space is accomplished through implementation of typical strategies like waterless urinals, low-flow or dual-flush toilets and use of low-flow fixtures throughout the building.

Energy performance optimization is highlighted in all of the L.E.E.D. programs, and L.E.E.D.-CI is no exception. Specific strategies that are typically integrated in the energy area include daylighting, low-level lighting and lighting controls. As always, building commissioning is one of the requirements, as is eliminating the use of CFC refrigerants in the HVAC and refrigeration systems. Performing a computer-generated energy model analysis, also required, will determine how energy efficient the building design is, and offers the opportunity to make cost-effective improvements in the pre-construction stage.

Effective resource utilization is encouraged through used of new building materials that include recycled content, integrating used building materials into the project, and requiring the contractor to purchase materials from within a 500-mi. radius of the project. Implementing a construction waste management program is a key component in this category also.

The market potential for L.E.E.D.-CI is 20 times larger than the very popular L.E.E.D. for New Construction program, so many new business opportunities have become available with the development of this program. There are currently 24 projects that have been certified throughout the United States, with over 100 additional projects registered. Because of the large market potential, many interior design firms, tenant improvement contractors and product manufacturing firms have become interested in Green Building but are unsure how to proceed with implementing a Green Building program.

As always, education is the key to understanding this program, so please join us for Southwest Contractor's Green Building Training series being held bi-monthly in Las Vegas. We will be exploring all of the L.E.E.D. programs throughout the year, and offering suggestions for implementing Green Building into you business.

Charlie Popeck is the President of Green Ideas Environmental Building Consultants. Green Ideas specializes in helping Design, Construction and Facility Management teams to understand and implement the L.E.E.D. System into their businesses. He can be reached at 602-512-0557 or Charlie@greenideas.com.