FROM THE EDITOR

Welcome to the brand new High Performance Buildings e-newsletter, the artist formerly known as the Green Building Alert.

The reason for the change is that we think “high-performance” is a much more encompassing, and frankly, more accurate, term than “green” when it comes to describing the buildings you all own, manage, and maintain.

But what does “high-performance” actually mean? Does it mean LEED-certified buildings that are energy and water efficient? Facilities that are people-friendly and get high marks from occupants for creature comforts? Highly automated, integrated buildings that turn big data into big efficiency gains with smart analytics?

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The answer, of course, is yes. A high-performance building is all of those things and more. The key to a high-performance building is optimization and integration of all things — whether fan speeds or fire safety, whether landscaping or lighting efficiency. It means thinking on both a micro and a macro level about how building systems interact, and how building occupants interact with those systems.

Yes, “high-performance” does tend to have a bit more to it than the traditional definition of green (a building that is environmentally responsible). Thinking about making a building “high-performance” means considering aspects of the building— fire/life-safety, ADA compliance, communication plans, even art work or other occupant-focused “bonuses” — that were certainly also considered in a green building, but may not have been emphasized.

We strongly believe “high-performance” is how we’ll think about and define successful buildings in the future. And as always, I’m excited to hear from you: Are there particular topics you’d like to see us cover in this email? What are your high-performance hot-button issues?

Cheers,

Greg Zimmerman, editor  

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HIGH-PERFORMANCE STRATEGIES

To Ensure High-Performance Buildings, Have High-Performance Operations

This story showcases some of the skills necessary for facility managers to ensure they’re well-positioned to operate buildings that perform at a high level.

IN THE NEWS

USGBC Certifies 20,000th Commercial LEED Project

The Green Mountain Coffee Roasters plant in Knoxville, Tenn., is the USGBC’s 20,000th LEED certified commercial project.

HIGH-PERFORMANCE MULTIMEDIA

How To Engage Occupants in Sustainable Strategies

In this video, FMXellence winners from 2013 discuss how recognition and education play important roles in getting occupants involved in sustainability.