edc

4.13.
EDCmag.com

ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN + CONSTRUCTION

THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE FOR THE LEED ®
PROFESSIONAL
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 Todd Evans
LEED AP BD+C
Project Architect
Black & Veatch Corporation

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 WWW.EDCMAG.COM

april.2013 vol.16 no.4

contents
14 NEW CONSTRUCTION

14 FROM ‘DO NO HARM’ TO REGENERATION: THE FUTURE OF HOSPITAL DESIGN

A competition winner shows how healthcare can repair environmental
damage. By Arash Guity and Christy Love

DIGITAL
19A A BIG-PICTURE APPROACH
Commitment to stewardship and benefits to patients, staff and community
make sustainability a key feature of a new hospital. By Jake Gehring March, EDAC

19G BUILT FOR A THOUSAND YEARS

DIGITAL

One woman designed the Casa Bella Verde home in Northern California,
and visitors from as far as Egypt visit the site for architectural inspiration.
By John Wyatt

R E N OVA T I O N S / R E T R O F I T S

30 LED LIGHTING THE WAY

A Smithsonian exhibit and design specialist shares his thoughts on lighting in
a museum environment. By Richard Skinner

O P E R A T I O N S + M A N AG E M E N T
DIGITAL

33A THE VALUE OF BUILDING DATA

IN EVERY ISSUE Implementing a measurement and verification plan is an essential component
to meet facility sustainability goals. By Scott Jordan

EDC Online 7 33C COMPLEX SYSTEM MANAGEMENT

DIGITAL

Integrated control systems are the key to managing complex energy-efficient

Editor’s Note 8 buildings. By Ray Clarke, PE, and Joshua Hansen

New + Notable 10 35 REDUCING HEALTHCARE COSTS THROUGH SUSTAINABILITY

How will the affordable healthcare act affect healthcare facilities? By Michael J.
CEU 21 Berning, PE, CEM, LEED AP BD+C

Advertiser’s Index 50
AEC/OM SOLUTIONS

38 SHIFTING MINDSETS AND AWAKENING POSSIBILITY

An inquiry into how we can create a new paradigm. By Helen J. Kessler, FAIA,
LEED Fellow
ON THE COVER: AT THE LEED
SILVER CERTIFIED CHIHULY GLASSHOUSE 42 THE CBECS AND WHY IT’S IMPORTANT
After years of financial setbacks, the department of energy’s national sample survey
IN SEATTLE, THE GLAZING HAD TO MEET of commercial building use commences. By Daniel Overbey, AIA, LEED AP BD+C
STRICT LOCAL ENERGY, WIND AND
DIGITAL

STRUCTURAL REQUIREMENTS. SEE THE 43A THE COLOR ROADMAP: YOUR PALETTE FOR SUCCESS
These colors aim to dominate the floorcovering market. By Annette Callari, ASID
CEU ON PAGE 21 FOR MORE.

44 LEED V4: BUILT TO PERFORM

Photo courtesy of Ben Benschneider/
LEED v4 is built to ensure that certified buildings implement the most
Chihuly Studio/Guardian
important strategies that translate to high levels of performance. By Selina Holmes

EDC’S USE OF ROLLAND ENVIRO100 PRINT INSTEAD OF

VIRGIN FIBERS PAPER REDUCED ITS ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT BY: Tree(s): 95 Solid Waste: 11,660 LB Water: 92,237 GAL Air Emissions: 30,308 LB

6 edc april.2013
 WWW.EDCMAG.COM

online
edc
Continuing Education Units
www.TheCECampus.com

Let the Sun Shine In (Page 21)
Advanced glazing and daylighting systems can
help forge the road to zero-energy buildings and
significant savings, but only if daylighting designs
can avoid unwanted solar heat gain and glare.
Not Just Green, It’s Green Squared
New tile sustainability standard raises the bar
for multi-attribute product certification and
transparency.
By Barbara Horowitz-Bennett

Videos
Other Uses for Product Samples
We put it to the test and found there are only a few
FOR
FO
O R PRODUCT
OR P R OD
PR DUCT
CTT SAMP
SAMPLES
SAM
AM
M PPLES
LES
S
ways we can repurpose the Siemens’ 2-way pressure
independent control valve product sample.

EDC TV
USGBC’s Doug Gaitlin and Chrissy Macken explain
the timing behind some of the changes in the latest
iteration of LEED.

www.edcmag.com 7

EDITOR’S NOTE
Connecting the Dots
Between Light, Energy and Health
EDC has done past issues
that focused on lighting. We’ve
done past issues that focused
on daylighting. And, we’ve done
past issues that focused on
healthcare. Oddly, we haven’t
done an issue that focused on
all three—until now.
Hospitals and similar health-
care facilities represent the
second-most energy-intensive
facility type. They have numer-
ous people going in and out,
they have a multitude of elec-
trical devices plugged in and
they’re in constant operation—
it all adds up to a lot of energy
being used.
Lighting directly accounts
for as much as 10 percent of a
hospital’s energy consumption,
not to mention the secondary
costs such as increased loads
on HVAC equipment due to the
heat given off. (The U.S. De-
partment of Energy has a great
fact sheet for hospital facilities’
managers and operators on the
ways lighting, both natural and
artificial, can be changed to re-
duce costs.) Adjusting lighting
types and schemes can be one
of the most cost-effective ways
to address the issue of energy
consumption, thanks to what
can be a reasonably quick ROI.
As for the importance of
sunlight? Well, I’m constantly
amazed how often we, as a
culture, have discovered a best
practice only to stray from it.
Then, years later, we “rediscov-
8 edc april.2013
er” it, thanks in part to a more
environmental focus. Atlanta-
based Stanley Beaman & Sears
has a great blog that shares
evidence of this, as well as
points out a number of links to
various studies. It can be found
here: http://bit.ly/ZE1Cxk.
Right about now some of you
are reading this and thinking,
“He’s said this about lighting
and daylighting in previous
editor’s notes covering health-
care.” And, you’re probably
right. It’s hard to cover health-
care and not talk about day-
lighting (or even lighting, for
that matter) due to the proven
link between sunlight and
patient wellness, so we have
covered them together in the
past. However, we haven’t cov-
ered either lighting or daylight-
ing in healthcare as extensively
as we do in this issue. That’s
not to say every article will be
about lighting in a healthcare
environment. As much as I’m
sure many of EDC’s readers
would appreciate and benefit
from such coverage, there are
plenty of other readers who
wouldn’t. So, we’ve covered
each of these three topics, and
others, individually. We’ll let
you connect the dots.
Cheers,
DERRICK TEAL EDITOR
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EDC is the official magazine
for the LEED ® professional.
 Dance like there’s a tomorrow.

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BOLD BAMBOO
For designers who seek the bold, Architectural Systems’ Eco-Dimensions
Bamboo Wall Panels are available in six silhouettes. These lightweight, flexible,
18-inch by 18-inch wall panels are made from pressed bamboo pulp and are
ready to be painted or stained. This panel collection has a Class A fire rating,
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SUNLITE SYSTEM
The SunLite Strip is a patented self-curbing
daylighting system developed for applications
to the Butler MR-24 standing-seam metal
roof system. The company has teamed with
Sunoptics, an Acuity Brands company, to
deliver the SunLite Strip daylighting system. The
company reports that a building equipped
with the SunLite Strip daylighting system and a
lighting management and controls system can
reduce the lighting-related electricity expense
by up to 70 percent. The SunLite Strip’s
frame has a self-curbing design that avoids
the inherent risk of leaks around flashings of
conventional skylights. Rain or melting snow
runs off the panel flat via a single-sided front-
end diverter to the adjacent panel. www.
butlermfg.com; www.acuitybrands.com

Architectural Systems Inc. Butler Manufacturing Acuity Brands

Reader Service No. 72 Reader Service No. 74

10 edc april.2013
 www.sylvania.com/retrofits
© 2013 OSRAM SYLVANIA. Certain photography

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NEW
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NEXT GENERATION
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Modules are Class A fire rated and
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PLASTIC PIPE JOINING LOCAL GREENS FOR GREEN ROOFS

The TRITON Pipe Fusion system, a plastic pipe welding solution by Watts Water,
uses radio frequency (RF) electromagnetic technology to dramatically
improve pipe joining and testing times, in turn increasing job site productivity.
Using TRITON, ¾-inch plastic pipe can be fused in approximately 40 seconds,
and welds are ready for pressure testing immediately. TRITON includes three
components—a Control Unit, Fusers and Fittings—which operate together
to create durable outside diameter welds offering unobstructed flow and
decreased pressure drop. The use of RF electromagnetic technology also
eliminates exposed heating elements, adhesives and VOCs. The Fuser
features a patent-pending Fuse-Tel indicator that gives a visual and tactile
indication of a successful weld. www.tritonpipefusion.com
100 percent American made and grown on local,
independent farms, the Xero Flor Green Roof System
utilizes pre-vegetated mats based on German
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Reader Service No. 76 Reader Service No. 77

12 edc april.2013
 99.97% PURE AIR.

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 From ‘Do No Harm’
to Regeneration:
The Future of Hospital Design
BY ARASH GUITY AND CHRISTY LOVE

A COMPETITION WINNER SHOWS HOW HEALTHCARE

CAN REPAIR ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE.

14 edc april.2013
 The small hospital catalyzes community
and individual health and wellness.
IMAGE COURTESY OF M+NLB

Increasingly, hospitals and health-

care facilities are choosing to focus on
sustainability initiatives, particularly
those that save energy. Some are also
tackling waste reduction, recycling and
reuse, and a few are examining and reduc-
ing their water use and water impacts.
These initiatives are saving resources The goal for the design was to move beyond “do no harm” and actually give back.
and introducing many hospital employees,
IMAGE COURTESY OF M+NLB
patients and communities to the benefits
of sustainability. But by and large, these
projects are aimed at reducing environ-
mental and health impacts. What if a
hospital could do more—what if it could
actually repair environmental damage?
What if healthcare institutions could
move beyond carbon neutrality to a devel-
opment model that restores ecosystems,
enhances biodiversity and improves com-
munity health?
Beginning in the spring of 2011, Ma-
zetti Nash Lipsey Burch (M+NLB) and
Perkins+Will teamed in Kaiser Perman-
ente’s international design competition,
Small Hospital, Big Idea. The competition
sought innovative design concepts for a
small, 100-bed, patient- and family-friend-
ly hospital that used the best in emerging
technology to effectively coordinate and
deliver care to Kaiser Permanente mem-
bers. Since Kaiser Permanente’s health-
care model is built with both people and
the environment in mind, the competition
System synergies coordinated with architectural design was an essential part in hitting operational goals.
brief called for a facility that had near-
IMAGE COURTESY OF M+NLB
zero impact on the environment, with the
latest technology to improve quality and
reduce costs. The Stage 1 competition
called for a prototype design solution that
could be applied anywhere; once three
finalist teams were chosen, a Kaiser Per- Our winning submission transformed realizing the health mission in all aspects
manente site in Southern California was today’s small hospital from a “sick care” of the hospital’s design. In addition to
provided as a hypothetical location for institution into a community resource creating a “new front door” for health
the competitors to design a site-specific that catalyzes health. Our solution went delivery, the project focused on moving
application. At the end of this competi- beyond zero impact and toward regen- “beyond net zero” in its energy, water
tion process, Kaiser Permanente chose eration—restoring ecological capacity, and waste systems.
two designs to win the competition: our improving human health and connec- The team engaged Bill Reed and Joel
winning submission and one from Palo tion to community—beyond the “do less Glanzberg of Regenesis Inc. to facilitate
Alto-based design firm, Aditazz. harm” mission of today’s facilities to a multi-disciplinary eco-charrette in the

www.edcmag.com 15
 A hybrid energy solution ultimately maximized the design’s sustainability and cost-effectiveness.
IMAGE COURTESY OF M+NLB
Southern California location provided for
the competition. Through the charrette
process, the team uncovered a series of
design measures and system concepts
rooted in “whole systems thinking,” funda-
mental for moving beyond “do less harm.”
RESOURCE FLOWS AND
SYSTEMS THINKING
By pushing the boundaries of what is pos-
sible and connecting resources flows in
new ways, the team was able to create a
hospital building that is as financially suc-
cessful as it is environmentally healing. A
fundamental rethinking of resource flows
was central to the engineering component
of our solution. We outlined three primary
resource flows entering and leaving the
hospital, and used systems-based think-
ing to shift our hospital design from a
resource-negative design (using more
resources than you are returning to the en-
vironment) to a resource-positive design.
The three major resource flows enter-
ing and leaving a hospital are energy,
materials and water. Each provides a
hospital with essential resources for
operations, but each also creates a waste
16 edc april.2013
output that is usually returned to the
environment in a degraded or polluted
state. Energy brought into a facility has
emissions and other impacts associated
with its generation and transmission, and
then exits in the form of more greenhouse
gas emissions. Materials brought in have
associated impacts from their manufac-
ture, extraction and transport, and after
use, generate waste and greenhouse gas
emissions through their transport and
disposal. Water entering a site has been
collected, stored, treated and transported,
with each having environmental impacts.
When it exits a facility, it is transported
and treated at a municipal treatment
plant. This wastewater often contains
contaminants such as pharmaceuticals
that are not easily removed by municipal
treatment plants.
Traditional green building approaches
usually focus on reduction of the resource
on the way into the facility (e.g., by mak-
ing your facility more energy efficient,
you require less fossil-fuel based energy
and produce fewer emissions). But that is
only part of the equation. Our four-stage
process for achieving regenerative design
incorporated a systems thinking ap-
proach. First, we reduced resource flows
coming into the facility through conser-
vation strategies. Second, we recovered
and reused as much of each resource
stream as was possible (e.g., capturing
and reusing waste heat for domestic hot
water heating; using methane generated
by wastewater treatment to produce
electricity). Third, we identified and used
synergies where possible, turning outputs
from one system into inputs to another;
and four, we identified and evaluated
renewable sources to supply the remain-
ing input demand.
Our four-stage approach is illustrated
through a description of our energy strat-
egy. As the second-most energy-intensive
building type, a hospital produces an av-
erage of 8,000 metric tons of greenhouse
gas emissions each year. An average U.S.
hospital also requires about 250-300 kBtu
of energy per square foot per year (also
known as Energy Use Intensity, or EUI).
With a strategic set of integrated design
solutions for energy, we were able reduce
the EUI of our design by 74 percent, in
line with best practice hospital buildings
THE HEALTHCARE
ENVIRONMENT IS GROWING
IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

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 throughout more temperate regions and
dramatically better than average design.
The initial catalyst to this drastic reduc-
tion was the design of the building enve-
lope and form. Perkins+Will incorporated
passive architectural design strategies that
dropped the hypothetical hospital’s energy
demand by approximately 10 percent.
These building strategies included solar
shading and high-performance envelope
systems, architectural elements that per-
mit as much natural daylight as possible,
while eliminating all unwanted solar gain.
While this represents a small reduction
percentage when considered in isolation,
the passive design strategies enabled
a whole suite of system solutions that
would not have been viable with a stan-
dard envelope design. To put it simply,
a building that requires little energy and
that can use lower energy systems must
first be designed to either lose or absorb
little energy through the envelope.
Once the envelope was optimized, we
selected low-energy mechanical systems to
meet the building’s ventilation, heating and
cooling needs. Because this hospital was
cooling dominant (as are most hospitals),
we captured the heat that is removed from
a source of bio-gas to feed onsite fuel
cells. When testing each available option
against a set of criteria that included costs
as well as considerations such as when
the energy is available and how the hos-
pital’s emergency power needs would be
met, the team determined that the most
suitable option for this site was to use the
landfill gas to supply solid oxide fuel cells
as the primary solution, with supplemen-
tal solar and wind when available.
This hybrid energy solution maximized
the benefits and optimized the cost of
renewable sources, ultimately providing
power for our hospital at costs below or
near Kaiser Permanente’s average costs
per kilowatt nationwide. In addition, our
hybrid solution provided all the power
needed for our hospital without adding
emissions to the atmosphere. It also had
the inherent ability to generate additional
power to feed back into the grid. As a
final benefit, the solution made the hospi-
tal resilient in the face of volatile energy
prices and self-sufficient during natural
disasters—something critically needed at
healthcare facilities across the country.
These system choices demonstrate that
increasing environmental performance
methane byproduct that could be used by
the fuel cells to generate electricity.
Similarly, the materials and waste manage-
ment strategy sought to reduce waste genera-
tion. It called for a design that supported
accurate segregation, diversion and disposal
of materials, and evaluated the potential for
onsite waste treatment and power generation.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Perhaps most important in these difficult eco-
nomic times, these systems can be designed
and operated without breaking the bank. The
ROI on the combined sustainable systems in
our regenerative model have a payback of 3.2
years, an internal rate of return of 42 percent
and savings to the bottom line of $1.8 million
in the first year of operation.
This design for the Small Hospital, Big
Idea competition ultimately aligns the
mission of hospitals around the country
to their ultimate goal: improved com-
munity health. It imagines a new role for
healthcare that moves beyond saving lives
in crisis to improving health, all while
restoring eco-systems and regenerating
natural and social capital. edc
ARASH GUITY IS THE CHIEF ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE

the air and used it to heat domestic water inherently improves resilience. ENGINEER FOR MAZZETTI NASH LIPSEY BURCH (M+NLB), AND

where it is needed; for example, at showers FOCUSES ON DELIVERING SOLUTIONS FOR IMPROVING THE

and in the kitchen. Other system strategies WATER BALANCED ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE OF HEALTHCARE FACILITIES.

