Building to "Green" Standards
MAJOR BUILDINGS MUST FOLLOW LEED GUIDELINES
Jesse Rittenhouse
Jesse Rittenhouse helps clients develop buildings that are healthy for occupants and operate more efficiently in Coral Gables. The city has some of the strictest standards in Florida, requiring all new private buildings over 20,000 square feet – and all new public ones – to be certified under the nonprofit U.S. Green Building Council’s program known as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design or LEED.
Rittenhouse, of sustainability consultants The Spinnaker Group in Weston, is currently helping plan the Merrick Park Hotel at 4241 Aurora Street. He’s focusing on everything from the materials used and health conditions for workers during construction, to how much electricity and water will be consumed by tenants.
Among specific suggestions: Use concrete made with recycled content, plus carpets and paints without toxic chemicals. Buy locally-made goods when possible to cut down on emissions from long-distance transport. And make sure that construction workers are not exposed to paint fumes or ground stone.
“Green buildings provide a huge return on investment,” says Rittenhouse. “At the end of the day, you’re focusing on the health of people who work and live in the buildings, and health is expensive. In green buildings, we see lower turnover, high retention rates and fewer sick days.”
In Coral Gables, major building projects pay three percent of their construction cost as a “Green Building Bond” and then have two years after project completion to obtain required “green” certification. If the project fails certification, the bond money is forfeited.
