| Architects and engineers are not immune to the effects of the emotional and partisan rhetoric and political posturing that has characterized the dialogue concerning global warming. Nor do they lack passion. But their approach to solving the crisis has been more pragmatic and scientific than polemic. Their solution to global warming is this: Design and build more efficient and environmentally responsible buildings, systems, and communities. Show that it can be done, and done affordably and profitably. Lead by innovating. Lead by example. Kansas City has, over the course of the last few decades, become something of an international architectural and engineering center, especially in the fields of sports and venue facilities. These are typically high profile projects that have considerable impact, culturally, economically, and environmentally on the communities where they’re built. This is undoubtedly one reason Kansas City finds itself in a leadership position in the LEED Green Building Movement, a voluntary initiative by architects and engineers to design and construct building that are optimally energy efficient, minimally toxic, and sustainable. “Architects are definitely on the front lines,” says Phaedra Svec, an architect and sustainable design consultant in the Elements division at BNIM, one of the area’s largest building design firms. “Buildings account for more than 60 percent of the greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere. It’s the way they were designed. It’s the way they’re heated, cooled, and ventilated. They’re inefficient, wasteful, and toxic. There’s been so much focus on automobiles that we tend to overlook the fact that even if all cars were taken off the road tomorrow we’d still have a big problem. So architects have a huge responsibility. But I believe we’ve stepped up. We’re making significant strides forward in the design and construction of efficient, sustainable structures.” One of the most important tools architects, engineers, contractors, governments, and developers have in implementing building efficiency and sustainability goals is the voluntary LEED building rating system, developed by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC). USGBC says that its LEED—Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design—program, is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings. LEED gives building owners and operators the tools they need to have an immediate and measurable impact on their buildings’ performance. LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality. LEED provides a standard for measuring and documenting success for every building type and phase of a building lifecycle. Builders apply for various levels of LEED certification (Certified, Silver, Gold, and Platinum) by documenting that specified measures have been implemented in the design, construction, and operation of a building. Points are assigned accordingly and levels of certification are awarded based on points achieved within specific categories. BNIM founder, Bob Berkebile, is a pioneer in the Green Building Movement. His firm has had ample opportunity to put its green principles to work. Perhaps the most striking example of this is the 27 acre, 1,000,000 sq. ft. IRS complex, just west of Union Station on Pershing Rd., designed by BNIM, together with the firm 360 Architects. The IRS campus applied for and received a LEED Certified rating. Svec reports that the complex has exceeded expectations in energy savings. “If the savings we’ve seen in the first months of operation are sustained over time, we’ll see savings of more than 30 percent. This is made even more remarkable when you consider the enormous cost of heating and cooling a structure of that size. Even a savings of one percent is a lot of money. When you get into the 30 percent range, the savings are dramatic.” Rich Smith, executive vice-president at Henderson Engineers, Inc., agrees. “The energy costs are really astronomical in today’s larger office and commercial buildings, and in some of the major civic complexes. So, any savings, even a small percentage, amounts to a great deal of money in absolute dollars. But, it’s not just money. It’s also energy saved, and reduced emissions. That’s the beauty of LEED. Some are motivated to design more efficient and responsible buildings because they feel a moral obligation to do so. Others are motivated by the economics. It makes sense from multiple perspectives.” Henderson is the city’s largest Mechanical/Electrical/Plumbing firm, though Smith says it does work for clients nationwide. One of its local projects, however—the new Staley High School in the North Kansas City School District—is an example of the firm’s LEED work. “This high school will be one of Missouri’s first LEED certified high schools,” says Smith. “We designed a ground-coupled geo-thermal heat system to heat and cool the facility, which take advantage of the stability of the earth’s temperature nearly 500 feet underground. It used to be that an owner bought a heating and cooling system and it was installed. These days the challenge to the design community is to create buildings that are less of a commodity. The paradigm has shifted. Sometimes you’ll read in the media references to ‘smarter buildings.’ We prefer to talk about ‘high performing’ buildings—buildings that perform at optimum efficiency.” Drew Rimmer, Smith’s colleague, and a vice-president at Henderson, says that LEED certification needn’t require complex, elaborate, systems. “You can achieve LEED Gold with very simple equipment,” he says. “What we try to do is work with the architects and contractors to reduce heating, cooling and ventilation loads as much as possible through good design. It’s only after we’ve achieved optimum efficiency through design that we then decide what HVAC technologies are appropriate.” Henderson’s Smith observes that Kansas City is a bit ahead of the curve, compared to other major metropolitan areas, in the quantity and quality of LEED projects. Rimmer believes that this is a result of the critical mass of progressive, world-class, architectural, engineering, and construction firms in the region. The green orientation has influenced the design and construction of projects that are not considering application for LEED certification. The West Edge development on the Plaza will not be LEED certified, but Gould Evans, the project’s architect, says that many sustainable features have been incorporated into its design, such as vegetated roofs, under-floor air systems and ample use of day lighting. A major BNIM project, the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts will not be seeking LEED certification. Phaedra Svec explains that when the project was designed and conceived in 2001, the LEED process was only available for office buildings, not for massive entertainment structures. “It would be too costly and disruptive at this point to redesign with LEED as an objective. But the design team is committed to sustainability, and where it can be achieved, it will be.” BNIM’s published statement about the Performing Arts Center says that one objective is to provide green roofs over the building to the north (at street level) and over the Center’s south parking garage. This is intended to provide friendlier views from the main lobby to the south, and also to reduce the effects of accumulated heat in urban streets and buildings. The statement also says that because the building itself consists of a “box-in-box construction,” it is inherently a well sealed and insulated environment exceeding governmental standards. Svec explains that the way LEED works is such that steps can’t be missed and made-up later, retroactively. “But even though LEED isn’t an option for the Center, we will still incorporate sustainable strategies wherever and whenever appropriate.” Svec says that for the architecture community here, and elsewhere, sustainability is becoming thoroughly and permanently integrated into the practice of the profession. “For us, it’s no longer something we do, it’s the way we do things. We forgot, all of us, even architects, how to care for the earth. But we’re remembering.”
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