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- Integrating Sustainability into
Construction Programs
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- Charles J. Kibert, Ph.D., P.E.
- University of Florida
- Gainesville, Florida 32611-5703
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The building construction program at the
University of Florida
was the first in the world to initiate a process of integrating the concept of
sustainable development into both its undergraduate and graduate programs. A
research, education, and outreach center was formed as a part of this
evolution, a student organization on green building was formed, the School
adopted green building standards for its new building, international
conferences and workshops were organized, books and papers on the subject were
published, professional groups relative to built environment sustainability
were organized, funded research on sustainable construction was obtained, and
a significant number of graduate papers, theses, and dissertations were
written by Masters and doctoral students. This paper describes the process of
factoring in sustainability as an important issue in construction education,
the various courses and programs that were created to address this need, the
collateral impacts of this effort at the
University of
Florida,
and the impacts on construction industry in
Florida.
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Key Words:
Sustainability, Sustainable Construction, Green Building, USGBC, LEED
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- Introduction
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- Construction industry is well-known for
its resource and environmental impacts. More than any other human endeavor,
the built environment has direct, complex, and long-lasting impacts on the
biosphere. In the U.S., the production and manufacture of building
components, along with the construction process itself, involves the
extraction and movement of 6 billion tons of basic materials annually.
Construction industry, representing about 8% of U.S. gross domestic product
(GDP), consumes 40% of extracted materials in the U.S. Some estimates suggest
that as much as 90% of all materials ever extracted reside in today’s
buildings and infrastructure. Construction waste is generated at the rate of
about 0.5 tons per person each year in the U.S. or about 5-10 lbs per square
foot ( 45-90 kilograms per square meter) of new construction. Waste from
renovation occurs at the level of 70-100 lbs per square foot (318-900
kilograms per square meter). The demolition process results in truly enormous
quantities of waste with little or no reuse or recycling occurring. Of the
approximately 145 million tons of construction and demolition waste generated
each year in the U.S., about 92% is demolition waste with the remainder being
waste from construction activities. In addition to large quantities of waste
resulting from built environment activities, questionable urban planning and
development practices also have enormous consequences. Since transportation
consumes about 40% of primary energy consumption in the U.S., the distribution
of the built environment and the consequent need to rely on automobiles for
movement between work, home, school, and shopping results in disproportionate
energy consumption, air pollution and the generation of carbon dioxide which
contributes to global warming.
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- To address these issues and also to
provide instruction and education about the emerging concept of
high-performance green buildings, in 1990 the M.E.Rinker School of Building
Construction (the Rinker School) at the University of Florida began a 15 year
process of developing a robust program in sustainable construction,
that is, how construction industry should respond to the rapidly emerging
sustainable development imperative, sometimes referred to as
sustainability. In 1987, the Bruntland Report defined sustainable
development as “..meeting the needs of the future without compromising the
ability of future generations to meet their need (WCED, 1987). Sustainable
construction was defined as “…the design and operation of a healthy,
resource-efficient built environment based on ecological principles (Kibert,
1994). The Rinker
School program addressing sustainability and
sustainable construction has several basic strategies: developing
undergraduate instruction, including sustainability topics in existing
courses, developing graduate courses and a track in sustainable construction,
and developing a research agenda focused on sustainability. These strategies
are covered in the following sections.
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- Courses in Sustainability and Sustainable Construction
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- The initial efforts to address the need to
consider sustainability in construction occurred in 1995 with the creation of
a graduate course, BCN 6585 Principles of Sustainable Construction. The
purpose of this course was to consider the environmental impacts of
construction and provide instruction about emerging new disciplines such as
ecological design, green building materials, healthy buildings, new urbanism,
industrial ecology, ecological economics and the ethics associated with these
ideas. Seminars were held for School faculty to make suggestions as to where
these topics could also be included as a thread in the wide range of
construction courses, much as is the case with estimating and construction
safety. For instance, issues of energy conservation and global warming could
be addressed in classes covering mechanical and electrical systems while green
building materials could be addressed in construction materials and
construction techniques courses. In 1996 the Rinker
School faculty agreed that
undergraduates should also have familiarity with sustainable development and
as a result, BCN 1582, International Sustainable Development was created in
1997. This course is a prerequisite for University of
Florida
students who are applying to the upper
division Building Construction. Two other graduate courses were developed in
2000 and 2004 to meet growing demand for studies in this discipline. BCN 6586
Construction Ecology covers the links between ecology and the built
environment. To address the demand for professionals and students trained in
the use of the USGBC LEED building assessment standard, BCN 6587 Green
Building Delivery Systems was created. Each of these courses is described in
the following paragraphs.
