contributed by Claudia Lezell, SSI, CTC, RFI, SCI, CWFI, ASID [president, The Flooring Technology Institute / interior designer / industry overachiever]
It’s The Million Dollar Question – what does it mean to be green” Unfortunately, you are not playing Deal or No Deal where you win a million dollars if you uncover the 
magic answer hidden in the mystery steel case. However, as a member of the architecture and design industry, your quest to find the answer should be considered priceless.
When I was given the assignment to write about the meaning of “green,” I was perplexed and stumped as to where to begin. I thought, “How can I summarize so much information – often found to be so obscure and open for interpretation – into a short article”” Then it came to me. I reminded myself of the mottos that I have tried to live and educate by – formerly as a practicing interior designer and now as a floor covering inspector, consultant, and technical trainer: “knowledge is power” and “there is no such a thing as a free lunch.”
Ignorance Is Amiss
From my own experiences throughout my extensive career, I know that working from the “ignorance is bliss” theory does not breed success when it comes to your occupation and reputation. In my line of work, I frequently have the task of helping people solve unpleasant, often costly, problems after the fact – problems that they could have easily prevented. They – and I, when I am asked to get involved – then must react to a situation instead of taking proactive tactics to avert the calamity from happening in the first place. Often these failures occur primarily because those that should be (and are required to be) “in the know” are most certainly not.
So, what’s the answer to The Million Dollar Question” It’s simple. It’s YOU, and what you are willing to invest in your quest for knowledge through educating yourself. It’s time to stop believing propaganda and relying on others to provide you with answers to questions. Unless you take charge of your own educational destiny, you risk making decisions based on incorrect information and costing your client, not to mention yourself, a great deal of aggravation. All without doing anything to help the state of the environment, which is what you were trying to accomplish in the first place.
Green Defined & Refined
To kick-start your enlightenment, I am providing you with some of the necessary tools to help you explore the answer to “What Does It Mean to Be Green”” A great place to start is by simply learning the following terms:
USGBC [United States Green Building Council]
The non-profit member organization that develops and administers the LEED family of Green Building Rating systems.
Green Design
USGBC’s definition – To significantly reduce or eliminate the negative impact of buildings on the environment and on the building occupants, green building design and construction practices address: sustainable site planning, safeguarding water and water efficiency, energy efficiency, conservation of materials and resources, and indoor environmental quality.
Green or High Performance Buildings
Sustainable building achievement relies on a fully integrated, “whole building” approach to design, construction and operation, which is also referred to as green or high performance buildings. Characteristics of such buildings include:
• Increased building efficiencies and energy, water and other resources savings
• Reduced waste going to landfills or incineration
• Satisfying, productive, quality indoor spaces
• Education opportunities for building occupants about efficiency and conservation
• Reduced environmental impacts
• Enhanced economic performance
Energy Star Qualified Products®
Products in more than 40 categories that are more energy efficient than industry standards.
LEED® [Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design]
A voluntary program of the USGBC that establishes standards for evaluating and certifying the sustainability of buildings through a series of Green Building Rating Systems®. Commonly misstated as “LEEDS.”
LEED AP [LEED Accredited Professional]
An individual with knowledge of green building practices and principles and familiarity with LEED requirements, resources, and process, as demonstrated by passing the USGBC’s LEED Professional Accreditation exam.
LEED-NC [LEED for New Construction]
The original green building certification program developed by the USGBC that promotes sustainability during the design and construction of new buildings and major renovations.
LEED-CI [LEED for Commercial Interiors]
Green building certification program of the USGBC that promotes sustainability during the design and fits outs of commercial spaces.
LEED-CS [LEED for Core & Shell]
Green building certification program of the USGBC that promotes sustainability during the design and construction of building cores and shells, typically used by developers not responsible for the fit out of interior tenant spaces.
LEED-EB [LEED for Existing Buildings]
Green building certification program of the USGBC that promotes sustainability during the operations phase of a building. LEED-EB provides initial certification for existing buildings, as well as ongoing re-certification over the life of the building. It also provides re-certification for buildings originally certified under LEED-NC.
Sustainability
Defined by the World Commission on Environmental and Development as “meeting the needs of today without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
Sustainable Product Certification Programs & Information
(Just to name a few…)
Recycled Content Product Directory
U.S. EPA WasteWise Buy Recycled links
U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Program
Study With Green-Colored Glasses
By taking the initiative to investigate these tools and resources, I hope that you will not only learn how you as a professional can deliver to your clients a project that meets or exceeds the LEED, green, and sustainable design requirements, but can also truly deliver a design that can be retrofitted and upgraded in order to meet the environmental criteria of the future.
P.S. from the Editor: Don’t forget to visit PLiNTH & CHiNTZ‘s Eco Savvy section (under WHAT IN THE WORLD”) for a wide variety of earth-friendly links.
Note: A version of this article appeared in the March/April 2007 issue of Angle, ASID Texas Gulf Coast chapter’s newsletter.
