Ian N. Campbell
Director of Sustainable Construction
Turner Construction

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Sustainable design and construction is a holistic proactive approach to building that maintains and restores the natural qualities of the site, improves energy efficiency and building performance, diminishes environmental degradation, encourages resource conservation and the use of renewable resources, and responds to the needs of developers and their building's occupants. It is based on project planning, which focuses on the long term implications of building design, construction, and operation. It includes services during all phases of design, construction and occupancy, and hinges upon the integration of the project team. The goal of the sustainable construction process is to create buildings that last longer, are more comfortable to live and work in, perform better, and are sensitive to the natural environment.

Turner Construction Company has been a leader in the construction industry, pioneering new and innovative ways to construct buildings, since the company's inception in 1902. From the beginning, company policies also reflected a people orientation. Profit-sharing, a stock purchase plan, and a bonus incentive system were instituted early so that employees would benefit directly from their own success and the success of the company. Turner's progressive and innovative thinking continues today, as we lead the commercial construction industry in the newly emerging approach to building called "Sustainable Design and Construction."

In the 1980's Turner began to recognize the impact the company had on the natural environment, and started to institute measures which would lessen that impact, such as recycling of jobsite wastes. From those humble beginnings, Turner has now implemented a comprehensive approach to environmentally sensitive construction, which includes a full range of preconstruction and construction services. Turner has been involved in several pioneering "Green Building" projects, and in projects that demonstrate dramatic environmental sensitivity, resource and energy efficiency, and improved indoor environmental quality.

In Turner's attempt to meet the challenge of becoming more sensitive to the natural environment and the building occupants, while meeting client's economic needs, we have developed new and modified construction techniques. These systems and services reduce the environmental impacts of our projects, improve the buildings' indoor environments, and improve the quality of what we build. Turner's Sustainable Construction program commences with early project planning and design, and addresses many environmental issues. Through a holistic, team approach with our clients and their designers, the project team is able to greatly enhance the environmental sensitivity of the project.

Sustainable Design and Construction Objectives

The world has been recently confronted with a growing recognition that our methods of living on this planet are reducing our quality of life. These methods may even be destroying the planet's very ability to support our own existence. Meadows, Meadows, and Randers in their study, Beyond the Limits, claim that humans' impacts through consumption, misuse of resources, and waste are rapidly leading us toward and exceeding the carrying capacity of the planet. The United Nations-sponsored report by the World Commission on the Environment and Development entitled Our Common Future calls for a new approach to development which ensures that "it meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."

The United States is just beginning to become aware of and address these issues, the interdependencies between human and environmental needs, and the economic ramifications of meeting these needs. There are great opportunities to address these issues and create an economically successful development, which maximizes the environmental and human benefits achievable through sustainable design and construction approaches.

Sustainablility, as defined by the United Nations World Commission on the Environment and Development, refers to ensuring "our long-term cultural, economic and environmental health and vitality." This concept can guide many decisions made during design and construction. The long term environmental, human and economic impact of design and construction decisions can be weighed, and through this approach a balance between these needs is achieved creating the most sustainable project possible.

Sustainable Development–Regarding Environmental Ethics

It is clear that the quality of our natural environment is being reduced. Carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere are rising, stratospheric ozone levels are falling, species are becoming extinct at an alarming rate, landfills are rapidly nearing capacity, and grand natural ecosystems such as tropical and temperate rainforests are systematically disappearing.

We are not only destroying the life around us, but we are impacting our own lives as well. Air quality in many urban areas is unhealthy, water from many of our rivers and lakes is unfit to swim in or drink, and we will have spent an estimated $90 billion in 1994 dollars to clean up nonfederal superfund sites by the year 2070. A recent phenomena called "Sick Building Syndrome" is causing thousands of people to become sick each year, and could be resulting in billions of dollars in lost productivity and related medical expenses.

All of these crises are the direct result of our day to day choices of where we live, what we consume, how we travel, what we produce, and how we build. By modifying these choices, we can significantly reduce the negative impacts that we have on the natural environment, ourselves and future generations.

