Aside from the tragic loss of open space and biodiversity, buildings are responsible for 21% of the world’s CO2 emissions. In the U.S., buildings account for 38% of CO2 emissions, surpassing the transportation and industrial sectors.
About 15 million new buildings will be added by 2015; emissions from commercial buildings, the largest polluter, are expected to grow 1.8% a year through 2030. A recent United Nations study concluded that green buildings can do more to fight global warming than all curbs on greenhouse gases agreed under the Kyoto Protocol, while saving billions of dollars.
About 6% of commercial developments are LEED-certified and 5000 buildings have applied for certification, 90% of them new construction. Green buildings are projected to jump to 10% of the market by 2010. And many more buildings are green-renovated. Increasingly, green building is viewed as high performance, technologically advanced building, rather than "green."
The Christman Building
The Lansing, Michigan-based Christman building is the first to earn dual LEED Platinum certification – for both construction of the building (LEED Core and Shell) and for its interior (LEED Commercial Interiors).
The 60,000 square foot historical landmark, built in 1928, is on a brownfield site in downtown Lansing. Previous owners had allowed the building to fall into a state of disrepair. SmithGroup renovated the building based on the charge to combine historic preservation and sustainable design at a cost no greater than conventional practices.
The historic rehab of the former Mutual Building, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, required careful preservation of the building’s many historic features. According to D. Brooke Smith, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP, a principal in SmithGroup’s Detroit office and project manager for the rehabilitation, "The project had to be completed in accordance with the very rigid standards for historic preservation projects as defined by the Secretary of Interior and the United States National Park Service. The goal for rehabilitating the historically registered structure into a "green" building suited for modern office use without jeopardizing millions of dollars in historic tax credits posed significant challenges to the team."
Exterior restoration included analysis and rebuilding of deteriorated limestone and brick masonry; restoration of wood double-hung windows; replacement of steel windows with new matching windows; restoration of original bronze door and window entry system; main stairway; historic woodwork; Pewabic tile; floor tile and stone floors, while upgrading its interior to a Class A office building. New construction included modern office space for multiple tenants, a partial sixth floor addition to accommodate conference and meeting facilities, an educational training room served by new kitchen and toilet facilities.
"One Platinum certification by any standard is extremely commendable," says D. Brooke Smith. "Dual Platinum certifications in conjunction with the same project are unprecedented. Dual Platinum certifications in the context of a historic preservation project involving historic tax credits are almost unimaginable. Yet, through the collaborative efforts of SmithGroup and The Christman Company, this is exactly what the project team accomplished."
Christman’s Green Features
As is true for many green buildings today, the Christman building is located downtown (avoiding suburban sprawl) and encouraging use of public transportation. Showers and locker rooms
facilitate walking and bicycling to work. Indeed, many of its features contribute to the definition of green:
* 34% reduced energy use (compared to conventional buildings) thanks to efficient lighting and equipment. 92% of occupants have access to daylight, along with task lighting, occupancy sensors, programmed timers in common areas, high efficiency windows and Energy Star office equipment and appliances.
High efficiency HVAC systems provide individually controlled comfort conditions. In addition, an under-floor air distribution system – which provides 200-300% more ventilation than conventional systems – maximizes efficient, healthy ventilation.
* Low flow fixtures, 0.5 gallon-per-minute automatic lavatory faucets with aerators, and dual flush valves reduce water consumption by 40%.
* a white roof and 6 inches of added insulation reduce the heat island effect; dim exterior lighting reduces light pollution.
* 92% of the existing walls, roof and floors, and much of the company’s former office furnishings were reused. They emphasized using recycled and regionally manufactured materials, diverting 77% of construction debris from the landfill.
* low emission sealants, paints, carpets, and furniture were used extensively. All wood was FSC certified.
All this was accomplished while restoring the building’s exterior, main stairway, main corridor and first floor paneled offices to historic preservation standards.
Operations are Green Too
The Christman Company developed detailed specifications for a green housekeeping program that stipulates the use of green cleaning products and practices.
The computerized, web-based building management system, tracks and measures electricity and gas usage, as well as atmospheric conditions inside and outside the building. Its several thousand control points are used to operate building systems for maximum efficiency and comfort. Energy use is metered at the building and tenant levels to encourage conservation.
As is common in green buildings, building commissioning was incorporated from the earliest planning stages to ensure HVAC and electrical systems, lighting controls and water systems are operating properly. The intention is to continuously commission the building for the first year and then to re-commission all systems every five years.
Green Project Financing
Several economic incentives were used to finance the project. Federal programs such as New Market Tax Credits and Historic Tax Credits help urban projects move forward when traditional financing doesn’t work. The Federal Obsolete Property Rehabilitation Act provides property tax relief – it freezes the taxable value on the building prior to improvements for 12 years. The City of Lansing, through the Brownfield Authority, has a development agreement with the project, enabling recapture of Michigan Single Business Tax Credits for eligible costs of the project. The City also provided key economic information that supported requests for the New Market Tax Credits.
- $672,500 in State of Michigan Brownfield Single Business Tax (SBT) Credits
- $2 million in Federal Historic Tax Credits
- $500,000 in State Historic Tax Credits
- Allocation of $8.5 million in Federal New Market Tax Credits
- $1.2 million ($100,000/year for 12 years) in Property Tax Relief through establishment of a Federal Obsolete Property Rehabilitation Act (OPRA) District
As is true with so many green building projects, green construction came in at a competitive price ($12 million), proving once again that sustainable design and construction doesn’t have to cost more than conventional building practices.
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