Specifications, as defined above, are typically involved in many project types including commercial, municipal and other large scale projects. They become especially important when a project is utilizing a public bidding process or when there are very detailed requirements for the project. Although specifications are not meant to address all issues that may come up during construction, they typically outline how to deal with issues in the field and define the project in much greater detail than drawings, contracts and agreements alone.

The nationally accepted industry standard guiding the preparation of construction specifications in North America is called MasterFormat and is published by the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) and Construction Specifications Canada (CSC). MasterFormat 2004 is currently the most commonly used version although MasterFormat 2010 is now being deployed and MasterFormat 1995 is still in common use even though CSI completely ceased its support of the 1995 version as of December 31, 2009. MasterFormat 2004 contains 50 divisions and provides a framework of divisions, section numbers, section titles and a standardized outline format in which design teams can consistently organize information about a project.

There are generally two different types of specifications including Performance Specifications, which are focused on the level of performance and workmanship that must be achieved in the project and Prescriptive Specifications which are focused on specific products & vendors or even specific contractors that are acceptable for each scope of work. Performance specifications are typically written by the design team either directly or in conjunction with a consultant specializing in specification writing. Many prescriptive (or proprietary) specifications can be downloaded for free on the internet either from the product manufacturers or through collective websites such as Arcat. In addition, there are a number of software platforms available for aiding in the writing of specifications including MasterSpec by ARCOM, SpecLink by Building Systems Design (BSD) and SPECTEXT by the Construction Sciences Research Foundation, Inc. Software platforms are continuing to develop along with construction trends and technology as well and now also include platforms that work in conjunction with the new Building Information Modeling (BIM) CAD platforms and are specifically geared toward green building technology and LEED certification.

Specifications play an important role in the ultimate success of any construction project. It is important that all of the goals and intents for the project are considered in the specifications including those of the client, a fully integrated design team, the builder and the eventual tenants. Specifications that are clear, well written and organized according to MasterFormat can result in greater bid accuracy, reduced complications in the field, quantifiable measures of the projects success and clarity of the client’s requirements and desires throughout the project lifecycle. EVstudio regularly incorporates specifications into many project types and our integrated project team results in a better specification as well. We can also integrate BIM technology, LEED requirements and any other project requirements into specifications that will increase the success of your building project and the construction process. Please contact us with any questions or for more information!

The Highpointe Building 2 Project in Killeen, Texas is pursuing LEED Certification under the LEED for Core and Shell 2009 Rating System with the help of the EVstudio team.  This is the first certification project that EVstudio has been involved in under the new 2009 LEED Rating Systems. There are quite a few differences between the older versions of LEED and the new, but one of the bigger fundamental differences is the addition of Regional Priority Credits. Regional Priority Credits apply an additional credit to certain LEED criteria that is determined to have greater importance in a particular region. Due to the dry southwest climate and a focus on Water Conservation in the Highpointe Project, one of the Regional Priority Credits is for the Innovative Wastewater Technologies Criteria (Water Efficiency Credit 2 – WEc2). An additional credit will be achieved if the specified water savings for sewage conveyance threshold of 50% is met through either water saving sewage fixtures (toilets & urinals) or through a graywater or rainwater catchment system. In addition, this credit synergizes with the Water Use Reduction Prerequisite (WEp1) and associated Credit (WEc3) and any water savings achieved for the Innovative Wastewater Technologies Credit increases the water savings in the Water Use Reduction Credits as well.

Achieving a 50% reduction in the water used for sewage conveyance is not necessarily the easiest of tasks and is subject to the limitations of both the project itself and the jurisdiction in which it resides. Colorado, for example, only allows rainwater catchment and use under special circumstances and commercial facilities are not allowed. Some jurisdictions provide municipal graywater systems but there can be major costs added to the project budget for adding a whole secondary plumbing system to the building, whether it is municipal or project dedicated. For these reasons, the Innovative Wastewater Technologies Credit (WEc2) isn't pursued as often on LEED certification projects in the southwest region of the country as many of the more affordable and easily obtainable LEED credits. The credit and its synergies are being sought for the Highpointe Project with the help of an innovative toilet called the Stealth by Niagra Conservation. Considered the first Ultra High Efficiency Toilet (U-HET) the Stealth toilet requires only 0.8 gal. per flush. This is right at 50% less than today's average toilet which uses 1.6 gal. per flush. In addition, this is significantly more savings even than most of the High Efficiency Toilets (HET) on the market today which typically use 1.28 gal. per flush. The use of this particular fixture in the project boosted the water savings for sewage conveyance to the desired 50%, achieving the criteria for the two credits attributable to the Innovative Wastewater Technology Credit (WEc2) and the additional credit for the Regional Priority Criteria, for a total of three credits under that criteria. In addition, the use of this fixture increased the overall water savings for the building from 30.92% to 46.38% not only achieving all four available credits for the Water Use Reduction Credit (WEc3) but also qualifying the project for an Innovation & Design Credit for Exemplary Performance by reaching beyond the required threshold of 45% Water Use Reduction in the overall building performance. In the end, the toilet specification becomes responsible for helping to achieve a Prerequisite and 8 credits, which is 20% of the credits necessary for certification of the entire project.

