2025-2026
Why is sustainability important? - Answers Sustainability in construction is crucial for
minimizing environmental impacts, reducing resource depletion, and promoting long term
ecological balance
What 3 organizations hold companies accountable for sustainability? - Answers LEED,
International Living Future Institute, and Green Building Council
What are the four levels of leed systems? - Answers Certified, Silver, Gold, and Platinum
Certified - Answers 40-49 points
Silver - Answers 50-59 points
Gold - Answers 60-79 points
Platinum - Answers 80 + points
What are the 7 pillars of sustainable construction? - Answers Sustainable design
Durability
Energy efficiency
Waste reduction
Indoor air quality
Water conservation
Sustainable building materials
What is sustainable construction also called? - Answers Green Design
____% of construction materials in landfills were because of demolition of buildings - Answers
32
Waste Conservation - Answers → Low-flow water fixtures (toilets and urinals)
→ Rainwater harvesting
→ Efficient irrigation - or no irrigation (plants that don't need much water for survivability)
→ Monitoring water use through technology
Integrated Design Process (IDP) - Answers A holistic understanding from all parties (owner,
architect, engineers, contractors) of the building design, construction, and operations. Help
,optimize sustainability, energy efficiency, and overall projects performance
Life Cycle Analysis - Answers The method to quantify the environmental impacts associated
with materials and buildings
Phases of a Life Cycle - Answers 1. Raw material extraction
2. Construction
3. Operations of the building
4. Maintenance (use stage)
5. Demolition and recycling
3 environmental impacts during the phases of the life cycle - Answers Energy use
Emissions
Resource depletion
Cradle to Gate Analysis - Answers tabulates the environmental impact of the material extraction
up until it leaves the factory
Cradle to Grave Analysis - Answers a technique to assess environmental impacts associated
with all the stages of a product's life from raw material extraction through materials processing,
manufacture, distribution, use, repair and maintenance
Commissioning Process - Answers Is a systematic process of ensuring that a building performs
in accordance with the design intent, contract documents, and the owners operational needs
Cons of Design Bid Build - Answers There is little to no collaboration between the general
contractor and the design team (architects and engineers)
Most of the time the owner selects the low proposer - which is not always the most qualified
Pros of Design Bid Build - Answers - Competitive
- More control for owner (separate contracts)
- Known/predictable method
Construction Manager at Risk - Answers The owner contracts with two entities, the design team
and the construction manager
For this method, the construction manager is brought on early in the design stage for
constructability reviews.
Pros and Cons of CMAR - Answers Even though there are two separate contracts, the
, construction manager is typically brought on early for constructability review, so this method
encourages collaboration
For the owner, the CMAR method does not always provide the lowest overall construction cost
There is a chance of potential risk for the owner that the GMP provided is not complete, so the
dollar value submitted could increase
More transparency through the process of costs - All costs and fees are "open book"
Design Build - Answers The owner contracts directly with one entity
The entity may be made up on a singular firm that does design and construct work, but also
could be a joint venture between a contractor and design firm
Typically, the selection process is made through a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) step, so
Fees are not known at the time
Pros and Cons of Design Build - Answers The contractor is brought on very early on the design
stage to help with constructability reviews
This method encourages collaborations between the design team and construction teams
Typically used on more technical or challenging projects
For the owner, they most likely will not end up with the most competitive pricing
Typically can move quicker through the design because there is one entity so it increases the
efficiencies of the workflow
What are the 4 Pre-Construction Design Phases - Answers Planning / Programming
Schematic Design
Design Development
Construction Documents
A - Answers Assembly
B - Answers Business
E - Answers Educational (elementary, middle, and high schools)
F - Answers Factory Industrial (low and moderate hazards production or fabrication)
H - Answers High Hazard (processes, manufacturing, or storage involving hazardous)
I - Answers Institutional