Greg Arkin Answers, "What are You Working on?"

Advisory board member, Greg Arkin, lets us know what he's been working on lately.  You can find out more about Greg on the B2S team page.

Last Thursday, I received an email from Raquel reminding me of my guest blog post this week. I thought, no problem, I can get that cranked out in no time.  Well, it's now a week later and I'm furiously typing away and a day late with my post.  How ironic that what I'm working on is preventing me from having the time to write about what I'm working on. 

With that, I'll recommend that you read this Lifehacker.com post about declaring Time Bankruptcy.  That's where you've committed to so many things, there just isn't enough time in the day to do all of them.  So, you stop everything, every commitment, every obligation and figure out what do you need to do to make it to the light at the end of the recession tunnel.

Gosh, I don't even know where to start about "What are you working on?"  I don't want to bore you with what I do day to day, and I do want to keep this post somewhat concise, so I'll ramble through sharing with you a glimpse into my life.  In theory, I'm supposed to be selling software for a living.  I'm an Autodesk reseller, yes, the wonderful people who brought you AutoCAD.  Before I entered the world of Autodesk, I was a computer consultant for 9 years, and prior to that, a general contractor (third generation). 

So, what do I do all day?  I try to convince people to stop using CAD and move to BIM, LEED and IPD.  I'm passionate, technologically advanced, love to talk, love efficiency, automation and have deemed myself a BIM Consultant and Evangelist.  I spend all day talking to people.  We talk about change, status quo, fear, the architectural, engineering and construction industry, the recession, emerging businesses, and on occasion, I sell someone a license of Revit. 

Over the next few weeks, I'll be doing BIM and LEED presentations to the Florida Wall & Ceiling Contractors Association (FWCCA) regional convention, AUGI CAD Camp, Tampa Bay AIA Principals Round Table, Construction Association of South Florida/McGraw-Hill BIM Conference, FWCCA State Convention, AIA National Conference. That's between now and June 15th.  I know I'm missing one, but I just can't think of what it is right now. 

Then there are the committees.  Associated Builders and Contractors Education Committee, Construction Association of South Florida BIM Committee, Build2Sustain, TheRevitCoop.com,US Green Building Council monthly meetings and maintaining CMP credits, Florida Bar Grievance Committee and I have a very active two year old, so I'm on the diaper changing committee.  Of course, I can't leave out my www.Revit3D.com blog with 407 post so far this year and headed for over 1,100 for the year.

Why do I do all of these things?  I'm still not sure myself.  It's this BIM and LEED thing.  The ability to design buildings better, with more efficiency in the design and systems and have a database of information that can be used for facility management.  I'm all about the data, the information, the cloud, the collaboration of minds, ideas and technologies. 

The reality is, the system is broken.  Me and a few others (like yourself, since you're reading the Build2Sustain blog) are trying to make a difference in the world.  We want energy efficient buildings.  We want a better way of doing things.  We thrive on changing the world and changing the light bulbs.  It's exhausting, but it's the right thing to do.

Yes, the economy sucks and there's no end in sight, but there are business opportunities out there to make emerging markets and emerging technologies useful in creating new ways to do things better, saving time, money and energy.  There are ways to think outside the box and reinvent ourselves.  I have this conversation day after day and I never get tired of it.  My own company, which has been around for 28 years, primarily sold software to architects and engineers.  Now, we're swamped with work from contractors, subcontractors and manufacturers, all wanting their projects and products modeled in 3D. 

Ok, I think I've gone way too long in the post and lost all of you.  I just got interrupted by a phone call from a plumbing subcontractor.  He told me I had to call a contractor this second who needed a 10 story $28 million dollar project modeled in 3D so they do clash detection.  The owner of the project was asking about BIM, and now I'm off to pick up a set of blueprints and price up this project for them.  Lucky for me, they've already found so many mistakes on the plans in coordination issues, that they really have no choice but to invoke the power of BIM.  In regards to my work with Build2Sustain, once you've reached the Zen level of BIM, being able to run energy models and create more energy efficient buildings is already here and waiting for you to take advantage of.

