On beyond energy efficiency

For architects, ‘sustainability’ now means so much more

GRAND FORKS – Jim Galloway agrees:

“In architecture these days, there are fads, there are trends and there are standard practices,” said Galloway, architect and principal at JLG Architects in Grand Forks.

“Sustainability is one of those that now is a standard practice.”

Paul Breiner agrees:

“Absolutely. It’s really not a trend any more,” said Breiner, project architect with Ackerman-Estvold in Minot.

“In fact, while it might not be the core, it’s certainly one of the core elements of architecture today.”

And Richard Graves, associate professor and director of the Center for Sustainable Building Research at the University of Minnesota School of Architecture, agrees, too.

“Here at the architecture school, we created

By Tom Dennis

a degree more than 10 years ago – a master’s in sustainable design,” Graves said.

“It was cutting edge, and one of the first such degrees in the country.

“But we just redid the curriculum of the architecture school, and now, all of those elements that 10 years ago were cutting edge are part of the core curriculum.

“We feel that all of those things, every architect needs to know before leaving the University of Minnesota.”

Daylight Dawns

But here’s the key: while the original elements of sustainability – notably, energy efficiency – now are standard practice, other elements have arisen that are the new cutting edge.

This story will explore that evolution. Today, sustainable architecture considers the building’s impact not just on the owner’s wallet, but also on the occupants and surrounding community; not just the presence of insulation and double-pane windows, but also the influence of daylight, solar panels, bike racks and low-flow toilets.

“These days, our students learn that architecture is about more than just designing things that are beautiful,” said Graves of the University of Minnesota.

“It’s about designing beautiful things that are driven by the kinds of performances we need in the future, both environmentally and socially.”

Built in 2013, the Gorecki Alumni Center at the University of North Dakota remains one of the few buildings in the state to be certified Platinum by the LEED or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program. That’s the program’s highest certification.

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ABOVE: THE WILKERSON COMMONS BUILDING AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA IS ANOTHER BUILDING THAT INCORPORATES PRINCIPLES OF HIGH-LEVEL SUSTAINABLE DESIGN. ONE OF THOSE PRINCIPLES IS DAYLIGHTING, SHOWN HERE. IMAGE: JLG ARCHITECTS BELOW: THIS DIAGRAM SHOWS HOW A RAINWATER AND GREYWATER COLLECTION SYSTEM CAN SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE A BUILDING’S WATER CONSUMPTION. IMAGE: CENTER FOR SUSTAINABLE BUILDING RESEARCH, UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA