PlusEnergy

Heliotrope - Plus Energy

Survive and Thrive. Since the call for “sustainability” of the status quo passed with insufficient action, we are now Beyond-Sustainability, or PlusEnergy. This is, of course, a play on the NetZero Energy, and was first coined upon the completion of the Heliotrope house in Freiburg, Germany, the ”first” building in the world to create more energy than it uses (renewable sources). The structure physically rotates to track the sun, which allows it to harness the maximum natural sunlight and warmth possible. A few points to ponder are the cost, the appeal of the carousel design, and the somewhat isolating and at the same time voyeur aspect of the structure.. But all that aside, this building went out on the cutting edge and “proved” that PlusEnergy can be done.

This idea was adopted on a community scale in Bavaria, where the 2600 residents of Wildpoldsried got together in 1997 to establish goals to become a net energy exporter. Richard Defendorf has posted an excellent review of the project guidelines, the actions and the results – an annual power surplus of 321%. Ah – and therein lies the rub. What does one do with extra power? Wildpoldsried proposes to convert the PV generated power into methane, which can be stored for future use. This raises questions of power lost in this multi-step process, the economic feasibility of this, were it not for substantial government subsidies of the PV panels, and alternatives both to generation and storage.

Wildpoldsried - net energy production
blending in with traditional architecture

One solution is to feed the excess power back into the grid, under a Feed In Tariff (FiT). There are many challenges to this. It just pushes the question of storage up the wire, so-to-say, from the generating source to the power company. Or, it poses a dilemma for the power company who now purchases power from the site generation, while allowing part of its own power generation systems (nuclear, hydro, coal) underperform, i.e. capital investment which sits idle. Furthermore, solar generated power is not reliable or consistent. Some of the European FiT programs are open to a full range of renewable energy sources, which helps stabilize the overall supply. It is no surprise that the PlusEnergy concept and villages are located in Germany, where there is considerable government backing for renewable energy, both at the original investment and a reliable FiT rate upon which to base an ROI. And one can’t underestimate the motivating factor of high energy costs.

Positive energy is the first step. And then we take lessons from the automotive industry, and add air cleansing filters, wetlands water purification, wildlife support, and above all – renewed community. For the main lesson learned from Wildpoldsried is that it does indeed take a village to tackle global issues.

Attitude

The conversation itself was fairly predictable -
Mid-age contractor (we'll call him Guy.), returning to college to complete his degree:
“So tell me about this lean stuff.”
Me, the academe steeped in theory and ready to change the world, offers the BIG NEWS:
“It is a major paradigm shift in construction, an integrated flow of work which optimizes the whole, not the pieces.”
Guy, on immediate defense, pitting his experience against theory: “ Sounds like what we do now, so it’s just-in-time.”
Me – thinking that my 1 liner needs some adjusting, stall with: “ That is a small piece of it, yes.”
Guy – deploying the conventional deflect responsibility tactics: “No point in changing unless customer asks for it. My customers are big players in the healthcare industry, and they have their programmatic requirements down pat, can’t see how it could help them. And what’s in it for me?“
Me – sensing a chink in the defense - an opportunity: “oh – well, both you and customer can get the product delivered under budget, ahead of schedule and with far fewer RFPs or changes,” citing the great Sutter Health Care case in ENR.
Guy – “We already use design-build, and what happens in California doesn’t work here.”

The conversation continued with thrusts and parries, as I increasingly viewed it from a bit of a detached perspective, wondering if anything would penetrate that armor of resistance. Then he essentially landed what was to be the final stroke, stating that my attitude was much better suited for academia, since industry doesn’t have time to think about the “Why” of things. I thanked him for the compliment, but disagreed with the sweeping generalization.