Yup, this is what I'm working on.  It's truly remarkable where the future of this industry is heading and I'm thankful every day that I get to be a part of it and share my passion with you. 

A Green Building Consultant's Dilemma

Advisory Board member, Elaine Hsieh shares with us her thoughts this week.  You can find out more about Elaine on the B2S team page.

As a green building consultant, I often find myself torn between day-to-day consulting realities and my vision for true sustainability. 

We all know that mainstream methods of building, especially in the US, are unsustainable for the environment, and many builders who call themselves "green" are just following checklists toward an end goal of getting some sort of green label or certification. These lists are mostly just collections of prescriptive, accessible steps aimed at performing better than minimal standards. As a consultant, it is my job to help these owners, developers, design teams, and other building professionals understand the value of pursuing green building certification goals that include rigor and transparency and third-party verification to ensure credibility. I help teams make more sustainable decisions and perform as well as they can to achieve their certification goals, and I do my best to support an integrated project delivery process, manage expectations, educate, and assist the team toward their greening efforts. 

In some cases, people are motivated to pursue certifications out of their enlightened interest in sustainability. Even though education and cost-benefit discussions are usually part of these efforts, they can lead to innovative results and rewarding work as a consultant. In many cases, however, project teams are motivated to chase green building certifications because there is either a local ordinance requirement or because the owner is trying to compete in a market where these labels are in demand. As a consultant, the outcomes of these situations are usually far less satisfying; they often wind up feeling like mindless point-chasing, with needless cost additions, uncooperative construction teams that didn't account for "extra paperwork," and a lot of people who shake their heads at how annoying "green" building is. The unfortunate reality is that most people don't care to listen to consultants like me unless the owner (i.e., the one with the purse strings) cares. 

Regardless of their motivation for certification, I'm happy that people are doing something to modify past behaviors and look for greener, more sustainable solutions. But are these minimalist, box-checking approaches to green building enough? Most green building certifications help teams get acknowledged and rewarded for taking small steps toward reducing their environmental impact, but will these baby steps make a difference when 99% of the world's buildings still need to be addressed? 

Some have suggested that tighter local regulation is a way to move beyond voluntary green building certification recognition. While this sounds good in theory, in practice it's mostly unrealistic. Consider how few building departments in the US know how to actually enforce their local green building ordinances credibly. It's impossible to issue a building permit after a project gets built and certified, which makes it impossible for an inspector to ensure the building is actually going to meet the required certification standards. This is not to say that green building regulation is not good, but the experience enforcement authorities have with green building rating systems is generally low and some of these "green" policies are just plain hard to enforce. These are some of the reasons why many well-intentioned green building regulations often lead to buildings with perceived "green label equivalence" that contribute to greenwashing and confusion in the marketplace.  

Another possible step beyond basic green building certification lies in tighter federal building codes. If these codes become stricter and incorporate more sustainability elements (e.g., adopt ASHRAE/USGBC/IESNA Standard 189.1P), then this may force awareness, education, and change. Unfortunately, not all parts of the US are created equal in terms of building codes, so this transition to a federal green building code may take a while. 

All of these approaches are a bit superficial, though. They lack a true philosophical foundation. It would be great to find a deeper, less prescriptive approach to sustainability. 

One green building certification system that is trying to do some "pulling" in the building industry is the Living Building Challenge. The system's author, Jason McLennan, indicated that its purpose is to "act as a lighthouse" for project development teams striving to achieve true sustainability. More specifically, the system is only made up of prerequisites (i.e., imperatives) like net zero energy, net zero water, no "red list" materials, and other equally challenging systems-based targets. In the Living Building Challenge, "all aspects are guided by identifying an ideal and positioning that ideal as an indicator of success, so decisions are steered by restorative principles instead of code-minimum solutions." Here is a system that is based on constant reminders of the objectives we are working to achieve. In my world, I think it's one of the few green building systems that is aligned with what most "deep green" professionals can generally get behind. Although the risk of setting goals too high may stop most people from even trying, a system that is guided by ideals is not intended for everyone. 

