• Sustainable construction projects have a low environmental impact and prioritize the use of renewable building materials.
• On average, completed sustainable construction projects have lower operating costs and are more energy-efficient than traditional buildings.
• Common sustainable construction techniques include passive design strategies, life cycle assessments, water conservation, xeriscaping, and more.

Sustainable construction aims to drastically reduce a building’s energy consumption and environmental impact throughout all phases of the construction process. In practice this is achieved by carefully considering site factors, implementing passive design strategies, installing energy-efficient appliances, utilizing sustainable materials, and managing waste effectively.

This in-depth look at sustainable construction explores the importance behind the sustainable design philosophy, its environmental, economic, and social benefits, guiding principles, methods of implementation, and a few practical case studies of sustainable construction in the field.

History of Sustainable Construction

The 5 MLK Boulevard project has been certified for LEED Gold, Salmon Safe, and is the first mixed-use building in the US with a Fitwel certification, according to GREC Architects. Photo by Quanta Collectiv

The basics defining sustainable construction have been around for thousands of years, but sustainable construction is a relatively modern innovation when it comes to being a staunch architectural concept and design philosophy.

The energy crises of the 1970s—which stemmed from oil shortages following the Iraq War—are cited as the impetus behind modern sustainable construction. At the time world leaders were being forced to rethink their countries’ dependency on oil, leading to an increased interest in renewable energy.

Towards the end of the 1980s the idea of sustainable construction was brought back into the spotlight when architect Bob Berkebile petitioned the AIA to adopt more stringent environmentally-conscious measures.

In the early 2000s concerns regarding global warming and greenhouse gas emissions resulted in renewed attempts at transitioning buildings over to clean energy and reducing the amount of carbon produced during the construction and operation of built structures—sentiments that have carried over into our contemporary world.

The Importance of Sustainable Construction

HGA designed the Westwood Hills Nature Center in St. Louis Park, Minnesota to be zero energy. Photo by Pete Sieger

The built environment produces approximately 40% of the world’s carbon emissions, while the construction industry as a whole is responsible for nearly 50% of global resource extraction and produces 30% of the world’s waste, according to a 2019 report issued by the International Energy Agency. 

Increased carbon emissions and the destruction of natural resources are two of the most prominent factors contributing to anthropogenic climate change. Because sustainable construction projects seek to achieve low- or no-carbon status and prioritize ethical resource harvesting, they are considered crucial in mitigating the most harmful effects of changing climatic patterns.

Benefits of Sustainable Construction

CraneBoard Solid Core Insulated Siding has added insulation to reduce energy consumption and its overall carbon footprint. Photo courtesy of Royal Building Products

Predictably, the most important benefits of sustainable construction have to do with the reduced environmental impact of green building projects compared to their conventional counterparts. These aren’t, however, the only advantages, as sustainable construction also boasts a number of economic and social benefits as well.

Environmental Benefits

To start, let’s take a look at a few of the more obvious benefits of sustainable construction—that is to say, the environmental benefits.

Reduced Carbon Footprint

Compared to traditional construction projects, sustainable buildings have a much lower carbon footprint. This is achieved in large part through the implementation of passive design strategies that help naturally regulate temperature, the installation of energy-efficient appliances, and the use of building materials with low embodied carbon.

Conservation of Resources

Whenever possible, sustainable construction projects seek to avoid utilizing our world’s dwindling non-renewable resources by replacing them with ethically sourced renewable alternatives. In the larger sense, however, sustainable construction attempts to conserve resources—be they renewable or non-renewable—by using fewer resources in the first place.

Reduced Waste

Sustainable construction projects often practice source reduction and incorporate recycled or salvaged materials from other buildings, thereby reducing the amount of demolition waste sent off to landfills. Energy-saving features help reduce energy waste and water conservation measures—such as greywater recycling systems—aid in decreasing wastewater production.

Biodiversity and Ecosystem Health

Lastly, sustainable construction promotes and encourages the stewardship of biodiverse ecosystems through the inclusion of native plant species. Green roofs and living walls seeded with indigenous plants can help provide sanctuaries for crucial insects like bees and other pollinators, whereas xeriscaping—that is, the practice of planting native plants on site—can help recreate and reinvigorate damaged ecosystems.

Economic Benefits

Sustainable construction projects also have their fair share of economic benefits, three of which are outlined below.

Lower Operating Costs

Becase sustainable building projects are typically designed with energy efficiency in mind, they tend to have significantly lower operating costs than traditionally designed buildings. This is especially true if the finished project incorporates some form of on-site renewable energy generation.

Higher Property Values

As a general rule, real estate ventures that boast sustainable features or certifications have higher property values than those without. Sustainable buildings sell for an average of 2.7% higher than their non-sustainable counterparts—and they typically sell faster, too, according to the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation. 

Social and Health Benefits

Sustainable construction projects offer a few social and health benefits, too including:

Improved Occupant Health and Comfort

Generally speaking sustainably designed buildings produce fewer volatile organic compounds (VOCs) than traditional construction projects, thereby reducing the likelihood of occupants developing certain respiratory illnesses and cancers over time.

Sustainable buildings are typically more comfortable than their non-sustainable counterparts due to the fact that they regulate interior temperatures better and emphasize proper ventilation.

Community Benefits

When implemented correctly sustainable construction projects have a beneficial impact on the communities they’re built in. Ideally these projects help improve air quality by producing fewer carbon emissions, reduce soil and water pollution by limiting the amount of toxic materials and waste produced throughout the building’s life cycle, and foster a greater connection between humans and nature through the inclusion of green spaces.

Education and Awareness

As sustainable construction projects become more commonplace, it becomes easier to spread awareness and educate people on why sustainable design is crucial in mitigating the negative effects of climate change. As awareness grows it becomes easier to secure funding for future construction projects and can even make it easier to approve sustainable construction projects in the first place.

Core Principles of Sustainable Construction

The Candela villa rises up in a pyramidal formation to minimize the jungle footprint and follow strict building and construction practices. The project also follows set limits for the distance of freighted materials. Water treatment facilities and strict waste management protocols are also in place. Photo by César Bejar

Sustainable design manifests in many ways; there is no one standardized approach to building green structures. That being said, these are a few core principles that underlay the basic philosophy of sustainable construction, as outlined below.

Energy Efficiency

First and foremost, sustainable construction strives for energy efficiency wherever possible, as this helps to reduce a building’s overall carbon footprint, lowers operating costs, and helps decrease air pollution. Energy efficiency is often realized in the form of low-energy appliances and systems but also through the application of passive design strategies that reduce the need for mechanical heating, cooling, ventilation, etc. in the first place.

Water Efficiency

Similarly, sustainable architectural projects are often designed to minimize water usage and wastewater production. This is achieved in part by installing water-efficient taps and fixtures but often includes additional measures like rainwater collection, greywater recycling, blackwater treatment, and so on.

Use of Sustainable Resources and Materials

Tantimber is great for cladding, decking, flooring, beams, and more. Photo courtesy of G Wood Products

Predictably, sustainable construction projects also emphasize the use of sustainable resources and materials wherever possible. Ethically sourced renewable resources (timber, bamboo, stone, etc.) with low embodied carbon are favored over materials like concrete and steel. In situations where the use of concrete is necessary, sustainable construction projects typically use a green or low-carbon variety that incorporates construction waste byproducts like fly-ash.

Recycled and reclaimed materials—particularly lumber and steel from demolished structures—are also used in sustainable building design whenever possible to mitigate waste production and curtail further resource extraction.

Ensuring Healthy Living Conditions

As previously mentioned, a healthy indoor environment is another integral component of sustainable construction projects, especially when it comes to the occupant’s exposure to toxic chemicals. A healthy indoor space goes hand-in-hand with the use of eco-friendly materials, which typically produce lower levels of VOCs than traditional building materials.

Waste Reduction and Management

Finally, sustainable construction projects seek to reduce waste wherever possible and develop efficient management plans for the waste that is produced. This helps keep construction waste out of landfills, encourages recycling, and reduces the likelihood of soil and water pollution.

Techniques and Methods for Sustainable Construction

Now that we’ve explored the key principles of sustainable construction, let’s take a look at the techniques and methods used to implement them.

Green Building Certifications

Gensler designed the Department of Homeland Security offices in Omaha—a design/build with Harwood Development that achieved LEED Gold. Photo courtesy of Kessler

When it comes to designing for sustainability, green building certification programs—such as LEED in the United States and BREEAM in Europe—can help provide a guiding framework.

LEED, for example, has specific guidelines for various types of construction projects (healthcare, data centers, school, warehouses, etc.) and offers a variety of credits that projects can earn based on certain sustainability features.

In order for a project to become LEED certified, it must earn at least 40 credits.

Passive Design

One of the most important techniques used in sustainable construction is that of passive design. Passive design strategies are heavily informed by a project site’s immediate climatic and geographic conditions and help keep a building’s interior comfortable without excessive use of mechanical systems.

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The Thunderbird Global Headquarters, designed by Jones Studio and Moore Ruble Yudell Architects & Planners, for example, makes use of a high-efficiency building envelope, solar shading, trees, and windows that allow sunlight while blocking solar heat to passively regulate temperatures in the Arizona desert.

