green/sustainable building issues

from today's GlobeSt

October 25, 2007 07:47am

Source: Green Is Good, But Risks Lurk
By Daniel D. Williams

"LOS ANGELES-Green, for lack of a better word, is good. But it doesn’t come without a price, or risk, according to Timothy Corbett, president of Pasadena-based SmartRisk. Speaking yesterday at AIA-Los Angeles’ inaugural conference on public space and design, he said the green building boom has created increased challenges to designers and engineers of those projects.

Corbett explained that clients of green projects have heightened expectations of the finished product. But sometimes what they envisioned doesn’t measure up to what they see, leading to claims filed against the project’s engineer or architect.

Corbett said the claims carry a broad range of complaints. In one case, the client cited a US Green Building Council (USGBC) study that promised healthier and more productive employees in a gold-certified building. “The tenant demanded a rent rebate and the owner sued the design firm for negligence for believing it would be a non-sick building,” said Corbett.

In another case, the client was a government contractor that required a top-secret security clearance for nuclear research. “The client requested a green building that included an extensive day-lighting system (with impressive skylights)” which negated the top-secret security needed at the site. Once completed, “the client sued the designer for negligence.” " ...

"According to the US Green Building Council, 1.84% is the average additional cost of going green. For the basic level of certification, average costs rise .66%; costs top out at an additional 6.5% for the platinum level. While direct benefits of green design such as energy savings (20-55%), carbon savings (35-65%), water use savings (30-50%) and waste costs savings (50-90%) can cut into those added costs for sustainable projects, indirect benefits should be taken into account as well. " ...

"Development of green buildings this year is expected to top $12 billion this year. That’s up from $6 billion just a couple of years ago, Corbett said. While office buildings top the news for sustainable development, all product types are touched by green design. Corbett said 23% of new retail sites carry a green element, and two-thirds of homebuilders are already onboard. By the year 2010 between 5-10% of new homes will have green options. “That’s a $19 billion - $38 billion market,” Corbett noted." ...

for the complete story see:
http://www.globest.com/news/1021_1021/losangeles/165
417-1.html