What Could Possibly Go Wrong? Part 1 - Planning

So you want to create a sustainable or “green” building? Congratulations! As a proactive risk manager, I help my clients to understand and manage the new risks that are being created daily in an effort to expedite the construction of buildings that seek to reduce their ecological footprint and provide social and financial benefit for all of the project’s stakeholders.

Once you have made the decision to enter the realm of sustainable construction, it is important to understand the language of the new green construction landscape. There are countless free resources available to you if you are interested in getting up to speed with the terminology of the industry, this site being one of them. Also, check out the site of Environmental Building Strategies as Matt Macko and his team have created a journal entitled “12 Steps to a Successful LEED Project.”

Second, start assembling your team. Your advisers and consultants should be well educated, experienced and accredited (where relevant) so as to prevent you, the money, from having to fund their respective learning curves. This team should be comprised of (at least) the following: Attorney, Accountant, Banker, Insurance Counselor, Architect, Engineer(s), Construction Manager, CFO, Operations, Sales/Marketing and any other appurtenant stakeholders depending on the scope and nature of your project. My suggestion, do it over food and your advisory team won’t run their respective meters. Also, be sure to check out some of the advice on integrated/integrative design from specialists like Jerry Yudelson and Bill Reed.

Third, create an atmosphere of open communication. Think outside of the box for a while and don’t consider cost at this early stage. Be creative and foster creative suggestions. This is your time where you can brainstorm all your “wants” at the same time as your “needs.”

Make sure that your advisory team is up to date on the latest regulatory developments meant to encourage responsible building practices as well as any available financial incentives that may apply to your project. It is imperative that you and your team thoroughly understand the new regulations and enforcement mechanisms for such legislation and incentives as understanding that risk is key to achieving your desired results. For example, California’s Green Building Code goes into effect 8/1. This is new and completely separate from the current building codes. Although most of the elements in the code are voluntary, it is only a matter of time before the rest of it is mandatory.

Congratulations again on making the decision to create a building that considers it’s ecological and social impact on the same plane as the direct financial benefits to the shareholders.

Next week - Part 2 - Setting expectations.