The construction industry hasn’t always had such a resistance to change. Our colleague Martin Holladay, GBA Advisor, points to the post-war “Can-Do” era. He suggests that one explanation for this remarkable time of innovation might be traced to the large farming population at the earlier part of the century, when families innovated out of necessity, and kids learned to fix just about anything. These skilled tinkerers became the engineers and industrial innovators that led America's economic growth. However, by the 1980’s, this generation was mostly retired, to be replaced by kids who came from the squeaky clean suburbs, the “me” generation, the entitlement crowd. These were the naysayers of greenbuilding, who were even willing to pay big money for reports which “proved” that energy efficiency improvements couldn’t be done cost-efficiently. That was just 2 years ago, but it almost feels archaic, given the many successful projects demonstrating that “Yes, we can.”

Attitude. I’ve referred to it in past blogs: supercharged “can-do” attitudes stemming from constraints of stronger environmental regulations in California; the changed vision, changed behavior, willingness to engage, and shift in attitude which brings back the craft to construction. It also seems to be a key finding in some of my recent research: the critical nature of attitude in the success of any program for change. It starts with getting rid of defensive attitudes, separating personal egos from the process and being willing to see what is hidden in plain sight. Then it takes courage to ask the question “why?” and explore the causes behind the consequences. Finally, “can-do” attitudes apply to change, to finding solutions, to continuous improvement.

This sounds all very good in theory, but as the conversation clearly shows, may be harder in reality. Not only in reference to the contractor role, but in my own desire to convince everyone to drink from the Kool-Aid. Talking louder doesn’t help a deaf person hear, but it may make a hearing person cover their ears. Perhaps this is the time to recognize the difference in attitude between preaching and leading.

As described in previous blogs, we know that Lean in Construction is successful and thriving. It has been recognized by the AIA, the AGC, and by CURT (Construction User Round Table – the owners). It will continue to grow among market leaders. My role is to support the process, offer the “Why” thinking to contractors who are in this leading group, and to keep the door open for others. And in the meantime, I’ll work on that one-line reposte for contractors asking about lean. “It is an opportunity for you ….”

Adaptive Reuse – Rooftop Gardens



Chicago City Hall-  Rooftop Garden

When Mayor Richard Daley proposed a garden on the roof of city hall, the idea was ridiculed. But 12 years later, the garden continues to improve the energy efficiency of the building by retaining rainfall in the soil and cooling the building from the top down. The garden roof was built to last twice as long as a traditional roof and has provided the city with praise-worthy scenery where there was only tar before. City Hall set an example, and now more than 200 other buildings in Chicago are topped with gardens.

In principle, adding greenery on a rooftop has merit. So my initial reaction to seeing a green roof in the plans for a new student services building was positive, until it came out that there would be no access to this meadow and it wouldn’t be seen from neighboring buildings - but it did earn the LEED credit Sustainable Sites 7.2: Heat Island Effect. It is interesting to read the intent of that credit: To reduce heat islands to minimize impacts on microclimates and human and wildlife habitats. It strikes me as being just one more admonition of what we should not do. This is sustainability as dictated by the righteous.

This new building will house dining establishments. The campus actually owns a small farm, which provides organic produce for the food services department. A truly integrated, sustainable campus might have caught this opportunity to build a garden on the rooftop, to harvest and supply the dining hall. Of course, that would also presume that there was some cooking going on in the dining facility. I’m wondering if Bruegger’s could use some lettuce or tomatoes?

The adaptive re-use of existing rooftops is becoming a common theme in urban redevelopment. The caveats are the structural capability of the roof to hold the additional weight and people, and safety railings. In most cases, it is still advisable to design gardens which are lightweight and moveable, for ease of long-term roof-top maintenance. We’ll leave the goats on the rooftop pasture for the Swiss Alps. On the other hand, I’m daydreaming about a small urban set-up with a hyroponic garden on the roof, with the liquid fertilizer provided by a small vermiculture (that’s a worm farm..) operation which is fed from food scraps from the ground floor restaurant, and a few chickens…

Green roofs make sense both from the standpoint of reducing urban heat island effect, but also to provide more spaces to connect people to nature. Whether in new building design, or existing structural renovations, the potential for adaptive re-use as greenspace is worth considering. This might mean setting up rooftop rain collection, installing dumbwaiters to bring the compost up to the roof, providing water spigots, structural bases for future greenhouses or pavilions. Establishing the infrastructure for future scenarios is least expensive to install at the time of initial construction.

