Design Guidelines, Specifications, and Rating Systems
Everyone needs resources for ideas to lessen the environmental impact
of new construction or facility redesign: architects and engineers, builders
and building owners, government officials and decision-makers.
This page contains links to many of the best tools publicly available
for the sustainable design, construction, operation and maintenance of
commercial and institutional buildings. Sustainable building strategies
are most effective when they are integrated from the very beginning of
a project, but the resources listed here can be useful at any point in
the building process.
Design Guidelines
Design guidelines combine economic, environmental and social considerations
to create buildings that are:
- durable and flexible
- conserving of resources
- conducive to human health and productivity.
Guidelines typically contain strategies or checklists, often combined
with a point system. The newest generation of guidelines moves away from
proxy measures toward performance standards with measurable outcomes.
Many design guidelines exist, but this list is Minnesota-specific, providing
important information with regard to local materials, waste issues, and
climate-related design considerations.
- Minnesota Sustainable Building Guidelines | www.msbg.umn.edu
Creation of the Minnesota Sustainable Building Guidelines, also know as the B3 Guidelines, was mandated by the 2001 Legislature. These guidelines are region-specific, tailored to the needs of public buildings in the state, and intended to document the actual costs and benefits of sustainable building. They are organized into five categories: performance management, site and water, energy and atmosphere, indoor environmental quality, and materials and waste. After 2004, all new building projects that receive Minnesota state bond funding must use the B3 Guidelines.
- Minnesota Sustainable Design Guide
This resource has been replaced by the Minnesota Sustainable Building Guidelines (see above). For more information, contact the University of Minnesota Center for Sustainable Building Research at 612-626-7424 or csbr@umn.edu.
 Dakota
County Design, Construction and Sustainability Standards for High
Performance Buildings
Adopted in 2001, these standards have been used for
the design and construction of Dakota County buildings including
Lebanon Hills Trailhead and Visitor Center, the Northern Service
Center, and Thompson Park Center/Dakota Lodge.
Specifications
Specifications are the documents that spell out what the architects
and builders must do. The resources listed here are the best public specifications
available that incorporate sustainable requirements for public building
design, construction ,and maintenance.
- CA 01350: Special Environmental Requirements Specification
www.ciwmb.ca.gov/GreenBuilding/Specs/Section01350/default.htm
Originally developed for the state of California's
Modular Office Furniture Specification, Section 01350 has been
revised and incorporated into both the California Department of
General Services standard agreement for engineering and architectural
services and the Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS)
Best Practices Manual. Section 01350 contains specification language
on environmental and public health considerations for sustainable
building projects. It contains an IAQ testing protocol for manufacturers
to have performed on their products by independent laboratories.
To be used in a buildin, selected materials must be tested for
chemical emissions and conform to allowable levels identified
in Section 01350. See the most
recently updated version in PDF format.
More information on the Collaborative for High Performance
Schools (CHPS) and its use of CA 01350 is available: www.chps.net/manual/documents.htm
- Federal Guide for Green Construction Specs
| www.wbdg.org/design/greenspec.php
The DRAFT Federal Guide for Green Construction Specs
is being developed by EPA with its partners, the Federal Environmental
Executive and the Whole Building Design Guide, to help federal
building project managers meet various mandates as established
by statute and Executive Orders, as well as EPA and DOE program
recommendations. The specs cross-reference USGBC-LEED credit requirements.
- Design Guidance (Whole Building Design Guide)
| www.wbdg.org/design/index.php?cn=4.3.4&cx=0
Architects, engineers, and project managers can improve
the performance and quality of their buildings by following the
guidance and recommendations provided within the categories of
this web site created by the National Institute of Building Sciences.
- Pennsylvania Governor's Green Government Council
| www.gggc.state.pa.us
Informative green building website with resources
like High
Performance Green Building Guidelines and the Green Building
Operations and Maintenance Manual ( 600K).
- U.S. EPA's Research Triangle Park Environmental Specifications
www.epa.gov/rtp/campus/environmental/specs.htm
EPA's new campus is widely recognized as a model of
sustainable building. Many of the environmental requirements for
this campus are summarized in front-end construction contract
specifications developed by EPA for the project, but which can
be used as a template for other sustainable building. These Division
1 - General Requirements include Environmental Requirements, Environmental
Impact of Materials, Testing for IAQ, Sequence of Finishes Installation,
and Waste Materials Management and Recycling.