In an effort to make the structure’s outdoor spaces more comfortable, Thunderbird features rain gardens and strategically placed shades to passively cool select spaces. “Those rain gardens are creating cooler spaces underneath deeply shaded, outdoor patio spaces,” Shawn Swisher, an architect at Jones Studio, previously told gb&d.

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)

A life cycle assessment (LCA) is a scientific tool used by architects to determine a building’s environmental impact and energy use throughout all stages of its life cycle, including the procurement of building materials, construction, operation, and eventual demolition.

This is an invaluable tool when designing sustainable construction projects that aim to achieve carbon-neutral or net-zero carbon status and conducting a LCA is crucial to obtaining LEED or BREEAM certification.

Energy Techniques

Solar arrays and other alternative energy systems helped the Cope Environmental Center achieve net positive energy usage, producing more energy than it consumes. Photo courtesy of HEAPY

Generally speaking sustainable architectural projects seek to be as energy-efficient as possible, both during the initial construction phase and throughout the completed project’s operational lifespan.

Renewable Energy Sources

While not necessarily a requirement for sustainable construction, renewable energy sources are typically integrated into a project’s design from the very beginning. Of these renewable energies, solar is the most popular, but geothermal, wind, and hydropower are also viable alternatives.

Sustainable construction projects also look to source building materials from companies who utilize renewable energy to manufacture their products, as this helps reduce a building’s overall carbon footprint.

Energy-Efficient Appliances and Systems

Energy-efficient appliances and systems play an important role in sustainable construction projects. In our contemporary world energy-efficient alternatives exist for just about any major appliance imaginable, from refrigerators and dishwashers to washing machines and light fixtures.

In the US any appliance with an ENERGY STAR label is considered energy-efficient according to standards set by the US Department of Energy and the EPA.

Water and Waste Management Techniques

Sustainable construction projects also seek to manage water use and waste as efficiently as possible.

Water Conservation

The most sustainable building projects reduce their water consumption through a variety of techniques. Water-efficient fixtures and plumbing systems are the simplest methods, but many projects take water conservation to the next level by installing rainwater catchment systems—which can be used to supply water to irrigation lines or appliances—and on-site greywater recycling systems.

Waste Management

In order to effectively manage the waste that is produced throughout a building’s life-cycle, sustainable construction projects typically practice source reduction, or the practice of eliminating waste before it’s even created. This is achieved through effective planning, modeling, and ethical resource procurement.

Of course, even the most sustainable construction projects will still produce waste, which is why green building design focuses heavily on using natural, renewable materials that can either be recycled or composted after reaching the end of their operational lifespan.

Land and Ecosystem Conservation Techniques

South Coast Botanic Garden in Palos Verde Peninsula, California. Photo courtesy of Greenscreen

Finally, sustainable construction projects employ a number of strategies to promote land and ecosystem conservation. This helps reduce the structure’s impact on the local flora and fauna to ensure a healthy, functioning ecological community.

Site Selection and Development

In order to make the most efficient use of available land and lessen a project’s overall environmental impact, architects must conduct a thorough site assessment. This gives better insight into how to design in collaboration with existing ecological features rather than against them, reducing the severity of any habitat disruption the completed structure may cause.

Sustainable construction projects also practice ecosystem conservation by limiting the size of development sites. This is often achieved by building upwards or by adapting existing buildings rather than clearing a new site.

Landscaping with Native and Drought-Resistant Plants

Landscape design creates a comfortable public space in the arid downtown of Phoenix at the Thunderbird Global Headquarters, designed by Jones Studio and Moore Ruble Yudell Architects & Planners. Photo by Inessa Binenbaum

In order to preserve a site’s natural biodiversity, sustainable construction projects utilize indigenous plant species wherever possible in landscaping. In most cases native species form deeper, stronger root networks than the traditional grasses used in landscaping—two characteristics that help mitigate topsoil erosion and promote a healthy soil microbiome.

Similarly, drought-resistant plants are often employed in regions that receive little rainfall. This helps reduce water usage and encourages sustainable water conservation practices.

Common Sustainable Construction Materials

As green architecture becomes more and more popular—and necessary—the amount of sustainable construction materials continues to grow. Some of the most common materials include:

Bamboo

The Green School in Bali, sometimes referred to as the bamboo school, is a private, international school that teaches pre-K through high school. The campus highlights the natural environment and teaches sustainable practices. Photo by Tommaso Riva

Unlike timber, bamboo has an extremely quick regeneration rate. Bamboo culms may be harvested once every five to seven years, as opposed to the 20 years required for hardwoods and softwoods.

Bamboo also absorbs twice as much carbon, requires less water, and requires no fertilizer to grow. Traditionally, whole, halved, or split bamboo poles have been used in construction, but bamboo can also be shredded into fibrous strands and woven back together to form strong planks for flooring or panels.

Straw Bales

In the United States—and particularly in the Midwest—straw bales have been used in construction since the late 1800s in one of two ways. In most cases straw bales are stacked atop one another between a wooden framework and utilized as insulation, as compacted straw has a very high R-value.

Similarly, straw bales can be used to form the walls of a house themselves, in which case they act as both insulation and structural framework. In these instances the bales are covered with a layer of plaster after they are stacked to protect them from the elements.

Straw—which is typically either dried oats, wheat, rice, or rye—is a natural material. It sequesters carbon and grows rapidly, having a low environmental impact.

Cork

Lustrous flooring made largely of cork creates a cozy feeling. The cork is not only a more sustainable option; it is a natural sound insulator. Photo by Ivo Tavares Studio

Unlike wood or bamboo, cork does not require that the entire plant be harvested—rather, only the bark of cork oak trees is used to create building materials. When collected sustainably cork oak bark can be harvested without harming the tree and using very little energy. Once harvested cork bark sufficiently regrows within a nine-year timespan, meaning a single cork tree can be harvested multiple times throughout its natural life cycle.

After it is collected cork bark is shredded, compressed into sheets, and baked in a kiln to form planks or sheets—of which are then used to create flooring or insulation panels.

Wood

As a naturally renewable resource—one that sequesters carbon throughout its growth cycle—wood is one of the most common environmentally friendly building materials used in sustainable construction.

Not all wood, however, is considered to be sustainable, as certain forestry practices—particularly those used to harvest exotic hardwoods—can actually have an extremely detrimental impact on the local ecosystem. To ensure the wood you’re using is sustainable and ethically harvested, verify that it has been certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).

Recycled Steel

Despite the fact that steel production is responsible for a not-insignificant amount of greenhouse gas emissions, existing steel is still considered to be sustainable because it can be recycle almost infinitely. Depending on the project recycled steel may be used as is or melted down and reformed into some other building component—the latter of which still produces fewer emissions than manufacturing new steel altogether.

Reclaimed Wood or Brick

Raw and unfinished authentic reclaimed barn wood planks. Photo courtesy of Woodstock Architectural Products

Similar to recycled steel, reclaimed wood and bricks are sustainable in that they prevent construction waste and do not require further emissions be produced before they can be used.

On average reclaimed wood is usually stronger than fresh lumber and is less resistant to warping due to having a lower moisture content. Reclaimed bricks, on the other hand, can be used as is, chipped for landscape use, or even crushed to form aggregate for new bricks.

Recycled Plastic

It’s estimated that, on average, the US produces roughly 40 million tons of plastic waste each year. Approximately 85% of that waste ends up in landfills, where it then sits for years without breaking down. Fortunately a large portion of that plastic can be recycled and used for construction purposes: It can be formed into shingles, mixed into concrete, incorporated into roads in place of asphalt, molded into bricks or tiles, and even used to make recycled-fiber carpets.

Rammed Earth

Created by gradually pouring and tamping down layers of a damp aggregate mixture (usually sand, silt, gravel, clay, and dirt) in between wooden panels or in a flooring mold, rammed earth is an incredibly durable material with a high thermal mass, high compression strength, and an extremely long lifespan.

Due to its widespread availability, ease of procurement, and inherent renewability/recyclability, rammed earth is one of the most sustainable building materials there is.

Hempcrete

As a more sustainable alternative to traditional concrete, hempcrete is created by mixing hemp with lime, pozzolans, or sand. Like any plant, hemp absorbs carbon throughout its natural growth cycle and then continues to store said carbon once it has been processed into hempcrete, making it an extremely environmentally-friendly product. Unlike concrete, hempcrete is fairly lightweight and has high thermal insulation capabilities, making it an excellent material for constructing non-load-bearing walls.

Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT)

A type of engineered wood, CLT is formed by gluing together at least three layers of solid-sawn lumber and is often used as an alternative to concrete.

Due to the perpendicular orientation of the layers, CLT has improved structural rigidity compared to traditional timber and is similar in strength to reinforced concrete despite weighing far less. As long as the wood used to create CLT panels is sourced from ethically-managed forests—such as those certified by the FSC—it is considered to be a sustainable material.

