Greenbuild 2009 Sets the Bar, Part II - Suzanne Berkey

My time in the educational sessions covered a wide array of topics specific to green building practices, the design profession, and federal involvement. Common threads carried through many of the sessions regarding Risk Management about the implementation of LEED into future projects. I felt one particular session classified risk concerns into an order that made the most sense.

Top 5 Risk Concerns
5. Material Substitutions
4. Ongoing Education
3. LEED v3 New Rating System
2. LEED NC vs. EBOM (Disconnect)
1. Guarantee of Building Certification

The recent release of Neighborhood Development was another area I have interest in learning more about. The pilot ND program has just been completed with forty-seven projects now certified and in the final stages. St. Louis Park, MN proves to be an ideal LEED ND project development located at the intersection of Excelsior Boulevard and Grand. Mixed-use buildings offer the core components for a sustainable community. What used to be a road flanked on either side by block after block of strip malls and shopping centers now has a better proportion of building density with open green space.
More information can be found http://www.USGBC.org/leed/nd

In one of the off-site educational sessions, I visited a LEED EB building on the campus of General Dynamics C4 Systems. The Director of Facilities Management, Patrick Okamura, informed us of the process they went through internally to apply for LEED EB. Not only did he find a way to renovate an existing building, he also serves on the Sustainability Task Force with the International Facility Management Association (IFMA) established in November 2008. He also created a unique relationship with Deborah Schneidermnan and the Interior Design Department at the University of Arizona. This mutually beneficial relationship works toward the goal of achieving environmentally friendly work environments. 
More information can be found http://www.ifmafoundation.org/