The USGBC and GBI have set the ‘green’ table, but now is the time to apply a regulatory system,” explained Mike Pfeiffer, the International Code Council’s deputy senior vice president of technical services. Curious to learn more about the group’s intentions and expectations, I interviewed Pfeiffer following the ICC’s July announcement that the organization is committed to publishing an International Green Construction Code (IGCC; see news story on page 9) in early 2012 .

Based upon feedback that code officials want a regulatory framework and the enforceability of a code for green building design and construction, the ICC created the Sustainable Building Technology Committee (SBTC) geared toward the creation of the IGCC. The SBTC, which met for the first time in late July, is comprised of code regulators, users, and producers in order to capture the concerns and needs of all stakeholders. They will follow the same open process currently employed to develop the I-Codes — which includes the International Building Code (IBC) — affording the opportunity to anyone who wants to participate in the draft process.

When I asked him how the currently used rating systems — specifically the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and the Green Building Initiative’s (GBI) Green Globes (GG) — were going to be addressed or incorporated, he replied truthfully that this will be determined as part of the process. Offering that key components of the existing rating systems will likely be incorporated, he acknowledged that the group has their work cut out for them.

“We intend for the IGCC to be an ‘overlay’ to the IBC, not to replace it,” said Pfeiffer. The code-writing body plans for the IGCC to be flexible and cover a range of sustainable building goals. “We want each jurisdiction that adopts the code to decide how green they want to be. We envision a series of tiers.” To learn more about the ICC’s IGCC initiative or to participate, visit www.iccsafe.org/IGCC

This effort seems well-timed and welcomed by practitioners. While more and more design professionals are embracing sustainable design, most will agree that effective sustainable design is not necessarily achieved if the team is focused on a checklist or achieving individual credits. Most designers prefer to strive for overall performance goals for their projects.

Of keen interest to me was that the design team for the Richard J. Klarchek Information Commons at Loyola University Chicago (this month’s cover story, see page 12) did not begin the project with goals of achieving any level of LEED certification. The team simply designed an extremely energy efficient and integrated building, and the results also yielded a rating.

The project’s structural engineer of record, Gregory J. Lakota, S.E., P.E., clarified, “The building wanted to be as transparent as possible, given its location on the bank of Lake Michigan, but the university didn’t want to ‘write a blank check’ for utility bills.” He described how this intention guided the collaborative design process. “By focusing on fundamental principals — rather than standard practices — the team integrated the architectural, MEP, and structural systems and created a visually transparent, energy-efficient building — which also achieved LEED Silver.”

This month’s green-issue covers the topic from all sides: Along with the cover story, the “Sustainable design trends” feature on page 22 discusses how structural engineers can make a difference; columnists discuss green contracts and the lesser known Green Globes rating system; high-performance slag cement is highlighted on page 32; and more than 30 products and services are included in the Green Product Specifiers Guide on page 36.

While sustainable design appears to be a contemporary goal for the AEC industry, the upshot is almost getting us back to basics. What is exciting about all of these green building initiatives is not only that these guidelines — and eventually codes — are being developed and adopted, but that they enable the collaborative process necessary for well-designed, intentionally integrated buildings that will deliver the best environment for the occupants, project for the owner, and option for the environment.
Jennifer Goupil, P.E., jgoupil@stagnitomedia.com