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- Description of BCN 1582
International Sustainable Development
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- This course covers
the worldwide trend known as sustainable development, which may be described
as providing resources and environmental quality for both present and future
generations. Sustainable development includes reducing the impacts of the
human activities on natural ecosystems and understanding the role these
ecosystems have in the economy and on human welfare. It involves
understanding the lessons that human society can learn from natural systems
and how these lessons can help provide a good quality of life for the planet’s
population. Many countries around the world have developed policies on
sustainable development and a few have either included it in their
constitutions or have passed laws requiring its consideration in all
activities. Numerous communities worldwide have embraced the notion of
sustainability and are implementing Local Agenda 21 to make themselves more
self-reliant. Organizations and businesses worldwide are beginning to shift
their thinking and behavior using the principles of sustainability. This
course covers the fundamental concepts of sustainable development;
international, regional and national movements and policies; sustainable
community initiatives; and the implementation of sustainable development by
various sectors of human activity: agriculture, forestry, manufacturing,
construction, government, and higher education. As an integral part of
international sustainable development and its practices, a portion of the
course also covers the notion of social sustainability, including the impact
of consumptive human activities and resulting forms of marginalization,
informality, globalization, and homelessness. Understanding the policies and
practices of sustainability are understood as fundamental to the long -term
survival of the earth.
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- Description of BCN 6585
Principles of Sustainable Construction
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- This course
provides the foundations and principles for understanding the concept of
sustainable construction including environmental impacts of human activities,
resources issues, ethical issues, ecology, ecological economics, and
industrial ecology. Starting with this basic background the effects of the
built environment on the environment, ecological systems, the planetary
resource base, waste generation, and human impacts are considered. Specific
attention is given to the concept of sustainable construction and its
relationship to sustainable development. Each of the phases of the building
delivery process are covered to provide opportunities to learn about how they
are being transformed to meet the sustainable development imperatives that are
becoming more important each year. Ecological design, urban planning,
interior design, landscape architecture, construction operations, and facility
operations are addressed with respect to their new roles in high-performance
buildings. A seminar series was organized and included professionals with
national reputations and the resulting book, Reshaping the Built
Environment, is used as a textbook for this course (Kibert, 1999).
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- Description of BCN 6585
Construction Ecology
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- This course has the objective of
determining how to apply ecological theory and developments in industrial
ecology to create what has often been described as Ecological Design and to
consider its application to the built environment. Although Ecological Design
or Ecologically Sustainable Design has long been one of the key aspects of
sustainable construction or green building, upon closer examination,
contemporary green design approaches lack any true understanding of or
incorporation of ecological principles, research, approaches, or key ideas.
This course examines the major schools of thought in present day ecology to
determine what can be applied either as model or metaphor for green
buildings. The new discipline of Industrial Ecology which applies ecology to
industrial operations such as manufacturing is examined for approaches that
can be applied to Ecological Design. The work of architects attempting to
apply ecology in their work is examined to determine the state of
environmentally friendly buildings being created using current approaches.
Throughout the course subsidiary issues of materials, energy, water, land use,
and the integration of the natural and built environments are examined. A
workshop that included some of the world’s top ecologists, industrial
ecologists, architects, and product manufacturers was conducted in 2000 to
support this course and the resulting book is now used as a textbook for the
course (Kibert et al., 2002)
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- Description of BCN 6587 Green
Building Delivery Systems
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- The purpose of the course is
provide an overview of emerging delivery systems for high performance green
buildings and the basis on which their sustainability can be evaluated. The
U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental
Design (LEED) criteria are discussed in detail. LEED for New Construction (LEED-NC)
is the main focus of the building assessment portion of the course with LEED
for Existing Buildings (LEED-EB) being covered for the sake of comparison.