included central plant heat pumps, a geo- The same prototypical methodology was
thermal well field, a natural ventilation sys- developed and applied for the water strat- CHRISTY LOVE IS A SENIOR DESIGNER AND ENVIRONMENTAL PER-

tem with outside air tempered by a passive egy. Our hospital design reduced water FORMANCE ANALYST AT MAZZETTI NASH LIPSEY BURCH (M+NLB).

underground thermal labyrinth, displace- consumption by 60 percent versus the

ment ventilation and all LED lighting. Taken
together, these passive and active system
strategies reduce energy demand, including
plug load, to approximately 68 kBtu/sf/yr.
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
As a final step, we then turned to the selec-
tion of renewable energy sources. While the
demand reduction strategies are largely site
independent, the best solution for renew-
able energy is highly dependent on the proj-
ect’s location. The location determines what
natural resources are available, as well as
any potential community partnerships that
could support the renewable energy strat-
egy. In keeping with the mandate to develop
a “prototype,” we developed a decision-
making process for renewable energy appli-
cations. We then used the selected Southern
California site to “test” the process.
At the selected site, both solar and
wind are abundant. In addition, the team
discovered that the nearby landfill was
flaring methane. The methane could be
Kaiser Permanente baseline, and provided
annual water utility savings of $100,000
with no added capital cost. Reduction See more with your
strategies included the elimination of uses
mobile device or in
such as cooling towers and permanent
irrigation; selection of water- and energy- EDC’s Digital Edition.
efficient fixtures and equipment, and the
adoption of water-efficient practices by
the hospital occupants.
A water source strategy that treated
and reused all wastewater onsite utilized
an onsite well, and meant that the facility
actually put more water back into the
ground than it removed. In addition, the
implementation of onsite wastewater
treatment supported an onsite stormwater
management strategy geared toward re-
storing previously disturbed site hydrolo-
gy and re-establishing native and adapted
plantings. Without a water source, such
restoration would not be achievable.
Our onsite wastewater treatment solu-
tion was synergistic with our energy strat-
egy, as the anaerobic digestion produces a

18 edc april.2013
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Reader Service No. 104 www.EDCmag.com/webcard
 A BIG-Picture
APPROACH
Commitment to stewardship
and benefits to patients,
staff and community make
sustainability a key feature
of a new hospital.
BY JAKE GEHRING MARCH, EDAC

“Large.” “Always open.”
“Energy- and water-intensive
with lives dependent upon the
availability of both.” Strin-
gent operating requirements
make hospitals particularly
challenging when it comes to
sustainable design. Nation-
ally, only a small percentage
of LEED-certified projects are
healthcare related, and most
of those are not as energy-
demanding as hospitals.
These challenges did not
deter the team at Monroe
Clinic in Monroe, Wis., when it
began planning a new replace-
ment hospital. The team was
committed to achieving LEED
Silver certification, which is
still pending.
The original hospital,
opened by the Congregation
of Sisters of St. Agnes in 1939
and expanded in the 1950s and
1970s, no longer met the needs
of the growing community.
Construction of the new hospi-

19A edc april.2013

tal was an opportunity to build
a modern healthcare campus
that fulfilled Monroe Clinic’s
mission of creating healthy
communities and its commit-
ment to being a good steward
of natural and fiscal resources.
The new 225,000-square-
foot, four-story, $83 million
hospital opened its doors in
March 2012, and features 50
acute- and critical-care beds,
an expanded emergency de-
partment, imaging, a surgery
and procedure center, birthing
and women’s health services,
The front entrance of Monroe
a cardiology department and Clinic.
cardiac rehabilitation services.
IMAGE COURTESY OF DANA
The design team, led by WHEELOCK, 2012
architecture and experience
design firm Kahler Slater and
www.edcmag.com 19B

consisting of more than 200
employees from throughout
the hospital, was challenged
to incorporate sustainable
features and operational effi-
ciencies into the new building
while using the project as
an opportunity to facilitate
cultural change throughout
the organization. That shared
vision shaped the building
into a healing sanctuary that
provides ample access to
natural light and garden views
while representing the facil-
ity’s local cultural context.
As a Catholic-sponsored or-
ganization, Monroe Clinic sees
stewardship of resources as a
19C edc april.2013
responsibility and an important
part of its identity. The team
believed that building green
was simply the right thing to
do, and it wanted the account-
ability and proof that LEED
certification would bring.
Beyond operational cost
savings and environmental
benefits, Monroe Clinic also
recognized the beneficial im-
pacts that a facility designed
and constructed for sustain-
ability could have on patient
outcomes, and patient and
staff satisfaction. The team
sought to develop a facil-
ity that would be a source
of community pride and be
attractive to physicians and
staff who want to be associ-
ated with an environmentally
progressive organization.
MECHANICAL SYSTEMS
The inherent energy- and
water-intensiveness of any hos-
pital means that sustainability
initiatives must begin with the
facility’s mechanical systems.
Monroe Clinic was no different.
Hurst boilers and chillers
that are more than 30 percent
more efficient than code
requirements were installed,
helping to reduce the hospi-
tal’s annual energy costs by
more than $200,000.
The cafeteria has access to
outdoor rooftop dining.
IMAGE COURTESY OF DANA
WHEELOCK, 2012
Multistack LLC Model
MS70X modular heat recov-
ery ventilators allow heated
supply air to be returned to
warm, incoming fresh air,
further cutting heating and
cooling costs from 30 percent
to 35 percent.
Excess heat from the data
center is captured and funneled
to the helipad’s coiling ice-melt
system during Wisconsin’s
cold, snowy winters, helping
ensure safety and eliminating
the need to spread chemical
deicing agents on the landing
area and walking paths.
The water softening system
is equipped with brine rec-
lamation technology that re-
turns some of the salt water to
the brine tank for reuse. The
system uses 25 percent less
water and salt than conven-
tional systems and reduces the
amount of brine sent to the
local water treatment facility.
All plumbing components,
from Zurn faucets and toilets
to showerheads, are low-flow
to reduce water consumption.
Toilets are equipped with
dual-flush systems, allowing
users to control their water
consumption.
Elkay EZH20 bottle fillers
are located at drinking foun-
tains to encourage sufficient
hydration for staff and other
users while reducing waste
from plastic water bottles.
LIGHTING AND
WINDOWS
The entire building is
equipped with energy-efficient
lighting, reducing the hospi-
tal’s energy use by 30 percent
 The lobby is an example of the emphasis placed on allowing as much natural light into the building as possible.
IMAGE COURTESY OF DANA WHEELOCK, 2012
and lowering annual energy costs by more
than $35,000. Occupancy sensors were
installed where appropriate to ensure that
those spaces are lit only when in use.
Paint colors used throughout the
building have high light-reflective values,
reducing lighting requirements.
Patient rooms have softer, more
indirect lighting that feels “homier” than
a typical hospital room, creating a more
restful environment.
Great emphasis was placed on allowing
as much natural light into the building
as possible, through such means as the
Kawneer curtain wall, reducing the need
for artificial light and creating a more
pleasant atmosphere for patients, staff
and visitors. Studies show that natural
light improves people’s moods and may Monroe Clinic
help patients go home earlier.
High-performance low-E Oldcastle L O C ATI O N: 515 22nd Ave., Monroe, Wis.
BuildingEnvelope windows, along with
S I Z E : 225,000 square feet
exterior sun shades, focus patient atten-
tion outward while reducing summer heat O P E NE D : March 24, 2012
absorption and winter heat loss. Many of AR C HI TE C T: Kahler Slater
the 1,000 pieces of glass are etched with
I NTE R I O R D E S I G N E R: Kahler Slater
nature-inspired designs, further helping
connect patients, staff and visitors to the L AND S C AP E D E S I G N E R: GRAEF
beauty of the great outdoors. G E NE R AL C O NTRA C TO R: CG Schmidt
M E C HANI C AL , E LE C TRI C A L A N D
INTERIOR FINISHES
P L U M B I NG E NG I N E E RS :
Muralo BreatheSafe low-VOC, ceramic- Ring & DuChateau
based paints were used throughout the
STRUCTURAL AND CIVIL ENGINEERS: GRAEF
building. These paints perform like an
www.edcmag.com 19D

epoxy-based paint, but are half the cost
and promote healthy indoor air quality.
Carpeting in the hospital was manufac-
tured with significant pre- and post-con-
sumer recycled content and was installed
using a low-VOC bonding agent.
CONSTRUCTION WASTE
During construction, contractors strove
to divert as much construction waste
from landfills as possible. They far ex-
ceeded the goal of 75 percent recycling,
tracking a recycling rate of more than
19E edc april.2013
90 percent. In all, 5,276 tons of drywall,
asphalt, wood, metal and other wastes
were recycled.
Sustainable thinking requires innova-
tive strategies and successful implemen-
tation to bring maximum benefit to end
users, the surrounding community and
the environment. More than half of all
construction and demolition waste can be
recycled into usable commodities that can
replace virgin materials and become new
revenue streams or reduce project costs.
For example, 143 tons of scrap drywall
Products Incorporated
V E G E TATI V E R O O F S :
LiveRoof Pre-vegetated Hybrid Green
Roof System
B O I L E R S / C HI L L ERS :
Hurst hotwater and steam boilers
Multistack LLC Model S70X heat
recovery chiller
W I ND O W S :
Kawneer 1600 Series curtain wall
Oldcastle BuildingEnvelope low-E glazing
B R I NE R E C L AM ATI O N S Y S T E M :
BrineMaker 9-ton underground unit
Widen P400 pump
Reading Technologies RT500-G
air filter/regulator
EchoSwitch II ultrasonic level control
ASCO 8210G094 solenoid valve
Endot Industries ENDOPOLY 1-inch tubing
P L U M B I NG FI XTU RE S :
Zurn Z5660 with AquaVantage Z6000AV-DF
dual-flush valve toilets
Zurn EcoVantage Z5798 ultra-low
consumption urinals
Zurn Z5340 lavatories
Zurn Z6919 ADM AquaSense faucets
Haws H1011.8 electric water coolers
Elkay EZH20 water refilling stations
PAI NT:
Muralo BreatheSafe (Interior,
water-based, zero VOC)
Patient rooms have softer,
more indirect, lighting that
feels “homier” than a typical
hospital room.
IMAGE COURTESY OF DANA
WHEELOCK, 2012
generated during construction of the hos-
pital was repurposed as soil amendment
and animal bedding at a nearby farm, im-
proving cow comfort while saving Monroe
Clinic the cost of disposing of the drywall.
SUSTAINABILITY OUTSIDE THE
HOSPITAL
Sustainable strategies were not just
employed inside the hospital. The hospital
was built within the existing campus on
the site of a former parking lot, thus main-
taining the campus footprint and preserv-
ing adjacent neighborhoods.
Taking advantage of the
building site’s natural slope,
the central utility plant was
designed as a two-story space,
cutting the plant’s footprint
in half.
The 500-space staff parking
lot was designed with nar-
rower parking spaces that,
while still wide enough for
easy access, saved more than
5,000 square feet of asphalt.
Campus water runoff is
directed to a dry retention
pond, reducing municipal
stormwater management
capacity requirements.
Landscaping throughout
the campus—including nearly
1,000 daylilies, dogwoods
and other native plants—was
planned to minimize, and in
most cases eliminate, the
need for mowing, fertilizing
and watering.
Bike racks and dedicated
parking spaces for low-
emission/hybrid vehicles
are located throughout the
campus.
The most visible testament
to Monroe Clinic’s sustainabil-
ity pledge is its three inten-
sive LiveRoof Pre-vegetated
Hybrid Green Roof Systems.
Totaling 11,000 square feet,
the roofs are designed with
hardy plants such as sedum,
euphorbia and allium that
will provide attractive foliage
throughout the seasons. Two
are near patient rooms and
the third is accessible to staff,
patients and visitors. In addi-
tion to providing a beautiful
connection to nature, the
vegetative roofs will reduce
stormwater runoff, minimize
the heat island effect, double
the roofs’ lifespans and lower
indoor air temperatures from
6 degrees to 8 degrees, de-
creasing cooling demands.
Continued acceptance of
sustainable strategies and TOP Paint colors used throughout the hospital and in the family birth and women’s
technological innovations will center have high light-reflective values, reducing lighting requirements.
help healthcare providers ful- ABOVE An aerial view shows the hospital’s three vegetative roofs and helipad.
fill their mission of delivering
IMAGES COURTESY OF DANA WHEELOCK, 2012
quality, cost-effective care. As
Monroe Clinic’s new hospital
shows, achieving maximum JAKE GEHRING MARCH IS A FACILITY PLANNER AND DESIGNER WITH KAHLER SLATER, AN AR-
benefit from these strategies CHITECTURE AND EXPERIENCE DESIGN FIRM WITH THREE OFFICES IN THE UNITED STATES AND
and technologies starts with SINGAPORE. (WWW.KAHLERSLATER.COM). HE HOLDS EVIDENCE-BASED DESIGN ACCREDITATION
a shared passion and strong AND CERTIFICATION (EDAC) CREDENTIALS FROM THE CENTER FOR HEALTH DESIGN AND RECEIVED
teamwork among owner, de- A MASTER OF ARCHITECTURE DEGREE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT MERCY IN 2008. HE CAN
signer and contractors. edc BE CONTACTED AT 414-272-2000 OR JGEHRING@KAHLERSLATER.COM.
www.edcmag.com 19F
 Built for a
Thousand Years
One woman designed the Casa Bella Verde home in Northern California, and visitors
from as far as Egypt visit the site for architectural inspiration.
BY JOHN WYATT

The American dream is alive
and well. At least that should be the
point of view of Briana Alhadeff, project
manager, designer, builder and owner
of Casa Bella Verde. This more than
9,000-square-foot home, constructed in El
Dorado Hills, Calif., is of modern, innova-
tive construction in the hills of Steinbeck
land. A whopping 27,663 square feet of
IntegraSpec ICF wall systems and 18,000
square feet of Insul-Deck Roof and Floor
Systems were used on this project.
Alhadeff’s passion is sustainability and
green design, so it was no surprise when
it came to designing her dream home that
these principles would be put to practice.
Her day job is assisting builders and con-
struction professionals in sustainability
and green design.
“Because builders do not have the time
to do the years of research that I have

