Sustainability and Green Design  

Corporate responsibility addresses how companies manage their economic, social, and environmental impacts as well as their relationships in all key spheres of influence, including the workplace, marketplace, supply chain, community, and public-policy realm. Elements of corporate responsibility include: philanthropy/social impact, governance, diversity and inclusion, and sustainability. Sustainability issues include:

• carbon footprint and energy, such as clean energy options, lighting, heating, air- conditioning and computers;
• use of materials, such as recycling, going paperless, and zero landfill;
• sourcing/supply chain, such as policies and standards, and procurement practices, measurement, and disclosure;
• product development, such as development of environmentally friendly products;
• water usage and management, such as oversight of water usage and pollution;
• human rights, such as development and enforcement of standards of pay, treatment of employees, and employees of suppliers; and
• transportation, such as examination of innovative practices to lessen environmental impact of shipment of materials and products.

Photo courtesy of Benjamin Moore & Co.

Green design and sustainability go beyond just the product and can be seen in corporate practices, such as employees engaging with the local environment.

In many industries, the move toward corporate responsibility and environmental sustainability is gaining traction and, in some cases, becoming an integral part of a company’s business strategy. The building industry is no different, with architects, designers, and building owners beginning to understand the long-term financial benefits of green design and sustainable products. Benefits can stem from energy efficiency to reduced maintenance costs and from overall building longevity to improved overall building health for occupants. In this context, it helps to understand how and why a thoughtful approach to material and product specification can help achieve, and possibly exceed, a project’s sustainability goals.

Some companies tend to be ahead of the curve, whether it’s in product development, manufacturing processes, or, in a less immediately obvious sense, how they engage with sustainability and green design practices. A quality product often reflects more than just a company’s commitment to developing products that will sell well; environmental responsibility may be reflected in many different levels of the corporation, from the physical buildings to the corporate culture, sustainability, and beyond.

More importantly, when companies develop sustainable products, it supports sustainable ideals of architects and contractors, building owners and occupants, and the customers they serve. For example, high-performing paint products—those that meet or exceed environmental and performance criteria regarding volatile organic compounds (VOCs), emissions, application, washability, scrubbability, and packaging—can help minimize maintenance time and cost, extend a building’s longevity, and maintain the well-being of a building’s occupants.

Often overlooked in the quest for a sustainable environment is a company’s environmental sustainability practices. These practices may not be overtly visible in the products it produces and instead can include how a company develops its products. Some harder-to-see sustainability approaches companies may take include working to reduce toxicity and striving to use safer materials; using renewable energy sources; managing their waste and water; and operating their sites. Ideally, these practices extend to product design goals; for example, ways to improve a product’s performance while also reducing unwanted chemicals or compounds.

A company that looks through the lens of sustainability at its product manufacturing process and daily operation can enjoy the same benefits as builders and building occupants. Greater comfort, lower energy use, a more healthful building environment, greater durability, and knowledge that today’s actions are in line with tomorrow’s needs are all recognized benefits of a sustainable perspective. For consumers, it may be difficult to recognize that large manufacturers are actively pursuing sustainable goals in their daily operations, facilities, and overall philosophy; however, many of today’s businesses are leading the way in sustainable practices.

Whether the push comes from new energy code requirements or the many voluntary standards and rating systems, architects, designers, and owners are shifting their focus as well to the different ways their projects can incorporate sustainable materials and practices, all while preserving the health and well-being of building occupants. A big part of that is ensuring that the products and materials used in the projects are sourced from trusted manufacturers that share the value of sustainable environmental practices.

Architects that specify products from such companies make a statement too, not only by supporting environmentally responsible manufacturers but also by specifying products that enhance the sustainability of their projects and create better environments for the building occupants.

