Ecologic Construction's Catherine Hyde on green building trends

Ecologic Construction is dedicated to providing value-added construction services to customers by creating a successful partnership with them throughout the construction process. Ecologic Construction is a company familiar with The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System. The following is an in-depth Q&A with company owner, Catherine Hyde.

Q: How has green constuction evolved in Southern Nevada over the past 10 years?

"We don't feel that it has evolved very much. We have seen green construction mentioned more in the media. However, it is the minority of construction companies that practice it on a daily basis. I think this is because the initial focus of green construction was placed on materials and energy-related design concepts. More recently, I see an appreciation of not just the economic, but the social sustainability. I think this will drive more people to take a personal interest, and thus, propel the green construction industry further along at a much faster pace."

Q: From a cost perspective, approximately how much more does it cost to build "green?"

"In my opinion zero. Green construction adopts different approaches and is accorded different priorities. It is not surprising that there are widely divergent views and interpretations. We believe that green can be achieved simply with education and a plan of action. There are many cost-effective materials out there."

Q: What are the most common misconceptions about green construction?

"Cost. More than the actual costs of the resources and materials, I have found that it is the lack of awareness and knowledge of planners, designers and engineers regarding energy and resource- efficient building solutions, the inadequacy of standards, regulations and decision making processes. This sounds like a lot, but it's this very lack of knowledge that creates mistakes and/or contradictions, which in turn, cost money in delays. Construction is an integrated industry comprised of many professionals (designer, architect, engineer, planners, government, etc.). We need to take an integrated approach to these new technologies so we, as a whole industry, become more efficient, and in turn, reduce costs."

Q: Are you seeing more companies "green retrofitting" their spaces when they can't build from scratch?

"In short, yes. Again, I believe it is a minority. As we become more socially conscious of our actions we will start to reconsider our very wasteful attitudes. The biggest obstacle is not having the knowledge to integrate all of these separate approaches into one cohesive action plan. Here at Ecologic Construction, we're getting ready to debut a 'green retro-fit' service. This will allow the residential and commercial customer to not just ‘green' their property, but see, in quantifiable measures, the gains made by their improvements. These gains are not only financial, as seen in their monthly O&M expenses, but are also gains that aid the environment as a whole."

Q: What are some of the more innovative green building trends you're seeing these days?

"The technologies that allow us to use direct solar energy are more widely available, more cost effective, and easier to use. In particular, solar panels, the ease in which to convert solar energy to electricity, solar air conditioning, solar heating and solar light, are just a few examples. All of these are now easier to integrate than ever before."

Q: Is the economy impacting the green building movement locally? If so, in what ways?

"I believe people are more aware of the fact that with just a bit of forethought, quite a bit of money can be saved in the long run. There isn't a better incentive than when it is directly tied into your bottom line! The new government incentives have definitely given the movement more light. Companies are beginning to understand that we should all be more educated to better compete in this market, and not just in the public sector."

Q: Can you describe some of the benefits of green construction?

"The benefits are much greater than conventional building. The most obvious are the financial benefits, such as lower energy and water costs, reduced waste, improved air quality and lower operating and maintenance costs. Another financial benefit that isn't quite seen at first is the employee comfort, which translates directly into reduced health costs and greater productivity. Environmentally, we will reduce our carbon footprint, air pollution and harmful greenhouse gas emissions."