19G edc april.2013

 PHOTOS BY UNIQUE AERIOGRAPHY
accrued in the area of sustain-
able design, they will come to
me to assist them in this area
so that they may provide their
clients with green options,”
Alhadeff says.
“Since I have started my
business, I have seen tre-
mendous growth in the area
of green building,” she says.
“When the cost of energy was
low, people did not seem to
have an interest in green and
sustainable design, but as
soon as energy costs began to
skyrocket, that is when people
took notice and started look-
ing for more energy-efficient
options like solar power and
ICF walls and floors for the
construction of their homes.”
A ROOM WITH A VIEW
Perched on the highest peak
in the area, the 40-acre parcel
serving as the site for Casa
Bella Verde offers a 360-de-
gree view. Surrounded by
water and picturesque views,
landmarks such as the Sierra
Nevada mountain range,
Lake Tahoe, Folsom Lake
and the foothills of the Napa
Valley can all be seen. The
main house is approximately
7,500 square feet, including
www.edcmag.com 19H
 a 1,500-square-foot guest
house connected by a sky
bridge. An infinity edge pool
also wraps around half of the
home, so no matter where
you are standing, water is
always visible.
What has really captured
the attention of the building
community is the fact that the
home is sustainable despite
its size. Alhadeff opted to go
with ICFs in order to help the
project achieve the goal of
LEED Platinum. The forms
used have insulating prop-
erties which perform at an
R-value of 50.
Other green features are a
geothermal system tied into a
radiant floor heating system
and 95 solar panels on the
roof, which will supply the
home with most of the energy
it will require. Also attached
to the roof is a vertical axis
wind turbine. The house will
include an onsite water treat-
ment facility, which is set up
like a small municipal system.
19I edc april.2013
“Every drop of water that
enters the house will be used
twice, once for bathing, wash-
ing dishes, etc., then treated
and used again for irrigating
the plants throughout the
property. The house also has
an 80,000-gallon cistern for
rainwater harvesting, which
will be used for irrigating the
rooftop garden and replacing
the evaporative loss from the
swimming pool,” says Al-
hadeff. “In addition to creating
a self-sustaining house, we are
also incorporating complete
home automation and control
into the design, which will in-
clude touchscreen technology
to control lighting, security,
A/V and all of the home’s heat-
ing and cooling, just to name
a few. Incorporating home
automation and controls into
the design of the home was
a must for this house. When
your home is controlled, it not
only gives you a better quality
of life, it makes your house
more energy efficient.
“For example,” she con-
tinues, “All of our window
openings are wired for the
shades to raise and lower
automatically. To achieve
this, we installed light sen-
sors on the east and west
facing exterior walls of
the house. We will be able
to program our system to
raise and lower the shades
automatically when a certain
amount of light is received
by these sensors. The house,
in turn, will be cooler in the
summer, reducing the energy
consumption of the house
and therefore lowering my
energy bill.”
Alhadeff’s ultimate goal is
to achieve net zero, which
would eliminate an energy
bill altogether. “This, com-
bined with the other systems
in the house, will make
Casa Bella Verde completely
self-sustaining,” she says. “A
smart house that is complete-
ly self-sustaining, energy
efficient and beautiful.”
ICF INSPIRED
Although not a licensed
architect, Alhadeff did design
the home. With assistance
from IntegraSpec’s Nicholas
Nikiforuk, Alhadeff’s draft-
ing was fleshed out into CAD
to obtain the permits for
building. (Nikiforuk has an
architecture, engineering and
ICF building background, in
addition to Alhadeff’s interior
design and project manage-
ment background.)
The duo used the Casa Bella
Verde project as a training site
for licensed contractors to
work and receive training in
the area of ICF construction.
Although this added time to the
construction schedule, Alhadeff
says she enjoyed introducing
builders to new technology.
“Because I built with ICFs,
it made all of the beautiful
cantilevers possible without
the need for expensive steel
I-beams and cranes,” she says,
adding that ICFs were used
for several reasons.
 On the top of the list, she says that
ICFs are known for their energy-effi-
cient properties. “You have 2½ inches of
EPS on the outside and inside of your
steel-reinforced, solid concrete wall. You
just can’t get a stronger, more energy-ef-
ficient structure than that.” The material
has strong fire-resistive properties, will
never burn and is resilient to tornadoes
hurricanes, earthquakes, floods and
termites.
“It is a house that will last for more
than 1,000 years,” Alhadeff says. “I call
Casa Bella Verde the millennium house…
that is why I buried a time capsule. When
this house is eventually demolished (be-
cause it certainly will not go down from
natural causes), I want people to know a
little bit about what life was like at this
time and why I built this house.”
During the design phase, Alhadeff
researched all ICF options and found that
IntegraSpec best suited her ambitions.
She saw the systems at an International
Builders’ Show and was impressed with
staff’s knowledge and ideas central to
design capabilities with the material.
“I knew the product was great, but
it was not until our first wall pour that
I knew that I made the right decision,”
she says. “We poured our 230-foot-long,
18-foot-high cistern wall in one lift. We
had absolutely no trouble at all and not
one blow out. There’s no way we could
have done this with any other system.”
Because no project of this size is easy,
a few challenges needed to be overcome.
“For the construction of the pool, we need-
ed to create a waterproof shell. To achieve
this, we made the walls and floor of the
pool monolithic by pouring them at the
same time,” she says. “The strength and
design of the IntegraSpec system allowed
us to accomplish this. This would have
created issues had we built conventionally.
In addition, the ICF technology allowed us
to easily form the Caribbean shelf, the spa,
the pedestal steps and the steps leading
into the pool. This would have been a chal-
lenge with conventional forming.”
The building team eliminated several
columns and post supports by using the
ICF flooring system. In addition, the team
achieved 40- to 70-foot cantilevers easily
with the flooring system that would have
been extremely difficult to accomplish
with conventional hinge systems. These
cantilevers were achieved using a special
waffle grid technique that creates beams
that run in both directions like a waffle.
The concrete is then poured to create a
monolithic floor.
SHOW AND TELL
According to Alhadeff, her business is
booming as a sustainable building consul-
tant. With her knowledge and experience
in green building—and the media focus
on Casa Bella Verde—the company is
getting calls and visitors from around the
world. Architects, engineers and builders
have come to tour the project and learn
more about the technologies used.
“They see how an ICF home is con-
structed and feel the insulating properties
immediately upon entering the home,”
says Alhadeff. “We show them all the green
features of the house and explain how all
the systems are integrated to create the
ultimate green and sustainable home.”
ICF homes are worth the initial invest-
ment to have a house that can last forever,
Alhadeff concludes. “With an ICF home,
they will always have peace of mind know-
ing that they will never lose their home to
a natural disaster.” edc
JOHN WYATT IS THE EDITOR OF WALLS & CEILINGS AND WALLS
& CEILINGS ARCHITECT MAGAZINES. HE CAN BE REACHED AT
WYATTJ@BNPMEDIA.COM.
www.edcmag.com 19J
 Unparalleled Performance.

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Reader Service No. 68 www.EDCmag.com/webcard

F o r y o u r l o c a l S o l a t u b e D a y li g h t i n g E x p e r t
C a ll 8 0 0 -76 5 -28 82 E m a il c o m m s a l e s@s o l a t u b e.c o m V i s i t w w w.s o l at u b e.c o m
 CEU C O N T I N U I N G E D U C AT I O N U N I T
Let the Sun Shine In
ADVANCED GLAZINGS AND DAYLIGHTING SYSTEMS CAN HELP FORGE THE
ROAD TO ZERO-ENERGY BUILDINGS AND SIGNIFICANT SAVINGS, BUT ONLY IF
DAYLIGHTING DESIGNS CAN AVOID UNWANTED SOLAR HEAT GAIN AND GLARE.
By Barbara Horwitz-Bennett
As comfortable and appealing
as the most creatively crafted indoor
environments are, no modern building is
complete without natural outdoor light.
Documented to increase occupant com-
fort, productivity, healing, test scores and
retail sales, the popularity of daylighting
designs has been augmented even further
by sustainable design trends and environ-
mental consciousness.
In fact, Jon McHugh, P.E., LC, techni-
cal director of the energy consulting and
research firm, Heschong Mahone Group,
Gold River, Calif., has been quoted as saying
that the U.S. could reduce its peak electri-
cal demand by 24,000 megawatts (MW) by
increasing daylighting in existing buildings.
Putting this into perspective, these savings
would be the equivalent of power generated
by 24 1,000-MW nuclear power plants or 48
500-MW coal-fired power plants.
EDC is a registered provider with The American
Institute of Architects Continuing Education Systems.
To earn 1.0 AIA HSW LU, attendees must read
this article in its entirety and take the 10-question
quiz at the end of the article or online at www.
theCECampus.com/Apr13EDCQuiz and pass with a
score of 80 percent or better.
This course has been approved by GBCI for 1 CE
hour. LEED Professionals may submit their hours to
Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI) under the
“Education” delivery method at www.gbci.org. For
those who pass the quiz with a minimum score of 80
percent, a certificate of completion will be available
for immediate download.
1 AIA HSW LU – COURSE # EDC0413
1 GBCI CE HOUR – COURSE # 0090009434
Sponsored by:
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
After reading this article, you should be able to:
Differentiate between today’s assorted glazing technologies and advanced daylighting systems, and
how they work.
Recognize good design principles and viable technologies for toplighting.
Apply different design strategies to maximize daylighting while controlling solar heat gain and glare.
Appreciate how daylight modeling programs have developed, but recognize where their
capabilities are still lacking.
1 AIA HSW LU – COURSE # EDC0413
1 GBCI CE HOUR – COURSE # 0090009434
At the same time, the execution of a suc- A LOOK BACK
cessful daylighting design is a true science To fully appreciate the daylighting ca-
since optimizing natural light while controlling pabilities which the building industry is
solar heat gain and glare is no simple under- currently benefiting from, a look back at
taking. Key to this endeavor is the thought out glazing’s humble beginnings reveals how
utilization of advanced glazing technologies. the technology has evolved.
With a number of energy-
saving strategies including
high-performance glazing,
this new Bolingbrook, Ill.
office and manufacturing
facility for G&W Electric,
supplier of power automation
systems, is projected to save
2,944,317 kWh per year for an
estimated annual cost savings
of $237,000.
IMAGE COURTESY OF EPSTEIN/
BALLOGG PHOTOGRAPHY
www.edcmag.com 21

Decorative Solatube fixtures accent the
lobby with natural light at the company’s
headquarters in Vista, Calif..
IMAGE COURTESY OF SOLATUBE
Rewind about 40 years, which is when
early low-emissivity (low-E) coatings
were first introduced. Thanks to micro-
scopically thin metal layers sprayed onto
the glass surface, windows became ca-
pable of reflecting the unwanted infrared
component of sunlight while allowing
the desirable visible component to pass
through. This worked to boost thermal
insulating properties, thereby reducing
the U-factor and heat gain and loss.
The next advance came in the form of
sputter coatings as manufacturers figured
out a way to vacuum-deposit this layer
during float glass production.
“Sputter coating works at the molecu-
lar level to produce outstanding perfor-
mance, and it offers significant advan-
tages over pyrolytic coating,” explains
Chris Dolan, director of commercial glass
marketing, Guardian Industries, Auburn
Hills, Mich.
Although the next sputter-related
development came about several years
later, post-temperable sputter coatings
then enabled fabricators to apply the
22 edc april.2013
glazing, which effectively shortened lead
times on projects, lowered replacement
costs and drove a greater adoption of
high-performance glass in the market-
place. Eventually, manufacturers also
developed a large-area magnetron sput-
tering process, which has enabled the ap-
plication of more complex coatings with
greater uniformity and quality control
to a larger area, according to Dr. Helen
Sanders, vice president of technical busi-
ness development, Sage Electrochromics,
Faribault, Minn.
Furthermore, by layering the metallic
and dielectric layers in different sequenc-
es and applying assorted gasses such
as argon, nitrogen and oxygen, glazing
manufacturers were then able to produce
a wide variety of coatings to meet differ-
ent design and performance needs.
Next up was the development of double-
and triple-silver coatings, which utilizes
either two or three microscopically thin
silver layers during the coating process,
combined with additional metal layers.
“While maintaining the same visible
light transmittance (VLT) as a single
coating, double silver has a lower solar
heat gain coefficient (SHGC) than single
silver low-E glass,” explains Dolan. “In
other words, it filters the sunshine as a
cool lighting source to a larger extent
and provides a solution to energy ef-
ficiency in design of high-transparency
structures.”
Another benefit leveraged by double-
paned glass is the creation of an air-
filled gap between the panes, which, as
mentioned, can be filled with mona-
tomic gases and vacuumed, thereby
boosting the R-value. However, the gap
size needs to be fine-tuned to ensure
optimal performance.
“If the gap is too thin, heat can easily
conduct across it. And if the gap is too
thick, convection currents arise that
actually promote heat transfer,” explains
Scott Schuetter, P.E., LEED AP BD+C,
senior energy engineer, Energy Center
of Wisconsin, Madison, Wis. “An optimal
thickness of about half an inch minimizes
the heat transferred across the gap.”
Although triple-glazed units do come
at a price tag, they currently offer the
highest available light-to-solar-gain (LSG)
ratio, amongst conventional glazing tech-
nologies, in that they block the most solar
energy while letting in the most light.
ADVANCED GLAZINGS
In addition to sputter low-E coatings,
double- and triple-paned glass, a number
of other innovations—namely spectrally
selective coatings, fourth surface coat-
ings, dynamic glass, angularly selective
optics and translucent panels—offer
high levels of performance and flexibility
for designers.
Defined by the U.S. Department of En-
ergy (DOE) as glass with an LSG of 1.25
or better, spectrally selective coatings
selectively reflect long-wave infrared and
solar near-infrared rays while transmitting
a higher ratio of daylight.
“Spectrally selective low-E coatings
are available with one, two or three lay-
ers of silver,” says Dolan. “Each layer
improves the coating’s selectivity and
can be applied to clear or low-iron glass
as well as various types of tinted glass,
producing ‘customized’ glazing systems
capable of either increasing or decreasing
solar gains, according to the aesthetic and
climatic effects desired.”
While low-E glazings were tradition-
ally limited to the hermetically sealed
surfaces on the glass, manufacturers have
come up with ways to coat a third, and
even fourth, surface on double-glazed
units. For example, Guardian’s SunGuard
IS (interior surface) 20, can be applied to
the #4 surface of a double pane or on the
#6 surface of a triple-glazed unit. This,
combined with a low-E coating on the
second surface, delivers lower U-factors
and better energy savings.
As for skylights, perhaps the most sig-
nificant advance has been the application
of prismatic patterns to refract light for
diffusion without heavy colorants to en-
able optimized VLT. “This maximizes the
amount of hours per day that a device can
provide properly diffused daylight as a
main illumination source,” explains Grant
Grable, LEED AP, vice president, manag-
ing director, global business development,
Acuity Brands, Sacramento.
Similarly, today’s tubular daylight-
ing devices (TDD) “selectively harvest”
daylight and deliver a more consistent
light output thanks to finely tuned optical
domes, tubes and diffusers.
“In addition to advanced refractive
optics, we have also pioneered spectrally
selective optical tubing systems, thereby
filtering those unwanted wavelengths
out. As a result, the TDDs are capable of
 Electrochromic (EC) glass transitions between clear and tinted states based upon the application and reversal of a low-voltage electrical current. In a clear state, it
permits natural daylighting and passive solar heating. Fully tinted, the EC glass offers a low solar heat gain of 0.09.
IMAGE COURTESY OF GUARDIAN INDUSTRIES
producing LSG ratios that are double that
of traditional advanced glazing systems
during problematic times of the day and/
or year,” relates Neall Digert, Ph.D., MIES,
vice president of product enterprise, Sol-
atube International, Vista, Calif.
Although not all designers specify
translucent panel systems, they are quite
popular in schools and public facilities.
Traditionally known for controlling solar
heat gain, newer advances in resins and
fiberglass has helped to boost VLT levels.
“We’ve also seen increased interest
in systems that utilize multiple glazing
materials such as translucent panel and
glass combination skylights and oper-
able glass window and translucent wall
panel combinations,” says Mark Mitch-
ell, marketing manager, Major Indus-
tries, Wausau, Wis.
While static glazing seems to have
reached a ceiling with the highest per-
forming products achieving an LSG of 2.3,
electrochromic (EC) glass has shattered
that barrier, and today’s dynamic glazings
are capable of LSGs greater than 6, with a
solar heat gain as low as 0.09.
“The technology uses a thin assembly
of several layers of transparent elec-
tronic conductors sandwiched between
two pieces of glass,” explains Dolan.
“Low voltage applied to the conductors
moves the ions to the electrochromic
layers which sparks the tint change.
Reversing the voltage restores transpar-
ency to the window.”
EC glass also provides a nice solution
to glare issues. For example, in a typical
office setting, employees will lower the
blinds to block out the glare during peak
sunshine hours. However, more often
than not, occupants neglect to open the
shades again, thereby compromising the
potential for natural light and views.
On the contrary, EC glass dynamically
tints during bright conditions and then
returns to its clear state once the intense
sunlight has subsided.
“EC glass controls can also be inte-
grated into dimmable lighting systems to
provide a combined façade light man-
agement system that works seamlessly
with the glazing to optimize both energy
efficiency and occupant comfort,” adds
Helen Sanders.
While the technology is certainly excit-
ing, a relatively high price point is cur-
rently impeding a greater market penetra-
tion. Furthermore, the units are currently
somewhat restricted in size, which is also
limiting its application.
DAYLIGHT WINDOW,
VIEW WINDOW
Beyond the latest technologies, optimized
window placement and sizing is also
an important component of daylighting
design. However, even before reaching
that point in the design, careful building
orientation is absolutely essential.
The key here is setting up the structure
so that the longer axis runs east to west,
thereby minimizing the east and west-fac-
ing façades, which are the most subject to
intense sunlight and associated solar heat
gain and glare. Ideally, the building should
optimize its daylighting through the north
and south elevations.
While designers will often specify the
same glazing for the entire building, this
isn’t necessarily the best strategy as the
different façades usually have very different
energy performance and daylighting require-
ments. Consequently, it may very well be
worth the extra effort to optimize the glaz-
ing for each elevation to boost performance.
In terms of the window design itself,
designers recommend tall window head
heights as this is the key to deep day-
light penetration.
“As a basic rule of thumb, windows pro-
vide adequate daylight for a distance of
1.5 to 2 times the height of the top of the
windows,” states Dane R. Sanders, P.E.,
LEED AP BD+C, principal, Clanton &
Associates, Boulder, Colo. “So, windows
with a 10-foot header height will provide
good daylight for the area within 15 feet
to 20 feet from the windows.”
Another common strategy is specifying
two separate windows—a daylight window
and view/vision window—inside one unit.
www.edcmag.com 23
 Daylight Modeling “When properly designed, the daylight-
ing fenestration allows interior contrast
ratios to be balanced with vision glazing,
While daylighting modeling programs have certainly come a long way in their sophistication
thereby maximizing visual comfort for the
and technological capabilities, a discussion of today’s software reveals more about what
space occupants and allowing for maxi-
designers and manufacturers would hope to see in future iterations of these programs.
For example, Leora Radetsky, MS LC, lead research specialist, Lighting Research Center,
mum enjoyment of any available views to
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Albany, N.Y., is interested in photosensor and dimming ballast the outside,” says Digert.
performance being incorporated into lighting software tools so that designers can better predict In terms of how to execute this, the
energy savings when lights are switched or dimmed. While some photosensor performance data is view window, which is the fenestration’s
available through LRC’s National Lighting Product Information Program, the actual power demand lower portion, should have a higher
is a function of the interaction between the location and performance of the photosensor, the visible transmittance of greater than 50
specific dimming ballast and the room characteristics, and there isn’t much currently available percent, and in some cases, an exte-
data that shows the combined performance of the photosensor with different ballasts. rior overhang for shading, according to
Another shortcoming of daylight modeling programs is their lack of ability to conduct
Schuetter. Meanwhile, the glazing for the
“apples-to-apples” comparisons of different products, particularly when products might
upper daylighting section glazing usually
reference different test standards or use different test methods. In addition, most software
does not provide side-by-side comparisons of multiple design options, forcing lighting
has a lower VLT and SHGC. Specifiers
designers to individually generate and manually arrange rendered images in word may also consider an interior light shelf to
processing, publishing or graphics software. help limit glare.
“Workflow efficiency would be significantly improved if these side-by-side comparisons Case in point, at the University of Illi-
showing multiple design iterations could be saved, renderings automatically arranged and nois Business Instructional Facility, Cham-
results graphically displayed by the daylight modeling software,” states Dane R. Sanders, P.E., paign, Ill., Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects
LEED AP BD+C, principal, Clanton & Associates, Boulder, Colo. and Clanton & Associates designed each
As for the incorporation of newer daylighting technologies, there has been some progress classroom with four lower view windows,
in supporting the analysis of dynamic glazing and operable shades and blinds. However,
which topped off at six feet, and two long
more development is required to enhance the workflow and data management for modeling
and narrow daylight windows above.
interior shade controls, dynamic or tunable glazing systems, tubular daylight devices and
other daylight delivery systems.
“The ‘classic’ daylighting window
“Currently this analysis requires either tedious and time-consuming spreadsheet data arrangement worked very well with the
management or customized software plug-ins to analyze and manage conditional logic and brick and limestone façade with very
data from multiple modeling results,” notes Sanders. classical proportions and a rhythm of
While some manufacturers can provide light distribution files for each solar angle and sky repetitive window configurations,” says
condition, this data must be manually selected and changed for each time point. As such, Dane Sanders. “In this LEED Platinum
Sanders would like to see daylight modeling programs that can automatically select the building, the daylighting and lighting
correct light distribution file for each time point and sky condition to help designers provide controls made a significant contribution
daylight autonomy calculations for the more innovative daylighting systems on the market.
toward the LEED credits for optimizing
Fortunately, with conventional technologies, programs such as Daysim have begun including
energy efficiency.”
automatic calculation of annual and climate-based metrics such as daylight autonomy,
continuous daylight autonomy, daylight availability and useful daylight illuminance.
Overall, another variable in the mix is
“These metrics give a much more comprehensive view of a design’s year-round the overall window size, as the more glaz-
performance, as opposed to the best/worst/typical approach taken previously,” explains Scott ing there is,the more daylight and electric
Schuetter, P.E., LEED AP BD+C, senior energy engineer, Energy Center of Wisconsin, Madison, Wis. savings potential. “However, windows are
Another popular program is AGi32 which offers sophisticated daylighting calculations and poor insulators, meaning that the more
renderings. AGi32 accepts 3D models from other programs, making it an even more powerful tool. windows a designer includes, the more
heat is lost by conduction through them,”
cautions Schuetter.
Demonstrating the Consequently, a window-to-wall ratio
separated view window (WWR) of 30 percent to 35 percent strikes
and daylight window
concept, Pelli Clarke
a good balance between daylighting and
Pelli Architects and building envelope performance. As a
Clanton & Associates point of reference, ASHRAE 90.1-2010
designed four lower
view windows and allows a WWR of 40 percent and 5 percent
two long and narrow for skylights as a percentage of the roof
daylight windows area. In the 2012 International Energy
running along the top
of each classroom at the Conservation Code, only 30 percent of the
University of Illinois wall can be fenestration with 3 percent
Business Instructional
Facility, Champaign, Ill.
for skylights.
At the same time, it’s important to note
IMAGE COURTESY OF PELLI
CLARKE PELLI ARCHITECTS that these are prescriptive requirements and
designers can opt to use a performance-
based approach if they desire higher glazing

