sustainability

What is Sustainable Construction?

The United States Green Building Council (USGBC) was formed in 1993 in an effort to revolutionize the way the construction process is viewed. The USGBC developed the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program and implemented it to serve as a basis for providing a guideline and measuring sustainable building practices. The LEED program offers four certification levels: Certified, Silver Certified, Gold Certified, and Platinum Certified. Each level represents a larger commitment and investment in sustainable building practices. In order to ensure that the guidelines are met, the USGBC initiated a program for individuals who have studied sustainable construction to show that they are well versed in the program. The resulting designation for these individuals is the status of LEED AP (Accredited Professional).

Why Sustainable Construction?

Building Green promotions are strewn throughout newspapers, trade magazines, pamphlets, and just about every other type of medium available, often as marketing approaches. The truth is, the results of building Green and/or Sustainable construction are quite measurable. Not only has Sustainable Construction been proven to positively impact the environment, it can provide a direct and indirect positive return on investment. Sustainable practices can help reduce heating and cooling costs, water usage bills, and power consumption to name a few. Many Sustainable building owners report an increase in employee health, attendance, and attitude as a direct result of improved air quality, exposure to daylight and outside views, and certain amenities. Modifying your project to include these qualities can be are very cost effective and simple to implement. In fact, many of the improvements you are considering may already be considered Sustainable or may meet Sustainable requirements.

Why Fiorilli Construction?

Fiorilli Construction realizes that Sustainable building practices are not simply a fad or the latest trend. As a result, we have several LEED APs on staff to answer your questions and to ensure that our Sustainable projects meet all of the required goals for LEED Certification. In addition, Fiorilli Construction is currently developing internal training programs to ensure that our entire staff, inboard and outboard, receive the information necessary to be able to identify issues, communicate concerns, and execute projects within the guidelines of proper Sustainable practices. Our long term education plan includes the roll out of the same internal instructional training to Clients, Architects, Subcontractors, Vendors, and the general public in order to provide further education on Sustainable building practices.

The impacts and results of taking a Sustainable approach to building construction have a tangible and measurable affect. Not only does it affect the surrounding environment, Green construction also impacts your bottom line with respect to return on investment. Fiorilli Construction, Inc. can provide a side by side comparison on a per project basis to identify the components of your project that already meet LEED requirements and are applicable in gaining certification. In addition, we can evaluate your needs and provide alternates to your proposed plans to properly align with the LEED program. This process results in a comprehensive list identifying the short and long term cost impacts and resulting return on investment. Fiorilli Construction’s professionals can provide you with measurable evidence on the value of Green building.