And that's the conundrum. Keep the sustainability bar low (i.e., check-box green building), and you'll get more adoption, but slower overall progress. Set the sustainability bar higher, and you'll get better results where they're implemented, but less adoption. 

If we can't strike the right balance between green ideals and practices that people can actually adopt, how long will it take for us to reach the vision we share for a sustainable future? 

Speaking Green: What I'm Up To These Days

As we mentioned before, this series of Advisory Board member guest posts, we are asking "What are you working on?"  Advisory Board member Chris Hill continues this week with what's been keeping him busy lately.  You can find out more about Chris on the B2S team page.

When asked to guest post on what I’m up to these days, I was stuck for an interesting topic at first.  I am a construction lawyer after all, and there is a reason that juries aren’t used much in construction cases (something about “watching paint dry”).

Then I realized that I may be able to add something.  The folks here at Build2Sustain asked me to join the advisory board for some reason, so I had to come up with something!   

These past couple of months or so have been interesting here in Richmond, VA.  We had what really was the storm of the century, I had a major case mediate to settlement, and I finished up a trial.  Also, I was asked to speak at the Green Legal Matters conference in New Orleans, among other speaking engagements, relating to topics from what to do when you are called to testify to occupational safety. Throughout all of this, I have been trying to help my construction clients, and non-clients for that matter, weather the recession and learn a new world of sustainable construction both directly and through my Construction Law Musings blog.   

All of this activity leads me to one conclusion--the construction landscape is changing and those that don’t get on board will be left behind.  “Green” construction, a tight economy, and new areas of risk and reward are coming to the forefront.  For a construction attorney, these are exciting times and I look forward to helping Build2Sustain move forward into this brave new world.

Consistency

For our next series of Advisory Board member guest posts, we are asking "What are you working on?"  Advisory Board member Yahya Henry continues this week with all of the projects that have been keeping him busy lately.  You can find out more about Yahya on the B2S team page.

I usually don’t set resolutions, but set themes for the year and my theme 2010 is ‘Consistency’.  So far, this year has proven to be quite productive in ways I never imagined.

My new community of Augusta, GA is growing pretty rapidly and demand for space to accommodate small to medium-sized businesses is increasing. My team and I are exploring a partnership with the local development authority to develop a light industrial center. One of the primary goals is to create an entrepreneurial campus that will serve the needs of the start up and provide incubator space for the business in the growth and expansion phase. The feedback has been positive on the preliminary site plan. I hope that by late summer we should in front of the county pursuing re-zoning. Wish us luck. 

I love being involved in the community. I assist our local food bank and Habitat for Humanity affiliate with their marketing efforts. I’m excited to share that I’ve been working with a non profit organization, Oceana to raise awareness about HR 2190 the Mercury Pollution Reduction Act. This bill would allow a local manufacturer, Olin Corporation, to modernize their existing facilities using technology that doesn’t emit mercury pollution into the environment. Our signature event is the “Fill the Gills Pass the Bill: Mercury Free Pub Crawl”. We thought it would be a great idea to tie music and a great night out to support a major piece of legislation. This event will tie in with our First Friday, April 2^nd.

The first anniversary for the redesign of Aribra.com is approaching. Dynamic ideas are being exchanged there and have exceeded my expectations. My decision to shift directions was perfect in the way of timing and has opened the door for other opportunities. I often find it amazing the skills one can develop by trying something new. While my background is in business development and marketing (largely in the development industry), I’ve found my phone ringing for request outside my purview.  I’ve been retained to consult for a few organizations looking to incorporate new media into their businesses.

I’m looking forward to a productive rest of the year.