Insulating Concrete Forms (ICFs)

In 2016 the ICFMA commissioned an independent scientific study comparing a wood-framed cavity wall to a standard six-inch core ICF wall. Photo courtesy of IFCMA

Quick to manufacture, durable and easy to install, insulated concrete forms are manufactured by pouring concrete into insulated polystyrene foam blocks. After the concrete cures the polystyrene blocks are left in place instead of removed—ultimately, this gives the wall improved insulating properties compared to traditional timber-frame walls.

ICFs are incredibly strong are expected to last over 100 years, provided they are properly maintained—they also have no trouble withstanding strong winds, which makes them extremely useful in areas where tornadoes or hurricanes are common.

Low-E Windows

According to the Department of Energy, the average building loses 25 to 30% of the energy it utilizes through poorly installed, leaky, or just plain inefficient windows. To combat this low-energy windows may be installed.

These windows typically feature special glazes or coatings to help block solar heat from entering while still allowing natural light to filter through.

Innovative Technologies in Sustainable Construction

Emerging technologies like integrated cloud monitoring, 3D printing, and preconstruction software make achieving sustainable construction goals easier. Photo courtesy of Sage

As the sustainable construction sector continues to grow, emerging technologies like 3D printing, preconstruction software, and integrated cloud solutions can aid architects and designers throughout every phase of the building process.

3D printing, for example, can help reduce material waste by creating extremely precise building components, either off- or on-site. Preconstruction software, on the other hand, gives architects the ability to develop 3D building models that provide accurate estimates of waste production, energy use, and water consumption.

Integrated cloud technologies—such as those offered by Sage—provide an easy way to manage project data in one place, reducing the possibility of errors or miscommunication. Other integrated cloud solutions can even use automated systems to track a project’s energy consumption (amongst other metrics) in real time, making it easier to adjust conditions to meet sustainability goals.

“Advances in preconstruction, cloud, and emerging technologies have opened up a new world of possibilities when it comes to increasing efficiencies and reducing project waste and rework,” Dustin Stephens, vice president of Sage’s construction and real estate practice, previously wrote for gb&dPRO. “As technology continues to advance we will see even more opportunities to optimize the project lifecycle and further minimize construction’s environmental impact.”

Case Studies and Examples of Successful Sustainable Construction

Now that we’ve familiarized ourselves with the basics of sustainable construction, let’s take a look at a few of the most inspiring examples.

Rain Harvest Home

Outside the Rain Harvest Home. Photo by Jaime Navarro

The Rain Harvest Home is an inspiring example of sustainable construction in action. Located in Temascaltepec, Mexico, this beautiful house was designed by Robert Hutchison Architecture (RHA) and Javier Sanchez Arquitectos (JSA).

Rather than build with masonry or concrete, RHA and JSA elected to build the entire Rain Harvest Home out of sustainably sourced wood. “This choice was made with the intention of building as light on the ground as possible and to reduce the carbon footprint of the project,” Robert Hutchison, founder and lead architect of RHA, previously told gb&d.

As the name implies, the three-structure Rain Harvest Home features a gravity fed rainwater-catchment and treatment system that supplies the main residence, studio, and bathhouse with water. A green roof further serves to absorb rainwater and helps regulate interior temperatures.

Westwood Hills Nature Center

HGA designed the Westwood Hills Nature Center in St. Louis Park, Minnesota to be zero energy. Photo by Pete Sieger

Designed by HGA, the Westwood Hills Nature Center in St. Louis Park, Minnesota factors sustainability into every element of its design.

“The building is oriented in plan to take advantage of solar angles and prevailing winds; its roof form opens the building up to views and maximizes daylight to reduce energy use,” Glenn Waguespack, senior project designer at HGA, previously told gb&d. “From a systems standpoint, the biggest contributor to energy reduction is the geothermal wellfield, which uses the earth as a heat source for our radiant and forced air systems; heating loads are dominant in a cold climate like ours.”

In order to reduce the building’s environmental impact even further, HGA planned from the very beginning to make the Westwood Hills Nature Center a zero-energy facility—that is, a building that generates as much power as it uses annually.

Key Challenges and Barriers in Sustainable Construction

Of course, sustainable construction isn’t without its challenges. Some of the most common barriers include:

• Higher upfront costs. Due to limited availability of industry professionals and high competition for sustainable materials, most sustainable construction projects have higher upfront costs than their non-sustainable counterparts.
• Zoning limitations. Use-based zoning regulations can hinder the development of mixed- or multi-use sustainable construction projects.
• Lack of expertise. Despite the growing popularity of sustainable construction, few architects, builders, and contractors have experience with its design principles.
• Lack of awareness and understanding. Within the construction sector as a whole, there is very little awareness as to the benefits of sustainable construction—and to make matters worse, there is very little incentive to learn about them.
• Building codes and regulations. As it stands, there exist very few building codes and regulations for sustainable construction projects, which can make the planning and permit processes difficult.

Role of Government and Policy in Sustainable Construction

There are a few ways in which the government and policymakers can encourage the widespread adoption of sustainable construction practices, such as providing financial incentives, revising national design standards, and requiring that all new construction projects meet LEED (or an equivalent organization’s) standards.

The European Union, for example, is requiring that all public buildings be renovated for improved energy efficiency in order to meet Europe’s long-term net-zero carbon goals. India and the United States, amongst other countries, currently offer tax incentives for buildings that meet LEED certification requirements. The US also provides financial assistance in the form of loans and grants for certain projects that seek to implement renewable energy sources.

Sustainable Construction and the Future of Urban Planning

Historically urban planning has been at odds with sustainability, largely due to cities being designed around automobiles and single-use zoning standards. Sustainable urban planning requires that cities and towns do the following:

• Prioritize pedestrian infrastructure. In order to reduce carbon emissions and urban air pollution, new development projects must be designed with walkability in mind.
• Offer multiple public transit options. Similarly, interconnected public transit networks reduce dependency on private vehicles and drastically reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions.
• Preserve green spaces. Green spaces like parks, hiking trails, and the like help regulate temperature, absorb carbon, and improve people’s mental health.
• Encourage mixed-use projects. Making it easier to approve and construct mixed-use buildings helps limit urban sprawl and makes adaptive reuse projects more feasible.
• Transition to renewable energy. By requiring that new development projects implement renewable energy, urban centers can reduce their carbon emissions and conserve resources.
• Incentivize energy efficiency. Cities and towns can further encourage sustainable construction practices by incentivizing energy efficiency and providing financial assistance for energy-efficient upgrades to existing buildings.

The Road Ahead for Sustainable Construction

Due to an increased understanding of how the built environment contributes to anthropogenic climate change, the adoption of sustainable construction practices has become increasingly necessary. Governed by five key principles—energy efficiency, water efficiency, use of sustainable materials, healthy living conditions, and waste management—sustainable construction offers a variety of environmental, economic, and social benefits.

Moving forward world governments, policymakers, and urban planners have an important role to play in removing the barriers around sustainable construction so that green building projects are easier to realize on a large scale. Emerging technological innovations such as preconstruction software and cloud data management can also help to simplify the sustainable construction process.

All in all, sustainable construction is an important component in mitigating the worst effects of climate change and helps create a healthier world both for ourselves and future generations.

The post What is Sustainable Construction? appeared first on gb&d magazine.

• There are plenty of ways before and after building a home to make it more sustainable.
• Building a green home isn’t just good for the planet. It’s good for the health of occupants and saves money over time with its efficiency.
• The best performing green home involves a mixture of active and passive solutions, from installing heat pumps to selecting sustainable materials.

There is no single, consistent way to build a sustainable home. Its requirements adapt to its location and environment, whether sunny, dry, cold, or humid. About 90% of all buildings in the United States are single-family homes and building them to be sustainable, durable, and efficient is a crucial step in tackling the climate crisis. This list focuses on the essential, overarching sustainability concepts that can also save cost and improve occupant well-being.

Choose the Right Materials

Photo courtesy of Centennial Woods

The first step in sourcing materials for a green home is eliminating the use of any Red-listed materials. The International Living Future Institute (ILFI), in collaboration with the Living Building Challenge, maintains a list of materials that are harmful to the environment as well as to people. These materials include asbestos, antimicrobials, formaldehyde, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

The best approach when sourcing materials for a project is to think natural and use sustainably sourced materials. Terra-cotta, a simple yet durable type of fired clay, has been used for hundreds of years as a material in roofing and facades. Terrazzo, like terra-cotta, is also easily customizable and quite durable, making it an ideal candidate as a recycled material.

The most important things to think about is the lifespan of a material—if it was responsibly produced or sourced in a low emissions process, if it can have a long life without needing replacement, and if it can be easily reused or recycled. This is an idea that is known as the circular economy, in which materials can be continuously used without generating waste.

The most renewable of materials is timber, with trees embodying carbon as they grow. Single-family homes in the United States are overwhelmingly wood-framed as opposed to using more energy-intensive concrete or steel, but not all wood is created equal. The USGBC sets responsible sourcing standards mandating that “all wood in the building must be nontropical, reused or reclaimed, or certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.”

