The Nuts and Bolts of Greening Texas Public Buildings Page: 10
This report is part of the collection entitled: Texas State Publications and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
S
0
10 Obstacles and Opportunities
approach is discouraged by the typical fee arrangements which roughly allocate design
fees to engineering disciplines based on subsystem cost as a percentage of conventional
construction costs. Engineers frequently have minimal or no involvement in establishing
program objectives or basic design schema, perform interference checking as opposed to 0
active system coordination, and are frequently asked to assume major design decisions
for all other disciplines. Often, they are asked to "just make it work." Sustainable design 0
requires time to be allocated to teamwork and to specific analyses. If this is not discussed
during fee negotiations with the prime design professional, there is little prospect this
relationship will be satisfactorily structured in any subcontracts.
0
Opportunities for Sustainability
The good news, on the other hand, is that you can make a difference. There are steps you
can take now to further ensure the productivity and health of those who use our facilities
while also bolstering the Texas economy.
m Keep these program materials and use them for reference.
m Include sustainabiity considerations from the earliest discussion of a project, especially 0
during the project analysis or project approval phase of the project. Although sustainability
considerations frequently do not result in higher project budget requirements, in some S
cases they may. In other cases, you may need to get approval or agreement to spend a
higher than typical amount for a particular type building system, or for design services 0
or even for in-house administration. Be sure to credit savings resulting from investments 0
in sustainable elements, such as downsizing HVAC equipment as a result of more efficient
glazing and lighting systems. S
m Set resource efficiency goals and objectives for each project within the formal project
program, and monitor them throughout the design process.
m Insist on an integrated design approach, and make your expectations known during
the fee negotiations, if not in the invitation to interview. Ensure that the requirements for
team involvement and for energy and material analyses are clearly understood.
m Develop a plan and a budget for commissioning. Monitor all systems to ensure that
they are performing at least as efficiently as designed.0 Consider performance-based fees. Design fees based on a percentage of first costs
for the building provide no incentive for an integrated design approach or operational
efficiency. Performance-based fees reward the design team for dollars saved during a
building's operation instead of dollars spent during the building's construction. There
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This report can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Matching Search Results
View 12 pages within this report that match your search.Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Report.
Fitzpatrick, Tom; Todd, Wendy Price & Vittori, Gail. The Nuts and Bolts of Greening Texas Public Buildings, report, 1997; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1203708/m1/14/?q=%221997~%22&rotate=90: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.