Page 72 - Green Building Through Integrated Design

WHAT INTEGRATED DESIGN IS NOT 49

It is not another “buzz word” that still follows a more or less conventional design
process, with perhaps an eco-charrette thrown in to give a semblance of design inte-
gration; it requires instead rethinking of all relationships and purposes, in the interests
of a greater goal: sustainable design, construction, and operations practices.
It is not about “chasing LEED points.” LEED is an evaluation system that is useful
in guiding some design decisions, but does not explicitly require integrated design.
This situation frequently finds expression in owners questioning why they need to
install bicycle racks and showers to get one LEED point. When this comes up, I
always point out that the goal (of bike racks and showers) is to give people an option
of riding to work instead of driving; as gas prices march toward $8 per gallon, as many
are now predicting, one can expect bicycle commuting to increase. I also like to
answer such objections that showers are a useful amenity in their own right, since
many people like to run or bike during the lunch hour.
Integrated design is not as easy as changing your shirt every day; old habits die
hard. To me, it appears that air-conditioning has made mechanical engineers reac-
tive for decades, because no matter how the architect designs the building, they can
still provide more or less adequate comfort by adding air-conditioning tonnage.
There are also the risks of trying new things; every departure from “normal” design
practices, no matter how intelligent, runs the risk of a lawsuit if things don’t work
out as planned. To make integrated design work, the team often has to challenge
prevailing codes. This is how progress is made, but it isn’t easy or fast.

PLATINUM PROJECT PROFILE

Ronald McDonald House, Austin, Texas
The 28,500-square-feet, 4-story Ronald McDonald House provides a home-like
environment allowing families to stay together while their children receive med-
ical treatment in Austin-area medical centers. Fifty-four photovoltaic panels pro-
vide 10.8 kilowatts of electricity which will power about half of the 30 guest
rooms. Each guest room has a dedicated fan coil unit which resides in unoccupied
mode until activated by a room key, preventing unnecessary energy use during
unoccupied periods. The project received an innovation credit for the combined
heating and plumbing methodology utilized in the HVAC system which allows
the building’s documented energy cost savings to increase from 47 percent to just
over 65 percent. Developed on a brownfield, the project also houses administra-
tive offices and common areas as well as butterfly and rooftop gardens, a children’s
playground and a picnic area.*

*http://www.rmhc-austin.org/repository/images/LEED Platinum.ppt, http://www.rmhc-austin.org/repository/pdf/
pd RMHC LEED Brochure REV 12-10.pdf, http://austin.bizjournals.com/austin/stories/2008/05/26/daily8.html,
accessed June 2, 2008.