If wood is the most sustainable material, reclaimed wood is the best of the best. The construction industry has long used barn siding, wood pallets, and railroad ties as materials for homes. Besides giving a unique character and aesthetic to a house, recycling materials is great way to achieve carbon neutrality in materials sourcing.

Reuse Water

The site of the old library has been transformed into a city plaza. Underneath, a 400,000-gallon cistern collects rainwater for reuse. Photo courtesy of Noll & Tam Architects

A 2023 NOAA report found that 90.9% of the American West is experiencing a moderate to exceptional level drought condition. Regardless of a project’s location, rainwater reuse should be a crucial component of any sustainable building.

Architects designing the Hayward Public Library in the San Francisco Bay Area converted an old basement into a 400,000-gallon cistern that collects rainwater for use in toilets and landscaping. Nearby, the recently completed Salesforce Tower recycles 30,000 gallons of water a day using onsite equipment before returning the water to the building. While these projects vastly exceed the scale of a house, they are representative of a larger shift in the industry as water reuse becomes a crucial part of any project. The most effective thing that can be done at a residential level is collecting rainwater in a personal cistern or reusing water. This greywater can then be used for things like landscaping or in toilets.

Investing in Efficient Energy Systems

The LEED Platinum Urban Frontier House is a customized solution built by integrating existing systems in a new way to create a home that is scalable, replicable, and affordable. Photo by Clark Marten

There are two approaches to creating a sustainable energy system in a house. The first is increasing the amount of power produced on-site using renewable methods such as solar. Since 2010 there has been a 64% decline in the cost of residential solar power and, although it carries a steeper installation cost, once installed solar PV cuts back on the amount of energy that has to be purchased from the grid. In fact, excess power generated can often be sold back to the grid for a profit.

The second way is decreasing the amount of power consumed by utilizing natural light, energy-efficient lightbulbs, and heating/cooling solutions like geothermal systems or heat pumps, which like solar power have become cheaper and more accessible at a residential level in recent years.

Follow Green Building Guidelines

The Urban Frontier House achieved LEED Platinum. Photo by Nathan Satran

While obtaining LEED for a building requires certification and can be costly, the guidelines themselves can be helpful when building a green home.

LEED has required prerequisites that serve as a good baseline for a green building like requirements in water usage, air quality, and materials sourcing. A complete scorecard for a single-family residential LEED building can be downloaded here.

The Living Building Challenge is an even more holistic set of guidelines for a green building, including categories like biophilia, healthy indoor environments, and human scaled living. These categories, even if followed without the intent or pursuing certification, outline important sustainability objectives from responsible sourcing of materials and net-zero energy production to providing healthy green spaces and minimizing impervious surfaces.

Go Back to the Basics

One of the oldest techniques in construction is working with the project’s site rather than against it. Take, for example, a home located in a cold climate in the Northern Hemisphere. Positioning the long side of the house toward the south, where the sun shines the most, maximizes solar gains during the winter and reduces heating costs. In the hotter summer months overhangs can be installed over windows that block the high summer sun from overheating the interior of a house. Simple changes to a house’s position like this can drastically change its energy requirements.

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Noll & Tam on Designing a Library as a Model for Public Buildings

Another way to increase a home’s efficiency is to build up. Building a taller home is often more efficient and sustainable than building a wider home. Wider homes have a larger surface area to volume ratio, which increases the structure’s exposure to outside conditions and thus increases energy costs. Building wider requires a larger roof and foundation as well as more extensive ductwork and plumbing, making the process more expensive and material intensive. A well-performing building envelope both prevents heat gains/losses and provides good air quality to tenants. As the mantra goes, “Build tight, ventilate right.”

The post How Do You Build a Green Home? appeared first on gb&d magazine.

• Baffles in an attic improve ventilation, creating a channel for air to pass through between insulation and vents.
• Proper air ventilation in an attic prevents mold and rust in humid summer months, plus buildup of ice dams in the winter.
• Baffles come in a variety of sizes and materials—including plastic, styrofoam, cardboard, and plywood.

Most people rarely set foot in their attics unless they work in construction or home inspection. If you’re not one to frequent that topmost level of the home, you might not know what baffles are in an attic—or why they’re so important.

Baffles, no matter their material, are necessary to a well-constructed attic and the air that circulates inside it—even if the attic is well insulated.

Attics are often hot in the summer, when heat absorbs through a roof’s shingles and collects in the uppermost floor of the house. Of course, hot air also rises. In a house this means warm air on every level floats up, accumulating at the highest point in the attic. Attics also tend to get hotter than any other room in the house during warm weather months, since they are not climate-controlled with air conditioning as most other spaces are during this time.

Because of this, attics are usually much hotter than the outside temperature, though they should ideally be as close to the temperature outside as possible. There are several ways to improve a disproportionately warm attic and give its heated air a place to go—mainly with baffles.

Airflow

Perhaps the most vital factor in every attic is ventilation and airflow.

Soffit vents improve circulation in an attic by intaking air from outside. This makes the indoor attic closer to the outside temperature.

Exhaust vents on the top of the roof allow attic air to escape from the house. These vents help remove moisture and condensation often found in hot attics.

What are Baffles in an Attic?

Baffles are channels that improve air circulation in the upper-most level of your house, sitting in an attic’s rafters and improving levels of humidity and moisture to prolong the longevity of the space.

Air travels inside an attic through soffits, then through baffles, before it begins to heat up and rise—because indoor attic air is warmer than outdoor air in both the summer and winter—exiting the attic through the exhaust vent.

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Insulation, or the soffit and exhaust vents themselves, can clog air’s only pathway in and out of the attic. This is where baffles come in. These chutes create room between vents and the insulation, often fiberglass batts, to allow optimal airflow. Baffles also serve as a barrier between soffits and the attic’s walls and ceilings, preventing outside air from entering the insulation by creating a direct path to the exhaust vent.

Why Baffles Matter

If you neglect installing baffles, you risk a handful of issues and potential costly repairs.

A lack of proper circulation and control over high attic temperatures degrades shingles and other roof coverings faster. Proper air circulation prevents moisture in summer months, which can cause rust and leaks if roof shingles begin rotting because of the attic’s humidity. High levels of heat can also destroy items stored in your attic, plus cause you to run the air conditioning more frequently, increasing energy consumption and bills for your house.

In colder months, poor ventilation in the attic can cause ice dams, or slabs of ice that damage the roof. Ice dams form when a warm attic and roof melts snow, which accumulates as ice on the edge of a roof.

How to Install Baffles

Baffles must be installed directly to the roof deck, between exposed rafters, to allow the best possible air flow.

For maximum ventilation a baffle should be installed tightly between every rafter. The baffle should fit snugly where the ceiling joist meets the rafter, but you may need to use spray foam to insulate any possible air leaks.

Types of Baffles

The linear baffles of Atmosphera Analog lend themselves to the high ceilings found inside Rios Clementi Hale Studios in Oakland, California. Photo by Jasper Sanidad

Baffles come in many sizes to fit attics of all kinds. Most often these chutes are made of plastic, styrofoam, cardboard, or plywood.

Though baffles are often used in today’s indoor architecture to absorb noise and improve a room’s acoustics, those installed in an attic don’t require aesthetic beauty and functionality—just the latter, but not necessarily for quieting sound. Here’s what baffles in an attic look like.

Plastic

Plastic baffles are durable and last longer than most other materials. They come in different sizes to fit between the most common spacing between roof rafters: two inches, 16 inches, 19.2 inches, and 24 inches. Plastic baffles are not porous, meaning they don’t absorb the moisture that leads to mold and, eventually, degradation in an attic. The thick plastic material will also block air leaks and work with almost any insulation, stiff enough to weather the force that comes with spray foam installation.

Styrofoam

Both plastic and styrofoam baffles come in various sizes to fit in the space between rafters. Though more expensive than plastic, styrofoam baffles are flexible and easy to install by stapling to the ceiling. Styrofoam baffles can offer an extra layer of insulation and are perfect for high humidity and extreme temperature locations since they also reject moisture.

Cardboard

Cardboard, the cheapest of these baffle materials, is even easier to install than plastic because of its malleable nature. While plastic and styrofoam baffles can be difficult to cut through to shape to your rafters (if you can’t find the right size), cardboard is a breeze to shape to the dimensions you need between rafters. But cardboard is also the least resistant to moisture, since the material is so porous. For that reason, cardboard baffles are most common in attics in drier climates with cheaper interior builds, often recycled from previous use as a cardboard box.

Plywood

If you’re looking to install your own attic baffles, plywood, similar to cardboard, might be the material to use, since many homeowners have it on-hand from other projects. Also like cardboard, plywood’s porous nature gives mold an easy spot to grow over long periods of time, leading to faster baffle degradation than plastic or styrofoam baffles. Plywood’s sturdiness makes the material a good choice for additional insulation, though it can also make the rigid wood challenging to install.

The post What are Baffles in an Attic? appeared first on gb&d magazine.

• APV ensures your engineered coating job is done right through proper building preparation.
• Depending on what coating suits a particular structure, APV offers three complementary primer systems.
• NeverFade’s resin system, Kynar Aquatec, outlasts high-performance 100% acrylic products.