Future development should strive to meet the following environmental objectives through appropriate planning and construction.

1) To provide good stewardship of and minimize environmental impacts on the project site, the surrounding region, and the planet throughout the development and operation of the project.

2) To integrate the built and natural environments.

3) To design for resource efficiency and appropriate resource use.

4) To enhance ecological integrity and preserve biodiversity.

Sustainable Development–Regarding Human Scale

Never before in human history have we as a species been so separated from the natural environment. Nor have we ever before been in a condition where our relationships with each other have been more disjointed. Our society has evolved to a point where concerns for human health and well being is thought of in terms of longevity not quality, and little thought is given to how our day to day choices affect either positively or negatively our emotional, spiritual, and physical well being. We have created a basis of decision making that concentrates solely on short term economics and fails to take into account the effects our decisions have on people.

Concentrating on human scale means that human needs are taken into account and designed into the project at a basic level. The need for a place that is nurturing to people on a physical, emotional and spiritual level should be incorporated into the very essence of the development. Focus can be given to identifying opportunities for people to develop relationship with the natural environment and with other people. Sustainable development projects strive to create the best human environment throughout the course of development by meeting the following objectives.

1) To provide an enjoyable and nurturing environment for building occupants and project neighbors.

2) To provide an opportunity for building occupants to connect with the natural environment and learn about the local region, its natural environment, and community, as well as enhance user's physical, emotional and spiritual health and well being.

3) To design within the regional context, respecting indigenous culture, heritage, and legacy as well as archaeological, geological, and historical resources.

Sustainable Development–Regarding Economic Return

Often people argue that business, or more accurately business' requirement for profitability, is the cause of environmental degradation. Many people also argue that businesses have little concern for their impacts on human health and well being. Without question, strong cases can be made that profits are often maximized at the expense of human and environmental health and vitality. It can also be demonstrated that more appropriate business decisions can be made that reduce or eliminate negative impacts on environmental and human needs. These decisions can even be made in a way that actually enhances and restores the environment and provides a nurturing, supportive and sustaining place in which people can live, work and play.

Sustainable building projects strive to be such a place, while also providing a reasonable economic return. Through focusing on inherent relationships and interdependencies between the environment, people and economic success, the projects create economic opportunities that are beneficial to the local, regional, and global environment, as well as to the building occupants, local community and society at large. Sustainable building projects capitalize on opportunities to reduce long-term operating costs, improve employee productivity and effectiveness, and create durable, high quality facilities which perform better and last longer. They take advantage of opportunities to not only capture economic benefits in the planning, design, and construction processes, but also create environmental and human benefits as well.

Sustainable developments strive to meet the following economic objectives through the course of development.

1) To demonstrate that sustainable development is a sound economic investment.

2) To identify and implement decisions that benefit the environment and people, while meeting the economic requirements of the project.

3) To achieve an acceptable return on investment.

Examples of Sustainable Design and Construction

Although not a commonly practiced approach to development, several sustainable development demonstration projects already exist. In addition, a wide variety of projects, both commercial and residential in nature, incorporate various sustainable concepts on a more limited scale. This type of approach to development has made significant strides since the late 1980's, and many successful projects have been completed including large scale community developments, commercial office buildings, single family houses, retail banks, light industrial structures, resorts, retreat centers and many others. Described below are three projects, which incorporate unique sustainable design and construction features. These projects, built by Turner Construction Company, are included to demonstrate actual projects that have been successfully built. They have not only achieved significant environmental and human benefits, but they have also proven to be economically competitive with "standard" development approaches.

Duracell Corporate Headquarters, Bethel, Connecticut

Built to house the corporate employees of the Duracell Corporation, this project is a 3 level corporate office building, totaling 308,000 square feet. It includes 195,000 square feet of general office space, 14,000 square feet of laboratories, a conference/training center, a TV production studio, a fitness facility, a dining area and maintenance and circulation areas.