The various categories of LEED-NC such as sustainable sites, energy and
atmosphere, water efficiency, materials resources, and indoor environmental
quality are covered in detail. Additional topics include construction
operations, building commissioning, life cycle costing, life cycle assessment,
ecological design, and future directions for green building. Students
participate in a simulation of the design and delivery of a green building and
produce the required LEED documents for this project. Although not
specifically intended for this course, students acquire adequate background to
take the USGBC examination to become a LEED Accredited Professional (LAP). As
was the case with the other graduate courses, a book was written to serve as a
textbook to support this course (Kibert, 2005).
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- Research Programs and Track in Sustainable
Construction
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- The Powell Center for
Construction and Environment was created in 1991 and marks the first efforts
of the Rinker School to integrate environmental issues into the research
programs of the School. The School organized the First International
Conference on Sustainable Construction held in Tampa, Florida which also
marked the organization of Task Group 16 on Sustainable Construction as part
of an international construction networking organization, Conseil
International du Batiment (CIB), in Rotterdam, The Netherlands (Kibert,
1994). The Powell Center also organized Green Building Materials ’96 held in
Gainesville,
Florida (Kibert and
Bosch, 1996). Members of the Powell Center also started Greening the
University of Florida, a campus organization to foster greening of campus
operations and curricula and were also instrumental in the formation of a
Sustainability Committee appointed by the University President and the Faculty
Senate. The Powell Center developed a strong research agenda in the area of
building materials, to include reducing construction waste, recycling
construction and demolition waste, deconstruction, water recycling and reuse,
and rammed earth block and construction. Over 20 Masters students have
written their final reports or theses on green building subjects and one
doctoral student completed a dissertation on green building product economics
and was awarded a doctorate. At present four doctoral students and 10 Masters
students are conducting research on sustainable construction topics. A
specialized track in the Masters program was created in 1997 and has evolved
to the point that students can obtain a Certificate in Sustainable
Construction.. A totally internet delivered version of these graduate courses
and the Certificate program are available as part of the School’s Masters
program in International Construction Management (MICM). The Certificate
programs require the student to successfully complete BCN 6585, BCN 6586, BCN
6587, and a 3 semester hour graduate directed research course on a topic of
high-performance building. The specialization in Sustainable Construction in
the Masters program includes successfully completing these three courses plus
a variety of courses on ecological issues, environmental issues, ecological
economics, renewable energy systems, ecological design, or urban planning, to
name a few.
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- Collateral Effects of Sustainable
Construction Efforts
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- In addition to the research
and instructional benefits of the programs in sustainable construction
described above there have been several other visible impacts of these efforts
at the University
of Florida
and throughout Florida. The faculty of the School supported the Powell
Center’s suggestion that the School’s new building should exemplify the
concept of sustainable construction.
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announced the award of a Gold
certification for Rinker Hall, the home of the M.E. Rinker Sr. School of
Building Construction at the University of
Florida
on May 7, 2004.
It was rated and certified in accordance with the provisions of LEED-NC 2.1,
developed by the USGBC. At the time of the announcement, Rinker Hall was one
of only 20 buildings in the U.S. to
have been awarded a Gold certification. Rinker Hall is the first University
of Florida
building designed based on LEED and its success has transformed the
University’s building program. All future new and renovated buildings on the
University of
Florida
campus must now achieve at least a LEED Silver certification.
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- Rinker Hall accommodates 450 students on 3
levels in 47,270 square feet of space. The facility has a mix of classrooms,
teaching labs, construction labs, administrative offices and student
facilities. By using advanced cooling and heating strategies, Rinker Hall
uses about one-third the energy of a typical University of
Florida
classroom building. Organized on a pure north/south solar axis to maximize
deep daylighting, the project utilized extensive computer simulation to
optimize the balance of natural and artificial lighting systems. From the
central public stair and daylight washed atrium to classrooms with large
exterior windows, shaped ceiling geometries and deep daylighting louvers, the
building is dramatically illuminated by daylight. Exposed circulation
structural and mechanical systems assist building construction students in
“reading” the building as a whole and understanding how all systems work
together. Environmentally ‘clean’ products and finishes were specified,
which, together with minimized moisture carry through, result in dramatically
improved indoor air quality. A rigorous Construction Waste Management Plan
supporting material resource conservation and recycling were implemented
during construction. Over 50% of construction waste materials were recycled
through implementation of the Waste Management Plan, which required the
contractor to record all construction waste and components re-used, recycled
and land-filled.
