Are you ready for the NEXT GENERATION
of GREEN?

Posted by Mark Maddalina

Green Building between 2008 and 2013 is projected to double or perhaps even triple (according to a recent McGraw-Hill study) and projects that have a higher cost-per-square-foot are finding more value in designing sustainably.

Are you ready for your next project given these statistics?

SWBR recognizes the value that sustainability generates for our clients, our economy and our environment, and is dedicated to the design of environmentally-responsible, profitable and healthy places to live and work. We want you to know about new trends and developments in Sustainable Design that can assist you when thinking about an existing or future project.

For instance, Integrative Design Process is a guided process being used by design teams to assist in working with others to creatively make the best decisions regarding the issues of sustainability. The Integrative Design Process can help the project team be more deeply purposeful in pursuing these objectives.  This process helps project teams navigate the transition from traditional building design to a more collaborative process that can produce high performance green buildings cost-effectively, while addressing complex issues that threaten living systems.

The 7Group, as consultants to the green industry, has a new resource available that thoroughly describes this process and is great for anyone who wants to understand how to make the sustainable design process work.

When considering a sustainably designed building are you thinking about the following:

• What are your goals for Energy Conservation and Efficiency, Water Conservation and Mass Transit?
• Who is your design team and how much experience do they have in sustainable design?
• Are you willing to commit to making pivotal decisions early on in the process in order to save time and money moving forward?
• Are you willing to invest in a team that will provide you with communication, collaboration and share a passion for your goals?
• We continue to strive to promote strategies that contribute to our well being and help to preserve our environment for future generations.
• To help, we recently updated our Sustainable Design Forum to provide you with additional, useful and educational information.

Check out this forum for useful references for sustainable publications, information on design options, energy efficiency, local organizations, costs of green building and much more.  Take a look when pursuing your sustainable endeavors.  Add comments, bookmark it, and check back often for updates, especially to our everyday tips on how to be sustainable and use resources wisely at home.