This turns out  to be a very good example of the effectiveness of the incentive that the Regional Priority Credits are meant to provide as well as the effectiveness of seeking synergies throughout the project in order to utilize the most effective sustainability strategies to the benefit of the specific project. The toilets do not cost any more than other High Efficiency Toilets (HET) on the market and just a little product research and effective team integration made the difference between achieving all eight credits described above or only achieving the criteria required for the Water Use Reduction Prerequisite (WEp1) and a total of two credits for the Water Use Reduction Credit (WEc3).

According to the USGBC Website: “The Licensed Professional Exemption (LPE) is an optional credit documentation path in which professionals can submit license information and a declaration of compliance in lieu of a number of otherwise required submittals." The LPE basically shifts the responsibility to the professional rather than the submitted documentation and is meant to help streamline the documentation process required for LEED Certification. The documentation required for LEED Certification has been the target of much dissent from both opponents and proponents of the program since its inception a decade ago. On the surface, the LPE compliance path does have quite a bit of potential and may end up ultimately reducing the extensive amount of documentation required for a LEED Certification application but the jury is still out on the usability of the Exemptions. The lack of collective experience from professionals working on LEED projects who have opted to use this compliance path, coupled with the lack of documentation from the USGBC explaining how LPE will ultimately work once a project has reached their review and certification process is causing the said licensed professionals to understandably worry about liability concerns.

According the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI) website, all Licensed Professionals may provide their license information when registering for an account with LEED Online or by updating their existing account information. They must provide all of the information applicable to each license that they intend to submit information under including name, professional category, license number, the country, state, territory or province issuing the license and the license expiration date. They must also indicate that they are in good standing and agree that they have the technical competence and expertise necessary to oversee and verify the technical work required for compliance with the criteria for which they are submitting. The provided information is then retained with the user’s LEED Online account and can become applicable for submittal documentation on any LEED project in which they are involved. The liability concern enters the picture with the following warning provided on page 9 in the official GBCI Policy Manual:

The Licensed Professional is not only taking on liability for the achievement of the LEED credit or even the LEED certification, but also risking potential disciplinary action against their licensure.

The extensive documentation necessary to complete LEED application and certification, along with the time and money required to accomplish the documentation alone remains one of the biggest hurdles for the LEED Program. Unfortunately, it still remains to be seen as to whether or not the largest step that the USGBC has taken to mitigate the problem through the LPE Compliance Path actually delivers a viable solution.

Funkaar Studios offers classes for the Architectural Registration Exams (ARE) and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) exams crafted for architects and architectural interns.  These classes typically only happen in select cities across the nation and are not usually offered in Denver. Our local AIA Chapter has determined that there is a demand for them to come to Denver this summer, so don't miss this opportunity to take the class in Denver if you are or will be taking the ARE soon!

If you are currently taking or are ready to begin taking the ARE, details for this exciting class are below:

The Rocky Mountain Masonry Institute is teaming up with the Building Stone Institute to offer a one-day seminar on natural stone.  The program offers architects with 2.5 AIA Sustainable Design credits, on top of 5 AIA HSW credits.  The class includes Adhered Natural Stone, Green/Sustainable Design and the new International Green Construction Code, care and maintenance of stone, and a tour of the University of Denver’s stone architecture.

The seminar will address the importance of proper natural stone installation in design, how it has innovated to meet stricter building code requirements, to reduce construction costs and increase value, and how to use it to contribute to LEED credit earning potential.

