Page 259 - Green Building Through Integrated Design

CONSTRUCTION 235

On our projects we really focus on making certain that the subcontractors are very
aware of why we’re doing what we’re doing. Obviously, they are instrumental in the
delivery of a project. We don’t want to throw them curve balls left and right, such as,
“No, you can’t use high-VOC paint. You can’t use that sealant because it’s got a high
percentage of VOC’s in it.”
We’ve turned it around and really taken the lead on projects because [in many cases]
we help write the specifications. We help the subcontractors get educated very quickly
on what [LEED] means to them. We don’t just give them the LEED binder and say,
“Yep, we’re targeting LEED Silver, good luck!” We make sure at a very early stage
that they understand exactly what our intentions are from a green perspective. Their
participation and awareness have changed greatly over time. In 2000, on some of our
projects, it was literally like pulling teeth to get them to slow down, look at what we
wanted to do and not price things ultra-conservatively, for example, because it was
something different, it must cost more.
That was the big paradigm shift several years ago—the realization that a green build-
ing costs more in many situations. I always turned that around and said: “doesn’t a
better car cost more?” You can choose to buy a Yugo or you can choose to buy a
Cadillac. One’s going to cost more than the other because of its longevity, its quality
and all of those things. Granted, a car is not necessarily the best analogy to bring to
a building, but when expressed this way, people do get it.

More general contractors are becoming LEED-savvy, but many key subcontractors
are still coming up to speed on LEED requirements. Here are some important ques-
tions to ask during the construction period.

1 Have we incorporated the green elements of the project and proposed certification
into the kickoff meeting with all subcontractors who might be affected by them?
Have we received agreement from the subcontractors to meet their obligations in
helping us secure the desired LEED rating?
2 Are we assembling project LEED documentation as we go along? Is there a
consultant or design team member specifically tasked with keeping all LEED doc-
umentation current and ready to submit?
3 Are we tracking the LEED points achieved (vs. our goals for various levels of cer-
tification) as we go along? Are we using LEED project management software to
help with this task?
4 Have we received submittals for all green materials and specific systems used in
the project and incorporated them into a notebook that can help with LEED
certification, future building maintenance, and operator training?
5 Is the commissioning agent reviewing submittals for all systems to be commis-
sioned, to determine compliance with design intent, per the requirements for
enhanced or advanced commissioning (Fig. 13.1)?
6 Is the general contractor documenting compliance with the erosion/sedimentation
control plan?
7 Is the general contractor or the waste management vendor documenting diversion of
waste from landfills, at least at the 75 percent level? Do we have regular reporting of