Minimize Embodied Carbon Footprint During Production and Transportation

From its earliest start, the manufacturing sector has had a long history of focusing more on production and profit than environmental impacts. The environmental movement gained social support in the 1960s, and for the past 50 years, regulations and standards have shifted to better protect the environment. Yet many of those shifts focused primarily on waste disposal and banning chemicals, all of which were very important improvements and critical steps toward a better environment. But for the past decade, the perspective has shifted to more closely examine broader ways that industry impacts the environment. This concern moves beyond just material input, output, and potential waste and now includes the environmental impact of a product’s life cycle— from inception, through engineering design and manufacturing, and to service and disposal of the manufactured product—and includes elements critical to the manufacturing process, such as material and product transportation and greenhouse gas production.

In short, businesses have started to look at ways to minimize the overall embodied carbon footprint during both production and transportation. Embodied carbon refers to the carbon footprint, or how many greenhouse gases (GHGs) are released through the entire supply chain of constructing the building, producing the car, or manufacturing the laptop. As a result, embodied carbon calculations require an understanding of all of the materials, or ingredients, within a product, and all activities related to those materials, such as processing and transport.

For some companies, the concept of sustainable manufacturing still may seem like a daunting capital investment that isn’t worth the effort. But others have found that such a shift can lower the cost of the business, often with relatively short payback periods, depending on the initial investment. For example, solar power can help a company become energy independent. Waste reduction and water reuse can both cut expenses. Or, on a more basic level, there are new technologies that help regulate energy consumption overall, which may then lead to more sustainable practices down the road.

Reducing Waste

Recycling in the United States has become increasingly popular, with a shift from transporting waste to landfills. The shift to recycling was also in part due to an agreement with China, which adopted a global practice paired with its shipping export policies: rather than take empty shipping containers back to China, the country accepted the world’s recyclable waste on the return voyage and would process it for profit.

However, in February 2018, the Chinese government instituted a program that set stricter standards for contamination levels common in waste materials. The goal was in part to help improve the quality—and thus recyclability—of what is imported and protect its citizens, who were processing the materials. The program bans 24 types of waste materials, including different types of plastics (e.g., polyethylene terephthalate [PET], polyvinyl chloride [PVC], polystyrene or Styrofoam [PS], and certain types of paper). The standard aims to ensure that whatever is shipped is as pure as possible.

As an example of what this means on a global scale, China processes 55 percent of the world’s scrap paper, and it has been the leading site for other recyclable materials. Since the policy began, the amount of scrap plastic imported to China has decreased significantly, from 3.5 million metric tons in 2017 to 21,300 metric tons in mid-2018.¹

So, what does this mean for manufacturers and architectural firms? While the impact of this new policy is still being understood, common sense says that if a corporation or architectural firm has been relying on recycling, it can benefit from shifting its focus to the “reduce” portion of the “reduce, reuse, recycle” chain. By designing manufacturing processes and products that reduce waste, a big part of the recycling issue goes away. The American Coatings Association (ACA), for example, has implemented the PaintCare paint product stewardship program, which facilitates the reduction, recovery, reuse, and recycling of leftover architectural coatings. Among the many benefits, the program helps encourage consumers to buy the right amount of paint to reduce waste; collects, transports, and processes post-consumer paint; and offers convenient leftover paint drop-off locations. All of these activities encourage the reduce, reuse, recycle hierarchy and can minimize waste.

Supporting the Local Environment

Many companies now include sustainability strategies as part of their practice, and in some cases, taking care of the local environment and facility may be a deliberate business decision. For some companies, environmental protection has been a long-standing practice. Depending on the industry, practices such as measuring water usage, energy consumption, and CO2 help influence future green practices, such as reusing wastewater or relying on renewable energy sources.

Other strategies include increased recycling and aiming to minimize how much waste goes into landfills. This tactic is closely linked to reducing CO2 emissions as well; shipping waste to landfills requires transportation costs, and thus CO2 emissions.