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- Rinker Hall also has a highly advanced water supply
system. Rinker Hall conserves water resources through reduced building water
use, building stormwater use, reduced landscape water requirements and full
integration with the University’s reclaimed water system. Roof captured
stormwater is collected and stored in a building catchment tank. This water is
then utilized for flushing toilets. Waterless urinals are installed on two
floors and remaining fixtures require 20% less water than mandated by building
codes. Building wastewater is collected by a University system, which provides
initial treatment and then returns the water for site irrigation. Outdoor
work areas utilize pervious paving to increase groundwater recharges.
Indigenous and low water plantings are used for all site plantings to provide
a drought-tolerant, low water use landscape.
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- In addition to its energy and water conserving features and
its general environmentally friendly construction, Rinker Hall is also used in
the instructional mission of the Rinker School. The Rinker School offers the
only specialized track in the U.S. in green building in its Masters Degree
program and Rinker Hall plays a role by providing a physical example of the
principles covered in the classroom. For example, Rinker Hall is designed to
be disassembled or deconstructed at the end of its useful life to facilitate
reuse and recycling of its components. However, its award winning design and
the positive response of the faculty and students who use it mean that it is
likely to be in use for a very long time.
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- In addition to the impacts at the University of Florida,
the effects of this shift in thinking also affected the construction
professions in Florida. A course called “Build Green and Profit,” designed
for continuing education of builders and subcontractors, has been delivered to
over 5,000 people. A professional education course on the LEED building
assessment system has been developed and is delivered throughout Florida to
include to project teams engaged in specific green building projects. A
significant number of green buildings, green developments, and green
residences have been or are now being built in Florida. The Florida Green
Building Coalition was recently formed and four professional chapters of the
U.S. Green Building Council are in various stages of formation (Orlando,
Miami, Jacksonville, and Tampa. Construction companies throughout Florida now
have graduates of the University of Florida program who have been exposed to
high-performance green buildings and are aware of the benefits of sustainable
construction. The result is that the industry in Florida is being rapidly
transformed by these graduates with the added benefit of positioning their
companies to be partners in green building projects because they are readily
qualified to become LEED Accredited Professionals, generally an added
advantage for these projects. In addition to these benefits, the construction
side of the building industry has been the leader in green building in Florida
and are more recently being joined by the design professions.
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- Summary and Conclusions
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- The building construction program at the University of
Florida began the incorporation of sustainability into its curriculum and
research almost 15 years ago and has developed courses and programs that have
resulted in students being well versed in the issues of green building, green
building standards, low impact construction methods, building health,
construction waste reduction, recycling of construction and demolition
debris. The result has been that builders in the State of Florida are now
aware of the issues of high-performance buildings and have taken the
leadership role afforded by the success of the Powell Center and Rinker School
in incorporating sustainability and sustainable development into its
curriculum. Robust research and continuing education programs insure a
continuing exchange of information and technology between academia and
industry in Florida. In Florida, with its rapidly growing population, the
efficient use of resources and the protection of a good quality of life
afforded by a clean, healthy environment are needed to assure the
sustainability of construction industry itself. By creating win-win
situations in which both the environment and industry profit in the delivery
of high-performance green buildings, the Rinker School is helping pave the way
for the future, long-term success of the construction industry.
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- References
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- Kibert, C.J. (ED). (1994).
Proceedings of the First International Conference on Sustainable
Construction, Tampa,
Florida, 6-9 November 1994.
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- Kibert, C.J. and Bosch, G. (Eds).
1996. Proceedings of
Green Building Materials ’96,
Gainesville, Florida, 5-8 May 1996.
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- Kibert, C.J. (Ed). (1999).
Reshaping the built environment. Washington, DC: Island Press
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- Kibert, C.J., Sendzimir, J.
and Guy, G. (Eds). (2002). Construction ecology. London: Spon Press Limited.
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- Kibert, C. J. (2005).
Sustainable construction: Green building design and delivery. New York: John
Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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- WCED. (1987) Our common
future. The World Commission on Economic Development. Oxford University Press.
