The view from here: Positively impacting buildings, communities and the environment

By now most design and construction firms promote going green for their projects. The U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) certification is considered the crown jewel of recognition in sustainable, energy-efficient, green design. Many professionals in our industry have the designation LEED AP ( accredited professional) after their name. Only a small percentage of those who pass the rigorous exam leave their careers to become LEED consultants. However, through studying LEED strategies, they gain a breadth of knowledge and understanding of sustainable design practices. As a principal at LEHR Construction, a premier construction manager/general contractor in NYC, I am passionate about great design, quality construction and exceeding our client's expectations. As a LEED AP overseeing LEHR's sustainability division, my passion is collaborating with a team early on about decisions that can positively or negatively impact buildings, communities and the environment. This past December while rollerblading along the bike path in a quaint old beach town, I snapped a photo of a fabulous view overlooking the ocean with a charming pier and a beautiful rainbow on the horizon. Paradise! I skated a short distance from there and shot the photo you see of the concrete block house next to an original cottage. Along with detracting from the overall view with it's incongruous and charmless design, it is contributing to the decline of a viable beach. How can that be? What is the connection? Almost directly across from the concrete house there's a storm channel that discharges directly onto the beach. Impervious or paved surfaces offer no opportunity to capture the rainwater, no way for it to filter into the ground. Rainwater, a rare and precious commodity especially in dry climates such as Los Angeles, is wasted when it is allowed to just run off pavement into the ocean. But that's not the only place it goes. When storm water flows freely and rapidly, the sewer system is overtaxed and subsequently spills over into storm channels which carry the water to the beach. The beaches have to close due to raised levels of bacteria so they spray a solution on the sand to decontaminate it! Beyond the environmental issues, a polluted beach is devastating to a local economy. Most of the original homes along this beautiful stretch of coastline, typically cottages of indigenous architecture, have been leveled and replaced with huge structures that are practically built to each other's property line. So much house, so little yard, and what little is left is often paved. This is an unfortunate trend that is happening not just in this particular town, but all over the country. Recently one of our new neighbors in Connecticut cut down EVERY tree on his lot, including many perfectly healthy, mature trees, some over 100 feet tall and absolutely spectacular. His trees offered shade in the summer for his house and his neighbors. They were a privacy fence, a sound buffer, cleaned the air and stabilized the soil. Their falling leaves created top soil. We don't have much topsoil with all the bedrock below our homes. These mature trees helped mitigate the effects of driving wind, rain and snow. They shielded car's headlights. They were home to and provided food for the wonderful diversity of wildlife we have in the area. The homeowner claims he will replant with new trees, but it will take more than 60 years to replace what he destroyed in a few days. That one terrible act will have negative consequences for years to come including devaluing his home and the homes around him, detracting from the natural beauty and charm of the neighborhood and will likely cause energy bills to elevate from the complete lack of shade in the summer and insulation in the winter. With no ordinances or fines to prevent clear cutting, if everyone chose to do the same the neighborhood would decline rapidly. Hopefully the decisions that led to the scenarios I described here were made out of ignorance and not indifference. The mission of the USGBC through LEED is "market transformation" as it pertains to all design and construction projects with consideration for their impact on communities and the environment. They promote education with the goal that mistakes such as these are not continually repeated. One of my goals as a LEED AP is to assist the USGBC in this effort and beyond. Nora Fay, LEED AP, is a principal for LEHR Construction, New York, N.Y.