What makes a building sustainable?
by Jonathan McGaha | July 9, 2013 12:00 am
“What makes a building sustainable?” is a question people ask me all of the time, whether it is at a client meeting, a presentation or even at training workshops on sustainability. My response, framed by one of the many green building or sustainable building rating systems currently available in the market, is typically the same. “Sustainable buildings are designed to be high performance, and through their siting, orientation, design, construction and operation are highly energy-efficient, have lower operating costs, are better for the environment in broad and specific terms, and promote whole health for their users and occupants.” I have used this response so many times that it has begun to sound like nothing more than a well-rehearsed sound bite.
The sustainable building marketplace has seen many changes during the first half of 2013. The USGBC has voted on the formal use and release of the newest version of LEED, version 4. The Green Building Initiative has released its revised Green Globes tool for green building certification. The overall commercial building market is seeing growth after two-plus years of lack luster performance. Even the General Services Administration is working to find a green building certification tool that is the best fit for all government agencies. With all of this commotion, I felt it was time to examine my well-used description of a sustainable building to determine if I needed to rethink the typical response or, at the very least, revalidate the definition.
Sustainability Defined
I first turned to Merriam-Webster to find a definition of the phrase “sustainable building” and discovered there was no definition listed. There was, however, a definition of the word “sustainable,” which was described as “capable of being sustained.” Additional definitions included: “a lifestyle involving the use of sustainable methods” and “a method of harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged.” Since there was no definition offered for a “sustainable building,” I decided to think of the “sustainable” definitions in terms of buildings. The first of these definitions, “capable of being sustained,” made me think of another question: aren’t all buildings built to be sustained? We don’t construct a building just to use it once and throw it away. Yes, there are buildings built to suit one specific use, and some buildings are designed and constructed to meet the needs of the user for a certain span of time. However, even a building that is intended for limited use for a defined period of time can be sustained.
Having determined that all buildings can be sustained or maintained, I began to analyze the other two definitions offered: “a lifestyle involving the use of sustainable methods” and “a method of harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged.” I started by changing some of the words. I exchanged “lifestyle” and “harvesting” with the word “building.” This change created a tidy definition, “a building involving the use of sustainable methods.” The third definition required more than just a word change, but emerged as, “a method of building using resources so that the resources used are not depleted or permanently damaged.” The next part of the analysis involved trying to put these three definitions together in a way that could be used to explain a sustainable building. The new definition I came up with is, “A sustainable building is a building that can be maintained, and is constructed utilizing sustainable methods that include using resources so that the resources used for construction are not depleted or permanently damaged.” To complete my analysis, I had to compare the old definition with the new definition. I realized the new definition, derived from the definitions I found in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, was remarkably similar to the one that I have used for more than 10 years.
Each one of us has our own understanding as to what makes a building sustainable. Some people may expand their answers and include items such as building performance, reduced utility costs and the promotion of the health for the occupants, while there are others who feel that the definition of a sustainable building should also address accessibility, historic preservation and the future use of the building when it has completed its life for the intended first use. The definition chosen by each individual really boils down to the wise use of resources and the methods used to create a building that can sustain or be sustained over the years.
Thomas Taylor, a 30-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 stepby- step information about the LEED 2009 for New Construction process. To learn more about Vertegy or Thomas’ new book, visit www
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