Becoming a Green Building Professional

Holley Henderson, LEED AP BD+C/ID+C, provides sustainable consulting and speaking for the built environment and global business strategy, collaborating with owners, design firms, and manufacturers via H2 Ecodesign, a company she launched that has facilitated nearly 3.5 million square feet of green buildings around the world. Holley has served on multiple national USGBC committees including most recently as Chair of the USGBC LEED CI Core Committee; current Vice Chair of the USGBC LEED Market Advisory Committee; and member of the USGBC LEED Steering Committee.

"For those considering a new career or a career change on green and sustainable design, Becoming a Green Building Professional offers practical information on educational requirements, career options, guidance and tips, and firsthand interviews. Perfect for design and building professionals who want to reinvent and renew their careers as well as students considering such a career, this is a vital and informative guide to a growing field." (ASID Icon, Fall 2012)

• FOREWORD xiPREFACE xixACKNOWLEDGMENTS xx1 Why Build Green? 1Our Place 1THE NEED 2A REASON TO CARE 5LEADERSHIP 5FURTHER INCENTIVES 6WORLD OF GRAY 6GREEN BUILDING 7HISTORY OF GREEN BUILDING IN THE UNITED STATES 7AT ALL LEVELS 8WHAT IS A GREEN BUILDING PROFESSIONAL? 8LEGACY 12GREEN JOBS STATS 13GREEN AS IN “SALARY” 14HOW TO GET INTO THE FIELD 14THE POWER OF TWO 19ON THE HORIZON 302 What Do Green Building Professionals Do? 33Common Principles 35THE NATURAL STEP 35METRICS 36INTEGRATED THINKING 39MULTIFACETED PERSPECTIVE 413 Green Building Education 59Importance of Eco-Education 60A WELL-CONCEIVED PROCESS 61Higher Education 62DO YOU NEED AN “ENVIRONMENTAL” 62DEGREE?BUILDING OR GREEN DEGREE? 64Degree Option 1: Building Profession 66UNDERGRADUATE/BACHELOR’S DEGREE 66MASTER’S DEGREE 74PhD, OR DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY 74Degree Option 2: Specialized Environmental 72MULTIDISCIPLINARY DEGREES 80CHOOSING A COLLEGE 81Post-College Educational 89OptionsTraining Programs 89TIME AND RESULTS 90FORMAT AND FORUMS 90HANDS-ON TRAINING PROGRAMS 91Continuing Education 92Perspectives from Educators 924 Experience of GreenBuilding Professionals 103Early Adoption Becomes Mainstream 103How to Get Green Experience 105HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE 105VOLUNTEER—GET INVOLVED! 106MENTORING 108INTERNSHIPS 111ACCREDITATION 111The Green Job Search 113THE PLAN 113RESOURCES 113TOOLS 120Determining a Best Fit 123The Green Architect 125The Green Contractor or Construction Manager 130The Green Civil Engineer 134The Green MEP Engineer 138The Green Interior Designer 142The Green Landscape Architect 147The Green Urban Planner 154The Green Real Estate Professional 159The Green Facility Manager or Owner 165Experience + Resources = Results 1745 Sustainability and Green Building Consultants 177A Sprouting New Sector 177THE RACE TO STAY CURRENT 178RANGE OF ROLES 180SUSTAINABILITY CONSULTANTS 180GREEN BUILDING CONSULTANTS 182HOW GREEN BUILDING CONSULTANTS WORK 191Perspectives from Green Building Consultants 194Green Lanterns 1996 Green Building Process and Tools 201Process 201GUIDE: INTEGRATED DESIGN 203The Toolbox 208SELECTING THE BEST TOOL FOR THE JOB 209TRANSPARENCY 210STANDARDS 211THIRD PARTY 212PERFORMANCE 215GREEN BUILDING CERTIFICATIONS 218Nature Nexus 2387 Green Building Impact Areas, People, and Tools 241Common Ecos 241SPECIALISTS 242TOOLS 242Site/Location 244HEAT ISLAND EFFECT 245BROWNFIELD REMEDIATION 245Water 248Energy 254NEW VS. VINTAGE 256ENERGY FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION 257ENERGY FOR EXISTING BUILDINGS 268COMMISSIONING THE BRIDGE 272NEXT-GENERATION ENERGY 274Materials 285MATERIALS IN DESIGN 286MATERIAL CERTIFICATIONS 288ENTRY POINT—REDUCE/REUSE/RECYCLE TOXICITY 291NEXT-GENERATION MATERIALS 296MATERIALS IN CONSTRUCTION 304MATERIALS IN OPERATIONS 304Indoor Air Quality 305AIR QUALITY BY BUILDING PHASES 308AIR QUALITY IN DESIGN 309AIR QUALITY IN CONSTRUCTION 309AIR QUALITY IN OPERATIONS 311AIR QUALITY IN POST-OCCUPANCY 3128 The Business of Green Buildings 317Chief Sustainability Officers 318ONE ROLE, MANY NAMES 320Green Legal Advisors/Environmental Lawyers 332Financials 3399 The Future of Green Building 365Forecast 365GLOBAL 366UNITED STATES 367BEAUTY OF AGE 378NEW LOOK 379THE END IS THE BEGINNING 382APPENDIX 383INDEX 387