I can only hope that one day in the future, some student will propose that our rooftop lawn takes on a more culinary flair.

P.S. For the GREATEST report on Roof-top Gardens, fresh off the press from the Australian Government, and the predecessor PhD dissertation from Dr. Brett Roe which researched constructed wetlands, hydroponics and industrial wastewater. This is the first study to research the integration of these technologies, and is very pertinent to urban planning.

The Craft of Concrete – or NOT?

"Ancient" concrete tree - China

I like concrete and I also like mud. However, the two are not synonymous. Concrete is an amazing construction material, so seemingly simple in its core composition yet unlimited in possibilities. Concrete is used more than any other man-made material in the world, and has legacy structures which date back to the times of the Roman Empire. While concrete is commonly thought of as a structural workhorse, it can also take on color, texture, patterns and shapes which make it an elegant solution for material durability, aesthetics and efficiency.

Sloppy concrete patch job

And then, there is mud. Mud is what happens in much of the industry, when a few sacks of mix are thrown together with water and slapped onto a surface – see steps repair. Now I do understand that this is purely a utilitarian function, but surely it would have been possible to make a mix which was a bit better color matched – since this was for repairs all over campus. Or at least not slop it over onto the metal stair nosing. More expensive? Maybe to test out the first batch, but so was the cost of labor for the other two guys on the one man job.

Christ & Gantenbein - Tower

Last week, I attended a seminar in the architecture school about the Swiss architects Christ & Gantenbein. Their projects are a veritable portfolio of possibilities with concrete. Using the material almost like a paper doll cut out for the ancient tree in China; casting a house extension with a corrugated pattern to resemble an old metal garden shed; forming the concrete on the interior of a tower to look like… some organically malleable material. Concrete is a mix, so it can also include additional materials along with the aggregate, such as glass beads, or even rammed earth.

Concrete w/ Rammed Earth

Yet I am reminded of the stories from my own and other projects. Gaps in poured concrete walls, driveways and sidewalks overworked and spalding within a year, ghastly looking stamped concrete steps, and sidewalks which heaved after the first frost. All this just on one residential block, within the last 5 years. My entre into the construction industry was via ICFs and the concrete industry, so I know the struggles facing the industry. Once the mix leaves the plant, there are so many variables of traffic, site readiness, and quality of finish. There is the “hand-off” from ready mix employees to the contract labor installers. So I get that it is not easy - but it is also a missed opportunity for the craft of concrete.

Bringing Back the Craft to Construction

Yes, Virginia, there is a hope for the construction industry. This week’s agenda at the 13th Annual Lean Construction Congress was brimming with examples of project that reliably executed project delivery well under budget and time schedule, with considerable margins. With some level of confidence in the ability to replicate these successes, the element of quality is no longer limited by the handcuffs of time and cost. Indeed, with the risk meter quieted down to a level of responsible skepticism, the attention can turn to defining the project needs and scope, searching for the most effective materials and systems, and investing the savings into higher quality for the building.

Notable stories: For an acute care clinic, the lean contractor questioned the very need for a waiting room - since the patients had come with the expectation of immediate treatment. This waiting room space was reallocated to more and larger patient rooms. Or a childrens’ hospital which set up mock-up room for staff and parent groups to provide input into the final product. Projects which came in 20% under budget, delivery in 44 days instead of 8 months, windshield time went down to 20% instead of industry typical 50%.

At some point in the proceedings, my level of confidence in the predictability of the success increased, and I could tune into the finer calibrations of this lean approach. Most striking were the stories from the field. On one project with precisely orchestrated and integrated trade scheduling, the framing contractor was challenged with phase delivery in 4 day increments. The first attempt was delivered at the 11th hour, with lots of overtime. Then, the well-earned reputation of the industry for field innovations kicked in. The crew started to batch work, pre-assemble where possible, and standardize procedures. They not only surpassed expectations with a 2 day delivery, but a combination of pride of workmanship and internal QC has increased the overall quality.

