Taking the "LEED" in Green Construction

Over the past few years, the "green" phenomenon has really taken off, resonating throughout society. That's a good thing. A way of life that all generations can experiment with, the green mentality has rooted itself in all facets of life, ranging from more energy-efficient light bulbs to hybrid automobiles. The movement is showing itself in the construction industry, and the U.S. Green Building Council is leading the way in promoting environmentally responsible construction sites with its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Building Rating System.

LEED is the benchmark for design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings. It gives building owners and operators the tools to have an immediate and measurable impact on their buildings' performance, promoting a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: Sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality.

As a member of the USGBC, our firm is dedicated to reducing the environmental impact of new construction through the LEED program. We are currently working with a number of clients in the pharmaceutical, healthcare, educational and commercial industries, who are seeking LEED certification for their projects. LEED certification, which first starts with registration of the project, evaluates each project based upon several principles:

Sustainable site planning

• Water efficiency
• Energy and atmospheric efficiency
• Conservation of materials and resources
• Indoor environmental quality
• Innovative design process

Currently, LEED has rating systems available for new construction, core and shell, commercial interiors and existing buildings and schools. And LEED rating systems for retail, neighborhood development, lodging, healthcare facilities and labs are in the development process.

Regarding green construction in New Jersey, we see the state playing catch-up to its neighbors, especially Pennsylvania, which has been a center for green construction for a few years now. As of May 2007, New Jersey had 21 LEED-certified buildings; however, many more are registered and should achieve certification in the near future. New Jersey has the infrastructure in place, especially when it comes to the recycling of construction and demolition waste, to support projects designed for LEED certification. We expect to see more healthcare and commercial buildings seek certification and future projects to be designed with certification in mind.

Significantly, in New Jersey, the education sector has significantly embraced the green mentality of construction. In 2000, the legislature passed the Educational Facilities Construction and Financing Act, which states that school facilities should incorporate maximum operating efficiencies and new technologies to advance the energy efficiency of schools and other building systems.

In 2002, the legislature took the Act a step further, creating the New Jersey Schools Construction Corp. (SCC), mandating that all new school design incorporate LEED Version 2.0 guidelines from the USGBC to achieve maximum energy efficiency and environmental sustainability. The SCC was established to manage and fully fund projects in 31 special needs districts, as well as other districts receiving 55% or more of their funding from state aid. All SCC-constructed school facilities projects in New Jersey follow LEED principles, and as of April 2007, the SCC had completed 438 projects, including 30 new schools, 26 major renovations and additions, and nearly 400 health, safety and other projects.

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