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Sustainable Building
The construction market's profound influence on the economy, environment, and ultimately society is in the midst of a revolutionary change that promises to play a significant role in mitigating humanity's greatest threats – loss of biodiversity, resource depletion, and climate change. This imminent transformation comes in the form of an integrative and holistic approach to designing, constructing, and operating facilities. By focusing on a comprehensive planning and design phase that seeks to exploit existing, but often overlooked synergies, sustainable building increases financial benefits, while optimizing social and environmental aspects.
We support the transformation to a sustainable built environment by advising property owners and managers on how to strengthen the value of their asset portfolio. As a truly multi-disciplinary industry, sustainable building involves a wide spectrum of fields ranging from mining and banking to construction and real estate brokerage. Our consultancy in sustainable building is derived from our history working to enhance the environmental management and sustainable development of companies in each of these as well as other business sectors. This know-how is further supplemented by our working knowledge of rating tools such as LEED® and The Sustainable Building Certificate. We recognize sustainable building is currently the exception rather than the norm, so we offer a variety of services to meet the industry's emerging needs:
 Education Programs
Whether your firm would like a private training or you personally would like to attend our Principles of Sustainable Building course, we provide a range of customizable trainings. All of our programs are developed in line with local challenges and provide a comprehensive introduction to understanding the process and benefits of sustainable building. Primarily developed by a LEED® AP, most of our education programs reference the rating tool's framework as a systematic method to investigating the elements of an integrative sustainable building approach.
Sustainable Building Certification
These internationally recognized tools are designed to help define sustainable building and to facilitate the integrative building process by systematically evaluating the performance of facilities from the perspective of building users and the environment. Guiding your project team through the certification process ideally begins with setting the sustainability targets and continues with the following services:
- Spearheading sustainable building and the use of a rating tool within the project team;
- Gathering, organizing, and presenting project data and documentation;
- Calculating building use characteristics to ensure rating tool compliance;
- Drafting pictures and photographically documenting building characteristics;
- Leading project team/member meetings and trainings;
- Coordinating communications between and among the project team;
- Project management and completion of the submittal documentation process;
- Drafting of reports/descriptions, plans, and surveys related to rating tool compliance;
- Conducting site inspections.
Facility ECOaudit
While ensuring new builds meet contemporary best practices is important, the transformation of the existing building stock is the industry's largest challenge and opportunity. Using an integrative approach to checking whether your facility is operating optimally, we work closely with our clients and partners to create integrated building and management solutions that enhance operational efficiency. Some of our tools to achieve this are energy simulations, basic value engineering, systematic environmental management, and building occupant motivational trainings. Whether for an improved indoor environment, enhanced energy efficiency, increased occupancy rates, or a combination of other benefits, this approach to refining building operations will positively impact your triple bottom line.
Initial Project Review
It is never too early to incorporate sustainable building targets into a new build project. The Initial Project Review (IPR) evaluates projects, ideally in the planning stage, for their potential to incorporate sustainability. From developing specs for the selection, use, and suppliers of sustainable building products to checking project documentation for adherence to sustainability goals, this service is designed to ingrain sustainability into the foundation of your project. This may also include an evaluation of a project's prospects to successfully certify their projects through third party rating tools such as LEED® and The Sustainable Building Certificate. As every project has individual resources and targets, the deliverable is a report that meets the exacting specifics of the project.
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