The Often-Missed Opportunities of LEED
Thomas Taylor,
Posted
01/11/2012
Throughout my travels, I am often asked why people choose to
LEED certify their projects. My typical response is that there are
as many reasons why an owner may choose to certify a project as
there are certified projects. In truth, there is no one single
reason, nor is there one single good reason. The rationale one
might use may make no sense to someone else. Some owners choose to
certify for the publicity, others choose to certify as a means to
achieve some financial gain such as municipal incentives, and still
others just want to demonstrate their stewardship of the
environment. None of these reasons is any better than another.
However, even when owners have a clear motivation behind certifying
their project, they can easily miss the once-in-a-lifetime
opportunities that may lie in front of them.
Seizing the Oportunity
Vertegy recently hit a milestone by assisting in our 32nd LEED
certified facility. Working on this many successful projects in a
short six-year history is something of which my team is very proud.
This success could not have been accomplished without the faith and
support of our clients. But this piece is not about the success of
Vertegy, it is about lost opportunity! Mark Twain once said, "I was
seldom able to see an opportunity until it had ceased to be one."
In all the projects we have worked on, and in all the projects we
have had a chance to propose on, there are few in which the owners
and delivery teams fully comprehend the true opportunity associated
with pursuing LEED certification.
The opportunity that I am referring to is to change the
mentality of delivering a project from that of completing a task or
job, to delivering a building as a means to achieve something
greater than what can be created with bricks and mortar, steel and
glass. The opportunity is to use the experience of creating a
building to stand for more than what the building is and look at it
as what it might be or what it might be capable of. This sounds
philosophical or perhaps mystical, especially coming from a guy
with a hard bid construction background, but in the rare occasions
in which I have seen an owner seize this opportunity, remarkable
results occur.
An Opportunity Missed
Let me explain with an example of a project team that lost out
when they did not comprehend the opportunity they had in front of
them. I worked on a proposal with a design-build contractor for a
science and history museum. The project was still in the early
conceptual design phase and the design team was to be assigned to
the design-build contractor. During the proposal stage, the
design-build contractor asked the owner if they ever thought about
making the building itself an exhibit, as opposed to simply
creating a space to house exhibits. The owner responded that they
had not, but they were intrigued by the idea. Despite sparking the
owner's interest, the contractor that asked the question was not
successful in winning the project.
At an informal debriefing with the owner after the project had
been awarded, it was discovered that the thought of turning the
building into an exhibit was just too big of an idea, and they did
not know how to react. The owner thought if they awarded the
contract to this design-builder that they and the design team would
lose control of the project. They were not prepared to let someone
else control this project that they had spent the prior several
years raising money to build, and they were also afraid such an
idea would add to the amount of work ahead of them. It is
unfortunate that a fear of the unknown kept a team from exploring a
magnificent opportunity. There are not that many new science and
history museums being built these days, and there are even fewer in
which the building is used to teach about construction science and
the importance of sustainability. Most science museums incorporate
information on renewable energy technologies and provide examples
of how you might cut energy costs from your home expense, but few
actually use their buildings to demonstrate their definition of
sustainability. Capitalizing on this opportunity would have brought
recognition in the community, and perhaps nationally, because there
are so few museums of this type.
The Benefits of Taking the Risk
On the other side of the coin, there is the firm that wanted to
explore all the potential opportunities that came with delivering a
LEED-certified building. They went to great lengths to solicit and
incorporate ideas across each division of the company to make a
better work environment for their employees. They took advantage of
some of the LEED credits to assist them in changing the building
from a closedwalled office to an open, collaborative workspace.
From this building transformation, other initiatives sprang
forward. All Styrofoam and plastic products were removed from the
cafeteria and coffee areas and replaced with washable cups,
glasses, plates and utensils. In a joint initiative to reduce
monthly expenses on grounds maintenance while incorporating
sustainability, the owner also looked for ways to use native plants
that needed no irrigation and required only annual mowing. These
and various other achievements earned the owner a LEED
certification shortly after the project was complete.
Still More to Learn
But, for all of the success this project team enjoyed, the firm
still missed some important opportunities. While the team was busy
getting the project completed, they missed the opportunity to
educate each of the employees on what the building was all about.
They failed to communicate the message and the mission of the
structure throughout the entire organization. As a result, many
outside of the company knew more about the project than many
company insiders. While this one building was a great success, the
momentum created during the delivery of the project quickly faded
once the project was complete. Consequently, no other buildings
under the same ownership have followed this building's lead.
But, for all of the success this project team enjoyed, the firm
still missed some important opportunities. While the team was busy
getting the project completed, they missed the opportunity to
educate each of the employees on what the building was all about.
They failed to communicate the message and the mission of the
structure throughout the entire organization. As a result, many
outside of the company knew more about the project than many
company insiders. While this one building was a great success, the
momentum created during the delivery of the project quickly faded
once the project was complete. Consequently, no other buildings
under the same ownership have followed this building's lead.
Thomas Taylor, a 29-year veteran of the
construction industry and noted expert on sustainability, is the
general manager of St. Louis-based Vertegy. His recent book, "Guide
to LEED 2009: Estimating and Preconstruction Strategies," provides
step-by-step information about the LEED 2009 for New Construction
process. To learn more about Vertegy or Taylor's new book, visit
www.vertegyconsultants.com for more information.