The office facility was designed to blend harmoniously with its wooded 44 acre setting and to convert efficiently to multi-tenant use if required to do so in the future. Turner provided extensive preconstruction input and assisted with siting the building as well as conducting excavation studies in an attempt to minimize environmental and economic impacts on the project. Throughout the project, the integrity of the local natural environment of the site including local forest, wetland and field ecosystems was maintained.

Product research, including economic and constructibility analysis of available environmentally friendly building products was performed. Through these efforts, over forty environmentally sensitive building products were incorporated into the project. Many recycled content products including top soil, fiberglass insulation, glass tile, hardwoods, gypsum wall board, ceiling tiles, structural steel andothers were included in the project. Additionally, wood from sustainably managed forests, low volatile organic compound containing paint, and many recyclable products were utilized.

The project also focused on achieving significant energy efficiency. Extensive energy efficient technologies, including gas fired absorption chillers, natural daylighting strategies and other efficient mechanical and lighting technologies were designed into the project.

Southern California Gas Co. Energy Resource Center, Los Angeles, California

Built as an energy and building equipment demonstration facility for the Southern California Gas Company, this project consisted of extensive renovation of an existing 32,000 square foot single, story facility and a new addition. The construction included demolition of the middle third of the existing building and constructing a two story addition in its place, which added 15,000 square feet to the project.

Sustainable design and construction was a primary focus for the project. The scope of Turner's preconstruction efforts included extensive research on green building products, including products that were recycled and reused. Products that incorporated recycled content such as carpet tiles, wall covering, linoleum, drywall, wood flooring, rebar, steel studs and many others were identified and incorporated into the project. The project also reused materials from the demolished facility and from other buildings. Reused products included such things as electrical conduit, mechanical and electrical equipment, piping, ductwork, and wood planking. Products that could not be reused were either donated to charitable causes or were recycled.

Special attention was also given to the indoor air quality of the project. Products that were less toxic to the indoor environment were selected. Many products that contained little or no volatile organic compounds were used in place of more toxic alternatives. Such products as paint, flooring, adhesives and other finished materials, that proved to be less toxic to the indoor environment, were installed. Not only were non toxic products favored, but extra measures were taken to increase the use of outside air prior to occupancy, thus flushing toxins out of the space. In addition, dust and moisture build-up were minimized during construction, and extra care was taken to protect ventilation equipment from contamination during construction.

The project incorporated extensive energy efficient measures including energy efficient lighting and mechanical systems. Super efficient windows were installed that reduced heat transmission and allowed maximum daylight to enter the building. Extra insulation was installed in the roof and walls, and reflective roof coatings reduced summer heat gain. The cumulative result of all of the energy efficient strategies reduced the energy consumption of the building by over forty-five percent.

Rose Garden Arena,–Portland, Oregon

Turner Construction Company implemented a demolition and construction debris recycling program at the Rose Garden Arena built for the National Basketball Association's Portland Trailblazers, which was the largest recycling effort to date in the United States. The program consisted of a source separated approach to waste handling, that allowed most construction debris to be recycled. Taking advantage of the vast recycling infrastructure available in the City of Portland located in the State of Oregon, Turner was able to recycle gypsum wallboard, cardboard, wood, ferrous metal, land clearing debris, concrete, asphalt, and rubble.

The results of this effort were significant. Through the recycling program, 45,000 tons of materials were eliminated from local landfills, recycled and re-introduced into various manufacturing and building process. The material recycled represented nearly 95% of all the "waste" generated during the project. By utilizing the source separated waste management strategy, the client realized over $190,000 in savings generated from reduced landfill costs and material rebates from the recycled materials. Although Turner was responsible for managing the waste handling on the construction site, source separated recycling would not have been feasible had the local infrastructure not been in place to recycle the materials. The city of Portland played a critical role in making this possible due to a progressive tax scheme which raised the price of garbage disposal to a level that stimulated the recycling industry and allowed recycling to be cost competitive.

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