24 edc april.2013
levels, as long as the whole building energy
consumption can be modeled at levels ac-
ceptable by the codes.
Key to this discussion, however, is the
fact that even the highest performance
glazing unit cannot match up to the
thermal attributes of a well-insulated wall
or roof. Consequently, the use of glazing
will compromise thermal performance.
Of course, turning buildings into opaque
boxes is not an option, but solely from
an energy perspective, glazing’s justifica-
tion is the extent to which it can replace
electrical lighting costs.
Ultimately, “If you can minimize the
percentage of the space needed to replace
electric light with properly diffused
daylight for the most hours per year, then
you achieve the best total building energy
perspective,” says Grable.
As for establishing glazing ratios and
aperture size, Leora Radetsky, MS LC,
lead research specialist, Lighting Re-
search Center, Rensselaer Polytechnic
Institute, Albany, N.Y., bases this decision
on what’s required to achieve target light Optically designed diffusers in photometric distributions and aesthetics in the LightFlex daylighting system
complement luminaires providing seamless transitions between sources.
levels for a range of design days. Ra-
IMAGE COURTESY OF SUNOPTICS
detsky is also a fan of light scoops, which
use tilted, transparent, high-VLT glazing to
bring in more light in the winter months
and to better take advantage of natural
light on overcast days. lights are dimmed or switched, daylight into the interior. Furthermore, a skylight
Overall, Radetky’s team seeks to design on its own does not increase is capable of letting in three times as
include the following principles in its energy efficiency. much light per square foot as compared
daylighting designs: to vertical glazing, thanks to the roof’s
Bring people to the light. Create daylight Offering his own set of daylighting de- greater exposure to sunlight.
zones at the periphery of the building sign guidance, Dolan shares the following: “In addition, toplighting with skylights
combined with an open office plan with Identify design intent including WWR, or roof monitors provides the most
low partitions. color and appearance, and building uniform daylight possible and the most
Bring light in high. With horizontal shape and orientation. potential energy savings from dimming
windows placed higher, daylight can be Examine performance versus look to de- or turning off the lighting,” says Dane
brought in deeper and more uniformly termine the desired balance of transpar- Sanders.
than the same square footage of vertical ency and reflectivity with solar heat gain. At the same time, skylights need to be
windows. Skylight and light scoops may Evaluate different coatings such as low-E, carefully positioned and sized to avoid
be included in this strategy. hybrid low-E or spectrally selective glass. glare and to control heat gain. Specifiers
Diffuse the sun. Prismatic skylights Take advantage of newer glazing trends should also be looking for glazing which
or interior baffles can prevent direct including triple silver, EC or building- maximizes VLT and offers a high level of
sunlight from reaching the workplane. integrated photovoltaics. diffusion to disperse the light most effec-
For vertical glazing, simple, white hori- Examine the glass from all the angles tively and uniformly.
zontal blinds tilted up to 45 degrees can and in different conditions. In fact, some standards, including
diffuse the light. ASHRAE 90.1-2010, mandate 100 percent
Use light color surfaces. Light-colored TOPLIGHTING IN THE MIX diffusion. However, balancing VLT and
partitions, walls and ceiling further dif- As useful as windows are at bringing day- diffusion can be quite the juggling act.
fuse the light and increase the reflec- light into the interior, toplighting is even “For example, one can start with a
tance efficiency of the space. more of an effective strategy. Whereas clear glazing—which can have as much as
Control the electric lights. One of the perimeter daylighting systems can only 92 percent VLT as is found in clear acrylic
primary benefits of daylight is energy penetrate about 30 feet inside, toplighting skylights,” explains Grable. “However,
and demand savings, but unless the is a great way to pull light much deeper direct light will produce glare. The light

www.edcmag.com 25
 needs to be diffused, and in order to do
this, one needs to add colorants to create
haze or diffusion to spread the light. But
the greater the amount of colorant, the
less VLT the glazing can produce.”
Ultimately, Grable sees the optimal day-
light prescription as balanced illumination
from multiple daylight sources.
Another issue to consider is the fact
that skylights will experience a seasonal
variation with occasional intense bright-
ness when the sun angles near the zenith,
as opposed to dimmer rays of sunshine
in the wintertime when the sun is nearer
to the horizon. “In northern latitude loca-
tions, this variation can be evened out
by tilting the skylight glazing toward the
south,” suggests Dane Sanders.
Another form of toplighting that is gain-
ing popularity, thanks to technological
advances, are TDDs, which pipe daylight
from the roof through a tubing system
outfitted with sophisticated optics.
“While seemingly simple in concept,
today’s advanced optical TDDs are
exceedingly sophisticated, using a robust
suite of selective refractive and reflective
optical principles and technologies to
provide controlled daylight to nearly any
interior space in ways that was simply not
possible just a few years ago,” explains
Digert. “Key ‘intelligent’ features include
angularly selective passive optic daylight
collection/harvesting designs, advanced
spectrally selective reflective technolo-
gies, advanced optics for controlled and
consistent placement of light on interior
surfaces, and advanced under-controlled
light output through the use of switch-
controlled optical dimming.”
Typically, TDDs are limited to the top
two floors of the building, but some prod-
ucts claim to effectively transmit daylight
through tubing of up to 50 feet or more.
At the tube’s end is a refractive lens,
which runs between 14 and 24 inches in di-
ameter, or is shaped as a 24-inch by 24-inch
square to fit into a typical acoustic ceiling
grid, according to Dane Sanders. Often, a
diffusing panel or pendant is installed be-
low the lens to evenly distribute the light.
“Routing tubes through the ceiling
plenum can be challenging since there are
many other systems that are competing
for space,” he notes. “So, an integrated
design effort is critical for allocating
appropriate space in the plenum and in
vertical chases to bring daylight down
26 edc april.2013
through multiple floors of the building. At
the roof level, tube locations need to be
coordinated with other building systems
equipment to avoid shadowing and main-
tain good solar access.”
Another feature to look for is roof
penetration flashing packages which are
guaranteed not to leak, suggests Tate
Walker, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, senior
project manager, Energy Center of
Wisconsin. In addition, specifiers should
be aware that tubes can vary in qual-
ity, so it’s important to make sure that
the tube’s interior coatings are capable
of reflecting high levels of light to the
interior.
Although not as common, hybrid solar
lighting is an interesting technology which
uses lenses or parabolic mirrors integrat-
ed with solar tracking devices to transmit
sunlight through tubes, or even fiber
optics, where it is ultimately redistributed
into a hybrid daylight/electrical system.
One such system was developed by
Oak Ridge National Laboratory where
a parabolic mirrored dish tracks solar
movement and focuses sunlight into fiber
optics, and it channels the sunlight into
2-foot by 4-foot fluorescent luminaries.
Commercially available through Sundo-
lier, the harvested daylight is combined
with LED lighting and can replace four or
more skylights.
“While the potential for these systems
to bring daylight further into buildings
is quite compelling, they are also quite
expensive,” notes Dane Sanders.
BATTLING GLARE
As designers tweak their daylighting
designs in pursuit of that optimal balance
between uniform light levels and solar
heat gain, over-illuminated spaces or
significant contrast levels can create the
nemesis of effective daylighting—glare.
“Shifting patterns of daylight, and in
particular transitory patches of direct-
beam sunlight, should be avoided for any
spaces where people have well-defined
and non-moveable work stations and/or
work environments,” says Digert.
Generally speaking, glare is often the
hardest to deal with on the east and west-
facing façades due to the sun’s low angle
during the morning and late afternoon
hours. Consequently, exterior shading
devices are a common strategy—verti-
cal fins, in particular—to block as much
direct sunlight as possible, according to
Schuetter. While glare is easier to control
on the south-facing windows, and even
more on the northern façade, exterior
overhangs are still strongly recommended.
“However, neither vertical fins nor
exterior overhangs are likely to mitigate
glare entirely,” cautions Schuetter. “Often,
an interior blind is the only 100 percent
guarantee of no glare. When utilized, inte-
rior blinds should allow some portion of
diffused daylight into the space; 20 percent
is a decent target.”
Of course, the main problem with inte-
rior blinds is the fact that more often than
not, once a building occupant closes the
blinds, chances are that they will remain
closed, as noted earlier, thereby defeating
the entire daylighting strategy.
Consequently, “It is absolutely essential
that there is a good plan for dynamic glare
control, whether it be through blinds which
are automatically retracted when the glare
moves away to return the daylight harvest-
ing and view, or automatically controlled
dynamic glazing,” states Helen Sanders.
Along these lines, the Lighting Research
Center has developed a Blind Minder
device which monitors direct sunlight on
the glazing and informs occupants when
they can pull back the blinds.
“Even a simple Outlook reminder that
tells you when to pull your blinds up
based on your window orientation can
increase energy savings while allowing
the occupant to have control over their
space,” suggests Radetsky.
To a certain extent, fenestration sizing
and glazing can also control glare. And
while designers are often hesitant to re-
duce VLT any more than necessary, Dolan
points out that even a VLT as low as 35
percent will still provide generous levels
of natural light and not make the spaces
feel dark or cavernous.
To asses the potential for glare in a spe-
cific space, several metrics have been cre-
ated to measure this, a number of which
have been incorporated into daylight
modeling programs. Essentially, this helps
designers try out different fenestration and
shading strategies to minimize glare issues.
DAYLIGHTING AND NET-ZERO
With a growing focus on net-zero building
designs, to what extent does good day-
lighting potentially play into a zero-energy
building (ZEB) design formula?
 “You can’t do a net-zero application with-
out a whole-building energy model, which
includes a comprehensive daylighting plan
involving strategies for glazing, lighting,
controls and blinds,” responds Walker.
In a similar vein, Dane Sanders ex-
plains, “The building façade represents
a tremendous opportunity for improving
the energy efficiency of buildings and
indeed is where critical improvements are
needed for enabling net zero.”
Putting things into perspective, Walker
points out that electrical light can ac-
count for between 20 percent and 40
percent of a building’s total energy use.
Yet, overglazing can adversely affect
heating and cooling equipment loads and
sizing, which can also run between 20 per-
cent and 40 percent of a building’s power
consumption. In fact, the EPA quantifies
windows as consuming 30 percent of a
building’s heating and cooling energy,
with a particular impact on peak demand
and occupant comfort.
In order to help enable buildings to reach
zero energy, the DOE lays out the following
three envelope strategies:
Low U-factor fenestration, such as triple-
pane glazing with highly insulating frames;
Dynamic solar control to capture heat
when needed and block it when it’s not
desired, such as provided by dynamic
glazing or automated exterior mechani-
cal shading systems;
Integrated façades, which includes
using good daylighting design to
maximize the penetration of natural
light combined with dimmable lighting
controls to harvest natural daylight.
Furthermore, “The future ZEB com-
mercial window has dynamic solar control
with an average U-Factor of 0.1 BTU/hr.oF.
ft2, and is used as part of an integrated
daylighting design, according to the DOE,”
says Helen Sanders. “In fact, the DOE
estimates that if all windows in commer-
cial windows in the U.S. were replaced
today with highly insulating fenestration
and integrated dynamic solar control and
daylighting controls, $35 billion could be
saved—and windows could be turned into
energy suppliers of significant measure.”
In addition, the National Research Ener-
gy Laboratory projects that the energy sav-
ings from the wide-scale use of advanced
windows could potentially reach nearly 6
percent of national energy consumption.
Translucent Systems
In addition to products such as advanced low-E technology and dynamic glazing, another
noteworthy daylighting strategy is translucent glass and fiberglass systems. Commonly used
in schools and recreational facilities, one of the system’s main benefits is mitigating glare and
uncomfortable hot spots, as well as enhancing privacy.
“Translucent glazing can be used to provide wonderful, diffused daylight to a space
without the potential for problematic, transitory direct beams of light,” confirms Neall Digert,
Ph.D., MIES, vice president of product enterprise, Solatube International, Vista, Calif.
At the same time, these systems must be carefully specified in order to accomplish this.
“Careful and artful placement of translucent glazing systems, addressing occupant
sightlines of these glazings and the adjacent architectural surfaces is required to minimize
glare from these daylighting elements since they distribute daylight in all directions,” he
explains.
“We have had great success with translucent systems in multipurpose rooms and
gymnasiums,” says Mitch Blake, principal of Jackson, Wyo.-based Ward+Blake Architects. “In
addition to reducing glare and creating nicely diffused light, they are also tough enough to
withstand the impacts of flying balls without failure or blemish.”
While glazing alone will not contribute space of just 0.3 mm. The goal of the new
to site-based power generation required system is to enable windows to reach
to achieve net zero, Digert stresses the thermal performance levels approach-
importance of choosing fenestration ing those of an opaque wall. Ultimately,
technologies that work in concert with fa- Guardian hopes to exceed insulation val-
çade-integrated and rooftop photovoltaic ues of R-10, and R-11.5+ at the center of
systems. For example, TDDs can comple- the glass, while still offering the daylight-
ment PV systems in that they minimize ing benefits of transparent glass.
the space conflict on the roof between the Meanwhile, Schuetter is optimistic
need for space devoted to the PV system about photovoltaic technology which is
and the aperture area needed to effective- incorporated into the insulating glass unit,
ly daylight interior spaces with a TDD. advanced frits and etchings, “moth’s eye”
“Provided the selected TDD product’s anti-reflective technology and suspended
tubing or transfer system can achieve lon- films such as heat mirrors.
ger tube runs and bend around obstacles But beyond glazing units, Digert sees
in the interior space, TDDs can be placed much potential in the realm of intelli-
on the roof wherever space is available gent fenestration products. “These new
without compromising the interior day- complex fenestration technologies allow
lighting diffuser and/or daylight fixture daylight to be delivered in a much more
placement,” says Digert. “Additionally, meaningful and consistent way to a
optical TDDs with appropriate turret building, allowing artful lighting design
design and/or options, allow for the opti- principles to be applied with daylight in
cal domes to be raised higher on the roof ways that windows and skylights never
plane to avoid shadowing caused by tilted do could before. Key examples include
PV arrays and maximize daylighting col- individually controllable layers of day-
lection and harvesting.” light, wall wash and decorative ‘daylight
chandeliers.’”
LOOKING AHEAD At the same time, Digert wishes there
With building codes trending toward was a way to shorten the time lag between
stricter energy requirements and the the development of new technology and
increasing cost of power production, it’s the needed supporting language that
anticipated that this will drive an even ultimately shows up in the building codes.
greater focus on the development of Currently, this cycle takes approximately
advanced glazing technologies. three years and is hindering the more wide-
For example, in the works at Guardian spread adoption of the latest technologies.
is a new vacuum insulated glass technol- “A new process needs to be developed
ogy which is two layers of glass fused that doesn’t penalize or hinder technology
together and separated by a very thin innovation and adoption,” he concludes.edc
www.edcmag.com 27
 quiz questions
QUIZ FOR LET THE SUN SHINE IN
1 AIA HSW LU – COURSE # EDC0413
1 GBCI CE HOUR – COURSE # 0090009434

INSTRUCTIONS: ONCE YOU HAVE READ Describe the main components of double- and What is the minimum light-to-solar gain ratio for
triple-silver glazing. spectrally selective glass, according to the U.S.
THE ENTIRE ARTICLE, GO ONLINE TO “LET THE
Department of Energy’s definition?
SUN SHINE IN” AT WWW.THECECAMPUS.COM/ A. Heat-treated glass is then tinted
APR13EDCQUIZ TO COMPLETE THE QUIZ. OR, B. Microscopically thin silver layers are A. 0.9
combined with additional metal layers B. 1.0
FOR A $10 FEE, YOU MAY COMPLETE THE QUIZ
C. Coatings applied by a pyrolytic process C. 1.25
BELOW AND FAX OR MAIL IT TO THE ADDRESS AT D. None of the above D. 1.3
THE BOTTOM.

