Green Building: Project Planning and Cost Estimating

Green building is no longer a trend. Since the publication of the widely read first edition of this book, green building has become a major advancement in design and construction. Building codes and standards have adopted much stricter energy efficiencies. Businesses, institutions, and communities have discovered huge savings, along with health and marketing advantages, in sustainable building. Private facilities, as well as public buildings for Federal, state, and local governments are increasingly required to design and build sustainably in both new construction and renovation.

This Third Edition has been updated with the latest in green building tech-nologies, design concepts, standards, and costs. The chapters, case studies, and resources give you practical guidance on green building, including the latest on:

• Green building approaches, materials, rating systems, standards, and guidelines

• Energy efficiencies, implementing energy modeling tools

• Designing and specifying, as well as commissioning, green building projects

• Often-specified products and materials, as well as a sample spec

• Goals and techniques for health, comfort, and productivity

• Evaluating the cost versus value of green products over their life cycle

• Low-cost green strategies, and special economic incentives and funding

• Building deconstruction and cost considerations

With a new chapter on greening of commercial real estate, this reference is a one-stop resource for the latest in green building approaches and implementation.

The contributors, all prominent leaders in green building, include:

• Mark Kalin, FAIA, FCSI, author of the original GreenSpec

• Andy Walker, Ph.D., PE, senior engineer with NREL

• Joseph Macaluso, AACE, certified cost consultant

On the cover:

Kendall Square Research Laboratory in Cambridge, Massachusetts, by CO Architects. Completed in 2010, the building was pre-certified for LEED Gold and designed for energy efficiency. The curtain wall system is standardized for the entire building, with infill and suspended shading elements varying on each of the building's four facades in response to geographic orientation. Natural light for work spaces is maximized while solar radiation is minimized. Photograph by Peter Vanderwarker.

Keywords: RS Means, green building approaches, solar energy systems, wind power, LEED, green commercial real estate, HVAC efficiency, sustainable design, green building, green building ratings systems, green building costs, green building material, RSMeans, renewable energy, sustainability