Decoding Green

ICC, AIA and others aim to develop an international green construction code

Industry groups are partnering to create a practical new code for green building practices that will have broad industry and geographical support.

By Kelly Davidson

The International Code Council has partnered with the American Institute of Architects and the American Society for Testing and Materials to develop an International Green Construction Code to guide the design and construction of green commercial projects.

The initiative—titled “Safe and Sustainable by the Book”—aims to develop a regulatory framework for green construction that is consistent and coordinated with ICC codes and standards, currently adopted nationwide as the basis of building codes. The first draft of the proposed regulations will be presented for public comment in 2010, with publication for adoption expected in 2012.

Since the launch of the initiative in June, a 29-person committee that was formed to draft the new code has hosted public meetings nationwide, engaged in daily conference calls and divided into working groups.

“We are trying to push the envelope, but we’re also trying to be practical in doing so, says committee vice chair Christopher Green of AGO Studios Inc. in Avon, Colo. “We recognize that collaboration among all the major players is critical to ensuring that the new code makes a smooth transition into the marketplace.”

A resource document written by the ICC staff is being used as a starting point in the drafting process. The document draws upon existing green construction codes, standards and certification programs. Green building codes adopted in California and the city of Aspen are among those referenced in the resource document.

Making the Code Relevant The IGCC committee’s five working groups—energy, water/indoor environmental quality, site/land use, materials and administration—address different chapters of the new code and are all open to outside, interested parties.

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Starbucks Coffee Co., Arby’s Restaurant Group and Target have representatives working with the site/land use group, while the Los Angeles Fire Department and the Tile Council of North America are represented on the materials group.

Green says the committee’s greatest challenge is making the code relevant for the next four years until the next code cycle.

“The sustainability arena is rapidly evolving,” he adds. “Rather than adhere to a specific set of criteria that is relevant today, we have to be a bit visionary to accommodate new products and technologies that are not even on the radar yet. Our goal is to develop a code that targets performance and creates an environment where innovation can thrive.”

Always Room for More Regulations in the new code may overlap some requirements of voluntary rating systems and standards, such as LEED, Energy Star and Green Globes, but the new code will not compete with those programs nor detract from their value in the industry, says Michael Armstrong, a senior vice president with the ICC.

“Other voluntary standards will continue to encourage builders to reach for the highest standards while the new green construction code will address the rest of the market and achieve the baseline necessary for market transformation,” adds Armstrong.

Regardless of the potential overlap, both the U.S. Green Building Council and the Green Building Initiative—the administrators of the LEED and Green Globes programs, respectively—have endorsed the new code and have representatives serving on the drafting committee as well.

“Building codes work from the bottom of the market to ensure that projects achieve minimum compliance,” says Brendan Owens, USGBC vice president. “Some projects may choose only to meet the minimum standards, but there will still be a significant market for projects that want to be recognized for going above and beyond.”

ICC’s green construction code comes on the heels of Standard 189, a code-enforceable standard for green buildings being developed by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers; USGBC; and Illuminating Engineering Society of North America.

Originally proposed as a universal minimum standard for green buildings, Standard 189 has evolved through its drafting process into a firm baseline for higher-performance buildings. Largely based upon the prerequisites and credits for the LEED rating system, the latest version of Standard 189 mandates that green commercial buildings must meet minimum requirements in each LEED category in order to be “green.”

New Standard by 2010 A finalized Standard 189 is expected by early 2010. But, even with a head start in the marketplace and growing interest in Asia, Standard 189 may have trouble penetrating the domestic market. The standard has been widely criticized for its inflexibility, and some industry groups have opposed ASHRAE’s leadership role in developing a green building standard.

Excerpts of Standard 189 have been cited within the IGCC resource document, and the ICC invited an ASHRAE representative to participate on the IGCC drafting committee, but it is too early in the process to know whether the IGCC committee will integrate sections of Standard 189 into the new code.

Because most jurisdictions already use codes developed by the ICC, it is likely that the large majority of jurisdictions will turn to the ICC’s new code as a resource for developing and implementing green construction regulations, Armstrong says.

“The new code will provide code officials with the consistency and clarity that they need to regulate green construction projects, and it will do it in a language and style that is familiar to them,” Armstrong says.

In the absence of formal green construction regulations, code officials in most jurisdictions are working within the context of existing conventional I-code based building codes—including the ICC’s International Energy Conservation Code, which mandates energy-efficiency standards.

The new code aims to address some of the inconsistencies between the conventional codes and the green building standards encouraged by voluntary certification systems, including LEED, Green Globes, Energy Star and BREEM. One such case is the waterless urinal, prohibited under conventional code provisions in some jurisdictions yet widely used in green construction projects as a water-saving measure.

Selective Adoption Jurisdictions may adopt all or select only some regulations within the codebook, and as necessary, modify the regulations to meet their specific needs. Many of the regulations will be written to include tiered levels of compliance, allowing jurisdictions the option to choose a level appropriate for their needs. Jurisdictions in high-drought regions, for example, may opt for stricter water-saving regulations.

Such flexibility is a point of contention for some parties who fear that a code developed through consensus will put forth inadequate standards, according to Kent Peterson, chair of the Standard 189 committee.

“Allowing jurisdictions to pick their level of compliance and decide which regulations suit their whims—honestly, I think it’s a copout and a green wash,” Peterson says. “Green buildings must comply with minimum regulations in all of the key categories—not just one or two regulations here and there at whatever level they see fit.”

The timing of the initiative couldn’t be better, says Stephen Kanipe, Aspen’s chief building official and a member of the committee charged with drafting the new code.

“A number of states and municipalities have wanted to develop their own green construction codes, but with so many experiencing budget challenges and layoffs, few can allocate the resources and manpower to the process right now,” Kanipe says.

Denver and Fort Collins are among the jurisdictions in Colorado that have considered developing their own green construction codes and may benefit from ICC’s efforts. While both cities have encouraged green building and energy conservation through various programs, including Energy Star Colorado, neither has adopted a formal, comprehensive code that mandates green construction practices for commercial buildings.

Other countries may draw upon the new code as well, according to John Loyer, director of state relations for AIA. Sweden, Canada and South Africa are looking at the new code as a basis for developing their own national regulations.