ID_checklist

HARVARD UNIVERSITY Harvard Green Campus Initiative 46 Blackstone Street First Floor Cambridge, MA 02139

Phone 617.495.4980 Fax 617.495.9409 www.greencampus.harvard.edu

Integrated Design Checklist 1.

If it is important, ask for it. Include integrated design, sustainability, occupant education & LEED goals in RFP language, interview questions, and Owners Project Requirements.

2.

Evaluate program needs. Work with building occupants and project team to assess an actual building program with space needs, and consider opportunities to share resources through adjacencies and providing communal amenities. By better understanding actual program needs, team members are more likely to work towards a common goal and create a successful project.

3.

Establish measures for success. Set measurable sustainability targets for energy, water, daylight, etc. and require reporting on progress towards goals as part of all design submissions. For successful designs, consider financial incentives such as passing on tax credits or sharing energy savings or coming in under GMP.

4.

Take advantage of available expertise. Include design charettes in Concept and Schematic Design that include representatives from all major stakeholders including members of the owner’s team, design team, construction team, and possibly vendor’s team. See HGCI sample agendas.

5.

Ask why. Question decisions made during building design and construction that were done based on “rules of thumb” or “business as usual.” Project teams should be prepared to look to alternatives to common strategies and develop solutions appropriate for their specific project. Each project is unique and technologies are constantly changing, so very few decisions should be taken for granted.

6.

Model alternative building systems. Include energy modeling in Concept, Schematic, & Design Development with multiple parametric runs to evaluate major design decisions.

7.

Design for operations and maintenance. Identify & include operations representative in charettes, design meetings, and construction meetings. Provide comprehensive preventive maintenance plan and ensure effective training of operations and maintenance staff.

The first rule of intelligent tinkering is to save all the parts. Aldo Leopold

HARVARD UNIVERSITY Harvard Green Campus Initiative 46 Blackstone Street First Floor Cambridge, MA 02139

Phone 617.495.4980 Fax 617.495.9409 www.greencampus.harvard.edu

8.

Commission throughout project. Engage a commissioning agent in Schematic Design and include thorough verification of building performance and plans for continuous commissioning throughout building’s life.

9.

Consider life cycle costs. Identify Life Cycle Costing requirements early in design prior to selecting systems and require LCC results before making major design decisions. Utilize life cycle costs when evaluating systems rather than strictly first costs.

10. Consider alternative funding mechanisms. Make project team aware of Harvard Green Campus Loan Fund, local utility rebates, state and federal grant programs, power purchasing agreements and performance contracts and take advantage of these programs as appropriate. If the team is made aware of these opportunities early in the design process, they are more likely to suggest strategies to pursue these monies.

11. Meter and verify performance. Identify measurement and verification requirements for the project and include operations staff and controls vendor in design process.

12. Utilize lessons learned. Provide project team with access to and training for the High Performance Building Resource. Throughout the project, collect and share documentation including energy model files, LCC results, evaluation of consultants and contractors, and success stories. Harvard has the High Performance Building Resource and the Property Information Resource Center to collect these lessons and make them available to future projects.

The first rule of intelligent tinkering is to save all the parts. Aldo Leopold