Ranee Davall - Young Electric
 Foreman on Powerhouse Project

“Lean brings order and professionalism to construction,” exclaimed Ranee Davall, General Foreman for Young Electric. The conference attendees response? Clone Ranee!! In an environment where the hierarchy of
command is flattened, where workers are empowered to say no, and challenged to align their work with the vision of the project, there is room for learning, appreciation for a job well done, and a camaraderie in the workplace. Lean is an approach which rewards thinking, caring and trust.

Americans have historically done well under pressure, risen to the occasion when pushed against the wall, and believed in the ability of every man and woman to stand proud and deliver. But the message this week was clear. We gotta wanna. It starts with a changed vision, a changed behavior, a willingness to engage, a shift in attitude. And then… lean is a process of continuous improvement, and what we are seeing today is just the first glimpse of vast paradigm shift in construction. Stay tuned…

Sustainability: Putting LEAN Value in Perspective

Lean Construction has hit the tipping point. With over 18 years of academic history, major projects under its belt (such as the Panama Canal project), top contractors and now a partnership with the AGC – Lean Construction is ready to take center stage. Lean is often described in terms of increasing value and decreasing waste within the design and construction process. Of course, waste is relative to value. So what is the value?

It would seem that the current value statement is focused on resolving the tension between time/ cost/ and quality, with quality defined by the project specifications. Historically, owners have come to expect compromises on some level, and are surprised when lean construction delivers positive results on all accounts. (see ENR – Sutter Health Care). So the question now arises, how far can this equation be pushed? Can projects delivery even higher quality, while still keeping time and cost under control? What is the added value?

Perhaps we can take a lesson from the folks at Toyota. In the post-war era, when the company focus was on survival, the value was defined relative to a product which would sell. The value for each worker was the contribution to the company for it to remain financially viable, and thus provide an income. Not too dissimilar from many of our construction companies today. According to the Maslow hierarchy of needs, once the physiological and safety needs are met, the human seeks to address needs of love, esteem and self-actualization. In the lean manufacturing workplace, these needs were satisfied by Toyota’s approach of empowering the worker to identify continuous improvement in their own tasks. At a company level, the product was improved to address the hierarchy of consumer needs, who were first concerned with basic transportation needs, but increasingly look to the vehicle as the actualization of their “selves.” And with the global awareness of sustainability issues, and the growing consciousness of humanity’s role within the eco-system, this enlightened “self” increasing seeks consumer goods which support the balance of mankind and the environment. Toyota management is actively driving this enlarged vision, as they now identify the “value” as a company in terms of their contribution to solving the global transportation issues, with the related goal to produce a car which would truly offer a positive impact on the environment (e.g. air filtering).

How does this translate to the building industry? There is an historical parallel expressed in the building codes, which were solely concerned with life-safety until the 2003 version, at which point the intent was broadened to include the safeguarding of public health and general welfare. This includes the need for clean indoor air, daylighting, and energy efficiency, which are also expressed in the requirements for green buildings. But in the higher levels of self-actualization, one might add values of function, not just at the level of prescriptive specifications (i.e. 10 office spaces), but perhaps better expressed in performance specifications. This might include the desire to provide spaces for ad-hoc meetings to occur, which would in turn impact the layout of the spaces, the acoustics and lighting. It also might include scenarios for future space use, or address the net impact of the building on the environment. This building value is, in turn, expressed in the role the building plays within the community, and the greater eco-system.

Lean Construction holds great promise for the construction industry. The focus on value helps to pull together disparate elements of the construction project to gather in a common vision. Now that the methodology has experience some degree of success, and time and cost are no longer the limiting factors, there is great potential to put “value” in perspective with global events. Lean can help us survive, now let’s leverage it to help humanity thrive.