The first session will be lead by Diane Travis with RMMI and will discuss the basics of natural stone and the differences between it and manufactured stone.  Engineering concerns will also be addressed regarding mortar requirements, deflection, drainage, setting, and quality control and climate restrictions.

This will be followed by a presentation by Shahnaz Jaffari covering a new section in the International Green Construction Code, which is the first green building code to be published in 2012.  The IGCC is anticipated to be adopted by most jurisdictions in the country.

The third session will review procedures and techniques of various adhesives used for the repair and replacement of natural stone installations, and will provide an understanding of the limitations of some stone surfaces.

The seminar will conclude with a walking tour of the University of Denver campus, conducted by University Architect Mark Rodgers, and will include examples of how the context of the campus has been maintained by the use of natural stone.

The series will take place on Tuesday, June 29^th at the Rocky Mountain Masonry Institute located at 686 Mariposa in Denver.  Register by June 24^th at www.buildingstoneinstitute.org.

What is a LEED Certified Home?

The increasingly well-known acronym LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.  This third-party certification program run by US Green Building Council ensures high performance and construction of buildings considered sustainable.

LEED-certified homes, also known as “green” homes, have greater energy efficiency, use less water, perform better environmentally and are healthier for the people that live in them.

Think of your home as a box of cereal and LEED certification as the nutrition label on it.  With the label you can clearly measure the health, efficiency and sustainability features through a third-party verification process.  A green home (versus a standard built home) is much more efficient with regard to energy, water and natural resource consumption, creating less waste and a healthier lifestyle for your family. LEED uses a point-based certification checklist with measurable results.

• The quality of your indoor environment is often 2-5 times worse than the air you breathe outdoors.  A LEED-built house is designed to improve the indoor environment by minimizing the use of materials with toxins and pollutants.
• Energy Efficiency:  The average household spends $1600-$2000 each year in energy bills.  With a LEED- certified home you can expect to save more than 30% in your energy bills.
• A green home uses innovative strategies to reduce water use and creative ways to reuse water.
• Location, Location, location is the key to a successful green home.  Selecting a site that is close to schools, shopping, work and transit are as crucial as the use of natural resources such as sun exposure.
• LEED homes avoid destructive practices during site development by considering natural habitats, assessing land erosion and using thoughtful landscaping practices.
• LEED homes carefully track material selection ensuring that materials are sustainably harvested, recycled, reclaimed and responsibly obtained when possible.

The four levels of LEED certification - certified, silver, gold and platinum – have resulted in unintended but powerful change in the green building industry.  A green home often requires some additional upfront cost, but with tax incentives and energy cost savings, these costs can be balanced long term.  With proper design and lot selection you can significantly limit the additional costs.

Incentives from the federal government can offset up to 30% of specific expenses related to installing renewable energy systems.  Caps on incentives have been lifted for geothermal heat pumps, solar hot water, small residential wind turbines and solar panels; and the allowable amount for energy-efficiency improvements such as air sealing and insulation has been increased to $1,500.

Vince Kenney, of Tomskin has used the LEED for Homes rating system to develop and design his Mountain Modern Home, working with EV Studio’s green design experts. Currently, Kenney is marketing his versatile plan for two different site-specific homes in Jefferson County – 3009 Royale Elk Way and 3039 Royale Elk Way in Evergreen. The design of a Mountain Modern Home is easily adaptable to nearly any site because of the ability to rearrange or manipulate the elements of the home. Each room or element of the home has been designed so that one room could easily be used for either a bedroom or living room depending on the needs and desires of a client.

Mountain Modern Rendering

While many homes today incorporate “green design,” few actually approach holistic sustainability. Local builder, Vince Kenney, has a vision on the verge of reality that is the culmination of the holistic understanding of sustainability, the future of the building industry.

That notion has been questioned.

In 2009 House Bill 1129 was signed into law. This bill is important because it created a legal framework for a pilot study where:

“The [Colorado water conservation] board shall, in consultation with the state engineer, select the sponsors of up to ten new residential or mixed-use developments that will conduct individual pilot projects to collect precipitation from rooftops and impermeable surfaces for nonpotable uses.”

This legislation came about because many contend that up to 95% of the rainwater that falls on Colorado never actually makes it into the water ways for use by senior rights holders. Instead of water making it into our rivers and streams it is contended that the water actually evaporates or is absorbed by plants and undeveloped land.

This pilot program will sponsor developments in geographically diverse areas in Colorado to study if diverting rainwater actually affects the amount of water that flows into streams that supply downstream water rights.

