by Pam Worner, ABC Green Council Chair
Construction roles used to be pretty well defined: one CSI division followed another, each trade doing its part, mostly staying out of the way of the ones coming before and after.
Green building is changing all that. The increasing emphasis on buildings as systems, combined with new approaches to everything from water to ventilation,
means you’d better understand how your role fits with the bigger picture if you want to succeed. Hydronic heating – is that plumbing or HVAC’s responsibility? Rainwater catchment for irrigation – plumbing or landscaping? Pervious concrete? Your concrete guy may pour it, but you’d better make sure your civil engineer’s signed off on the impact on stormwater management. The architect spec’d low-toxic paints and finishes? Great, but did anyone tell the tile installer so he doesn’t use products that cancel them out?These and other communication needs are why you hear the term "integrated design" used so frequently with green projects. The developer, architect, general
contractor, engineer, and other key players come together to figure out what their goals are and how to achieve them, often in a collaborative process called an "eco-charette." Subs and suppliers who think beyond their traditional scope of work add value to these projects and are more likely to be included in this process.The ABC Green Council’s monthly roundtables are designed to help you gain this competitive advantage by introducing you to a wide variety of topics and experts. I expected to see some electrical contractors at our recent roundtable on new trends in energy-efficient lighting, but it was the mechanical contractor, the
landscape architect, and the recycler in the audience who really made me smile. These are the ones who get it – and they’re going to be the ones getting the work, too.
In addition to chairing the ABC Green Council, Pam is ‘Top Dog’ of Green Dog Enterprises, a green building consulting firm specializing in verification and marketing of residential projects.