1 2
Which glazing technology is capable of achieving Which elevation(s) provide the biggest challenge What is the allowable window-to-wall ratio and
a light-to-solar-gain ratio of greater than 6? in terms of solar heat gain and glare? skylights as a percentage of the total roof area,
per ASHRAE 90.1-2010?
A. Electrochromic glazing A. North
B. Spectrally selective low-E coating B. North and south A. 40 percent and 5 percent
C. Vacuum insulated glass technology C. East B. 35 percent and 5 percent
D. Hybrid low-E glazing D. East and west C. 35 percent and 3 percent
D. 30 percent and 3 percent

3 4 5
Approximately how far can sidelighting around a Which of the following are NOT among the According to the DOE, which of the following
building’s perimeter bring daylight to the interior? latest intelligent features of tubular is a viable strategy for enabling the design of
daylighting systems? zero-energy buildings?
A. 20 feet
B. 30 feet A. Angularly selective passive optics A. Triple glazing with highly insulating frames
C. 40 feet B. Advanced spectrally selective B. Dynamic glazing and automated exterior
D. 50 feet reflective technologies shading systems
C. Photochromic technology C. All of the above
D. Switch-controlled optical dimming D. None of the above

6 7 8
Why do tubular daylighting devices integrate well
with rooftop photovoltaic systems?
True or False: Today’s daylight modeling pro-
grams perform good side-by-side comparisons of
Sponsored by:
products and daylighting designs.
A. They take up a minimum amount of space
B. They generate electricity A. True
C. They increase the roof’s reflective properties B. False
D. They increase the roof’s insulation

9 10

PROGRAM TITLE: LET THE SUN SHINE IN
EDC, April 2013 • Online: www.TheCECampus.com/Apr13EDCQuiz (free)
Or MAIL or FAX: Complete the quiz above, this form and enclose $10 payment.
Mail to EDC / CEU, BNP Media, PO Box 2600, Troy, MI 48007-2600 or fax to 248-283-6615.
Questions? Call 248-244-1290 or email ceu@bnpmedia.com.
Attendees must read this article in its entirety and take the 10-question quiz at the end of the
article or online at www.TheCECampus.com/Apr13EDCQuiz. For those who pass the quiz with a
score of 80 percent, a certificate of completion will be available for immediate download.
❍ To register for AIA/CES 1.0 AIA HSW learning unit, you must pass the exam and provide your
AIA ID # _______________________________________________________________________________ .

First Name_______________________________________ Last Name _______________________________ EDC will report passing attendance.

Company _________________________________________________________________________________ ❍ LEED Professionals may submit to Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI) under the “Profes-
sional Development/Continuing Education” activity type in “My credentials” at www.gbci.org.
Title _______________________________________________________________________________________
❍ Charge My Credit Card ❍ Checks payable to EDC
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E-mail* ____________________________________________________________________________________ *By supplying your email address, you agree to be contacted by EDC and its partners.

28 edc april.2013
 Thanks to daylighting, there is
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Reader Service No. 157 www.EDCmag.com/webcard
 AEC/O+M
solutions

LED Lighting the Way Richard Skinner is an exhibit lighting

A SMITHSONIAN EXHIBIT AND DESIGN SPECIALIST SHARES HIS
THOUGHTS ON LIGHTING IN A MUSEUM ENVIRONMENT.
EDC: When it comes to
lighting in a museum environ-
ment, what factors need to be
taken into consideration?
Skinner: Some of the
important areas of concern
for museum lighting design-
ers include: preservation of
light-sensitive artifacts, visual
accessibility of exhibit objects
and related graphics, enhance-
ment of architectural space,
adequate lighting for safety
and security, and energy ef-
ficiency. We try to integrate all
light sources as seamlessly as
possible into exhibit gallery
architectural space. The goal is
to balance all of these design
considerations in a way that
produces creative and aestheti-
cally pleasing installations.
EDC: How difficult is it to
transition from one lighting
type to another in facilities of
this type?
Skinner: Many types and
variations of light sources, light-
ing fixtures and accessories are
available to museum lighting
designers. The challenge of in-
tegrating new light sources and
equipment generally relates to:
1) Visual compatibility: Color,
distribution, glare control and
intensity—How does it look?
2) Equipment compatibil-
ity: Are existing fixtures, the
architecture, and electrical
distribution and controls
compatible with the selected
light source?
and design specialist at the Freer and
Sackler Galleries, the Smithsonian’s
museums of Asian art.
PHOTO BY JOHN TSANTES
LIGHTING IN A MUSEUM
PRESENTS A UNIQUE SET
OF CHALLENGES FOR
DESIGNERS. RICHARD
SKINNER PUTS HIS MORE
THAN 30 YEARS OF
EXPERIENCE DESIGNING
EXHIBITS AT HOME
AND ABROAD TO USE
FOR THE SMITHSONIAN
INSTITUTION’S ARTHUR M.
SACKLER GALLERY AND
FREER GALLERY OF ART,
WASHINGTON, D.C., AS
THE EXHIBIT LIGHTING AND
DESIGN SPECIALIST. THE
FOLLOWING IS A Q&A HE
DID WITH EDC SO THAT
OTHERS COULD GET A
MORE IN-DEPTH LOOK AT
THE CHALLENGES AND HOW
TO OVERCOME THEM.

3) If a new technology or
product is used (like LED
lighting), what are the long-
term performance characteris-
tics and have all the engineer-
ing “bugs” been worked out of
the manufacturing process?
EDC: You selected LED
lighting for the Smithsonian
Institution Freer Gallery of
Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gal-
lery. Why did you feel it was
the best choice?

“Feast Your Eyes: A Taste

for Luxury in Ancient Iran,”
an exhibition currently on
view at the Freer and Sackler
Galleries, the Smithsonian’s
museums of Asian art.
PHOTO BY JOHN TSANTES

30 edc april.2013
 “Hokusai: 36 Views of Mount Fuji,” an exhibition at the Freer and Sackler Galleries, the Smithsonian’s museums of Asian art.
PHOTO BY JOHN TSANTES

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www.edcmag.com 31
 www.sylvania.com/indoorfixture

TOP 5 WAYS ARTIFICIAL LIGHTING

AFFECTS SUSTAINABILITY
By Michael Jouaneh, Manager of
Sustainability and Energy

OSRAM Standards for Lutron

2x2 LED Artificial lighting, specifically control of the lighting, significantly helps

Round with all three aspects of sustainability—People, Planet, Profits (a.k.a.

Social, Environmental and Economic).

Fixture. PEOPLE

Improves employee comfort and health

• High efficiency Provides a safe and secure work environment
LED luminaires;
Empowers employees to control their visual environment
up to 95 LPW
Reduces employee absenteeism
• High-quality
architectural look
PLANET
• 0 –10V control and
Reduces your carbon footprint/lowers greenhouse gas emissions
EMerge compatible
versions Protects the night skies by reducing light pollution

• DLC listed for utility Maximizes the effective use of daylight

rebate incentives Reduces landfill waste
• Five-year warranty
PROFITS

To learn more about Cuts wasted lighting-energy costs by 60 percent or more

our RLC 2x2 LED Reduces labor, maintenance and operation costs
luminaire, please visit Lowers electrical power rates and eliminate penalty charges
www.sylvania.com/
Enhances employee productivity
indoorfixture or call us
at 1-800-LIGHTBULB.
LEED

Light control can significantly contribute to LEED certification

Light control can help with 40 out of the 110 points for LEED NC 2009

B U I L D I N G S TA N D A R D S A N D C O D E S

Energy and green building standards/codes all reflect the importance of

using lighting controls to conserve energy.
© 2013 OSRAM SYLVANIA.

In the ASHRAE 90.1-2010 standard, for example, there are mandatory

requirements for area controls, automatic lighting shutoff, bi-level lighting,
daylight harvesting, exterior lighting control, parking garage lighting control
and stairwell lighting control.

Reader Service No. 11 www.EDCmag.com/webcard

32 edc april.2013
 Daylighting and
Sustainability
Rank High in
Higher Education

Allegheny College in Meadville, Penn.,

recently created the Richard J. Cook Center
for Environmental Sciences at the newly
renovated Carr Hall.

One of the most spectacular features is the

ample use of daylight. Numerous Solatube
Daylighting Systems flood the lobby with
natural light, eliminating the need for
electric lighting during daylight hours.
Studies (such as the one from Heschong-
Mahone) have shown that students
perform better in the presence of daylight,
absenteeism is lower and overall attitude
and morale is higher. Marti Laudato and
“Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room,” by James McNeill Whistler (American,
M&M Specialty Products of DuBois, Penn.,
1834-1903), at the Smithsonian’s Freer Gallery of Art.
supplied the Solatube Daylighting Systems
IMAGE COURTESY OF THE FREER GALLERY OF ART and installation.

“We’ve been extremely pleased with the

inclusion of a large number of Solatube
Skinner: LED light sources offer enhanced energy efficiency, reduced maintenance Daylighting Systems throughout the
Richard J. Cook Center for Environmental
and are a rapidly evolving light source that will almost certainly gain widespread ac- Science renovation. It is one of the features
ceptance and application within the museum world. We are currently getting very good that most excites visitors and those that
results using a “hybrid” approach to the integration of LED light sources in exhibition study and work in the building - first
because they’re so surprised to hear that
galleries—using a combination of filtered daylight, LED and incandescent halogen light daylight rather than artificial light is
sources for exhibits. We have found that when we used LED rather than incandescent illuminating the space, and second because
light sources for wall lighting in exhibit galleries, the result is significantly reduced it adds to the warm, natural quality of the
space,” said Kelly Boulton, sustainability
maintenance and more than 40 percent reduction in energy consumed, without any coordinator at Allegheny College.
compromise to the appearance of installations. We are also getting very good results
with LED conversion in the museum shop, art storage areas, offices, corridors, etc. “We used Solatube Daylighting Systems
in the lobby and in all classrooms and
EDC: Can you address the claims that LEDs offer a different quality of light (for
labs, which has allowed us to reduce our
example, too cool) than say incandescent or compact fluorescent lighting? electricity consumption while maintaining
Skinner: Different light sources have inherently different qualities when compared plenty of light,” Boulton said. “Not only
one to another. Museum lighting designers apply a variety of techniques to get the have the Solatube units contributed to
the renovation’s LEED Gold certification,
desired results, and it is important to be very discriminating when selecting specific but they’ve helped us in our efforts to
light sources—LED or otherwise. Not all commercially available LED light sources achieve 20 percent building efficiency in
are created equal, and currently some LEDs have better color, beam spread, etc. than our partnership with the Department of
Energy’s Better Buildings Challenge, as
others. Manufacturers are putting a great deal of time and resources into developing well as move closer to our goal of climate
higher color-rendering characteristics (CRI) and providing more choices in terms of neutrality by 2020 in partnership with
color temperature, distribution and intensity of LED light sources. My advice to those the American College and University
Presidents’ Climate Commitment.”
contemplating LED conversion is to choose products carefully and develop installation
techniques that meet design objectives. The project was designed to earn LEED
EDC: Is there any advice you could offer others regarding what to look for in an Gold Certification for commercial interiors.
For more information on daylighting and
LED light and/or manufacturer?
Solatube products, visit www.solatube.com.
Skinner: Do some research and look for successful design solutions and installation
techniques used in other institutions. Compare products, look for high CRI, be careful
when selecting color temperature appropriate for the application, make sure your
LEDs are compatible with existing fixtures and electrical distribution/controls, and do
some long-term testing if possible. edc
Reader Service No. 12 www.EDCmag.com/webcard

www.edcmag.com 33
 BY SCOTT JORDAN
O+M SCOTT JORDAN IS THE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER
FOR SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC. HE JOINED SQUARE D/SCHNEIDER
ELECTRIC IN 1978, AND HE HAS WORKED IN THE COMPANY’S
LIGHTING CONTROL BUSINESS SINCE 1992. JORDAN SERVES AS
PRODUCT MARKETING MANAGER OF THE COMPANY’S LIFESPACE
BUSINESS. HE HAS A BACHELOR OF SCIENCE DEGREE IN
ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY.

The Value of Building Data

IMPLEMENTING A MEASUREMENT AND VERIFICATION PLAN IS AN ESSENTIAL
COMPONENT TO MEET FACILITY SUSTAINABILITY GOALS.

The effects of big data
and its influence on orga-
nizational decision making
can be seen in almost every
aspect of business, from
information technology
to marketing and human
resources. Building and
facilities management is
no exception. Technologi-
cal advances in monitoring
tools and software allow
facility managers access to
vast amounts of data about
a building’s energy use. But
how can managers use this
data to operate a facility at
peak efficiency?
Enter the measurement
and verification (M&V) plan.
M&V is the process by which
facility stakeholders track
the performance of a piece
of equipment, a system or an
entire facility. Performance
is measured against past or
estimated performance of
another piece of equipment,
system or facility. This ap-
proach gives higher visibility
into detailed energy usage
data, which can then be used
to identify opportunities for
increased efficiency, enable
better decision making and
increase ROI on existing and
new equipment installations.
While the energy land-
scape continues to evolve,
facilities managers are faced
with a different and evolving
set of energy-management
challenges today. As a result,
M&V is essential for increas-
ing energy efficiency and re-
ducing environmental impact
in an ever-changing energy
marketplace.
WHY IMPLEMENT
M&V PLANS?
As the focus on driving more
efficient operations and fa-
cilities continues, stakehold-
ers are actively collecting
energy-usage data. While this
is a great first step, the key
is turning it into actionable
intelligence. This is where
M&V plans come in.
M&V allows for a more
holistic approach at build-
ing efficiency. For example,
inefficient lighting can have
a drastic effect on overall
building energy use. Accord-
ing to the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA),
lighting takes a larger share
of a typical commercial
building’s electricity use
than any other single end
use—more than 35 percent.
However, lighting energy use
can often be cut in at least
half by utilizing a combina-
tion of more efficient lighting
sources and controls. The
result is dramatic decreases
in energy use and associated
cost, maintained or even im-
proved lighting quality, and
more productive occupants.
M&V plans also allow
managers to determine the
effectiveness of energy con-
servation measures (ECMs)
by measuring energy usage
and making comparisons
to set expectations against
other building areas, other
buildings or other systems
performing the same function.
The key to an effective
M&V plan is to account for
existing and future changes.
Rarely does a building
perform in a continuous
state. For instance, a factory
may adjust its production
schedule based on seasonal
demand. Such demands may
result in extended shifts
or shut-downs. M&V plans
that depend on one-time
audits may completely miss
these dynamitic variations
and over- or under-report
actual performance over an
extended period of time.
Fortunately, software and
metering solutions exist to-
day that measure and record
real-time energy usage and
provide a host of analytical
tools to display performance
over wide ranges of time.
IMPLEMENTING AN
M&V PLAN
Simply stated, the purpose
of an M&V plan is to provide
proof as to the effectiveness
of an energy-management
improvement project. An M&V
plan determines savings based
on a before-and-after case.
The methodology used to
perform an M&V study var-
ies, as it depends on both the
type of ECM being imple-
mented and the overall pur-
pose of the M&V plan. Gener-
ally, developing an M&V plan
begins with defining several
factors, including a baseline
against which energy usage
will be measured, the ECMs
being commissioned and the
estimated initial savings.

