Sustainable costs

Ted Garrison.

Construction Week’s recent Conference on Building Sustainability into the Middle East in Abu Dhabi offered many insights. One was delivered by Jody Andrews, the director of the Capital District Development. His comment could change the thinking for many people on sustainability. He said: “If it is not cheaper, it is not sustainable.”

Andrews’ comment certainly challenges the conventional thinking of many people that sustainability must cost more. However, Andrews was not alone in the view that sustainability does not have to cost more. Other speakers reinforced the message that throwing money at the process was not the answer.

Instead, it is more important to challenge the way things are done. Do not ask how much more; ask instead how can it be done better. Keep in mind that less costly does not necessarily mean it is ‘cheaper’ in the negative sense. Eliminating waste or things that add little value can increase savings. These can be applied to other desirable areas such as additional green space.

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In listening to the presenters, it was apparent how many ideas are possible when the limitation “this is not the way it has always been done” is removed. It is no longer good enough to “get outside the box”; we need to throw away the box.

For example, Abu Dhabi has created its own sustainability programme with Estidama, and its own rating system called the Pearl rating system. This is important because Abu Dhabi has recognised that other systems did not adequately serve its efforts to improve sustainability.

Abu Dhabi’s largest challenge is not energy, but water. Its water comes from desalination, which has a high energy cost. So by reducing the water consumption, it improves the energy consumption at the same time. As a result it created a programme that emphasises the reduction of water consumption. The point is that, when you are in a climate where the temperature can reach as high as 50°C, it is a good idea to develop a sustainability model that fits your environment.

Therefore other locations that have special challenges might consider adopting a programme that addresses their own unique needs. Some might question why this is necessary.

Most national or international programmes address the majority of situations, which tend to fall in the middle of the spectrum. This means those with special conditions are not addressing those issues adequately. As someone said at the conference, it is not so much about reinventing the wheel, but more about adapting the wheel to the situation at hand. After all, there are many types of wheels.

One of my guests on NCS Radio (www.NCS30.com), Gerry Nadler, is author of the book Breakthrough Thinking. In the book he describes seven critical steps to obtaining better solutions.

The first two steps address the direction the process takes. He explains the first step is to determine what is unique about the situation. This step is essential, because when people fail to recognise what is different, they tend to ignore those facts and focus on what they had done before.

This can result in important factors not being addressed until it is too late. Furthermore, once it is recognised that a project is unique, you are no longer trapped or forced to do what has always been done before. This allows for creative solutions to be devised.

The second item is defining the problem or project from the client’s perspective. This includes prioritising all requirements. The reason this is so important is because often requirements are in conflict and, unless everyone understands the priorities, it is virtually impossible to consistently make the correct tradeoffs.

For example, if sustainability is the highest priority, and the building owner wants a lot of glass on the exterior, the limitations established by the sustainability calculations will dictate how much exterior glass can be used. Using Nadler’s tools you can help create not only economical but highly sustainable buildings.

Ted Garrison is host of New Construction Strategies Radio.