Page 204 - The Green Building Bottom Line The Real Cost of Sustainable Building

182 CHAPTER 6

Landscaping includes plants native to Georgia, perennials (which don’t require re-
planting every year), and small trees like Japanese maples, which provide seasonal color
and interest. Seasonal beds that had previously been planted in flowering annuals have
been reduced in size. Planting expenses have decreased $3,800 annually, from almost
$5,000 a year to $1,200 a year, and the plants we have require less water. In 2007–08,
because of Georgia’s continuing drought, which first prompted outdoor watering restric-
tions and then a ban on outdoor watering, no seasonal plantings were installed. (This
watering ban has also reduced the amount of water the building uses and the amount of
money spent for water, both discussed in detail later in this chapter.) Abundant mulch in
planting beds conserves water and currently covers areas designated for seasonal plants.
Because the paved parking area of the property does not on its own meet the county
requirement for number of parking spaces, we have a reciprocal agreement with an
adjacent Marriott hotel for shared parking. Crestwood tenants and guests have use of
the hotel’s parking lot for overflow parking during the week, when the hotel’s parking
need is less. On the weekends, when the hotel’s needs are greater, its guests can use
the Crestwood lot, which is less full at these times. This arrangement allows both par-
ties to devote less site area to paving. Green space is preserved and stormwater runoff
is not increased. As our county recently began assessing fees for stormwater runoff
based on the amount of impervious surface on a site, having not covered more of the
site with impervious paving will also save money.
Designated preferred parking for tenants who carpool is located close to the entrance
to the building. At this time, preferential parking for hybrid vehicles is not designated.
(This was deemed too self-serving, since several hybrid vehicle drivers are members
of our staff.)

THE PUBLIC SPACES

Walk-over metal grates at the building entrance, one on the outside and one on the
inside, act as permanent, passive doormats—as people walk over them, dirt, debris, and
contaminants from their shoes fall through a removable grate and into a trough that is
periodically cleaned. The system reduces indoor pollution and wear and tear on the car-
peting, and the grates won’t wear out like doormats, which require more frequent clean-
ing and periodic replacement, and are often made of petroleum. It also means we don’t
need an outside vendor for mat service, so we’re eliminating an expense to us and the
pollution caused by someone else’s driving to our location.
The polished red granite panels that cover some of the walls in the two-story lobby
were in place when the building was purchased and were left in place. The remaining
wall surfaces were originally covered with fabric panels that puckered in damp
weather and couldn’t be cleaned. The decision was made to remove them in favor of
creating a surface that could be cleaned and would look better with the red granite.
Removing the panels caused minor damage to the wall surfaces, which were repaired
in large part by skim coating, though surface imperfections remained. A multi-color,
multi-coat Zolatone finish in colors that complemented the red granite panels was
applied. The multiple colors provide visual texture and superior coverage, hiding the