Engaging in Sustainable Practices from the Start

As we have seen, manufacturing companies can do many different things to engage in sustainable, green design. For example, companies can commit to buying clean energy, engage in ingredient and process transparency, partner with non-government organizations (NGOs) and other environmental organizations to protect the local ecosystem, or share information with investors about why sustainable and environmentally beneficial practice makes good business sense. Let’s take a closer look at how one company has successfully taken on sustainable practices.

CASE STUDY: LEADING INDUSTRY MANUFACTURER’S SUSTAINABLE FACILITY

In 1992, a leading industry manufacturer took the message of sustainability to heart when it purchased a roughly 80,000-square-foot building situated on 90 acres of land outside of a major city. The site, which is nestled within farmland and other small manufacturing sites, had for the previous four years been a research and development site for a computer manufacturer. The existing facility provided the backbone for what would soon become a state-of-the-art research and development center that would keep sustainability as a core concept.

Designed by the architectural firm of Adler, Goodman, and Kalish of Great Neck, Long Island, the facility renovation was designed to keep the company ahead of the curve, from R&D to corporate training. One key feature includes an outdoor paint “test farm” where paints are exposed to year-round weather conditions and evaluated for performance.

Over the past 25 years, the facility has continued to thrive and become a literal bright spot in this part of the region. The paint test farm, which sits on 5 acres of land, houses more than 25,000 painted test boards at any given time and looks like a field of perfectly arranged rows of colorful tiles.

Photo courtesy of Benjamin Moore & Co.

Benjamin Moore’s Flanders R&D facility’s paint test farm sits on 5 acres.

The site now includes 10 research and development laboratories, with each lab focusing on different areas of expertise. Some labs evaluate color standards, while others specialize in enhancing high-performing contractor and consumer paints as well as industrial coatings. The R&D labs employ more than 100 chemists, chemical engineers, technicians, and support staff, all of whom work to ensure that the paint formulations are best in class.

Photo courtesy of Benjamin Moore & Co.

A Benjamin Moore chemist is at work in the lab.

This manufacturer’s research and development facility host a 1.7-megawatt solar array for its local energy provider. The company purchases the electricity generated by the system under a 20-year power purchase agreement. Installed in 2010, the solar array is one of the largest ground-mounted, on-site behind the meter solar power systems in the state of New Jersey. The system generates more than 2.4 million kilowatt hours of electricity annually and provides about 70 percent of the facility’s annual electricity needs.

The goal of incorporating renewable energy into site operations was to allow research and development work to impact the environment as little as possible, all while benefitting from having the extra energy produced go into the larger grid. Moreover, the project required close work with both state and community authorities to ensure that the installation also improved the local physical environment. In this case, that meant meeting–and amending –the open space and water drainage requirements set by the Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act of 2004. The system design was adjusted to shift more than the proposed 1,500 photovoltaic panels from an open field on the property to a newly installed roof structure over the facility’s parking lot. By making this shift, the adjusted design preserved open space on the land, all while providing shade for parked vehicles.

The manufacturer facilities are spread across North America and occupy hundreds of acres. Their employees care about the wildlife that call the sites home, and they work to protect the wildlife and preserve their habitats. One way the manufacturer does this is by working with the Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC), a nonprofit group of corporations, conservation organizations, and individuals dedicated to restoring and enhancing wildlife habitats. Two sites have earned Conservation Certification from the WHC.

The Wildlife Habitat Council is a nonprofit group of corporations, conservation organizations, and individuals dedicated to restoring and enhancing wildlife habitats. WHC’s Conservation Certification Program recognizes commendable wildlife habitat management and education programs on individual sites, and awards certification based on a tiered level of Certified, Certified Silver, and Certified Gold.

The company first partnered with WHC in 1993, and one site has maintained WHC certification since 2005. The wildlife teams at their two certified sites manage a total of 67 acres by providing habitat for native birds and pollinators and removing invasive species.

Photo courtesy of Benjamin Moore & Co.

A wood duck hen and a drake sit atop a nest box.