33A edc april.2013

Building managers should keep in mind
that there are several different ap-
proaches for M&V plans, often depen-
dent on existing metering and measuring
capabilities. Once this plan is in place
and ECMs are properly installed, actual
savings can be determined. Additional
information on developing an M&V plan
is available in the International Perfor-
mance Measurement and Verification
Protocol, created by the Efficiency Valu-
ation Organization.
M&V AND SUSTAINABILITY GOALS
Technological advancements in energy-
management software have made it
easier to accurately meter, monitor
and measure energy usage in order to
meet sustainability goals. For example,
outside factors that can affect light-
ing energy usage—such as sunlight or
clouds, changing hours of operation, or
a repurposing of a space—are automati-
cally accounted for. By removing the
guesswork, data can be used to continue
or increase savings and provide a case
for future sustainability initiatives.
When combined with ECMs, energy-
management software not only provides
vast amounts of data allowing managers to
verify the performance of their ECMs, but
also shows the interrelated impacts of vari-
ous ECMs. A good M&V software tool can
both isolate individual ECM variables and
assimilate multiple ECMs into a holistic
view. For example, a lighting upgrade is
performed in retail space that incorporates
a combination of LEDs for accent, and spot
and fluorescent lighting for task lighting.
Each of these light sources can be individu-
ally monitored and verified for expected
savings. The software can also aggregate
both ECMs to reflect the total savings.
M&V planning also allows for the
long-term planning of a building or facil-
ity. For example, a building owner can
determine how to optimally run lighting
to meet the needs of a current tenant
and easily make adjustments for a new
tenant without sacrificing efficiency or
the meeting of sustainability goals. This
is particularly helpful when the type of
venue transitions between tenants; for
example, from a grocery store to a music
venue.
For those aiming for LEED certifica-
tion, the U.S. Green Building Council
(USGBC) recognizes the importance of
M&V. The LEED 2009 New Construction
and Major Renovations Standard, EA
Credit 5, gives three additional credit
points for having, developing and imple-
menting an M&V plan.
Adapting the use of big data into
facilities management does not have to
be an arduous undertaking. By imple-
menting a proper M&V plan, energy
usage data is easily turned into action-
able intelligence, providing an accurate
definition of costs savings and reduced
environmental impact. edc
www.edcmag.com 33B
 BY RAY CLARKE, PE, AND JOSHUA HANSEN
AEC/O+M JOSHUA HANSEN IS AN AUTOMATION AND CONTROL SYSTEMS ENGINEER WITH
AUSENCO. HE CAN BE REACHED AT JOSHUA.HANSEN@AUSENCO.COM.
RAY CLARKE, PE, IS A REGISTERED PROFESSIONAL ELECTRICAL ENGINEER
(CALIFORNIA, HAWAII) WITH AUSENCO. HE CAN BE REACHED AT RAY.CLARKE@
AUSENCO.COM.

Complex System Management

INTEGRATED CONTROL SYSTEMS ARE THE KEY TO MANAGING COMPLEX
ENERGY-EFFICIENT BUILDINGS.

One of the trends

in energy-efficient construc-
tion today is complexity.
While some earlier heating
and cooling systems could
be managed with little more
than a thermostat, energy-
efficient buildings require
the best available integrated
control systems.
For example, The David &
Lucile Packard Foundation’s
new headquarters in Los
Altos, Calif., recently opened
in July 2012 and uses a wide
range of systems to reach its
goal of net-zero energy use.
These include:
Rainwater harvesting with
roof runoff draining to
tanks that are used for
irrigating roof vegetation
and other landscaping, as
well as for toilet flushing;
Indoor and outdoor
louvers adjusted automati-
cally so that daylighting
systems coordinate with
artificial lighting to pro-
vide light without glare,
reduce energy use and re-
duce unwanted heat gain; IMAGE BY TERRY LORANT, COURTESY OF THE DAVID AND LUCILE PACKARD FOUNDATION
Rooftop-mounted solar
arrays that pump power
back into the grid, as well
as provide power for the
building itself; A dashboard that allows An innovative heating and These building features
Electronic displays telling employees to monitor in real cooling system that in- support the foundation’s goal
building users when it is time the amount of energy cludes chilled beams, heat of being a positive example for
appropriate (or not) to used by their actions, like pumps and cooling towers other organizations, as well
open windows; charging devices and printing; for greater efficiency. to provide a model that can

33C edc april.2013


ANYONE INVOLVED IN RENEWABLE
ENERGY SYSTEMS FOR BUILDINGS
NEEDS TO BE AWARE OF THE
GROWING CAPABILITY OF ICSs
be replicated, cost-efficiently,
elsewhere in the country.
COMPLEX SYSTEMS NEED
GOOD INTEGRATION
Not that it’s easy. Some
energy-efficient systems can
include solar and wind gen-
eration onsite, geo-energy,
In the Packard Foundation
building, sustainable aspects
include rooftop solar panels,
rainwater harvesting and
automated shading systems,
each of which requires con-
trols to keep energy con-
sumption down while also
producing a pleasant indoor
work environment. It can be
a challenge for building man-
agers to monitor and manage
the many systems in which
changes to one may require
changes to another.
It all comes together with
an Integrated Control System
(ICS) like the one designed
and configured by engineer-
ing firm Ausenco for the
Packard Foundation build-
ing. This is an electronic
system that combines the
output received from each of
the building’s systems so that
the whole can be run off one
central screen.
Anyone involved in renew-
able energy systems for
buildings needs to be aware
of the growing capability
of ICSs and how they are
increasingly important in
meeting energy efficiency
targets as well as organiza-
tional goals. Duties of the
ICS at the Packard Founda-
tion building include:
Reducing power for IT sys-
tems: Having a virtualized
environment, where one
physical server runs several
virtual servers, reduces the
amount of power required
to run the building.
Gathering information to
tweak performance: The
data gathered by the ICS
helps operators learn how
to boost the building’s ef-
ficiency, and data on every
the louvers that regulate the branch circuit helps to
amount of daylight entering discover “problem areas”
the building, ventilation sys- such as an electric space
tems that move air between heater hidden under some-
the sun-warmed side of a one’s desk.
building and the shady side, Supporting certification:
and the use of collected rain- The data collected also
water, as well as traditional helps certify the building’s
heating and cooling systems. net-zero status.
Providing hard data: The de-
tailed information gathered
can translate “soft” benefits
into hard data such as the
energy savings involved in
using rooftop runoff, rather
than municipal water, for
some purposes.
Builds stakeholder rela-
tions: Hard data helps
reassure employees and
other stakeholders that the
building is being efficiently
run (which is particularly
important for organiza-
tions that need to demon-
strate “green” credentials
to their customers).
GETTING GOOD RESULTS
FROM AN ICS
Experience shows that the keys
to efficiently managing this huge
array of factors involve the right
selection, customization and
operation of an ICS. Building
owners would do well to look to
the Control System Integrators
Association (CSIA), which pro-
vides certification and continu-
ing education for its members.
Certified Control System
Integrators have passed
an independent audit of 76
criteria covering all aspects
of business performance,
including general manage-
ment, financial management,
project management, quality
management, supporting sys-
tems and human resources.
The organization offers an
online referral service that
helps potential clients find a
qualified professional.
It is particularly important to
make sure that the organization
or individual be experienced
in a wide array of communica-
tions protocols since there may
be a diverse range of devices
and inputs to the system, each
with its own language.
Net-zero energy build-
ings wanting to operate as
efficiently as possible need
the support of a qualified
professional and the right
ICS to help the complex
systems. edc
www.edcmag.com 33D
 Blake
Mycoskie

TOMS Founder
and Chief Shoe
Giver

Cameron
Sinclair

Architecture
for Humanity
Co-Founder
and Chief
Eternal General Colin
Optimist L. Powell, USA
(Ret.)

Former
Secretary of
State
(2001–2005)

leadership
leadership beyond architecture
for architecture

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BURNING questions
BERNING answers
Reducing Healthcare Costs
Through Sustainability
HOW WILL THE AFFORDABLE HEALTHCARE ACT AFFECT HEALTHCARE FACILITIES?
BY MICHAEL J. BERNING, PE, CEM, LEED AP BD+C
MICHAEL J. BERNING, PE, CEM, LEED AP BD+C, IS THE DIRECTOR
OF SUSTAINABLE DESIGN FOR HEAPY ENGINEERING, A
NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED LEADER IN PROVIDING INNOVATIVE
SUSTAINABLE DESIGN, PLANNING, COMMISSIONING, LEED-
AND ENERGY-RELATED SERVICES. HE CAN BE REACHED AT
MJBERNING@HEAPY.COM OR 937-224-0861.
Healthcare has been (and will
continue to be) a hot topic at all political
levels, throughout our communities and
in our homes. We are only beginning to
understand the basics of the Affordable
Care Act (ACA) and how it will affect us
personally, let alone the impact it will
have on our entire healthcare system.
Does the ACA have a direct or even an
indirect link to sustainability? With a
couple of the ACA’s basic elements em-
phasizing wellness and patient outcomes
(satisfaction), sustainability principles
are definitely front and center. Let’s
examine how.
First, under the ACA, employers will
be incentivized to provide a healthy work
environment, create/promote wellness
programs, and even to subsidize the
costs for employee gym club member-
ships, smoking-cessation programs, etc.
We all know creating a healthy work
environment is a basic element employ-
ers should include in their sustainability
plan. Addressing employee comfort
(lighting, ventilation, temperature con-
trol) and providing bike-friendly work-
places are just a couple of strategies out
of the “Sustainability 101 for Businesses”
workbook. With the amount of time
the typical employee spends at work,
a healthier workplace certainly would
contribute to reducing overall healthcare
costs. Prevention versus medication
becomes the focus. An additional benefit
IMAGE BY MICHAEL BERNING for a business having healthier and more
www.edcmag.com 35
 C R E AT I N G E N V I R O N M E N T S
WHERE PEOPLE CAN SHINE™
PREVENTION VERSUS

MEDICATION BECOMES

THE FOCUS.

energetic employees is a more effective business (i.e., more

profitable).
Second, the ACA’s Medicare Hospital Value-Based Pur-
chasing Program will grade hospitals on the quality of their
healthcare delivery, including an assessment of patient
satisfaction. Hospitals could lose (or gain) a portion of
their Medicare funding based on their grades. Although
patient satisfaction is generally a measurement of the indi-
vidual’s perception of the quality of care they’ve received, a
standardized survey is used to generate a common barom-
eter across our healthcare system. You can only speculate
the myriad contributing factors a patient finds important
relative to his or her hospital “experience.” The “factors”
though, which could influence a patient’s perception of
care and that a healthcare institution has direct control of,
would also include the same items (mentioned above) an
employer can control.
The HCAHPS Patient Survey1 is what has been used since
last October in this process. A couple of the items on this
survey include “The Hospital Environment” (including ad-
dressing noise levels) as well as the “Overall Rating of Hos-
pital” (where patient comfort certainly becomes a factor).
One can see how a sustainably designed, constructed and
operated hospital would have a definite advantage in meet-
Photos by Chris Phebus Photography
ing these criteria compared to other healthcare facilities.
The report “Understanding the Relationship Between

BEAUTIFUL BY NIGHT
Public Health and the Built Environment”2 was written a
few years back to inform the development of the LEED for
Neighborhood Development (LEED-ND) rating system. This

BENEFICIAL BY DAY
report reviewed and gave an accounting of current research
showing a direct relationship between public health and
neighborhood design. Its purpose was to understand how
neighborhood design and development could have a positive
Our custom translucent panel daylighting systems influence on public health. The report presents interest-
ing data showing how our reliance on the automobile and
are lightweight, highly insulative and incredibly
having gone away from true Live-Work-Play neighborhoods
versatile... not to mention eye-catching and have negatively affected our overall general health.
energy-saving. Contact Major for details today! It only makes sense that sustainably designed workplaces
and neighborhoods and a focus on wellness and satisfactory
outcomes are all positive strategies for reducing healthcare
costs, as well as to improve the quality of life at home and at
SKYLIGHTS & TRANSLUCENT
the office. Now, back to the treadmill. edc
WALL SYSTEMS
MAJORSKYLIGHTS.COM IN FUTURE ISSUES OF EDC, THIS AUTHOR WILL ADDRESS SPECIFIC TOPICS REGARDING

888-759-2678 SUSTAINABILITY IN NEW CONSTRUCTION AS WELL AS RELATED TOPICS FOR EXISTING FACILITIES.

1 http://go.cms.gov/YNg0B9
2 http://bit.ly/XW9hWb

Reader Service No. 13 www.EDCmag.com/webcard

36 edc april.2013
 NATURALLY
SUSTAINABLE.
THAT’S IT, IN A
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Oh, and an oyster shell too.

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ingredients. Thanks to an innovative, patent-pending formulation,
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base yet. And, it’s one more way Tarkett ® helps you balance your
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Reader Service No. 191 www.EDCmag.com/webcard
 BY HELEN J. KESSLER, FAIA, LEED FELLOW
LEED Fellow HELEN J. KESSLER, FAIA, LEED FELLOW, IS THE PRESIDENT OF
CORNER CHICAGO-BASED HJKESSLER ASSOCIATES AND A USGBC
FACULTY MEMBER. SHE HAS MORE THAN 30 YEARS EXPERIENCE IN
SUSTAINABLE DESIGN AND WAS ONE OF THE FIRST ARCHITECTS IN
CHICAGO TO WORK WITH LEED.

Shifting Mindsets and

Awakening Possibility
AN INQUIRY INTO HOW WE CAN CREATE A NEW PARADIGM.

Am I doing enough? Are we do-

ing enough? These are questions I ask my-
self as the Arctic’s ice and Greenland’s gla-
ciers melt at an accelerating pace and as
our planet’s life support systems continue
to be subjected to relentless assault from
extraction, overuse and pollution. Major
changes will be required for the Earth to
continue to support its growing popula-
tion. As time slips by, I wonder: In a world
where most people don’t seem to care, or
perhaps simply don’t see (or want to see)
a problem, how can we shift mindset and
awaken new possibilities? What will be the
new way of life, and how do we get there
before something unthinkable occurs?
I have written this article as an inquiry,
but first want to describe some of my
work and sphere of influence. I will then
explore the following: Where do we go
from here? How do we shift mindset?
How can we create a new paradigm of
a world where all living beings have the
resources to sustain healthy, productive
and abundant lives?

GREEN BUILDING STORIES AND USING

AN INTEGRATIVE DESIGN PROCESS
My influence on sustainable practices is
varied. I help develop curricula and educa-
tion programs, create and deliver courses
and presentations to other profession-
als and college students, write articles,
advocate for green building practices, and
mentor. I am constantly advocating for use
of an integrative design process, which re-
quires a shift from traditional linear ways
of thinking to holistic ways of thinking.
As a green building consultant who has
focused on sustainability since my college
days and who has worked on more than
60 LEED projects, I influence the design
of many projects as well as the mindset of
owners, design team members and con-
tractors. On many occasions, I have caused
a shift in expectations, especially with
regard to LEED certification and energy
efficiency. As an example, when owners
ask for LEED Silver or LEED Certified
buildings, we often deliver LEED Gold; and
for a soon-to-be certified project, we may
deliver an astonishing LEED Platinum. We
do this at little to no extra cost. As expec-
tations shift, many owners now require
LEED Gold (or better) buildings. There is
no question that this is a mindset shift for
those owners and the design teams, and it
opens up new possibilities and opportuni-
ties for advanced thinking regarding how
to make projects more sustainable.

