Staffers See the Need for LEED

by

Bernadette Starzee

Long Island Business News

Published: July 21, 2009

Nine architects and engineers at the Hauppauge office of Stantec recently became LEED accredited professionals. Stantec, which has more than 130 locations in North America, provides consulting services in planning, engineering, architecture, interior design and other disciplines.

According to Joe Lamagese, a senior architect who is one of the nine, getting employees certified fits with the company’s overall philosophy. “One of our company’s goals is to be the North American leader in sustainable design, and with 75 LEED certified projects in North America, we’re getting there,” he said.

More than 100,000 people have become LEED APs since the accreditation program was launched in 2001, said Paul M. Meyer, education chair for the Long Island Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council, which administers certification for green buildings. Most LEED APs are directly involved in building design and construction.

VHB Inc., an engineering, planning, environmental and transportation firm with an office in Hauppauge, has 77 LEED APs among its 800 employees in 18 offices on the East Coast.

“It’s important for our staff to be familiar with the latest requirements and techniques so that we can contribute more effectively in our interactions with architects, building owners and others,” said Leo Pierre Roy, a principal of the firm. “The LEED program has led to a more integrated design process, in which many different professionals come to the table to determine how to make buildings that are more efficient, that use fewer natural resources and that have a healthful environment.”

E.W. Howell, a general construction and construction management firm with offices in Woodbury and New York, has three LEED APs on staff as well as three LEED certified projects under its belt, including two Brookhaven National Laboratory facilities in Upton.

“Having LEED APs is both a marketing and an operational tool for us,” said Dominic Paparo Jr., vice president of business development. “It’s an important element in our presentations when we’re competing against other firms. A lot of clients want to see LEED AP involvement on jobs.”

This is especially true among government concerns, universities and other institutions, he said. “The number of private companies that request it is in the minority, but it’s moving in that direction,” he said.

“Building codes will eventually be written to encourage sustainable design, and products are becoming more sustainable,” Lamagese said. “If a company doesn’t keep up, it will find itself out of the market.”

LEED APs understand the LEED rating system and how to handle documentation, and they can identify which areas to focus on to ensure that a project will be eligible for certification, Paparo said. The company’s APs are on the operations side of the business, but Paparo said E.W. Howell expects a couple of employees on the estimating side to become accredited by the end of the year. “It’s important, because there are costs involved with LEED,” he said. Besides knowing how to apply the point system, LEED APs bring a certain level of expertise to the table. “Going through the accreditation process opens the door to all the options that are available to improve the sustainability of a building, including all the resources that the USGBC offers,” Lamagese said.

For Ava Amrieh, an electric engineer at Stantec who also became accredited, an important takeaway was learning more efficient ways to accomplish sustainability. “I learned that it doesn’t have to cost that much more to build green if you’re cautious with the design from the beginning,” she said.

Because it is becoming increasingly important to have LEED APs on staff, companies generally pay for their employees to take preparatory courses and the accreditation exam as part of their professional development. However, according to Meyer, some companies only pay for the exam if the employee passes it.

While LEED APs have an advantage over their non-accredited counterparts when seeking a job, they generally do not command a higher salary simply because they have the credential.

“We see this credential as something folks should have as part of their training,” Roy said. “So we don’t offer a salary increase to someone who gets their LEED AP, unlike what we would do if someone earned a Master’s degree or passed the PE [Principals and Practice of Engineering] exam.”

In addition to those professionals who work directly in building design and construction, some in related fields are becoming accredited, as well. According to Meyer, LEED APs include real estate brokers, mortgage brokers, interior designers, attorneys, building managers and moving and storage providers.

“Being a LEED AP gives someone some credibility when dealing with other members of a project,” Meyer said. “For instance, if you have a roof salesperson that says he is offering a green roof, and he’s a LEED AP, you’ll know he knows what he’s talking about.”

John T. Proscia, president of Sutton & Edwards Management, a property management firm in Lake Success, recently received his LEED green associate certification, a new certification level that the GBCI began offering in June.

“With my new, intimate knowledge of the LEED certification process, I have a unique understanding of how to manage a LEED certified building,” said Proscia, who has an accounting background. “For those owners that do not have a green certified building, I can use my LEED knowledge to advise them on how they can make their buildings more efficient and, as a result, lower their operating costs.”

Two Levels, New Specialties
Significant changes to the LEED accreditation process went into effect in June. Those individuals interested in becoming a LEED AP must take two exams instead of one.

Individuals who pass the first test become accredited as a LEED green associate, which demonstrates general knowledge of green building practices.

Qualified GAs can then sit for a second specialty exam that corresponds to one of the LEED rating systems. The specialized exam categories are Building Design & Construction, Interior Design & Construction, Operations & Maintenance, Homes and Neighborhood Development.

“An interior decorator would probably go for the Interior Design & Construction exam,” Meyer said, “while a property manager would probably opt for Operations & Maintenance.”

In late August, the USGBC-Long Island Chapter will begin offering a seven-week course, with a two-hour session each week, to prepare individuals for the green associate exam. Preparatory courses for the specialty exams will follow.