In addition to environmental stewardship, company employees at both sites host events for the local community. For example, at the R&D facility, employees plant pollinator gardens, build birdhouses, and organize clean-up days of the physical area. Employees help educate local school children about the importance of nature and have been constructing a butterfly/hummingbird garden and revitalized existing Purple Martin birdhouses. On October 31, 2018, one site was re-certified to the Silver WHC level.

Greener Products

As an industry leader, this manufacturer’s commitment to corporate responsibility and sustainability is also reflected in its products. As an example, in 2006, it saw an opportunity to improve its paint with what it now considers a “game-changing technology.” By developing proprietary colorants and new machines, the manufacturer was able to remove certain ingredients in some of its products. For example, its waterborne colorant is engineered with a technology that disperses pigments in a patented blend of ingredients that contain resin and other additives without the use of glycols. The result was a zero-VOC colorant that has incredible color and durability.

In addition to manufacturing its colorants, the company manufactures many of its own resins. This allows it to customize the ingredients to ensure the resin works best with the chosen pigments and additives. The result of proprietary resins and proprietary colorant technology ensures a cohesive system with uncompromised durability, low VOC, better fade resistance, and improved color retention regardless of color.

Low- and zero-emission products are a great example of how a manufacturer contributes to the broader social and environmental good, and if it can create a top-notch product in the process, that sets a standard for the entire industry. In the case of this industry manufacturer, most interior paints are submitted for third-party testing to ensure that they meet or exceed the strict standards set by California’s Department of Public Health and California’s Collaborative for High-Performance Schools (CHPS). In addition, some of its products qualify for the company’s own internal certification, an assurance that these products meet—and often exceed—rigorous environmental and performance criteria regarding VOCs, emissions, application, washability, scrubbability, and packaging while also delivering premium levels of performance. Finally, many of the company’s products are certified to Master Painter Institute’s Green Performance Standard.

A THOUGHTFUL APPROACH TO MATERIAL SELECTION: SPECIFYING HIGH-PERFORMING PAINTS FOR BUILDING SUSTAINABILITY

When it comes to green build projects, material selection can offer one of the best opportunities to support the project’s sustainability goals, green construction codes, and potential green building program credits. However, that upfront investment is only part of the picture; ongoing maintenance and overall building longevity are also critically important in terms of materials and products. Regardless of the project, materials that are durable and designed for longevity not only keep a project looking good and performing well, but they can also support sustainability goals. In short, the less often something needs to be repaired or replaced, the better. Surface protection such as paint and coatings are often first thought of as an aesthetic element of a project, coloring and beautifying the materials they coat. However, coatings play an important role in protecting the surface materials. This is equally true whether the project is an architectural interior or exterior, a bridge, a car, or even a road or surface. Paints and coatings are engineered to perform under varying conditions, so even a relatively thin layer of paint can help resist scuffs, fend off corrosion and abrasion, withstand temperature extremes, and protect against ultraviolet exposure and moisture. Areas with high traffic—whether vehicular (such as parking garages), pedestrian (such as hallways or interiors), or equipment (such as a warehouse)—are all examples, of places where architects and designers can contribute to the sustainability of a project by making maintenance easier and ensuring that the project has a long life.

Photo courtesy of Benjamin Moore & Co.

One way to keep a high-traffic area such as a hotel hallway looking good is to use a high-performance paint that resists scuffs and cleans easily.

Reducing Maintenance through High Performance and Longevity

More often than not, high-quality and high-performing products play a critical role in reducing the required maintenance of a building, and they can increase the overall longevity of the surface. Yet, often the upfront cost of specifying a high-performing product seems to be more than what a budget can accommodate, and so architects, designers, and contractors may, logically, specify less-expensive options. Once maintenance and longevity costs are factored in, however, the initial expense may seem worth it.

