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When you think about what constitutes a “green building,” does the presence of interior plants factor prominently in the definition? In fact, while most people assume that a green building houses a lot of greenery, how the term is defined by a burgeoning non-profit industry is far less black and white.
In 2000, the U.S. Green Building Council's (USGBC) developed LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design, to provide a guideline for the design and construction of sustainable, environmentally friendly buildings.
The LEED rating system offers four certification levels for new construction - certified, silver, gold and platinum - that correspond to the number of credits accrued in five green design categories: sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources and indoor environmental quality. LEED standards cover new commercial construction and major renovation projects, interiors projects and existing building operations.
GREEN BUILDINGS REQUIRE GREENERY. The incorporation of indoor plants is not factored in under the five primary green design categories. While outdoor plants can earn points for native vegetation on the landscape, interior plants are not part of the scoring system at all. Australia already recognizes the importance of interior plants in their designations of green building status. The rating system for the Australian Green Star specifically includes credits for the provision and maintenance of interior plants.
As president of Initial Tropical Plants, a provider of interior landscaping, design installation and maintenance services, I see the restorative power of plants in action each and every day. Plants are installed in buildings because they look attractive and help to provide a tranquil environment in which to work or relax.
As plants are natural born air filters that absorb impurities in the air and transfer toxins to the soil, it’s only natural to assume that plants should be a primary component of a true green building. A myriad of studies confirm that plants reduce stress levels and make people happier overall. Plants have been proven to help people in demanding environmental situations to reduce their blood pressure, recover from the stress, and improve their overall health and well-being. The plants on your desk, in your conference room or lobby even can help with the dry air you’re breathing. In the summer, office workers who have interior plants notice a reduction in air temperature. Plants continually spin off moisture into the air as they take in oxygen which lowers cooling costs with indoor plants. In the winter, plants act as a humidifier and increase the level of moisture in the dry air.
Plants are natural born multi-taskers that are able to organically take on roles traditionally performed by engineered processes or manufactured items such as acting as natural office partitions, sign posts and as acoustic sound absorption barriers.
The U.S. Department of Energy reports that green building practices offer an opportunity to create environmentally sound and resource-efficient buildings by using an integrated design approach. Green buildings create a healthy and comfortable environment and support resource conservation, including energy efficiency, renewable energy and water conservation features. Green buildings take into account environment impacts and waste minimization; reduce operation and maintenance costs; and address issues such as historical preservation, access to public transportation and other community infrastructure systems. The entire lifestyle of the building and its components is considered as well as the economic and environmental impact and performance.
Last year, Dow Jones created a “Sustainability Index” for North American companies that grades a company not just on its fiscal worth, but on environmental and social factors including the amount of energy the firm uses and the level of pollution generated. While the green building movement is clearly still in its infancy, more and more companies are realizing the benefits to going green have bottom line economic benefits along with profound environmental ones.
GREEN BUILDINGS ARE NOT IN THE RED. Along with impassioned environmentalists, bastions of Big Business including PNC Bank and Goldman Sachs are now building with recycled materials, conserving energy and keeping toxic chemicals out of the floors, walls and furnishings. Both companies received a USGBC "green" rating for offices they opened in New Jersey in the past two years. Many businesses resist the green label, referring to their practices as "high-performance building" and achieving "sustainable design." Their reasons for joining the movement focus on bottom-line considerations including reduced operating costs and improved employee productivity and satisfaction and lowered absenteeism. Others worry about "sick building syndrome" and the potential hazard of offices with poor indoor air quality.
Nationally, most of the green buildings, to-date, are commercial or public buildings, consisting of projects hefty enough for accountants to grasp the long-term benefit of spending 3 percent to 5 percent more in construction costs to achieve lower costs in the future.
People in the United States spend an average of about 90 percent of their time indoors. EPA studies indicate that indoor levels of pollutants may be two to five times higher – and sometimes more than 100 times higher – than outdoor levels. The EPA has found a high correlation between low ventilation levels and higher carbon dioxide concentrations which is a common symptom in facilities with sick building syndrome. Environmentally conscious green buildings result in happier and healthier employees who are more productive.
The savings generated by averting sick building syndrome has the power to revolutionize the building industry. Millions of dollars are lost to employers each year through sick leave and the reduced effectiveness of staff with colds, flu and other diseases caught and spread at work. Healthy green buildings with clean, fresh air and non-toxic finishes help staff stay healthy, alert and effective at work. Offices that haven’t been built to green building standards are often hard to ventilate. With limited access to natural light and views, these office structures are ideal candidates for ‘greening’ with plants. As people have become aware of the negative impact our current building practices have on the environment, our health and our future, they are becoming more determined to see things change.
GREEN BUILDING CHALLENGES. Many barriers exist to building green. Within the property industry there are many challenges and inherent barriers that result in green building measures not being adopted despite the strong business case that can be made for their implementation. The biggest hurdle is the perceived cost. Other challenges are cost and availability of green products and materials, the cheap pricing of water and energy and a universal understanding of the true value of going green.
Should government offer financial or other incentives for green design or should government require the private sector to meet certain sustainable standards for new construction? Should governmental entities adopt LEED as a universal standard, or should they modify LEED for local use? Or would they do better to forget LEED altogether and develop their own system? While these green-building programs are less than six years old, and there’s little quantifiable data available yet, we do know that green buildings deliver a host of financial and environmental benefits that conventional buildings do not. Until governments here and abroad offer significant incentives to build green by lowering property taxes for green buildings, for example, or providing easier planning consents, the road to a healthier green building world will be riddled with potholes. The Canadian Government’s Commercial Buildings Incentive Scheme provides fiscal compensation for developers who satisfy certain green building standards. The government of South Australia requires that all new office buildings they lease meet their green building ‘Green Star’ rating standards. Perhaps, the United States will someday offer its own governmental incentives.
Until then it is up to each individual developer to listen to their conscience, as well as their customers, and proactively incorporate green building standards. In the United States, adding plants to the interior office mix is a very important first low-cost step in making one’s building green. We urge developers to work with LEED rating officials to insist that credits be awarded for the use of interior plants in green-sanctioned buildings. The environmental benefits indoor plants provide result in bottom-line savings and are a vital component of a truly green building.
The author, Jeff Mariola, is the president of Initial Tropical Plants, a provider of interior landscaping, design installation and maintenance services in North America. For more information, visit Initial Tropical Plants Web site at www.initialplants.com.