The process of applying a protective coating to a building’s exterior is more complicated than it might seem—if it’s done right. Simply pressure-washing the facade and then painting it isn’t nearly enough. Experts say pre-coating preparation is the key to achieving high-quality, long-lasting results.

“Every job is unique,” says Erin Brown-Neff, the director of marketing and business development for APV Engineered Coatings. “Depending on where the location is—whether it’s Florida, California, the Midwest, the Caribbean, or Canada—the climate conditions can vary considerably. The surface condition of the building can also vary—all those things can impact how a coating will perform. There’s really no ‘one size fits all’ coating system.”

This condo property in the Bahamas keeps its exterior looking bright with W-1650 Bonding Primer and a custom Silver Birch Mica color of NeverFade Metal Topcoat. Photo by Stuart Dean Company

That’s why APV, working in concert with carefully chosen certified contractors like Stuart Dean Company, is so strict about surface preparation. “According to NACE International, 75% of all premature coating failures are caused by improper surface preparation,” Brown-Neff says.

1. Careful pre-inspection makes a big difference.

Those failures are often caused by improper initial assessments. Perhaps more crucially, contractors fail to involve the coating manufacturer from the outset. Whether a structure is old or new, in need of repairs for problems like blistering, peeling, or pinholing, or receiving its first coating, APV is always involved. “Together with our certified contractor, we act as inspectors on the job,” Brown-Neff says. “We go to the job site, see the unique situation on the project, and use NACE, SSPC, or ASTM Standards to specify how the surface should be prepped.”

Rex Dean, global director of facade restoration at Stuart Dean, says they first determine the type of substrate that needs coating and the existing coating system—if there is one. They then test the surface for adhesion to see if a new field-applied coating system will anchor to the current coating.

When that’s done, surfaces are tested for environmental contaminants like chlorides, sulfates, and nitrates—which are removed if they’re present. Next up: the creation of an “anchor/surface profile.” That can be achieved by hand abrasion, mechanical tool abrasion, and blast abrasion.

2. Consider environmental factors.

A detailed assessment of the surface in question, as well as the environment in which it exists, is crucial to the success of every project. Photo courtesy of APV Engineered Coatings

APV Engineered Coatings is involved in assessments every step of the way to ensure the process runs smoothly. Photo courtesy of APV Engineered Coatings

Photo courtesy of APV Engineered Coatings

The post 4 Building Prep Tips for Longer Lasting Coatings appeared first on gb&d magazine.

Being proactive and finding ways to streamline specification processes will assist in building and maintaining a profitable construction and engineering firm while ensuring superior project results.

The Meaning of The Power of One

An important consideration when designing plumbing systems is to identify a single-source manufacturer, especially for commercial applications like health care or hospitality. Using a “one-stop-shop” that offers a range of plumbing products that work well in commercial applications will help streamline projects.

A manufacturer could bundle health care rooms and offer a range of plumbing products that work well in, for example, health care applications, from ADA-compliant tubular products, cements, and sealants to drains and testing products.

Photo courtesy of Oatey Co.

No two construction projects are the same, and the demands and requirements of a commercial project are even more unique. These projects entail innovative solutions and an expert team to ensure the project is completed on time, within budget, and built to rigorous specifications.

Oatey Commercial is a single-source supplier that helps engineers and contractors face the many challenges of commercial construction. If engineers can specify plumbing products from start to finish working with one manufacturer, the project team will be counting on a single sales contact and supplier.

When specifying plumbing products for a hospitality project, the main focus would likely be the rooms and bathrooms within the hotel. However, plumbing products will also need to be specified for kitchen or restaurant/bar construction.

Photo courtesy of Oatey Co.

With a single-source supplier, you could specify solvent cement, primers, thread sealants, commercial tubular, grab bars, air admittance valves, supply boxes, rough-in products, drainage, and even test plugs, all from one manufacturer or supplier. Not only will this bundling process streamline specifications for engineers, but it will also have a significant impact on the efficiency of project management from the general contractor’s perspective.

The below graphic illustrates how some of Oatey’s plumbing products can be applied to different aspects of a hotel project.

Graphic courtesy of Oatey Co.

Now that we have a better understanding of the meaning of a single-source manufacturer, let’s dive into three ways it can streamline specification and increase profitability for plumbing engineers and contractors.

1. One point-of-contact and nurtured relationships

Engineers find value in a strong relationship with the manufacturer whose product they specify and with the local rep agency representing those products.

Say you are specifying a supply box. You want to be confident that particular supply box is a quality product with a good company backing it up. While there are instances where you would specify one specific manufacturer’s product, finding a partner that can bundle products for your projects ensures you always work with one point of contact.

Instead of specifying a supply box from this company, a hammer arrester from that company, a drain from another, and so forth, a single-source can ensure you don’t end up communicating with three or four representatives while trying to build and nurture those relationships.

The power of one means you have one relationship that provides you several avenues of specifications you could stand behind, knowing it’s a great company with great people, and that you are specifying quality products. The power of one also means that if there’s a product question or a need for troubleshooting, you’re going to one website or reaching out via one email every time.

In short, it helps streamline the process, plus you’re going to one place for any maintenance or technical questions down the line. Whether you are a specifier, a wholesaler, or a contractor, you know the customer service number to get you the help you need.

2. Streamline purchase orders and shipping

While this might not necessarily be something to consider at the specifying level, a single-source manufacturer can also have a significant impact at the project construction level.

By the time a product is specified and a contractor decides they’re going to use it, they have to work with a wholesaler to source the materials and submit a PEO for the products they’re using.

When buying a supply box here or a hammer arrester there, construction firms and project managers will likely deal with different shipments and payments, while a single-source supplier translates into one purchase order through one wholesaler that comes on one shipment. That’s a one-stop-shop.

Usually a wholesaler will already have the necessary products in stock. But for bigger commercial jobs, they likely have to order certain products. That’s where shipments can impact productivity and efficiency. You don’t want to be tracking 17 pallets and how they are getting from a manufacturer’s distribution center to the wholesaler to the contractor to the job site.

In addition, you usually must hit a minimum quantity to earn free freight through wholesalers. That might be hard to do if you’re buying individual pieces and parts from one wholesaler. But when you’re bundling products for an entire job through a single manufacturer, the freight will add up fast and could result in free shipping.

3. Technical resources

A single-source manufacturer will get you quick, professional answers to your questions to keep projects moving forward. From planning and designing to specifying, one call does it all.

Construction teams count on reliable products to keep projects running smoothly and require the most accurate information to specify products for jobs. Dealing with one manufacturer streamlines planning and specifications, because all resources can be found in one place, one website with detailed product descriptions, educational information, how-to videos, and new-product updates. Plus, construction teams can find the tools they need in one place, including:

• BIMSmith
• MasterSpec
• ARCAT
• ARCOM
• 3-Part CSIs
• Specifications

In conclusion, a one-stop-shop ensures you have support at every level. Whether you are a specifier, contractor, or wholesaler, you’re getting help the same way through one avenue at every step of your project.

A project with issues down the line could negatively affect your firm’s reputation. As you work to streamline your specifications, strengthen relationships, and specify trustworthy products, you will protect your projects long-term and build a reputation for prioritizing high-quality results.

The post How to Streamline Plumbing Material Specifications for Superior Project Results appeared first on gb&d magazine.

Most commercial carpets are made primarily from finite resources in the form of oil-based plastics that could be recycled. However, only 5% of carpet waste ends up being recycled. Even worse, it takes carpet sitting in a landfill hundreds of years to degrade.

Carpet waste in a landfill. Photo courtesy of Aquafil

About 9% of global CO2 emissions come from built environments, according the the Architecture 2030 report. More emissions are forecasted as the global building supply is expected to double by 2060 to accommodate unprecedented urban growth.

The United Nations reports that the extraction and processing of natural resources accounts for one half of total greenhouse gas emissions worldwide and more than 90% of biodiversity loss and water stress. If the global population continues to grow as predicted, reaching 9.6 billion by 2050, it could require the equivalent of almost three planets to provide the natural resources needed to sustain current lifestyles.

Making eco-friendly carpet choices in projects can help turn the tide. So what options do we have to make more sustainable decisions about the carpeting we use in our projects?

1. Plan for discarded carpets to be recycled.

Recovered carpet can be made into a range of products, including new carpets, textiles, automotive parts, consumer packaging, and composite lumber. Make sure your carpet installation team knows how to pull the old carpet up following recycling guidelines and works with a reputable carpet recycling partner.

2. Look at the materials.

ECONYL® yarn spools at one of Aquafil’s production facilities. Photo courtesy of Aquafil

When selecting the eco-friendly carpet for your project, check the materials used. Is it made with low VOCs and low-emitting adhesives? Does it include any recycled content, and is there an end-of-life take back program from the manufacturer? Many manufacturers that are focused on sustainability offer carpet take-back programs that reclaim carpeting and have pathways to reuse it. Some manufacturers include Interface, Mohawk, Shaw, and Milliken Carpet.

