SUMMARY OF #14
Respondents reported the extent to which they incorporated different types of sustainable considerations and strategies--beyond code--in the most environmentally-sensitive building project each has been involved in. Their response was as follows:
(Ranked in order, with #1 being the most prevalently-incorporated area of sustainable strategies/practices.)
| Sustainable Considerations/Strategies | Measures taken beyond code (Best + Improved) |
Best Practices | Improved Practices |
| 1. Energy and Water Conservation (14c) | 96% |
60% | 36% |
| 2. Occupant Health & Well-Being Protection (e) | 96% |
36% | 60% |
| 3. Materials Selection / Solid Waste Minimization (d) |
84% |
36% | 48% |
| 4. Site Planning: Land Impact Minimization (b) | 68% |
32% | 36% |
| 5. Site Selection: Sensitivity to Land Use Context (a) | 60% |
24% | 36% |
While all five sustainable strategy areas were marked by the majority of respondents, some strategies are clearly more commonly practiced than others, and the different types of strategies are carried out to varying degrees of improvement.
Energy and water conservation strategies were by far the most prevalent and most advanced of the sustainable measures respondents have incorporated into their projects; all but one respondent said that they had incorporated energy and water conservation strategies that went beyond code requirements, and the majority of respondents reported "best" practices. This was the only category for which more respondents reported "best" practices than simply "improved" practices. Respondents also say they commonly incorporate measures to protect occupant health and well-being, but the majority do not believe that these measures have risen to the level of "best" practice, though they are improvements over code requirements.
Materials selection and solid waste minimization strategies were the third most commonly incorporated practices reported by respondents. Site planning for land impact minimization ranked as the fourth most common strategy area. And site selection with sensitivity to the land use context came in fifth, as the least incorporated strategy type of the five.
Note: Many site selection and some site planning considerations cannot be factored in to renovation project decisions like they can in new construction projects and are not within the scope of work for those building professionals who are not involved in these early stages of a project. This explains, in part, why respondents would report less involvement in these areas.