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Office leads the way in sustainable construction
Office leads the way in sustainable constructionBy Bill Walsh
Times-Democrat Staff Writer
The three-story building that Brian McCarron is hoping to build between Broad Run Baptist Church and Mayhugh's store in New Baltimore will be the gold standard for office buildings in Fauquier County.
Well, maybe. The silver standard almost certainly. No one will know for sure until the office is built.
McCarron has navigated almost all the county regulations, including a rezoning and special-exception permit, and is currently lining up tenants and, with them, financing, for Fauquier County's first LEED-certified commercial building.
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards — "green" building standards — were developed in the late 1980s and early 90s and are overseen by the nonprofit United States Green Building Council.
Builders can achieve one of four LEED ratings — Certified, Silver, Gold or Platinum — based on a point system and awarded after the project is complete.
McCarron's building plans, developed by Reston-based Lemay, Erickson, Willcox Architects, have tentatively earned 34 out of a possible 61 points, putting them squarely in the Silver category. Depending on some construction variables, the building could earn part or all of another six points, which would earn a Gold.
The standard complaint against going green is that it doesn't come cheaply. Most of the additional expense is in the design phase, McCarron said of his initial experience, estimating that his building's design cost about 20 percent more than a traditional structure. He expects about a five percent increase in construction costs.
"But he'll make that up the longer he owns the building," architect Larry G. Adams said, "and eventually it will start paying back dividends."
The payback will come from a variety of sources, most of them tracing back to energy. The building, McCarron said, will be about 18 percent more energy efficient than standard construction.
An "envelope engineer," who looks at building proposals and finds way to improve overall efficiencies, adds to the design cost, McCarron said by way of example of the year-long process he has gone through with Lemay, Erickson, Willcox Architects.
"But during the process, we were able to reduce our water usage by 30 percent," he said. "Therefore, instead of needing a 1-1/2-inch meter from the Water and Sanitation Authority, to the tune of $104,000 for tap fees, I was able to reduce that to a one-inch meter costing me half that — $52,000," enough, he said, to offset the additional design costs.
The whole procedure with the architects in a LEED development is a give-and-take, McCarron said.
"As an owner, you have to take your time and look at all the various options and decide what is really cost efficient," he said.
A vegetative roof? Too costly, McCarron decided, though a roof with high solar reflectance was doable and is in the plans.
"What we didn't go after were things like geothermal HVAC systems," architect J. Lynn Reda said. "We investigated it, but it wasn't feasible on this site."
Geothermal, McCarron said, would "turn the earth [at this site] into Swiss cheese and defeat the whole low-impact development concept" — to say nothing of the additional $150,000 just in well-drilling bills.
"Everything has to be carefully considered to work the puzzle down, to keep the cost down," Adams said.
Computer modeling figures mightily in all this. Different exterior walls, for example, can be plugged into computers, which calculate what kind of insulation would work best, how much is required and where it should be installed.
Computers consider what windows would work best with different wall materials and what kind of detailing might be required. The list of possibly analyses goes on and on.
"We are estimating our energy savings at 18 percent below a base building," McCarron said. "We weighed that against a different system where we could have gotten 20 percent, but the cost differential was $250,000."
Energy efficiency gets the most press when it comes to green buildings, but it is not the only consideration.
LEED designations also consider materials — where they come from and how recyclable they are, both now and in the future. Water efficiency plays a big role. Land issues and habitat conservation are major factors.
"LEED takes a very holistic view of the entire cycle of building design, construction, use and demolition," Adams said, "to make the product green all the way through all of those cycles."
When water and sewer became available for the New Baltimore site, McCarron originally considered erecting a warehouse. The idea of a LEED office evolved after talks with former Scott District Supervisor Bill Downey, McCarron said.
"The more I read and learned, and knowing that I want to own this building for 20 or 30 years, I decided that I didn't want to be kicking myself five years down the line for not building a sustainable, energy-efficient building. It just made sense."
Development is coming to New Baltimore, McCarron said, and "everything in the comprehensive plan and everything that is already approved is retail. The residential is already there, and once you start bringing in the grocery stores, the dry cleaners, all the amenities...it's just a matter of time" before the need for office space becomes apparent, he said.
McCarron will be submitting his architectural drawings for approval within a matter of weeks. He expects no problems getting them approved since everything about the building exceeds code requirements. The start of construction depends on the market.
McCarron is the founder of McCarron Construction Management, LLC, headquartered in New Baltimore. The firm provides program management and real estate development consulting services for both private and public sector clients, including commercial, site development, recreational and capital improvement projects.
Brian McCarron should be formally commended by our local government and the community at-large for taking this brave and welcome step in leading Fauquier County into the evolving "green" arena!
Business leaders who demonstrate this kind of commitment to the environment while buying local and employing professionals from this area should be viewed as role models. Let's get on the bandwagon and follow Brian's lead on "LEED" and continue to help build this community into a great/green place to live and work!
Two thumbs up, Brian! Keep showing us the way!!!
Best Regards,
Dennis A. Taylor
Paradigm Solutions
Catlett, VA
Posted by taylord
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