3. Research eco-friendly carpet standards.

Check the carpet label to make sure it’s been tested by the Carpet and Rug Institute’s (CRI) Indoor Air Quality testing program and has passed the CRI’s standards for low emission. The CRI Green Label Plus (GLP) ensures that you are purchasing among the lowest emitting carpet, adhesive, and cushion products on the market. Another credible certification to watch for is Cradle to Cradle Certification, which is a science-based standard for circular products.

4. Seek out carpet made with either natural or recycled renewable fibers.

Great natural carpet material options include seagrass, jute, coir, organic cotton, organic wool, and bamboo. The materials used to create these carpets are not only biodegradable, but they also don’t require a lot of fertilizer and pesticides to produce.

The content of the carpet backing matters, too. More and more carpet manufacturers are using natural materials for backing including nonsynthetic latex, untreated wool, or camel hair felt. Carpet backings that are sewn on or glued using natural, nontoxic adhesives are healthier choices than those with adhesives that emit VOCs.

Recycled carpets are another eco-friendly option. Rather than making carpet from petroleum and other fossil fuels, some carpet manufacturers use both pre- and post-consumer plastics like polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles or industrial scraps. PET carpet, sold under brand names like Resistron and Permalon, is made from 100% recycled plastic beverage bottles and can be down-cycled into insulation or furniture stuffing when it wears out.

Courtesy of Desso

Carpet manufacturers are also using other regenerated materials, such as ECONYL® regenerated nylon, which performs exactly the same as brand new nylon but can be recycled, recreated, and remolded again and again. This means new products such as eco-friendly carpet can be created with ECONYL over and over again without having to extract or process nonrenewable resources. ECONYL even reduces the global warming impact of nylon by up to 90% compared with the material from oil. Aquafil, the maker of ECONYL, is also building its carpet recycling network with several centers active in the US. Each facility has the capacity to collect and treat 36 million pounds of carpet each year, making a sizable dent in the waste stream.

More and more owners are seeking spaces that are sustainable and healthier for occupants. It is our responsibility to build a better future. We must strive to preserve the integrity of our planet for future generations. It’s not only the right thing to do—it’s the smart thing to do.

Focusing on eco-design and sustainable materials can provide firms that do it right with a competitive advantage. Interior designers and architects should take the lead to promote sustainable practices to differentiate their firms from the competition that is lagging behind. Carpeting is a key area where we can make a difference and convert what was once damaging waste into a circular, sustainable supply chain.

The post How To Choose Eco-Friendly Carpet appeared first on gb&d magazine.

When considering hardwood flooring for a design project the Form, Fit and Function (FFF) rule serves as a great resource. For example, different wood forms—which include narrow and wider boards and varied wood species—react differently to relative humidity (RH). Considerations for those living on the flooring will determine the best fit—high foot traffic, soggy shoes, the presence of animals and plants, and so on. When a hardwood flooring system is chosen based on proper form and fit, it will function as intended and yield satisfied end users.

Follow these three tips on how to care for hardwood floors to protect the wood flooring system in any space or climate.

1. Understand the environment.

Photo courtesy of Bona

Climate is key to choosing the right wood and wood floor products. Plan accordingly based on the humidity of the region and indoor moisture content, as well as the daily activity and foot traffic the floor will experience. Then build for the type of anticipated environmental conditions that will be encountered and impact the surrounding environment.

Before recommending any hardwood floor, conduct proper research on the climate where the wood will be installed and used, including any regional climate variations that may be present. The regional variability of the exterior climate will affect the indoor conditions of the space.

Hardwood responds differently in humid versus dry climates. Various types of subfloors, adhesives, and sealants are developed to protect flooring in humid and extra dry areas by ensuring the moisture remains at the correct level. When moisture levels or RH dip too low, gapping and “creaking” noises oftentimes occur.

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A standard annual range for the best flooring performance is a swing of 20% RH from the most wet to most dry times. Knowing those RH levels for the region is key to choosing the right products for the project, while educating end users on how to maintain those RH levels for the flooring environment is key to long-term performance, look, and functionality of the floor.

The area’s physical climate is also a vital consideration for the flooring type and maintenance. Take into consideration the type and volume of foot traffic walking on the flooring system daily. Are there likely to be wet, muddy shoes walking on the floor? Will children and pets with untrimmed nails be running on the floor? Is the floor in a bathroom where water and steam are prevalent or in a room with no blinds or draperies on harsh, sunny days? All of these factors can lead to increased wear on the floor and potentially create damage or less than ideal results.

2. Use the right products and tools for the job.

Photo courtesy of Bona

New primers and adhesives allow contractors to install wood floors that were deemed prohibitive years ago due to climate variations or potential moisture issues. These new adhesives in turn have contributed greatly to the increased use of wood flooring in all types of construction and remodeling. The appropriate products make all the difference, so be sure to choose the subfloor, moisture barriers, adhesives, finishing coats and installation team wisely for your wood flooring application.

Moisture barriers help protect against mold, mildew, and other serious issues that can jeopardize the life cycle of a beautiful floor. There are different types of barriers, so be certain the installation team uses the correct product for the specific environment. Consider these factors when choosing the right moisture barrier:

• The geographic location of the home or building (i.e., climates with harsh winters, plentiful rainfall and/or high humidity)
• The grade level (Basements typically contain more water vapor than other areas of the home.)
• Type of subfloor, should you specify a moisture barrier or a vapor retarder to achieve your objective.

Use a moisture barrier or primer that is trusted and tested to properly mitigate vapor transmission on absorbent and non-absorbent subfloors, including Gypsum-based underlayment.

Courtesy of Bona

Across every region, wood floors can be installed successfully; however, all wood floors cannot be installed in the same manner in all climate zones. Educating end users on proper humidity levels to maintain—stable range is 30% to 50% humidity per the National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA)—can alleviate issues.

When installing hardwood flooring in very dry climates, source flooring materials that have been kiln dried at a lower moisture content, like 6% MC, particularly for regions where 20% to 40% RH may be a more realistic humidity range.

To maximize success, ensure the installation team is properly trained to avoid common mistakes, and follow NWFA guidelines, including these best practices:

• Only apply adhesives to clean, dry surfaces. Otherwise, the adhesives may bond with the debris instead of the surface. Avoid bond-braking contaminants, such as paint overspray, plaster, or adhesive from the previous floor covering. Flooring adhesive failures can become a very costly business disruption.
• Don’t install hardwood flooring until you’ve tested for and corrected all moisture conditions. Test the subfloor to ensure there are no moisture issues by doing a calcium chloride or RH test. ASTM F2170 now recognizes results from an in-situ RH moisture test performed in concrete floor slabs in 24 hours, verses 72 hours for most calcium chloride testing.
• Be wary of any adhesive manufacturer that promotes not checking for moisture content of the substrate prior to installation. Every species of wood has a dimensional change coefficient (DCC), which is calculated by evaluating the moisture content (MC) of the substrate, the MC of the wood the room temperature, and the RH of the space. Each of these qualitative values are required to accurately measure the DCC.
• Allow the wood to acclimate to a conditioned environment. Planks may be installed immediately or may require several weeks on-site. “Moisture matters more than time” is a good mantra.

Photo courtesy of Bona

Wood floors should be finished properly to allow for beauty and lasting durability in the environment they will experience. Focus on products that are environmentally safe (like waterborne finishes), offer proven durability, and provide the desired design aesthetic (for example, stain type and color or sheen level of the finish). Elements to consider include:

• Ability to resist chemical exposure and scratches
• Sufficient dry mil film thickness
• Type of sheen desired (extra matte to high gloss)
• Impact on environment and air quality

In addition to being known for high-quality products, designers choose Bona for its deep bench of experience with floors as well as our long-term commitment to high-performing, sustainable products and systems. Our full system of waterborne hardwood floor stains and finishes have been GREENGUARD certified since 2005. Other products have received the coveted GREENGUARD GOLD certification, including Bona’s full line of adhesives.

3. Remember that continual hardwood floor care matters.

Photo courtesy of Bona

Wood floors are a valuable investment that can offer a lifetime of beauty in a home or building. To protect the customer’s investment while maximizing the floor’s lifecycle, the surfaces must be properly maintained.

Moisture is necessary to preserve wood flooring; yet, it is can also be one of the most dangerous elements for wood. Damage can include too much water used in the cleaning process (we’re not swabbing the deck here!) or ice melt and rock salts carried onto the floor from winter foot traffic.

Improper cleaning methods that include harsh chemicals designed for other types of flooring surfaces can also quickly dull out and haze hardwood floor finishes. Steam mops can also be especially problematic for many of today’s thinly engineered composite flooring materials, often resulting in damage.

Finally, here are a few last tips to keep floors looking beautiful:

• Specify to the floor owner the proper humidity variances of the area’s HVAC system.
• Know what is normal and when you need to call in the experts. For example, wood floors often shrink and swell due to seasonal climate changes that cause RH to increase and decrease.
• For moisture mitigation and to ease the likelihood of outdoor elements coming indoors, encourage the use of waterproof mats and frequent vacuuming near entryways.
• When maintenance is needed to revive or refinish wood floors, recommend floor owners work only with a properly certified and trained Bona Certified Craftsmen.

