RC3D Newsletters

Cost of Green Building

April 30, 2008
Do green buildings cost more?

Whether green buildings cost more is probably the most common question asked about sustainable design, with the follow-up often being: "How much more?"

While the building industry generally understands that "you get what you pay for", there remains a fixation on the first costs for green buildings. The answer to the question, "Do green buildings cost more?" is, of course, "It depends".

Many seasoned sustainable design practitioners have maintained that any added costs can be minimized or even eliminated through experience and integrated design. There has been considerable interest in this topic, for obvious reasons, and several recent studies have analyzed construction costs of green buildings.

RC3D will work with you, guiding you through the design and construction, to achieve a cost effective green building.

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Success in Green Building

April 15, 2008
Green Design

A 2005 study by Pennsylvania State University identified the "top three mistakes" found on green building projects that did not meet their goals as:

• Attempting to change a traditional project to a green project mid-stream
• Treating green building features as add-ons to a building initially designed with traditional values, and
• Poor coordination of energy consultants and considerations for energy use during predesigned stages of projects (Riley 2005).

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Dallas City Council ratifies green building codes for new construction

April 11, 2008
The Dallas City Council adopted a resolution for the implementation of the citywide green building program and an ordinance establishing the green building program on April 9, 2008.

The proposed ordinance incorporates the recommendations of the task force into the Dallas Development Code. The program will consist of two phases (summary of program below). The long term vision for the program is for Dallas to be carbon neutral by 2030 and for it to be the greenest city in the U.S.

If you are a builder, land developer, general contractor, re-modeler, Realtor, architect, designer, or any way connected to the construction industry, you will have to learn about and implement the City of Dallas’s new green building codes.

If you require more information on the City of Dallas’s new green building codes and how they affect you, or need education on green building practices, or if you need help in developing a green program, we are available for individual consultations or group seminars.

A summary of the Task Force Recommendations and Ordinance Requirements can be downloaded from Dallas City Hall.

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City of Dallas's green building codes for new construction

April 03, 2008
Dallas plans to require that all new homes, office towers, stores, schools, industrial facilities and warehouses built within the city meet "green building" standards.

Dallas is the first city in North Texas to make such a comprehensive move. Once standards are adopted, Dallas also would be among the first major cities nationally to require green building for both commercial and residential construction. The Dallas City Council has met several times this year to debate and discuss the task force’s proposals, and a meeting is scheduled for April 9, 2008 to further discuss the proposals.

In recognition of the City of Dallas Citywide Green Building Program and the increased interest in green building and sustainable design, RC3D formed a special division to research and collect data on existing and emerging green building knowledge and technologies. As a result, RC3D is able to provide information, assistance and guidance in green building and green certification.

A summary of program recommendations by the green building task force for the Citywide Green Building Program as presented to the City Council can be downloaded from Dallas City Hall.

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