When discussing sustainability and environmental responsibility, reduced maintenance is important. One of the most common maintenance requirements in the built environment is repainting over the course of a structure’s life cycle. Whether the building is an exterior residential or commercial building or the interior of a high-traffic commercial space, paint is used for both protection and aesthetics. And the choice of what kind of paint can make a huge difference in how frequently a building or project needs maintenance.

Other Benefits of High-Performing Paints and Coatings

So far, we have talked about the sustainability benefits of using high-performing paints and coatings, mainly in terms of reduced maintenance and long-term surface protection. Both of these issues translate directly into reduced maintenance costs over the lifetime of the building or structure. With thoughtful product specification, often the initial capital cost to invest in a durable, long-lasting product or material is offset by less time and money spent on maintenance.

Another consideration with this type of product selection is whether the space in which it is used can afford to be out of operation while it is being repainted. Health-care facilities and hospitals are particularly vulnerable to this issue in that they typically function around the clock, and so staff and patients can’t be moved or exposed to fumes. If, however, a high-performing paint is used at the start of the project, the space will need to be repainted far less frequently than if conventional paints are used.

Health-care facilities are by no means the only places where high-performing products reduce the need for repainting. Schools, hotels, restaurants, and retail space—anywhere that gets high traffic and where surfaces come into constant contact with people, furniture, or equipment—will inevitably require frequent cleaning. Conventional paints are not designed to address these needs and cannot handle intensive cleaning or scrubbing. When high-performing paints are specified—for example, paints engineered to resist scuff marks—building operations and maintenance staff benefit from being able to quickly and easily ensure that surfaces look newly painted for a long time. Less time is spent cleaning, retouching, and repainting all lower maintenance costs. In this sense, high-performing paint serves as a sustainable design option. By protecting surfaces for an extended time and requiring infrequent repainting, less material is shipped and used.

Maintaining Architectural Business Integrity by Ensuring Product Integrity On-site

As green building requirements increase, specifying products from trusted manufacturers becomes even more important for the health, safety, and welfare of occupants, and to earn LEED v4 credits. However, there are times when contractors swap out the specified product for something from another manufacturer, either because of cost or availability. While this may be easier to address on smaller projects, with larger construction projects, the ramifications can be vast. This section will focus on positive ways that architects can make sure that the products they specify are the products used for the project.

Photo courtesy of Benjamin Moore & Co.

Paint colors from different manufacturers may look similar, but it’s important to know why a certain product has been specified.

Much has changed over the past several decades regarding architectural products, especially in the green building industry. The shift from natural raw materials such as wood, brick, and stone to more manufactured products changed the knowledge base for architects. Where previously architects needed to know the qualities and properties of a natural material, they are now being asked to know the chemical ingredients of manufactured materials as well as the potential health impacts. That’s a lot to juggle, especially when it comes to making informed choices about sustainable products and building occupant health.

While in some cases, a simple product swap might not make a difference, in others, using a product from a different manufacturer can impact the overall project. Consider this situation: an architect specifies a low-VOC paint engineered to resists scuffs and marks in high-traffic areas that is tinted with advanced zero waterborne colorants. The paint is needed for a large-scale residential project with multiple units, and one of the design requirements is to reduce maintenance time through longevity of the paint product. If, on the building site, a contractor swaps out the same color paint from a different manufacturer, both the durability and VOC levels may be compromised from that which was originally specified.

For a large-scale project, this can be a problem, especially if a design goal is to address sustainability through low maintenance. While repainting a single-family home or a small-scale project more frequently than originally anticipated may not be ideal, the same situation on a multi-unit, multi-floor project can result in high, unexpected maintenance costs.

The question is, then, what can an architect do to ensure that the contractor on the job uses products from a trusted manufacturer? A good place to start in answering this question is to understand the types of specifications an architect can use in a project. As you know, specifications are written documents that describe and explain the materials and workmanship requirements for a project. Good practice is to read them along with other contract documentation.

