Articles by Grist staff

Bring on the bulldogs

Today we bring you Auden Schendler's thoughts on the state of green building -- and, below, his suggestions for making things a whole lot better.

Ultimately, we need to find a way to make green building more accessible. I once had a construction manager ask me, "What's the process we go through to make a green building?" I should have been able to hand him a one-pager, but I didn't have one. Each project manager needs to be able to articulate the process clearly and quickly.

Here's how it should work, from an owner's perspective:

1. Hire a talented architect, engineer, and contractor who are all committed to the cause. They don't have to be green. But they do have to understand that they work for you, and you are paying them to build a green building within budget.
2. Provide a road map that describes the process and goals for building green.
3. Make sure there is a project champion, preferably a bulldog, to hound people. Stay vigilant throughout the whole process.
4. When the project is finished, share your successes, but also share the inevitable pitfalls with others -- at conferences and through other outlets.
5. Make your next building even better.

But how do you get to that point?

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