Page 364 - The Engineering Guide to LEED-New Construction Sustainable Construction for Engineers

A S y s t e m a t i c V i e w o f G r e e n a n d M i n i m u m P r o g r a m Re q u i r e m e n t s 325

LEED process. Regardless, as long as there is consistency and a smooth transition from the
main contacts throughout the project life, the process should work well.
So what needs to be done to make sure that the LEED clearinghouse contact is adequately
involved in all stages of the project? Communication, communication, communication! It is
not necessary to call special meetings with the green contact all the time that might add to
the project schedule and costs. It is necessary, however, that this person be included on all
meeting and important decision correspondence. Then on a periodic basis it is helpful to
have a portion of a meeting or a special charrette dedicated to the LEED process. This can
be done simply by adding the green contact person to the project team meetings and
including a section on LEED in construction and other meetings, such as is done with QA/
QC. The project checklist with credit estimates as portrayed in Tables 1.2.3 or 8.1.2 is a good
example of a document that should be updated by the green contact person and distributed
to all project team members frequently throughout a project.
The really important part is that the entire project be looked upon as a system and
the green credits be interpreted as a package. It has been found that if individual
entities each evaluate specific credits, there is a tendency to add or delete credits based
on limited economic and/or environmental perspectives. This may lead to going green
becoming an added cost to a project. However, if credits are evaluated in a systemwide
manner with many project features clustered to obtain multiple credits and
environmental goals, then this reduces the costs of construction and the project. The
only way that this can be done effectively is to always have one green lead, or “director
of sustainability” as others may wish to call the person, for a project at any time. Any
transfers of personnel for this position must be done well and comprehensively.

Miscellaneous
There will be many additional rules of thumb developed to aid in the green process as the
green rating systems become more prevalent. However, already several suggestions can be
made based on past experiences. The best way to learn about many of these is to stay
informed about green building and, with respect to the LEED rating system, become
familiar with the CIRs and other documents available. Some additional suggestions are
listed in the following sections.
Preliminary Site Assessment
Many existing site features can impact the green decisions that are made. Having a standard
questionnaire or template for preliminary site assessment that includes questions about these
features can be a useful tool. Including a summary of these features on the documents in all
phases of the project, including project conceptualization, may facilitate a more efficient and
economical incorporation of sustainability into the project. Some of the items include
• Prevailing wind direction
• Building rotation
• Neighboring shading features such as foliage and buildings
• Floodplain locations
• Wetlands, streams, rock outcroppings, and other natural features
• Soil types
• Existing on-site vegetation