38 edc april.2013
 It is most gratifying to see the ripple ef-
fects of improving efficiency and optimum
sizing of buildings and systems, resulting
in both lower utility bills and construction
costs. This does not happen by accident.
Whenever possible, we use an integrative
process that brings teams together early
in a project to brainstorm and co-create.
My favorite part of this process is getting
to an “aha” moment when team members
perceive a new way of thinking—a less
expensive, more effective way of handling
the mechanical system, for instance. We
had such an opportunity on a project that
uses a geo-exchange system with dis-
tributed heat pumps and “direct outside
air” rather than a large central plant with
large and lengthy duct runs. Due to mov-
ing water throughout the building rather
than a huge amount of air, the size of the
ducts was dramatically reduced, allowing
the floor-to-floor height of the building to
decrease and the overall project cost—in-
cluding the cost of the mechanical system
with the ground source wells and heat
pumps—to be significantly lower than
originally budgeted. In fact, the project
was built for approximately the same first
cost as an almost identical building with
less efficient systems.
A large part of my “job” is to encourage
design team members to think holistically,
not just in their own silos or disciplines.
As a green building consultant I believe
that it is my duty to push the envelope, to
encourage people to see things differently
and to create greener, more sustainable
and more efficient buildings. It is always
rewarding when someone from one disci-
pline has a great idea for someone from
another discipline—or even better, when
it takes three or more disciplines working
together to make an idea work. A recent
example is a project with a large open
(and tall) public space. Rather than using
a typical overhead air distribution system,
a displacement ventilation system will
be used to reduce the size and number of
ducts, eliminate ductwork from the top of
the building, allow for less building struc-
ture and provide increased comfort for
the space. Additionally, the building enve-
lope and lighting systems were designed
together with the mechanical system.
The project includes large areas of very
efficient glazing and daylight dimming to
reduce electrical lighting usage. By inte-
grating efficient glazing and lighting, the
size of the HVAC system will be reduced,
resulting in significant energy savings.
Isn’t this the way everyone thinks about
design? Isn’t it the right way to do it? In
my experience, it’s just the opposite. This
integrative way of thinking is not obvious
and it’s hard to make it happen. Think-
ing in silos seems to come much more
naturally than thinking in a holistic and
integrated fashion.
It is so important to begin thinking about
all systems together—building envelope,
heating, cooling, ventilation, lighting,
daylight, water, the site—while the building
form is being created. If it’s not, one risks
losing a significant chunk of the benefits
of integrated design. Consultants who con-
tribute ideas at the beginning of a project
rather than react to an architect’s design
will change their own discipline and the
mindset of everyone. This takes some cour-
age among all parties—the architect needs
to be able to let others help design the
building, and other consultants need to be
willing to provide significant input into the
building design before the form is finalized.
I’ll never forget a presentation that I gave
together with the architect and mechanical
engineer regarding a project we had worked
on together. The architect lamented how
much work it had been to move a huge
team of consultants forward from the incep-
tion of the project to completion, while the
engineer, elated, noted that this was the first
time his ideas had ever been considered at
the beginning of a project and, for once, he
would be able to make a difference in its ul-
timate design. (All participants agreed that a
better building resulted from this practice.)
These stories illustrate the potential for
changing the mindset of a design team and
owner. Building design is important: Build-
ings can last longer than 100 years, and how
they use resources will affect not just the
original owner but society as a whole. How-
ever, I continue to ask myself: Am I doing
enough? Why aren’t all of my projects LEED
Platinum or Living Building Challenge?
STARTING AN INQUIRY, CREATING A
PARADIGM SHIFT
So, what would be enough? There are
undoubtedly a number of different or
overlapping ideas that could lead to an-
swers. To uncover them, I would like to
start an inquiry.
Consider that to create a world where
“all living beings have the resources to
sustain healthy, productive and abundant
lives,” a paradigm shift, or a new context
for how we view the world, is required.
The following are a number of ideas:
1. As we consider how to make large
systemic changes, it would be a good
idea to first make use of the best ideas
currently available:
a. Implement well-understood energy ef-
ficiency strategies and develop a robust
renewable energy infrastructure. An
inspiring resource that looks at both
cutting-edge technologies and econom-
ic feasibility beyond energy cost sav-
ings is the Rocky Mountain Institute’s
latest book called Reinventing Fire:
Bold Business Solutions for the New
Energy Era. (Lovins, 2011)
b. Build or renovate buildings to achieve
LEED Platinum or the requirements of
Living Building Challenge.
c. Certify every existing building under
LEED-EB: O+M.
If every building met one of these goals,
it would require a shift in mindset, but it
still would not be sufficient. So, what else
would help?
2. Develop new codes of conduct relative
to the use (against the misuse) of “the
commons” or the common good.
a. As an early step, the International
Green Construction Code (IgCC) is
ready for adoption. It will provide a
new green building baseline (code) for
everyone, allowing rating systems such
as LEED to become more ambitious
and potentially lead to restorative or
even regenerative practices.
b. Understand Hardin’s The Tragedy of
the Commons; create new codes of
conduct relative to doing no harm that
everyone, without exception, would
adhere to. These codes of conduct
would encompass all resources, would
not just affect buildings and should be
both local and global. Consider the fol-
lowing examples:
The unintended consequences
of agricultural practices which
affect long-term soil productiv-
ity, downstream health of water
systems and habitat, among others.
Also consider the health impacts of
fertilizers and herbicides, overuse
of (invisible) underground water
and jobs.
The unintended consequences
of cutting down a forest for lumber
when the forest provides more cost-
effective ecosystem services such
as erosion control, fish habitat and
clean water.
www.edcmag.com 39
 3. Change the way that we value resources.
a. Understand the benefits and
value of ecosystem services—re-
sources that are supplied by natural
ecosystems, such as clean water,
productive soil, and forests that
sequester CO2 and prevent erosion.
b. Removing the current system of
subsidies and instituting a carbon
(or other) tax would immediately
change the way certain resources
are valued.
4. Understand that the economic sys-
tem is a subsystem of the environment.
Human beings invented the economic
system. We did not invent the environ-
ment; the environment is the context in
which we live. How crazy is it that most
standard economic models treat the envi-
ronment as an externality?
5. The paradigm shift would occur when
we re-invent the economic system so that
growth is no longer the primary indicator
of a healthy system and the environment
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40 edc april.2013
becomes the overall context for a newly
designed economic system. Consider that
growth cannot go on forever in a finite
ecosystem, and therefore in the long run
it is harmful.
CHANGING MINDSET
Changing mindset may be the first step
toward a paradigm shift. How can one
change one’s own mindset, let alone
someone else’s? As Albert Einstein said,
“No problem can be solved from the same
level of consciousness that created it.”
1. Understand that everything is connected
and interdependent. Consider nested sys-
tems—how each system is affected by and
affects adjacent systems (buildings, com-
munities, neighborhoods, regions, etc.). The
building you are working on is affected by
much more than what you directly control.
2. Consider how one decision affects oth-
ers. (How did subsidies for corn lead to
the use of high fructose corn syrup and an
obesity epidemic?)
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3. Changing mindset can take a long
time. However, it can also happen
instantly and sometimes in surprising
ways: One of my neighbors, someone
who had been a staunch Republican,
surprised me one day. I was listening
to Joe Biden’s Democratic convention
speech (in my car—a driveway mo-
ment). She said, “Oh, you’re listening to
Biden—haven’t there been a lot of great
speeches this week!” I couldn’t believe
my ears and asked her what happened.
She said that some professors had asked
her questions that got her to think of
herself in other people’s shoes.
4. Consider the “Leavers” and the “Tak-
ers.” (This concept is beautifully illus-
trated in Ishmael: An Adventure of the
Mind and Spirit.) (Quinn, 1995) Will the
takers (that’s most of us) be able to leave
a healthy planet for future generations?
Now is the time for a paradigm shift.
There could be a fine balance between
moving too quickly and losing the mar-
ketplace, and not moving quickly enough
and losing the ecosystem that supports
human life. In order to achieve change,
both a paradigm shift and a mindset
shift will be required. Our society con-
tinues in the paradigm of the currently
unsustainable, consumption-oriented,
growth-reliant, short-term thinking
economic system which leads to the
massively unsustainable use of natural
resources. I believe that only by shifting
mindset, leading to a paradigm shift and
a new design of our economic system,
might we be able to create a world that
sustains the lives of all living beings for
the long-term future.
These thoughts are in my mind as
I continue to work on exciting green
building and LEED projects. I also want
you to know that I am not depressed
by the current state of affairs—I view
it as a challenge and something we can
change. As Margaret Mead said, “Never
doubt that a small group of thought-
ful, committed citizens can change the
world; indeed, it’s the only thing that
ever has.”
If you have made it to the end of this
article, you also probably have strate-
gies that you would like to see imple-
mented. Let’s continue the dialogue. edc
 w i t h Reflect
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Reader Service No. 139 www.EDCmag.com/webcard

MANUFACTURING PLANTS: DISTRIBUTION WAREHOUSES:

Clark, NJ I Ft. Lauderdale, FL I Chicago, IL I Kingman, AZ Arlington, TX I Rancho Cucamonga, CA I Tukwila, WA
 BY DANIEL OVERBEY, AIA, LEED AP BD+C
AEC/O+M DANIEL OVERBEY, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, IS THE DIRECTOR OF
SUSTAINABLE DESIGN PRACTICES FOR BROWNING DAY MULLINS
DIERDORF ARCHITECTS IN INDIANAPOLIS. HIS WORK FOCUSES ON
HIGH-PERFORMANCE BUILDING DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION,
ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS RESEARCH, LEED-RELATED SERVICES
AND ENERGY MODELING. OVERBEY CAN BE REACHED AT
DOVERBEY@BDMD.COM OR 317-635-5030.

The CBECS and Why It’s Important

AFTER YEARS OF FINANCIAL SETBACKS, THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY’S NATIONAL
SAMPLE SURVEY OF COMMERCIAL BUILDING ENERGY USE COMMENCES.

April marks an important mile-
stone for the high-performance building
community. After years of setbacks and
complications stemming from financial
strife, the U.S. Department of Energy’s
2012 Commercial Buildings Energy
Consumption Survey (CBECS) will begin
fielding data.
It has been 10 years since the last full
set of survey data. Considering the build-
ing design and construction industry’s
current focus on performance data, not
to mention the leaps and bounds made
by green building standards over the past
decade, the CBECS could not have come
at a better time.
The CBECS is akin to a national cen-
sus of building performance. The U.S.
DOE’s Energy Information Administra-
tion (EIA) develops a frame—or list—of
all commercial buildings in the country.
The EIA surveys thousands of those
buildings throughout the country using
a validated methodology. These build-
ings constitute a statistical sample that
is designed to represent all 4.9 million
commercial buildings in the U.S. The
CBECS provides the green building com-
munity with a vital dataset that serves
as the benchmarking backbone for the

42 edc april.2013
 The New Standards For Sustainability?
We’re Already There.
INSULATING CONCRETE FORMS
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Carollton, GA • 74,000 sq feet
5,000 13" ICFs • LEED Gold
ACCORDING TO THE EIA,

THE PUBLIC CAN EXPECT

DATA FROM THE 2012

CBECS TO BE RELEASED IN

THE SPRING 2014.

ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager, LEED, the 2030 Challenge

and various energy modeling tools.
Start Specifying Premium ICF Enclosures
The size and scope of the CBECS makes it unique among
other datasets. Moreover, it is unlikely that anyone from the
private sector would undertake a comparatively vast effort
anytime soon. This leaves the CBECS as a one-of-a-kind dataset Straight 90º Corner 45º Corner T-Form Ledge Taper Top
that provides invaluable information to the built environment.
But if it is so important, why hasn’t the survey been updated
According to ORNL, using the common installation
since 2003?
Dating back to 1979, the CBECS is typically carried out methods with fiberglass batt insulation resulted in
every four years. Despite rising costs to carry out subsequent the labeled R-value performance being reduced
surveys, the U.S. DOE’s budget has always been able to support by 28%. Don’t over specify under performing cavity
the CBECS—that is until (you guessed it) 2008.
Like everyone else, the EIA was under budgetary constraints
wall systems.
in 2008. In order to salvage the 2007 CBECS, the EIA allowed a
contractor to pursue some cost-saving measures that amounted Reward Wall Systems insulating concrete
to an experimental sampling that the EIA ultimately could not forms create high performance walls.
validate. Consequently, most of the dataset will not be released.
The 2011 CBECS was also thwarted by financial hurdles. The The thermal performance of Reward ICF walls can
final fiscal year (FY) 2011 federal budget slashed the EIA’s budget
actually increase from the stated R-Value. ICF walls
by $15.2 million—a 14 percent reduction from the FY 2010 budget.
Among other concessions, the EIA hesitantly decided to suspend address all factors of heat travel and offer benefits
the nation’s only statistical data source for energy consumption to all parties involved in the building, including
characteristics of the entire commercial building sector. architects, builders and owners.
Despite the financial struggles of recent years, the EIA is
commencing with the CBECS in 2013, with 2012 as the refer-
ence year. The 2012 CBECS will expand its sample size from
5,215 to 8,400 completed commercial building surveys. Making
good on an initiative starting with the 2007 iteration, the 2012
CBECS will also survey about water consumption and charac-
teristics. According to the EIA, the public can expect data from
the 2012 CBECS to be released in the spring 2014.
The CBECS is an essential tool for energy and water
The All Contact Us At 800-468-6344
performance benchmarking and we should all be thankful NEW
that arms of the federal government beyond the DOE are
acknowledging its value amidst times of financial trepidation. www.RewardWalls.com
The CBECS is the only dataset of its kind. And without in- Full CAD details, BIM objects, and
cremental updates, it will be impossible for us to truly gauge
just how far the green building movement has come and how
specs are available online
much farther it still needs to go. edc
Reader Service No. 15 www.EDCmag.com/webcard

www.edcmag.com 43
 Julep Techno Green Caribbean Vibe

CrispinBlu Beyond Moonray Haystack

Midnight

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The Color Roadmap: Yo

43A edc april.2013
Split Pea Nemo Georgian Tanzanista
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Dijon Luscious Statement Velvet

Rose

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our Palette for Success

www.edcmag.com 43B
 These colors aim to dominate
the floorcovering market.
BY ANNETTE CALLARI, ASID
Color enriches and
influences every aspect of our
lives; from what we wear to
the environments we create.
Of course, floorcovering is an
integral foundation for our
environments, and the right
colors are critical. The con-
nection between colors we
choose to live with and where
we live is hardwired and
always evolving—but with
deep-rooted influences.
It is timely, then, that
Color Marketing Group has
adopted a new methodol-
ogy of developing its color
forecasts. CMG now holds
regional ChromaZone meet-
ings in key metropolitan
areas across the country
throughout the year. Design-
ers and color professionals
analyze color directions for
their part of the country,
and based on that collective,
nationwide information, the
final forecast is derived and
announced at CMG’s annual
summit meeting.
The floorcovering indus-
try knows how valuable this
forecast is in determining its
palettes for 2013 and 2014,
because they were well rep-
resented in Miami in October
2012. Among the contributing
color professionals present
were representatives from
Mohawk Flooring, J & J Indus-
tries, Mannington/Amtico,
DalTile, Bigelow Commercial
Carpets, Centiva, Congoleum,
Shaw Industries, Johnsonite
and Beaulieu.
The actual names and color
formulas generated by CMG
are proprietary to members
43C edc april.2013
only, so I have built a compa-
rable reference palette that
will give you accurate insights
as to the emerging colors.
Let’s talk about the macro-
trends that helped forge the
color directions for the next
two years:
NEO-GEO
There is a radical change in
how we view the physical
world. Earth has evolved
from “clean” dirt and miner-
als to a stratified mix that
now includes bits of plastics,
trash and shards of glass.
Prints and patterns for car-
pets will pick up on this new
geology concept.
Look for patterns that
simulate colorful geodes and
stone-like patterns. Contem-
porary versions will emerge
reflecting neo-geo. Yarns with
varying luster levels will be
combined for interest and col-
ors seem to change with the
light of the day. Tactility will
be even more important—high
texture with a natural look,
and luxurious softness.
CONTEMPORARY
MINIMALISM
Design has been moving
toward a “less is more” con-
cept for several years now.
An austere world economy
has moved this to a macro-
trend for 2013-2014. We will
continue to design around
what we “need” rather than
clutter our interiors with
useless things. Simplifica-
tion—but with the introduc-
tion of even more high-tech
comforts—will influence our
environments. Ease of main-
tenance goes along with this
trend, and manufacturers of
all flooring types will consider
this a priority in their product
development.
NEXT NATURE
The floorcovering industry
has done a great job of inter-
preting patterns (example:
organic, botanical, aqueous)
from nature into carpet—both
broadloom and carpet tiles.
Porcelain tile manufacturers
have done the same.
Now, enter “next nature”—
patterns that reflect a new
rendered reality. Natural
and virtual will combine to
produce fresh new versions
of nature. Pixelization, cubed
and triangular shapes that
look as if they have jumped
off a computer screen, will
all be interpreted into soft
surfaces. Gradiant tones of
color (ombre effects) within
one carpet or area rug will be available. Tile will also employ
these new color techniques. Vibrant colors will be interpreted
into luxury vinyl tile with mix-and-match capabilities, especially
useful for contract work (healthcare, education, hospitality).
PAST MEETS PRESENT
Nostalgic times are looking pretty good to all of us right now.
Colors from mid-century are optimistic, and these colors are
strongly incorporated in the forecasted palette. Art Deco influ-
ences helped shape the new colors as well. In certain regions of
the country, colors with historical importance found their way
into the palette. These colors from the past bring with them as-
sociations of optimism, stability and comfort.
SUSTAINA-BLUE
Just about every region in the country agreed that America is
pretty “greened-out.” Greens have dominated the palette for the
last five years and we are ready for change. Two years ago, CMG
predicted that blues would be the new flag-bearer for sustainabil-
ity, and that has become reality. Even the new greens are touched
with blue. Sustainability in design is more important than ever.
Reuse, re-claim, re-share, repurpose: This is the mantra for the
remainder of the decade.
See how these trends brought about the projected colors that
earned a place in the new palette for 2013 and 2014:
GREENS AND BLUE-GREENS
Julep: Mint Juleps on a hot summer’s day reflect this cool
green that has Art Deco roots.
Techno Green: A mid-toned green that works for interiors
or exteriors.
Caribbean: A perfect balance of deep green touched by blue.
Area rugs will capture this color.
YELLOW-GREENS
Vibe: Bright and optimistic, this green is a new version of lime
and a bit acidic.
Split Pea: Still keeps green on the light side with this
mid-toned color.
BLUES
Nemo: A velvety blue with enough clarity to keep it lively.
Georgian Blue: Definitely a “past meets present” color drawn
from colonial times. A favorite color-to-be, especially in the
Northeast.
Tanzanista: This gem-like blue captures the essence of tanzanite.
Blue kissed with purple.
CrispinBlu: A deep, thoughtful blue that is peaceful and pairs
beautifully with white.
Beyond Midnight: Black has been replaced by this color. It’s
less stark than pure black and also more interesting.
YELLOWS
Moonray: A true neutral, this is a warm beige with a miniscule
touch of green.
Haystack: Natural, warm and golden in tone with a slight
undertone of orange.
Dijon: Yellow goes deep with this hue. The color of pure egg
yolks, it’s definitely one of the optimistic colors.
REDS
Luscious: Pinks and reds are important and well-represented for
the next two years. They reflect health and well-being. Luscious
has pink undertones and lightens red to a livable interior color.
Statement: Lipstick red and interiors can wear it with confi-
dence. A great accent color.
Velvet Rose: Picture a freshly painted New England barn
trimmed in crisp white.
V-8: Orange is not gone, but reconfigured wearing a coat of red.
WARM NEUTRALS
Changes: This is the color you’ve been waiting for, a complex
mid-toned neutral that harmonizes with just about everything.
Every floorcovering type will pick up on this color because it is
timeless and easy to live with.
Sweet Cocoa: Just as it sounds, it’s a rich, but neutral, brown.
Brooding: Another alternative to black, Brooding is deep and
grounded, but with a touch of brown.
Rich Brew: Even darker than Brooding, black has some new
competition.
COOL NEUTRALS
Whisper: Grey is stepping back from its current huge presence
in interiors. But Whisper represents grey well, with a “whisper”
undertone of soft green.
NeoGeo: Not black, not grey, not green, it’s a blend of all three
producing a chameleon color that is mineral-like.
METALLIC
Metallica: We are ready for a new metal color that hasn’t been
overdone. Metallica is a hybrid that defies an accurate label.
Picture bubbling champagne that is a no-color color. Special
finishes with color flecks will give it glimmer and substance.
Carpet manufacturers will enjoy playing with this color and
varying luster levels. Tile and LVT manufacturers will love it as
well.
Since these are emerging colors, you will see some new product
introductions wearing these hues in the very near future. It’s ex-
citing to watch colors of the future come to life before your eyes.
Most of these colors won’t appear until later in the new year
or into 2014, but they are on the way. The forecast colors bring
energy and a message of new beginnings to interiors. The new
color harmonies that can be created are a break-away from what
we’ve seen the last few years. The muted, grayed-down colors are
waning and making way for crisp, clean hues.
It’s all about new beginnings and colors will be our roadmap to
the future. edc
ANNETTE CALLARI IS AN INTERIOR DESIGN AND COLOR EXPERT WITH MORE THAN 24 YEARS OF
RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL DESIGN EXPERIENCE. SHE CURRENTLY SERVES AS SALES SPE-
CIALIST FOR AMTICO INTERNATIONAL IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, WORKING WITH ARCHITECTS,
DESIGNERS AND KEY RETAILERS. SHE IS AN ALLIED DESIGNER WITH THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF
INTERIOR DESIGNERS, CHAIR HOLDER FOR COLOR MARKETING GROUP INTERNATIONAL AND
HAS AUTHORED NUMEROUS ARTICLES ON COLOR AND DESIGN TRENDS. SHE CAN BE REACHED
AT ANNETTE.CALLARI@AMTICO.COM.
www.edcmag.com 43D
 BY SELINA HOLMES
LEED SELINA HOLMES IS LEED MARKETING MANAGER FOR USGBC.