Rating Systems
Rating systems use a scoring system to evaluate new and remodeled buildings
against a selected standard for environmental performance. LEED evaluates
environmental performance from a whole building perspective over a building's
life cycle. Energy Star scores buildings based on their energy efficiency,
comfort and indoor environmental quality. The Minnesota Sustainable Design
Guide (above) also includes a scoring system to evaluate a building based
on the design strategies utilized.
 LEED
Green Building Rating System (U.S.Green Building Council) | www.usgbc.org/LEED
The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
(LEED) building rating system is a voluntary, consensus-based
rating system for commercial buildings. LEED 2.0 rapidly is becoming
the de facto national standard for green building certification.
In Minnesota, the USGBC
Mississippi Headwaters Chapter organizes LEED
workshops and educational chapter events: www.usgbcmn.org
- Designed to earn the ENERGY STAR | www.energystar.gov/newbuildingdesign
 Recognizing
the influence that the nation's architects can have in reducing
the environmental impact of buildings, EPA has expanded the ENERGY
STAR program to include commercial new construction by encouraging
the design of energy-efficient buildings. Architecture firms will
now be able to distinguish projects that have been designed to
be among the most efficient buildings in the country as "Designed
to Earn the ENERGY STAR."
For new building design, use Target
Finder. Establish a design target and compare your estimated
energy consumption to the target. Integrate energy performance
strategies into your building design to meet the target.
Use Portfolio
Manager to benchmark an existing building's energy
performance. This online, interactive tool makes benchmarking
simple. Users enter information about a building's physical/operating
characteristics and energy consumption and receive a score. Buildings
with benchmark scores of 75 or higher are eligible for the ENERGY
STAR® label for buildings. For scores below 75, the tool will
offer some customized tips to raise your building's score.
Additional Web Sites
- ASHE Green Healthcare Construction Guidance Statement
(250K).
This vision statement and comprehensive check list
of green design and construction goals and strategies developed
by the American Society for Healthcare Engineering covers integrated
design, site design, water, energy, indoor enviromental quality,
materials & products, construction practices, commissioning, operations
& maintenance, and innovation. (2002)
 American
Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers
| www.ashrae.org
ASHRAE is an international organization of 50,000
persons with chapters throughout the world. Through its membership,
ASHRAE writes standards that set uniform methods of testing and
rating equipment and establish accepted practices for the HVAC&R
industry worldwide, such as the design of energy-efficient buildings.
Free download from ASHRAE: Advanced Energy Design Guides on Small Warehouses and Self-Storage Buildings, K-12 School Buildings, Small Retail Buildings, and Small Office Buildings.
- High Performance Building Guidelines
www.nyc.gov/html/ddc/html/ddcgreen/
NYC Department of Design and Construction offers this
thorough, well-written manual covering the design process, site
design and planning, building energy use, indoor environment,
material and product selection, water management, construction
administration, commissioning, and operations and maintenance.
Technical strategies and economic benefits are described for each
design consideration.
- High Performance Guidelines: Triangle Region Public Facilities (2.5Mb: 2001)
Comprehensive sustainable design guidelines developed
for local governments and schools in North Carolina. Includes
brief case studies.
- Minnesota Department of Commerce, Energy Division
www.commerce.state.mn.us
In its role as developer of the state energy code,
the Energy Division's engineering and technical staff has assembled
information concerning best construction practices relating to
overall building design and energy efficiency. Includes links
to the state building and energy codes.
- Model
Green Office Leasing Specifications (Commonwealth of Pennsylvania)
Pennsylvania's green lease is a comprehensive model
specification for sustainable building. It combines stringent
performance standards with specific design strategies.
- Smart Communities Network (National Center for Appropriate Technology)
www.sustainable.doe.gov/buildings/gbintro.shtml
Great web site contains many useful links and publications. Also check out the
link to DOE's Building Technologies program.
- Sustainable Design | www.gsa.gov/Portal/gsa/ep/contentView.do?contentId=8154&contentType=GSA_OVERVIEW
The GSA's web page has many excellent links and downloadable
publications, including Greening Federal Facilities and
the Sustainable Building Technical Manual.
- Writing the Green RFP: Sustainable Design Language for Consultant
Requests | www.aia.org/cote_rfps
This tool, prepared by the American Institute of
Architects, provides guidance and model language for including
sustainable design in requests for proposals or qualifications
for architectural services.
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