“Building for Future Generations”

Green is the thing; not only is in en vogue in the building industry, many municipalities and institutions are now requiring green or sustainable building techniques. As sustainable design advocates the conservation of energy and other resources, it inherently makes good economic sense as it reduces the lifecycle and operating costs of a building. Many sustainable features can pay themselves in a span of months.

Contrary to prevailing industry “wisdom” in some circles, sustainable design does not necessarily cost a premium. One of our principals has successfully obtained LEED certification for an 8 building office campus while eliminating $20 million in budget, and managed another ground-up 5 story project wherein a LEED gold rating was achieved while meeting the Clients objective of pulling 10% from the project budget. Much of LEED is easily achievable as California’s Title 24 energy provisions meet many of LEED’s energy requirements, and many municipalities zoning ordinances, waste recycling programs and other provisions already mandate many items largely implemented in LEED criteria. The balance can be achieved through careful design and material selection which need not add to the cost of a project.

Several of our staff are LEED certified and many of our staff has experience with LEED and other sustainable design projects. We also can provide economic analyses (IRR or NPV) to determine the economic feasibility of green options under consideration.