The post 3 Ways How to Care for Hardwood Floors in All Environments appeared first on gb&d magazine.

How Do Architects and Facilities View the Hygiene Challenge?

According to new research conducted by Bobrick, hygiene is of the utmost importance to both architects and facilities professionals. A March 2021 survey of more than 300 architects and facilities professionals revealed that restrooms are the only area of buildings that ranked as a top-two area of concern for both groups. Further, 70% of architects and 92% of facilities professionals say hygiene is “extremely important” to their clientele.

Yet the research also revealed that architects and facilities professionals rarely consult with each other on projects. Only 15% of architects name facilities professionals as their top hygiene resource, while 6% of facilities professionals rely on architects most.

Bobrick’s Planning Guide for Accessible Restrooms

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Meanwhile, new health and safety standards and accreditations have emerged, including WELL Certified and GBAC (Global Biorisk Advisory Council) STAR.

Although LEED is primarily seen as an environmentally focused certification standard, it does offer incentives for supporting patron health and wellness. LEED Green Cleaning Guidance for Safety First offers pilot credits for healthy cleaning practices to reduce virus spread, supporting physical distancing, ensuring adequate air and water quality, and more.

As new health and wellness standards emerge—and architects and facilities professionals explore ways to solve these new challenges—design and ease of maintenance become more important in the restroom. Compliance with ADA and ICC A117.1 accessibility standards remains a non-negotiable.

What Risks Do Restrooms Pose?

To provide a larger physical barrier between patrons, use increased-height toilet compartments and urinal screens. Image courtesy of Bobrick Washroom Equipment, Inc.

In a COVID-conscious world, the restroom poses a number of challenges. Respiratory droplets can be easily spread within 3 to 5 feet. Transmission can occur from person-to-person or via surface contamination. Poor air circulation can exacerbate potential risks.

Meanwhile, restrooms can be crowded, enclosed spaces, with numerous touchpoints and many shared surfaces—that is, surfaces that multiple people may touch with their hands throughout the day. A single restroom utilizing manual accessories exclusively can present 15 or more potential touchpoints to a single user. Keep in mind these multiple touchpoints have to be cleaned every day as well.

For today’s restrooms, reducing touchpoints while supporting the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) guidance for handwashing, occupancy and disinfection are overriding objectives. In fact, Bobrick research indicates that both architects and facilities see “touchpoint reduction” as a top concern in restrooms.

Which Places are Most at Risk?

While all restrooms moving forward will require modified design approaches, knowing which building types are at highest risk can help prioritize solutions.

Restaurants, malls and gyms re identified as places with the greatest risk for transmission. A facility being indoors or outdoors, as well as crowd density and patrons’ ability to keep a mask on throughout their visit, are significant factors in determining whether a building carries a high or low risk of transmission.

What Does the CDC Say?

The CDC guidance on returning to the workplace environment advises that one of the most effective ways to stop the spread of infection is with frequent, proper hand hygiene—specifically handwashing and drying. Restrooms must be safe spaces where someone can clean their hands and feel good about the process.

The CDC also suggests when returning to the workspace, the traffic flow and occupancy of spaces needs to be considered. Overcrowding of these spaces leads to easier disease transmission. A key point to consider is the condition and design of the airflow to these spaces. Are there adequate air exchanges and outside ventilation?

You also want to consider using signage and other signaling tactics to encourage users to adhere to CDC guidelines and recommendations.

The CDC also addresses the cleaning and disinfection of spaces. The CDC has a list of EPA-approved disinfectants for COVID-19 and suggests increasing the frequency at which surfaces are cleaned, when possible. From a design standpoint, it is critical to consider the types of surfaces used for moisture control, their ease of cleaning and their ability to stand up to the repeated exposure to disinfectants or just general longevity. Viruses and bacteria like to live in any small crack or space they can find. Nonporous, grout-less countertop surfaces are recommended for ease of cleaning and effective infection prevention.

Should I Specify Touchless Restroom Accessories?

Prioritizing touchless products is one of the most impactful design strategies for post-COVID-19 restrooms. Touchless, automatic soap dispensers and hand drying solutions are now preferred by most facilities for their ability to reduce touchpoints and the peace of mind they offer patrons. In addition to touchless soap dispensers, touchless hand sanitizer dispensers, paper towel dispensers, and hand dryers also can support hygienic handwashing and hand drying and provide peace of mind.

Doorless entries and exits, as well as new technologies, such as anti-viral touch keys, also are emerging as popular solutions. You should also prioritize touchless plumbing fixtures, such as faucets, toilets and urinals, over manually operated products.

Some toilet compartment door latches can operate without grasping the latch with fingers. This hardware allows users to both secure and unlock the door with a quick flick of the wrist, forearm or elbow. The hands-free L-shaped latch/handle can be used on newly designed toilet compartments or retrofitted on existing compartments to reduce contact with shared surfaces.

How Should I Re-Evaluate Product Placement?

The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted many facilities to reconsider where amenities are placed.

As facilities must now spend more time sanitizing and disinfecting all parts of the building as required by many health and wellness standards, it becomes even more important to minimize cleanup and maintenance wherever possible. Thoughtful placement of accessories can help ease the burden.

To help minimize potentially unsanitary water and soap trails on the counter, it is important to use counter-mounted soap dispensers. If you’re specifying a paper towel dispenser or combination towel-waste unit, it should be placed as close as possible to the lavatory to minimize water trails on floors.

Touchless or foot-operated floor-standing waste receptacles can be placed between lavatory stations to increase waste capacity.

To further support user peace of mind, you should also consider providing additional amenities inside toilet compartments. To address shared surfaces, such as grab bars and toilet compartment door handles, toilet compartment interiors can include a hand sanitizer dispenser, paper towel dispenser, and a waste disposal to ensure optimal hand hygiene while inside and exiting the compartment.

Personal device holders are also available to help keep personal belongings off potentially wet or unsanitary floors. These can be installed at the lavatory and even inside toilet compartments to keep personal items off wet countertops and floors.

What About Physical Distancing?

While it is unclear how much longer the CDC’s 6-foot distancing recommendation will continue—the CDC has recently updated its operational strategy for schools to include a 3-foot distancing requirement—the COVID-19 pandemic has prompted users to redefine their comfort zones when it comes to personal space. During the pandemic, signage emerged as an essential solution for encouraging users not only to wash their hands properly but also to maintain appropriate distance from other users.

Moving forward, various occupancy signaling solutions are available to inform patrons when compartments are occupied and make them more comfortable. To provide a larger physical barrier between patrons, increased-height toilet compartments and urinal screens (at least 84 inches tall with 3 inches or less of floor clearance) can be used.

At the lavatory, screens up to 84 inches tall can be specified at the countertop to provide barriers between handwashing stations. For the countertop material and throughout the restroom, nonporous, grout-less surfaces should be specified for easy cleaning and disinfecting by maintenance staff.

To assist with air circulation, HVAC systems can be programmed to flush air two hours before and after occupancies per ASHRAE standards. Advance maintenance should be performed to maintain quality air filtration, and relative humidity of 40% to 60% should be maintained, per UL standards.

Are Restroom Layouts Being Re-evaluated?

Shared, nongendered handwashing stations are emerging as a solution that uses social pressure to incentivize handwashing. Photo courtesy of Bobrick Washroom Equipment, Inc.

Today’s design professionals are reconsidering many established restroom density and design assumptions to address health and wellness needs, from the locations of handwashing stations to traffic patterns and more.

Although facilities can take relatively simple steps to adjust space utilization and reduce restroom capacity—such as blocking off alternative lavatories, toilet compartments, and urinals—designers working on new projects should re-evaluate restroom layouts on a holistic level. For example, shared, nongendered handwashing stations are emerging as a space-effective solution that uses social pressure to incentivize handwashing in public view. Restrooms can be designed with two-sided entries and exits to facilitate distancing and assist with traffic flow. Doors can be removed from entries and exits, as well.

How Can I Support Facility Professionals?

Bobrick research suggests that architects and facilities professionals don’t often consult with each other on new construction and renovations. Through thoughtful product selection, design professionals can help support effective cleaning and sanitation.

Specifying nonporous, easily cleanable surfaces can help. In addition, it should be easy to obtain refills for soap dispensing products—and to refill them. Proprietary soap systems require the facility to use smaller, individual plastic soap cartridges. These proprietary soap cartridges may pose supply chain interruption risks. If a facility’s soap dispensers do not have the correct cartridge, the dispensers will not operate safely and reliably.

On the other hand, when you specify a nonproprietary or “bulk” soap system that uses open market soap, facilities stand a much better chance of keeping their dispensers and stock rooms full through reliable supply chain availability. Plus, they can be top-filled and produce less waste. This is an example of a facility maintenance challenge that architects can work through with their clients.

A 360-Degree Perspective

In designing restrooms for a post-COVID-19 world, restrooms should be evaluated from the perspectives of all restroom stakeholders, from users to facility operators to building owners. This will help architects, facilities and their clients build more effective working relationships that result in cleaner, safer restrooms.

