Build smart, build green ....................................................................
If you think that where and what you build is more important than how you
build, think again. For example, providing your people with clean, healthy air
in your buildings has got to be at the top of your list of priorities, right? To
create it, you’ve got to consider your construction processes from the start.
Ensure that your building crews coordinate their wet and dry activities; that
way, you can prevent making dry materials breeding grounds for mold or bac-
teria by contaminating them with moisture. If your mechanical ductwork is
sealed in the factory before shipment and then kept that way until you install
it, there is less chance that it will be exposed to ambient toxins.Renovate green ...................................................................................
Not everyone is building, but renovation and upkeep are a constant process.
If you are not building a new facility from scratch, green renovation is the
way to go. Your green revamp can include everything from a new green roof
to more efficient HVAC and lighting systems, enlarged existing windows, and
low-VOC paints and flooring, to name just a few.Clean green..........................................................................................
Green cleaning is something all companies can do to help the environment
and the health of their employees. Microfiber and green cleaning solutions
can decrease environmental pollutants.196 Part III: Going Green
Toyota’s emerald city
The South Campus expansion of Toyota Motor
Sales’ headquarters in Torrance, California, was
as affordable to build as any basic low-rise
business campus. Architects from LPA in Irvine,
California designed 624,000 square feet of space
in two three-story buildings on a budget of $90
per square foot. The buildings are long and
narrow with north-south orientations to maxi-
mize interior daylight — more than 90 percent
of the building’s occupants enjoy natural light
and outdoor views. Rooftop photovoltaic panels
and highly efficient air-handling units and agas-powered chiller enable the facility to
achieve 31 percent more energy efficiency than
the company’s other, traditionally constructed
buildings. As if that is not impressive, the busi-
ness campus’s 40-acre, drought-tolerant land-
scaped site consumes 60 percent less water
than a campus planted with sprinkler-depen-
dent turf. To save a whopping 20.7 million gal-
lons of potable water a year, it uses recycled
water for landscape irrigation, building cooling,
and toilet flushing.