Announcing New Advisory Board Member, Martha Paschal

We are pleased to announce a new addition to our Advisory Board team. Martha Paschal has joined the Advisory Board of Build2Sustain and we look forward to drawing on her expertise and insight as we gear up for our first couple of projects this year. You can find out more about Martha on the B2S team page. Please join me in a warm welcome for Martha!

Just Do It

At least once a month we try to make sure that I have voice to voice contact with the Build2Sustain advisory board members. Lately, this has taken the form of conference calls with 2 or 3 board members at a time. In these calls we'll discuss specific project initiatives or broad strategic goals for the coming weeks and months.

But every now and then someone says something that completely resets my thinking and gets me revved up. Sara Sweeney said something like that yesterday. I went on and on about the newest B2S intiative and how I want to plan it and think it through. And after a good long while of my blathering there was quiet on the line for a bit. Then Sara said very calmly, "...you know James I hear you talking about these things and all these plans, and you know what. I think you just need to do it. Get out there, fall on your face. Let's do it and see what happens..."

The comment stopped me in my tracks, it was a perfect call to action and has re-energized me for the tasks ahead. Time to heed Sara's advice. There are three projects we're working on to start off 2010. You'll hear all about them in the coming week.

Let's do it.

Balancing the Board

We lean on our advisory board so much to shape our strategy going forward. Our first stepping stone to our pilot project is publishing a white paper (due out in December) The Business Case for Sustainable Renovation what I love about our board is the diverse personalities and philosophies serve as natural counterweights and help us craft our market strategy.

In one corner we have Chris Hill, who's business-case practicality consistently reminds me that the people who will ultimately write the checks for our renovations usually think with their wallets first and we need to make a strong ROI case to them for why this makes sense.

In the other corner, there's Sara Sweeney, a green building veteran who believes deeply in our responsibility to the planet and our implicit need to make our building stock sustainable for the good of all. Her greenwash radar is turned on high at all times and she consistently reminds us that if we don't accomplish real effieciency gains in our projects and truly help the planet then none of this really matters.

Somewhere between these two intellectual heavyweights is Yahya Henry, I call him silent but deadly on our conference calls because he sits back and listens, and might not say anything for 15 or 20 minutes. Then after I've gone on some monologue about what I think about this and that, he will ask a singular incisive question I hadn't thought about that might challenge me to rethink the entire way I go about things.

Then there's Rich Cartlidge, who's energy for this field of work and infectious desire to solve the legal problems Green Building will cause make him a deeply valued asset on our team.

These calls and emails are of enormous value to me both personally and professionally and while I make the call out to be a heavyweight bout, our discussions are always intelligent and thought provoking without being dirisive, yet another reason I'm so appreciative to my board for all the work they do.

What's Up at B2S

Getting some emails wondering what Build2Sustain is up too and so I thought I'd share here. There are two major initiatives that we'll be kicking off this week. One of which I'd like to talk about now.

Build2Sustain is in the process of drafting a white paper, which will outline our thesis for what a sustainable commericial renovation would be. The goal of this white paper is two-fold. First, we want to establish an intellectual beach head and a thought leadership piece that will give potential clients and partners a framework to understand sustainability when it comes to existing buildings. The second, is to provide the thesis which is to be tested in our pilot project. The white paper is to outline is terms neither too general nor too specific, how Build2Sustain approaches a renovation, always with the client in mind and always with cost control at the forefront. The outline for this document will be presented to the advisory board by the end of the week and we will begin to the process of researching and preparing the document in the coming weeks. There is no firm publish-by date, though the goal is to have this done by December. When appropriate, pieces of primary and secondary research will appear here on the blog for review by the larger community.

In other news prepare to be introduced to the advisory board of B2S. I'm thrilled to have each and every one of these folks on board to help foster this concept, company and project from something floating around our heads, to something that make a difference in the real world. Over the course of the week we'll be introducing the larger design/build community to these wonderful and brilliant folks.

Do you have something to contribute? Are you a green building consultant, designer or engineer? Don't hesitate to get in touch with us here at B2S. We'd love to hear from you.