An overall risk assessment should be conducted to address physical distancing, density, air quality, and more. Thoughtful product selection should meet patrons’ hygiene needs while ensuring smooth, reliable operation. Space and layout should optimize physical distancing with traffic flow, queuing and accessibility. From a cleaning and maintenance perspective, products should be easy to clean and refill to help mitigate risks.

When all perspectives are considered, the result is a clean, healthy restroom where everyone can feel safe.

The post How to Design a Restroom for Health, Wellness, and Hygiene appeared first on gb&d magazine.

• Daylighting is a great way to let the light into a building, but too much natural light can also lead to glare and solar heat gain.
• A successful daylighting strategy includes a motorized shading system to maximize light at the right time and place.
• Real-time sensor data and automated glare controls are two ways how to control daylight with a motorized shading system.

The positive benefits of daylighting on building occupants and operating costs are well-known throughout the design and construction world. Unfortunately, so are the negative side effects of glare and solar heat gain. So how can you control daylight in a space?

A recent article took aim at those negatives outlining the following interconnected ways to control daylight based on BOMI International’s high-performance sustainable building practices:

• Interior shading
• Interior sunshades
• Light shelves
• Horizontal blinds

However, while these overlapping solutions do in fact play key roles in maximizing daylighting strategy, they are only part of the solution.

A truly successful shading design depends on the ability to deploy at the right time in the right places. For that you need motorization, controls, and possibly automation.

Here are four ways how to control daylight successfully with motorized shading systems.

Create zones for user input.

Conditions change. The sun may appear from behind clouds, turning grey-but-comfortable office areas into a hotbox.

With solutions like Draper IntelliFlex® I/O that have single and dual zone wall switches, user input can return one or more zones of a shading system to providing the necessary level of comfort. Once conditions have improved, the switches can be used to readjust the shades as needed. Eventually, an automation system can return shades to their proper deployment.

Add responses to real-time sensor data.

Although this isn’t the same thing as automation, it can accomplish a similar outcome. This reactive approach mimics automation with brightness, wind, and precipitation sensors, as well as pyranometers, that react to current local conditions and adjust shades accordingly.

How Motorized Roller Shades Maximize Building Performance

The Benefits of Daylighting in Educational Spaces

Extend the reach of your automation system.

Photo by Kyle Zirkus

What if you recently added automated shading systems to some areas of a building or campus but already had existing, nonintelligent shades in other areas? You may not want to invest in all new motors in those areas, but maybe you’d like the existing shades to fit in with a newly automated intelligent system

Let’s take the IntelliFlex I/O  shading system for instance. One and 4 motor external motor controllers connect standard four-wire motors to an IntelliFlex I/O system so that even when networked, they can be independently operated and configured to respond to wall switches, RF remotes, and signals from third party systems. An on-board contact closure interface can be used as a local control for both networked and stand-alone operation.

Choose your level of automated glare control.

Photo courtesy of Draper, Inc.

Some areas such as atriums, reception and waiting areas, wellness centers, and school gathering areas require a more automated solution. This approach is also helpful when shades on an entire floor of an office or mixed-use building need to be automated.

Motorized shading systems with automated glare control use a model of the building’s orientation and geographic location to calculate where shades should be and adjusts them accordingly.

When shades throughout multiple floors or an entire building need to be controlled, a more complete automation system is required. For whole building control, Draper, for instance, offers the Central Network Controller (CNC), which uses an algorithm-based software to determine the sun’s location in the sky. By using a formula that includes building coordinates and time of day/year, the software automatically moves the shades to a position that is based on the parameters set up for the solar depth penetration for each project.

The CNC acts as a router between control and IP networks. It allows communication between networks and IP integration with other systems for whole building automation.

The post 4 Tips on How to Control Daylight appeared first on gb&d magazine.

• Old Mill Brick’s patented wall systems offer thin brick finishes that are as durable and sustainable as they are attractive.
• The systems meet the International Energy Conservation Code and the International Building Code with R-values ranging from R-5 to R-20.
• The material footprint of Old Mill Brick’s thin brick systems is just one-fifth of typical full thickness brick units.

Classic kiln-fired clay brick has long been an architectural staple, adorning some of the most beautiful buildings in the world, from picturesque historical structures to polished, contemporary office buildings. Yet in many cases its high costs and difficulty of later remodeling efforts render brick out of reach. Consequently, thin brick adhered veneers that ensure flexibility, lower costs, and smaller material footprints have increasingly gained traction in recent years.

Thin brick specialist Old Mill Brick takes these benefits a step further by offering their patented Brickwebb and Panel+ engineered wall systems, which not only provide attractive thin brick finishes but integrate them into consolidated solutions that can help architects, designers, and building owners to meet code and cut costs while enjoying the peace of mind delivered by the Old Mill 15-year System Warranty, which means their project is as aesthetically pleasing as it is durable and sustainable.

“Our products comply with numerous codes as well as being the easiest and most cost-effective way to get a job done anyway,” says John Striednig, vice president of commercial operations at Old Mill Brick. “If you have a high-performance option that costs less than the others and offers the additional benefit of sustainability, why would you use anything else?”

Meet stringent requirements.

Note the architectural relief achieved through foam thickness variations like vertical reveals and corbelling. Multiple finishes like EIFS, cast stone, brick, and stone can all be incorporated using the Old Mill Panel+ System. Courtesy of Old Mill Brick

Old Mill Brick’s Panel+ solution in particular not only provides the aesthetic appeal of thin brick at a low cost; it can also help to meet continuous insulation and air and water barrier requirements set forth in the International Energy Conservation Code and the International Building Code.

Continuous insulation requirements necessitate that insulation is consistent across the entirety of a structure, lest thermal bridges—gaps in a building’s envelope caused by conductive surfaces such as wall studs and cladding—allow heat to flow in and out, lowering occupant comfort and raising energy bills. Similarly, air and water barrier requirements mandate weather barrier materials must not exceed a certain air or moisture permeability.

Panel+, which allows thin brick flats to be easily mounted on an expanded polystyrene rigid foam substrate, meets and exceeds these requirements. The Panel+ system features R-values ranging from R-5 to R-20 along with fluid applied air and water barrier liquid and water channels on the back of the foam to allow drainage and ventilation that keeps the panels dry while ensuring peak thermal efficiency.

Installation is easy.

The Panel+ System easily accommodates all adhered veneers, including brick, natural stone, manufactured stone, and other commonly adhered materials. Courtesy of Old Mill Brick

Whether you’re using Brickwebb or Panel+ for your project, ease of installation can be guaranteed. Brickwebb, which is a patented mesh-mounted system for mounting and aligning thin brick flats, can reduce overall installation time by two-thirds, Striednig says. He likens it to panels made for mounting glass mosaic tiles, which feature 144 one-inch square tiles attached to a single mesh backing. Rather than go through the labor of adhering each tile individually, you simply need to attach the panels. Brickwebb is similar, featuring 12 brick flats per Brickwebb mesh panel already spaced, coursed, and affixed in place.

Similarly, Panel+, while ultimately a rigid foam insulation panel, features alignment tracks on its outer surface that allow thin brick flats to be perfectly spaced and leveled without any fear of irregularity occurring. This not only assures a perfectly applied veneer but also reduces the requisite labor expenditures.

“Brick masons know how to stack a brick and get it aligned and coursed properly, but thin brick is a bit more like tile. When it comes to sticking it to a wall, getting all the lines straight and the spacing correct requires a different skill set,” Striednig says. “We’ve found that by creating these two systems, we’ve provided an assurance of perfect alignment and the ability to save labor at the same time.”

Shrink your material footprint.

This highly efficient home uses the Old Mill Panel+ System. Whether you’re building new or remodeling, the Panel+ System is simple to include in your design. Courtesy of Old Mill Brick

Sustainability is another area where Old Mill Brick’s solutions shine. Striednig says that while thin brick flats are made of real kiln-fired clay brick, their overall material footprint is just one-fifth of typical full thickness brick units. That means the thin brick itself has a smaller footprint and less emissions are created by the extraction, manufacture, and transportation of surplus materials further down the supply chain. And because of thin brick’s reduced weight, buildings with lighter foundations can more easily accommodate it, allowing for further material reductions like the elimination of wall ties and support metals.

Take, for example, an instance in which a 16-inch thick wall is reduced to 12 inches due to the use of thin brick. In this case less steel and concrete are needed to support it, and by moving the wall to the perimeter of the slab, the owner realizes the additional finished space inside their building. This makes thin brick ideal for retrofits and renovations, too. Without needing to alter a building’s foundation, the charm and elegance of brick detailing can be attained.

“In the old way of doing things, after sheathing a wall up, it would go to a waterproofing contractor to apply the air and water barrier. Then another subcontractor would install the insulation, then finally the mason or exteriors contractor would install the finish. With us, everything can go to just one contractor, and that simplifies trade coordination and accelerates the job,” Striednig says. “You can look at labor hours, material footprints, or anything else you want, but whichever way you crunch the numbers, you find that you save.”

The post Thin-Brick Systems That Meet Code and Cut Costs appeared first on gb&d magazine.