Page 197 - Green Building Through Integrated Design

GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS: SUSTAINABLE DESIGN 173

of 288 mylar cables in one corner of the south-facing atrium functions both as an art
piece and for temperature and humidity control. In the winter, when the outside air is
completely dry, water running down the cables humidifies the air in the atrium; in the
summer, water is cooled to about 15°C and induces water vapor to condense on the
cables, dehumidifying the air in the building.
Kuwabara has a few lessons learned that he shared with me for this book:

1 Innovation in a small market adds cost; in this project, there were not a lot of bid-
ders to choose from.
2 The integrated design process must allow for serendipity, those “aha” moments. In
Kurabara’s words, the process must create “magic.”
3 The most important issue is deciding exactly what to evaluate; in this project, the
key issues were sustainability, connectivity of employees (to each other) and estab-
lishing a creative workplace.

He says, “it’s important to keep your eye on the prize,” and to evaluate against sim-
ple, clear goals and to do these evaluations in the right order, a message that is implicit
in the organization of this book.

General Considerations:

Sustainable Design

The LEED green building rating system was introduced in March of 2000, so this
book is being written after the system has been in place for 8 years.* Still, most archi-
tects and building owners are embarking on their first LEED project, while others have
completed only a few. Having accessible expertise can often mean the difference
between success and failure. This section addresses these issues with the following
questions.

1 Have we made a firm decision to follow an integrated design process, and are we
making this process known to all potential proposers for design and construction
services?
2 Have we adjusted our expectations and budgets to reflect the nature of the inte-
grated design process?
3 Is this approach clearly stated in all our Requests for Qualifications sent out to the
design and construction community?
4 Has a firm decision been made to seek LEED registration and eventual certifica-
tion? If so, who will take the lead in providing the interface with the LEED
process, the owner or the architect, or a green building consultant? (We’re finding
that many architectural firms want to manage this process in-house rather than

*LEED dates from March 2000, with the introduction of the LEED version 2.0 system for new construction.