What this means is that if the downstream water rights are still fulfilled, then the water that falls on roofs and other impervious surfaces is actually excess water that property owners can actually make a water rights claim upon.

Part of what makes this work is what is called an augmentation plan. An augmentation plan is designed to allow for water usages that are out of priority. In other words, it allows a junior water rights holder to use water so long as they can prove that they can provide 100% of the water that is allocated to a senior water rights holder should they place a call for water.

For example, if it is determined that a particular parcel contributes 100 acre feet of water to downstream rights holders, the junior rights owner must be able to prove that their parcel still produces that amount of water even after rainwater harvesting.

The augmentation plan is critical to rainwater harvesting. If this pilot program proves that even with rainwater harvesting that the senior rights holder still has access to their full amount of water, then guidelines for rainwater harvesting will be developed and it will possibly be allowed.

As a final note, a 2007 study by the Colorado Water Conservation Board determined that:

“With rainwater harvesting, outdoor water demand is reduced by approximately 65% with moderate conservation and approximately 88% with water wise conservation.”

This is extremely relevant to our dry climate since rainwater harvesting could drastically reduce the amount of water treated to potable quality and subsequently used to water all of our petunias.

In order to properly answer this question, some background is in warranted.

In Colorado there are two types of water rights. The first is called direct flow. This is generally measured as a rate of flow such as 1.0 cubic feet per second. This means that the appropriator (right holder) is allowed to take one cubic foot of water per second. They may do this so long as they have a beneficial use and the water is physically available in priority. That is, if there is a senior water rights holder, they can demand, or “call” the water before a junior rights holder can divert it.

The second type of water right is a storage water right. This means that the right holder can store a certain amount of water each year, to be used at a later time, for a beneficial use. However, there are times when there is a limit to how fast that water may be appropriated to be stored. For example, I may have a right to store 500 acre feet of water in my reservoir. I may only have a right to fill my reservoir at a rate of  2.0 c.f.s.

You may have noticed that I have used the term beneficial use twice. A beneficial use is generally regarded as: domestic and municipal use, mining, irrigation, stock watering, industrial application and other non-wasteful economic activities. That sounds quite broad. However, the rub is that an applicant who wants to put water to a beneficial use must demonstrate that unappropriated water is available. Since water rights in Colorado go back to at least the mid 1800’s there is no water left to appropriate. In all reality, the water here is likely over appropriated.

Therein lays the problem. Since the water is already appropriated a user can’t legally take water out of the system without the rights to do so. One-hundred percent for the rainwater someone harvests to water their petunia garden is actually already owned by someone else!

To answer John’s question, as I understand it, the only way to capture rainwater for up to 72 hours is if someone is already a direct flow rights owner and has a beneficial use.  Even that has a limitation. The water can only be detained if it affords a more efficient or effective beneficial use of the water.

With all of that said, it may change. Check back for my next post about water rights.

As a building material it is suitable for low and mid rise structures such as single & multi-family homes, churches and hotels. It has also been used in panel form as a cladding material.

AAC comes in block and panel form. Generally blocks are used to create walls and the panels are used to create floors and roofs. In some applications panels have been used vertically in order to create the walls. The structure rests on an appropriately engineered foundation. The interior finish can be plaster or furred out drywall. The exterior is often finished in a breathable stucco or paint.

Advantages of AAC:
Non-combustible
High acoustic insulation, assemblies can reach a STC of 60
Easy to work, AAC can be cut with a handsaw
Comes in familiar masonry wythes
Improved indoor air quality
Light weight in comparison to CMU (concrete masonry units)
No thermal bridging
Up to double the R-value of foam cored CMU
Thermal mass
Manufacturing process creates no waste
Resistant to mold and fungus
Can be used to gain LEED points

Drawbacks:
Product must breathe due to initial moisture content
Lower load bearing capacity when compared to CMU
Can be hard to find qualified installers
Should be finished inside and out.

The cost of AAC tends to be a bit higher material wise. However the lighter weight of the materials can translate into a less expensive foundation. Additionally, with a knowledgeable crew the system can be constructed in less time. This not only creates a costs savings in terms of labor but more importantly time. On a larger project, AAC can reduce construction time by up to a month or more.

As always it is best to explore materials and construction methods early in a project in order to determine what is best for your project, labor market and material accessibility.