TLC Engineering for Architecture provided sustainable design services for first LEED®-certified building in Florida and remains a pacesetter through continuing education and vigorous participation in the U.S. Green Building Council.  Spearheaded by Green Guides, Sustainabilty for Architecture, our "green team" of 75 LEED-accredited mechanical, electrical, plumbing and structural engineers and 14 ACG-certified commissioning authorities have a  thorough understanding of sustainable strategies, practices, and resources and are highly familiar with the USGBC LEED Green Building Rating System.

Our portfolio includes 15 USGBC LEED certified buildings and more than 100 LEED registered buildings, totaling more than 20.5 million square feet of sustainable space. In fact, we have provided LEED design, consulting and/or commissioning services for about one-third of all of LEED certified buildings in Florida. Sustainable design projects that are in construction or on the boards include university buildings, courthouses, hospitals, medical office buildings, libraries and the master-planning of a 450-acre urban town center.  Specialized green design services include LEED consulting, energy modeling, and commissioning.

Not only do we provide sustainable design and consulting services, we have become a greener organization in practice. Our nine offices are carbon neutral following the purchase of renewable energy credits to offset the energy used for power, lighting, heating and cooling. The credits go to a portfolio of small landfill gas-to-energy projects throughout the U.S that are certified by "Green-e", the nation's leading independent renewable energy certification and verification program. We use these projects because the methane they destroy for fuel has 21 times the global warming potential than carbon dioxide. We also purchase renewable energy credits for all travel associated with green projects. In addition, our 400 employees do their part by turning off lights in work spaces and conference rooms when they aren't in use and shutting down computers and other electronic equipment at night and on weekends. Water-conservation and recycling measures are also in place.

"This endeavor illustrates TLC's firm belief that we are all stewards of the environment. As a firm, we are passionate about sustainability, not just in green building design but in the way we live our lives," said Chief Executive Office Debra Lupton, AIA.

**************

For more information about the USGBC or selected chapters, click on the links below.

USGBC
http://www.usgbc.org/
Kim Shinn, PE, LEED-AP, CxA, TLC Director of Sustainable Design
Member, U.S.Green Building Council Board of Directors, representing Southeast Region
Member/working group chairman of USGBC LEED Application Guide for Healthcare Steering Committee
Co-Chair, Energy and Atmosphere Technical Advisory Group for Campus Combined Heat and Power task force and Member, Greenbuild 2005 Program Committee

Central Florida Chapter USGBC
http://www.usgbc.org/chapters/centralflorida/

North Florida Chapter USGBC
http://www.usgbcnf.org/usgbcnf/Welcome.html
Jacksonville Division Director Mark Gelfo, PE, LEED-AP, is immediate past president and education committee chair for the chapter.

South Florida Chapter USGBC
http://www.usgbc.org/chapters/southflorida/

Middle Tennessee Chapter USGBC
http://www.usgbc.org/chapters/middletennessee/

Gulf Coast Chapter USGBC
http://fgcc.roundtablelive.org/

Florida Capital Region Chapter USGBC
http://chapters.usgbc.org/floridacapital/
Doug Law, PE, LEED AP, mechanical project engineer in TLC's Tallahassee office, is on the chapter's board of directors and serves as programs committee co-chhair.

Green buildings are buildings that minimize the impact they have on the environment.  This includes:

• How the building uses energy,
• How the construction materials are derived, and
• How, over the life and eventual demolition of the building, it will diminish the finite resources of our planet. 

Green design includes the impact that the building environment will have on its occupants, especially in terms of comfort, health and well being.  In short, green buildings are healthy buildings.

The operation of the building, including the way it is maintained, also has an effect on the environment.  This includes the use of solvents in cleaning; disposable materials from air conditioning filters to lamps to carpeting; and in the use of non-renewable energy resources such as fossil fuels.  Green buildings are sometimes called "High Performance" buildings because they cost significantly less to operate and have substantially higher value compared to "standard" building stock.

A high performance green building is an efficient building. Savings in energy costs of 20% to 50% are common through integrated planning, site orientation, energy-saving technologies, on-site renewable energy-producing technologies, light-reflective materials, natural daylight and ventilation, and downsized HVAC and other equipment. Green building owners realize significant savings during the life of a building through other measures, such as natural landscaping, water-saving equipment, low-maintenance materials, salvaged construction debris and smart building controls. With the help of these kinds of efficiencies, green buildings can save money throughout their life cycle.

What are the benefits of green buildings?

• Economic benefits are realized in building operations, asset value, worker productivity, and the local economy.
• Occupants benefit from health and safety features. This also relates to risk management and economics. The average American spends more than 90% of his or her time indoors, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. The U.S. EPA concurs, and adds that indoor air quality can be two to five times worse than outdoor air quality.
• Community and municipal benefits include: lessened demand for large-scale infrastructure such as landfills, water supply, stormwater sewers, and their related development and operational costs; and decreased transportation development and maintenance burden (roads) and increased economic performance of mass transit systems.
• The local and global environment benefits from protecting air quality, water quality, and overall biodiversity and ecosystem health.

TLC professionals play an ongoing role in crafting sustainable design standards for the healthcare industry, including helping to author the American Society of Healthcare Engineers Association 2001 Guideline for Green Healthcare Design and Construction, which became the basis for the ASHE Sustainable Building design award.  Senior staff is also active in the LEED Application Guide for Healthcare and LEED Application Guide for Labs core committees; the LEED Energy and Atmosphere Technical Advisory Group subcommittee for combined heat and power applications; the Green Guide for Healthcare Steering Committee, and the GGHC Water and Energy groups subcommittee.

Why have Green Healthcare Buildings?  To:

• Enhance the quality of patient care
• Reduce capital and operating costs
• Enhance the recruitment and retention of staff
• Improve the public image and community relationships
• Demonstrate corporate responsibility
• Manage risk
• Meet future mandatory regulatory requirements