Editor’s note: FM Perspectives are industry op-eds. The views expressed are the authors’ and do not necessarily reflect those of Facilities Management Advisor.
In the early part of the 21st century, the LEED green building rating system was a transformative force in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry. It brought sustainable design into the mainstream and led to millions of square feet of LEED-rated construction. While the adoption of LEED has continued to rise globally, the use of LEED in the United States has plateaued. In fact, the U.S. is not ranked within the top 10 countries for LEED projects. The factors driving the slowdown are multifaceted, including the economic downturn in 2008, waning interest in sustainability among some project clients, a rising interest in net-zero energy and decarbonization, and a general level of frustration with cost and complexity of the system itself.
Furthermore, the rise of new sustainability systems like the WELL healthy building standard has forced facilities managers who seek comprehensive and holistic design solutions to pursue both LEED and WELL certifications. This has proven to be prohibitive for most project clients. Given the cost, complexity and rising confusion in the green building marketplace, many facilities managers have transitioned to using terms like “LEED Light” or “LEED Intent” in their RFPs or have left sustainability entirely off the table. The net result is a general decline in consistent, validated, and celebrated sustainable design accomplishments for many projects.
Thankfully the building codes, with rising energy standards, have filled some of the gap left behind by the decline of LEED. And yet, the gap between LEED and code is quite broad and leaves a “missing middle” of unrealized sustainable design opportunities. This article will share a new “voluntary” approach to generating a more consistent level of sustainability on every project, thereby filling the gap.
The Innovative Nature of a Voluntary Approach to Sustainable Design
Among its many benefits, the opportunity to innovate within this newly defined ”missing middle” of sustainability is quite high. It just requires an intentional commitment by the facilities managers, designers, engineers, and builders to pursue sustainability at a level that is commensurate with the pre-established budget and within typical design fees. With no external force or set of requirements governing the sustainability efforts for a project, the entire project team now has the latitude to develop a customized, affordable, and financially achievable approach to sustainable design. The initial goal-setting process for a project is now free to draw from LEED and WELL but also to integrate more fully the impact of aesthetics, biophilic design, and even deeper community engagement goals. This is a profound shift, from a third-party-mandated approach to a first-party, voluntary approach that is free, customizable, holistic (wellness and climate responsive), relatable to clients, and achievable within budget.
Furthermore, third-party systems are generally not used as a “generative force” early in the design process. Instead, they are used more as a “bookkeeping tool” to track sustainability efforts, with much of the work occurring at the very end of the project. The development of a new low-cost voluntary approach to sustainable design offers the opportunity to free up resources to explore early design influence through the use of quick energy, daylighting, and carbon models.
It should be noted that the ability to pursue this new approach is built on the platform already created by LEED and other rating systems in general, and all projects are inherently more sustainable than what would have been built just a decade ago. Renovation projects offer an immediate environmental benefit versus new construction due in part to the embodied energy retained in the existing structure. Energy-intensive elements such as lighting, equipment, and HVAC systems are leaps-and-bounds more efficient than they were in years past. Additionally, most building materials today come with environmental or health product declarations, making it easier to construct simple life cycle assessment modeling.
It is also easier than ever for architects to build simple energy, daylight, and carbon models that allow teams to test and evaluate simple design changes and the effect they have on a project’s sustainability metrics. With an extra level of intentionality, sustainability is already “sustainable.” We just don’t acknowledge, let alone celebrate, the achievements.
The Tools to Deliver Voluntary Sustainable Design
For a voluntary system to be successful, it is critical to identify a system by which sustainability can be well defined, holistic, and easily understood. The AIA Framework for Design Excellence is a free platform that mimics the holistic approach of LEED and WELL combined without the financial and reporting requirements. Second, it is critical to define a level of sustainability to be pursued on the project. For small one- or two-room projects, the “Basic” level allows for a minimal, yet intentional, effort to track a few sustainability attributes. The “Achievable within Budget” level is perfect for larger interior design and new construction projects with typical construction budgets. The aspirational level is used for projects that have additional budget and design fees assigned to generate a “LEED Light” or “LEED Intent” project.
This voluntary system is further supported by a range of free reporting platforms and frameworks. The AIA 2030 DDx is available for architects to upload and self-report energy and carbon reductions to a national database, allowing teams to see how their projects compare to green projects across the country. The AIA Materials Pledge uses the Common Materials Framework to assist firms in tracking and reporting the sustainability of their material and product selections. Environmental product disclosures add teeth to the system without the burden of meeting very generalized reporting requirements associated with third-party rating systems.
Putting Sustainability into Practice
Even before the project starts, sustainability is included in all project proposals regardless of project client requests. Very modest fees can be included to capture the time to integrate many of the strategies described in this article. The design project starts with a sustainability goal-setting session to clarify the level of sustainability that can be achieved and to identify the most logical set of sustainable design strategies that reflect the client’s sustainability goals.
Second, short agenda sustainability items are discussed at the beginning and end of each design phase to track the progress toward meeting the project goals and reported via a dashboard for project stakeholders to stay connected to the entire integrative design process. Upon completion, creating a final sustainability narrative is a great way for facilities managers to celebrate the sustainable wins and build a stronger, more long-lasting platform of innovation.
Ultimately, deep down, everyone wants to be doing more for the environment. But many don’t have the funds or time to meet these needs. The voluntary sustainability approach offers a gateway to levels of accountability for the facilities manager and design firms to pursue sustainability on their own terms. Since the approach is flexible, the possibility for a wider and deeper stakeholder engagement process is increased, thereby creating even higher levels of alignment, and leadership buy-in, for sustainability.
Robert Fleming, AIA, NOMA, LEED AP, is the director of sustainability at architectural and design firm FCA.