L&K Blog: Sustainable Building Guidelines

 

The Flatiron Institute Rooftop

At L&K Partners, we are fortunate to positively impact the community and world-at-large through the spaces we build. Adopting sustainable construction practices starts at the project’s design phase and continues throughout the building’s lifecycle, from construction, to operation, maintenance, renovation, and deconstruction.  

Construction management firms are an integral part of sustainable building, working with stakeholders across the entire value chain, and acting as a central hub of knowledge and influence for subcontractors, owners, and design teams. We partner with our clients and consultants to put in place environmentally-responsible and resource-efficient practices. Read on to learn about some of our guidelines across several sustainability domains:

Carbon 

  1. Reduction- all mechanical, lighting, domestic hot water or envelope systems comply or exceed with ASHRAE prescriptive and performance energy requirements 

  2. Fundamental Commissioning- verify and ensure that fundamental building elements and systems are designed, installed, and calibrated to operate as intended 

  3. Refrigerant Phase Out and Management- newly installed systems to phase out R-12 and R-22 and replaced with HFO or natural refrigerant option 

Water

  1. Indoor Water Reduction- reduce indoor water consumption through efficient fixture installation and fitting selection 

  2. Water Meters + Leak Detection- install water meters with automatic leak detection on all major water use equipment 

Waste 

  1. C&D Diversion- Divert demolition and construction waste from landfill and supply at least one landfill, recycling, and compost container per 25 employees

  2. Salvage Materials- incorporate salvaged materials into project design

Materials

  1. Procurement- procure and install products that limit VOC emissions and provide product ingredient transparency such as carpet, flooring, paints, and coatings

  2. Local Sourcing- source local materials to reduce transportation emissions 

Adopting sustainable construction methods requires a collective effort across project teams, and the recognition of the pivotal impact of our environmental efforts for generations to come. Learn more about the many ways in which we help our clients reach their sustainability goals HERE or get in touch with our project team by clicking the button below.