LEED v4: Built to Perform

LEED v4 IS BUILT TO ENSURE THAT CERTIFIED BUILDINGS IMPLEMENT THE MOST IMPORTANT
STRATEGIES THAT TRANSLATE TO HIGH LEVELS OF PERFORMANCE.

Does LEED make a difference? Is
it contributing to a better world? Is it
involved in making a great world?
These were some of the questions
that Scot Horst, senior vice president for
LEED at the U.S. Green Building Council
(USGBC), asked during sessions he led
on performance at the 2012 Greenbuild
conference in San Francisco.
While you might think that USGBC’s
highest executive for LEED would quickly
answer, “Yes, of course,” to all of these
questions, Horst had a different take.
“I don’t think we know,” Horst said. “We
know we’re busy. We’ve got almost 50,000
LEED projects, or almost nine billion
square feet,” he said, referring to regis-
tered LEED projects. “We’ve been certify-
ing 1.5 million square feet every single day
since January 2010. We are busy. But how
do we know we’re making a difference?”
While Horst and USGBC are busy with
initiatives to follow up with certified
LEED projects and ensure their high ongo-
ing performance relative to environmental
and energy goals, LEED v4 will seamlessly
translate required LEED strategies to mea-
surable improvements in outcomes.
A WEIGHTING GAME: REWARDS FOR
LEED CREDITS THAT MATTER MOST
Every point on LEED’s scale of zero to
100 brings a building to higher levels of
achievement, market recognition and
often financial rewards—so, USGBC has
a serious responsibility to make those
points meaningful. To put it another way,
points are the currency of LEED. Does
this currency value what matters?

Scot Horst at Greenbuild 2012 in San Francisco. Image by Oscar Einzig

44 edc april.2013
 LEED 2009, which introduced the 100-point scale (with 10
bonus points available), used Tool for Reduction and Assessment
of Chemical and Other Environmental Impacts (TRACI) Impact
Categories from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
to inform point allocations. These refer to impacts such as ozone
depletion, smog formation, eco-toxicity and global warming. They
characterize negative impacts from constructing and operating
buildings that we’d like to avoid.
Although the LEED 2009 weightings process resulted in some
changes that many view as positive, such as increased emphasis
on alternative commuting, USGBC wanted to use a different kind
of tool in developing LEED v4—one that is more focused on the
missions of LEED and USGBC. After all, the green building move-
ment should be about doing “more good” not “less bad.”
For LEED v4, USGBC started by developing its own impact
categories:
Reverse contribution to global climate change
Enhance individual human health and well-being
Protect and restore water resources
Protect, enhance and restore biodiversity and
ecosystem services
Promote sustainable and regenerative material
resources cycles
Build a greener economy
Enhance social equity, environmental justice,
community health and quality of life
Next, the LEED Steering Committee, an integrated group of expe-
rienced industry volunteers and USGBC staff, gave relative weights
to these categories, as well as better defined them with specific
strategies. As Chrissy Macken, assistant project manager of LEED v4
at USGBC, described it, “If it is a large-scale global problem where
the built environment is a big part of the problem, and can be a big
part of the solution, then it gets weighted heavily.” For example,
climate change is a global problem to which the built environment
contributes heavily, and we know it can contribute to solutions, so
that category was weighted most heavily in this exercise.
Adam Rohloff, senior analyst with Altura, worked on the
weightings exercise, and he points out that these impact catego-
ries also suggest directions LEED could take in the future. “With
the newer impact categories like green economy and enhancing
community, it’s important to put them on the map,” he says. “But if
we were to overstress those impact categories, it would take away
from what LEED can accomplish right now.” Rohloff and others
at USGBC hope that emerging tools and strategies for these issues
will better define how LEED projects can contribute to them in
the future.
With these categories established, USGBC built a database of
associations between LEED credit options and impact category
goals. If a credit is good at helping meet a specific goal, if its ef-
fects have a long duration, and if the controllability of the effect
is relatively robust, then a stronger association is formed.
Before finalizing credit weightings, USGBC also laid out a few
ground rules:
LEED is a 100-point system.
No credit is worth less than one point.
Fractional values are rounded to the nearest whole point.
With the database and weightings established, it was a matter
of crunching numbers to determine how many points each LEED
This screen from USGBC’s weightings database shows the completed
association between the LEED v4 Site Assessment credit and the
“Protection and Restoration of Water Regimes and Natural Hydrological
Cycles” impact category. In this case, it was determined that achieving the
Site Assessment LEED credit had a medium level of relative efficacy in
protecting water regimes and natural hydrological cycles. The duration of
this impact was set to 30+ years because the project site itself will typically
change very little once developed. Finally, it was considered a passive
measure, because once developed, the site will won’t necessarily need active
engagement to remain effective.
IMAGE COURTESY OF USGBC
v4 credit should get. The weightings are now established, pend-
ing member approval this summer during the ballot period, but
the tool could always be taken further. It’s tempting to use it on
innovations like regionalizing weightings based on specific priori-
ties, but those ideas—and the database to support them—will be
ready for future versions of LEED.
FROM CREDIT ACHIEVEMENT TO BUILDING
PERFORMANCE
Call it the “Empty Bike Rack” problem. Or the “Flushing the Low
Flow Toilet Twice” problem. Or the problem of the “New ‘Green’
Interior Space” that gives occupants headaches.
Whatever you call it, it’s about the disconnect that can occur
between achieving a LEED credit and actually fulfilling its intent.
While LEED has historically relied on project teams to choose
the most appropriate credits for the given project—and on facil-
ity owners, managers and occupants to follow through on the
promise of those credits—lapses and mismatches do occur.
USGBC is learning from experience by creating stronger ties
between LEED v4 credits and their performance outcomes, and
by offering greater rewards for credit options that do this better.
The biggest moves are within LEED v4 for Building Design + Con-
struction (BD+C), which makes the performance connection with
several new requirements, including a water metering prerequisite
and an energy metering prerequisite and credit—setting up systems
that will allow tracking to ensure that buildings meet expectations.
One of the most significant changes to the design and construc-
tion process, however, could be the result of a building enclosure
www.edcmag.com 45
 SAMPLE LEED-EB: O+M v4 ESTABLISHMENT AND PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS

Credit Establishment Requirement Performance Requirement

Alternative Transportation
(1–15 points)
Site Management Policy
(Prerequisite)
Site Management (1 point)
Indoor Water Use Reduction
(Prerequisite)
Indoor Water Use Reduction—
Prescriptive Path (2–5 points)
Minimum Energy
Performance (Prerequisite)
Optimize Energy Performance
(1–20 points)
Ongoing Purchasing and
Waste Policy (Prerequisite)
Purchasing—Ongoing
(1–2 points)
Conduct an occupant survey of transportation
patterns, then demonstrate a reduction in Conduct a transportation survey at least once
conventional single-occupant vehicle trips, or every five years
implement an alternative transportation program
Implement a site management policy that
employs best management practices to reduce
harmful chemical use, energy waste, water waste,
None
air pollution, solid waste, and/or chemical runoff
for all of the following operational elements on
the building and grounds
Meet site management performance
None beyond the prerequisite thresholds, such as 100 percent diversion of
plant waste
Confirm that calculations are up to date,
Reduce fixture consumption to required baseline,
and that recent purchases meet policy
implement fixture replacement policy
requirements
Same as prerequisite, with more demanding
None beyond the prerequisite
thresholds
Meter energy use and achieve efficiency
Calibrate meters targets every 12 months, e.g. ENERGY STAR
score of 75 or better
Same as prerequisite—demonstrate efficiency
None beyond the prerequisite
beyond a basic threshold
Put in place environmentally preferable
purchasing policy; establish recycling storage Earn the Solid Waste Management credit, or
locations; conduct waste stream audit; put in conduct an annual waste stream audit
place solid waste management policy
Purchase at least 60 percent ongoing
None beyond the prerequisite consumables meeting sustainability criteria,
and 40 percent electric-powered equipment

commissioning option in the Enhanced
Commissioning credit. Worth two points,
this option rewards projects that com-
mission the thermal envelope. Why is this
worth the trouble? In short, the building
enclosure starts as a design incorporating
thousands of details and is built onsite
with hundreds of materials manually
installed. It can and will go wrong—with
air barriers lacking continuity, moisture-
control details missed and more—but the
commissioning process gives a greater
likelihood that expected and actual per-
formance will align.
Those bike racks are also a good ex-
ample: while LEED v4 for BD+C contains
familiar requirements for bike racks and
changing facilities, it adds a new require-
ment for “Bicycle Networks.” At least one
of the following must be within a three-
mile bicycling distance from the project:
At least 10 retail, service or
community facilities
A school or employment center (if
the project is mostly residential)
A mass transit stop
In the same way, the Low-Emitting Inte-
riors credit shifts the focus to the interior
space and how the entire assembly of ma-
terials meets thresholds for low emissions,
rather than focusing on single products.
Depending on how many points they want
to achieve, designers will have to look at
entire flooring, ceiling, wall, insulation,
furniture and exterior applications, and
use 100 percent—or close to 100 percent
in some cases—compliant products.
You don’t get any savings from a low-
flush toilet that has to be flushed twice to
do its duty, so the U.S. EPA has adopted
MaP, or Maximum Performance, testing
along with regulating flush volumes for
high-efficiency toilets carrying its Water-
Sense label. Accordingly, toilets meeting
LEED v4’s prerequisite for Indoor Water
Use Reduction will not only have to flush
with 1.6 gpf or less, but will also have to
evacuate 350 grams of solid waste per
flush under the MaP protocol.
Another example of LEED v4 getting
it right with performance is in the Indoor
Air Quality Assessment credit, which now
awards two points for indoor air quality
testing prior to occupancy and just one
point for flush-out of air prior to occu-
pancy. In previous versions of LEED, these

46 edc april.2013
 Big fans
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Prerequisites and credits in LEED for Existing Buildings: Opera- you’re working on a restaurant, university
tions + Maintenance (LEED-EB: O+M) v4 now have an Establish- or your own office, Big Ass Fans has the
ment component and a Performance component written into the product line and expertise to enhance the
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A longstanding component of LEED-EB: O+M certification has
Accredited Professionals can tell you how
been the “performance period”—that’s the time, usually three to Big Ass Fans contribute to LEED certification.
12 months depending on the credit, during which the results of
LEED credit strategies are measured and documented.
The LEED v4 approach (and recertification guidance recently “We didn’t specify Big Ass Fans for aesthetics,
released by USGBC for LEED 2009—see next page) introduces but it turned out to be the centerpiece of the
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the parallel concept of the “establishment period,” the time
–Jason Gamache, Architect/Sustainability
when building infrastructure is assessed, policies are drafted, Coordinator, McCool Carlson Green
and programs and processes are put in place to enable ongoing
performance measurement.
Each LEED v4 prerequisite and credit gives Establishment and
Performance requirements (see previous page). The Establish-
ment portion specifies the foundation that projects will rely on for
the duration of credit compliance—for example, developing and
putting in place an environmentally preferable purchasing (EPP) Call or visit us online to learn about
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show some evidence of an activity or ongoing tracking that
shows alignment with the credit intent and Establishment
activities. For example, in the same prerequisite, the Perfor-
mance requirement is to maintain a solid waste management
program by achieving the “Materials and Resources Credit Solid
Waste Management—Ongoing” credit, or by conducting a waste
stream audit of consumables once a year.
In credits that rely on a survey or assessment as part of the
Establishment requirements, the Performance requirement will
usually be to repeat that survey periodically. That’s the case
with Alternative Transportation where the requirement is to
survey occupants on transportation patterns, with the survey
repeated at least every five years.
This establishment and performance approach is meant to help
organize LEED project activities—making what project teams MANUFACTURED IN LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY

need to focus on and what they’ll be required to do clearer.

Reader Service No. 16 www.EDCmag.com/webcard

www.edcmag.com 47
 The Best Pavements
Are Dan Ackerstein, principal of Ackerstein Sustainability and an
experienced LEED-EB: O+M consultant, applauds the change
as “One more clear signal to the marketplace that this tool is
about ongoing performance.” Ackerstein says that it hasn’t
always been clear that “the things that we’re asking for you to
do are things that we’re going to need you to do in perpetuity.”
The new structure not only makes this point easier to see, but it
also sets clear parameters for recertification—the revisiting of
LEED requirements that is supposed to occur within five years
of earning LEED-EB: O+M certification.

RECERTIFICATION: KEEPING
LEED CURRENT
A special feature of LEED-EB: O+M certification is that it comes
with an expiration date. Since the certification is all about ongo-
ing performance, project buildings have been required to seek
recertification every five years to demonstrate that environmen-
tal policies are being maintained or improved upon.
USGBC recently released clear and specific guidelines for
exactly how projects are supposed to do that, and it is embody-
ing those guidelines in the LEED v4 rating system, both in the
credit language and in LEED Online tools.
In the credit language, LEED v4 separates requirements into
Establishment and Performance sections (see page 46), so that
project teams are clear which requirements they will have to
revisit when it’s time to recertify. As in the past with perfor-
mance periods, the Performance requirements will require
documentation of ongoing project performance; projects won’t
have to re-document static environmental features.
LEED Online will support recertification with specific forms
that projects can access within the project’s original certifica-
tion on LEED Online, rather than starting from scratch.
Although projects will need to recertify under the most cur-
rent version of the LEED-EB: O+M rating system (for example,
moving from LEED v2009 to LEED v4 once the newer system is
in place and required), USGBC will provide guidance and tools
to bring projects up to speed with the newer systems.
Recertification projects will have to provide documentation
covering the most recent 25 percent of the period they are re-
certifying. For example, if recertifying within four years, they’ll
need to have one year of data; if recertifying after one year,
they’ll need three months of data. A new LEED plaque with a
new date awaits project teams earning recertification.
Jenny Carney, a principal with YR&G, and a LEED-EB: O+M
grass porous paving consultant, says that between the separation of Establishment
and Performance requirements and the new recertification
structure, “There really is an opportunity to set up a platform
for recertification that makes a lot of sense. Establishment
will be consistent over time, and what you presumably would
gravel porous paving have to deal with in terms of ongoing tracking is just in the
performance area.”
Dan Ackerstein, who says he has been debating with fellow
LEED-EB: O+M professionals for at least five years about
how recertification should work, says that in his review of
the guidance, USGBC has done a good job balancing “the
needs of the program and the realities of building ownership.”
The message he sees USGBC communicating through in the
invisiblestructures.com | 800-233-1510 guidance document is: “We want to help.” edc

Reader Service No. 17 www.EDCmag.com/webcard

48 edc april.2013
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Brands’ electric lighting. This allows an ar-
progressive engineering to deliver
chitect to match the design of the electric
a superior blend of illumination in-
source with the design of the natural light
tensity, thermal performance and
source, a feature that separates Lightflex
light consistency. They are energy efficient, eco-friendly and af-
from competitive daylighting offerings.
fordable making the ideal choice for any commercial application.
Sunoptics
Solatube
www.sunoptics.com/lightflex
www.solatube.com
Reader Service No. 87
Reader Service No. 86

50 edc april.2013
Reader Service No. 185 www.EDCmag.com/webcard
 BUILDING
OUR MEMBERS are leading a movement that will create 7.9 million jobs and add $554 million to the economy annually.

SOMETHING
They are 13,000+ member companies that are building 1.6 million sq. ft. of LEED-certified space per day.

EVEN
They volunteered more than 240,000 hours to the green building movement in 2011.

GREATER
Together, we will transform the built environment for everyone, within a generation.
Reader Service No. 65 www.EDCmag.com/webcard

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