Specifications vary depending on the design and development stage. The three most common types of building construction specifications in commercial projects are performance, prescriptive, and proprietary. Specific project needs will dictate which specification is required.

To go back to our question about how an architect can ensure that a specific product is used on-site, the answer is that if the project has certain requirements, whether for performance or sustainability or health and safety, the architect can use a proprietary specification. In most cases, architects use a proprietary specification as a way to avoid liability in the event that another product is substituted (and then either fails or fails to work as well as the specified product).

Photo courtesy of Benjamin Moore & Co.

Clear communication between the architect and contractor is key to ensuring that the sustainability goals of a project are met through product specification.

Another problem that can arise is that sometimes specifications state that a product “or equal” can be used. Typically, those alternative products are less expensive, and so contractors may include it in the bid. However, if the alternative product is not accepted, the contractor is required to opt for the specified product.

If we go back to the example of high-performing paints, we can see how swapping out an “or equal” product for something specified can be a problem. Different paint manufacturers have different ingredients and formulation processes to meet their specific performance goals.

There may be several implications for swapping out paint from one manufacturer for that from another that is considered “equal.” First, the specified product may have been chosen because it meets green building requirements or contributes toward LEED v4 credits. If an alternative product is used—even if considered “equal”—it may jeopardize credit eligibility in multiple categories. For example, if the product specified meets the requirement in two categories, such as Indoor Environmental Quality and Materials and Resources, and the contractor substitutes the product with a comparable product that only meets one of the categories, this could result in credits not earned.

Another possible implication is that an alternative paint product may not share the specified product’s exact durability attributes. For example, it may not resist scuffs and marks or be easy to clean. In a commercial project that factored in reduced maintenance and long-lasting protection of the various surfaces, a seemingly small change could amount to an increase in maintenance cost.

One strategy an architect can take is to make sure the contractor understands the owner’s expectations on the design project and specify accordingly. If the project requires a product from a specific manufacturer—that is, a proprietary specification—the architect can share the details with the general contractor about why that specific product—and not an “equal” product—is required. Clear communication in this case can help ensure that the project’s sustainability and other design goals are met.

Conclusion

Sustainability and green design are becoming important aspect of good business practice within the building industry. Companies that commit to a holistic approach to environmental sustainability—an approach that permeates not only their manufacturing process and products but also the corporate culture and local ecosystem—often provide best-in-class materials and products. This attention to detail and commitment to the environment, health, and safety can be transferred to architects and building professionals who specify those quality products, which in turn enhance the sustainable aspect of their projects.

Tools such as HPDs and EPDs along with Declare labels help architects and designers sort through the many available products when it comes to specifying for a project. In addition, certification programs such as WELL Building Standard, Living Building Challenge, and LEED v4 all help building professionals quantify their sustainable contributions to their work.

Sustainable and green design can be achieved in many different ways, including emphasizing reduced maintenance and building longevity through thoughtful product specification of paints and coatings. Specifying paints that are engineered to resist scuffs, fend off corrosion and abrasion, withstand temperature extremes, and protect against ultraviolet exposure and moisture are ways to protect surfaces from daily wear and tear, all while making them durable and easy to clean.

Given the number of different products on the market today, architects and designers do need to remain vigilant on the job site to ensure that when they specify a product and color from a trusted manufacturer, the contractors do not swap out the color with a similar product by a different manufacturer. Similar products from different manufacturers are by no means “equal.” One manufacturer may have a unique formula that combines environmentally friendly ingredients with product longevity, but another may lack one or each of the desired qualities.

END NOTES

¹Eng, Tom.“Could the Chinese National Sword Inspire Global Recycling Innovation?.” TOMRA. 6 July 2018. Web 28 March 2019.

²Kaplaw, Stewart. “EPDs are Among the Hottest Topic in Green Building.” Green Building Law Update: Environmental Law and Sustainability for Business. 16 March 2014. Web. 26 March 2019: