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OPINION
Building a better planet
Sustainability doesn’t have to run counter to building projects on time and on budget.
W hen people think about sustainability in the building industry, it’s common for their focus to be on things like carbon neutrality, LEED certification, and other initiatives.
What’s often overlooked is just how those worthwhile initiatives will be managed throughout a project. How do you ensure sustainability benchmarks will be met while still keeping the overall project goals in mind? The key is having a team in place, throughout a project, that has a rich background in sustainability coupled with strong project management skills. SETTING A SUSTAINABILITY AGENDA. Not every project starts out with sustainability goals on the punch list. Many owners and developers believe that sustainability initiatives will make a project too expensive. A lot of times, this belief comes down to how sustainability initiatives are framed. For example, if you were to ask an owner or developer whether they would like to reduce the carbon impact of their project, their first response will likely be that it is too expensive. But if you ask if they would like to
create efficiency within their building systems and reduce their operational budget, the conversation quickly changes. The goal of this reframing is not to trick an owner or developer into making their buildings more sustainable. It’s to point out that sustainability doesn’t have to run counter to building projects on time and on budget. HAVING THE RIGHT TOOLS IN THE TOOLBOX. Sustainability is just one component on a long list of things to consider when managing a construction project. Working with a team that has in-depth experience in all aspects of project design and construction – including a background in guiding clients through sustainability initiatives that can result in cost efficiencies – often leads to better project outcomes.
Evan Ponto
Joshua Cloud
Alana Schutt
See PONTO, CLOUD & SCHUTT, page 10
THE ZWEIG LETTER JANUARY 23, 2023, ISSUE 1473
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