Posts Tagged 'Norsteel'

Green Parking Solutions to Complement your Green Building

Published February 20, 2012 going green Leave a Comment
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Reserved Parking for Hybrid Vehicles. Image Credit: Trendhunter.

Having a green prefab steel building is nice, but you do not want to forget other aspects of green construction that are just as important in pursuing environmental awareness. The last thing you want is to have a green building that saves electricity and water costs but is offset by other aspects of your construction—like parking. Norsteel is a fierce advocate of green construction that helps you lessen your utility costs and promoting environmentalism.

Green and environmentally friendly parking solutions are one of the ways by which you can make your green building more sustainable. The International Parking Institute (IPI) recently published the Framework on Sustainability for Parking Design, Management and Operations—a framework that establishes how to provide sustainable parking solutions to its members.

The IPI, with a goal of reflecting balance between the reduction of adverse environmental impacts and societal health and welfare, advocates alternative energy sources and reduced reliance on fossil fuels. It also suggests a variety of multi-modal transportation options and effective natural resource management. Waste reduction strategies when it comes to parking and transportation are also highlighted in its report.

One particular trend that the report highlighted on is the use of electric charging stations in parking spaces. Because of the rise of hybrid vehicles, owners are in constant need of charging stations that are unfortunately often located too far in between.

In its report, IPI has several options that will allow commercial real estate businessmen to accommodate electric and hybrid vehicle charging stations in its parking spaces. This is especially important for major industries such as retail, hotel and multifamily businesses.

Parking solutions may sound insignificant and inconsequential, but it is actually a matter that can help create a more sustainable way of living. This is a point that we, at Norsteel understand, as we believe that green construction must take into account all aspects of sustainability and reduction of environmental impact.

Green Construction Getting Even Better

Published February 17, 2012 going green Leave a Comment
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Construction Vehicle. Image Source: Public domain.

Although several construction companies are still skeptical about the impact and popularity of green construction, a recent survey by the McGraw-Hill Construction shows the impact of green construction. A particular industry that has benefited most from the benefits of green buildings is residential construction. In 2011, green construction in residential houses made up 17$ of the total work by cost. A five-fold increase is expected in the next four years, so that by 2016, green construction will make up about ¼ of residential houses.

Other details in the report are also most enlightening. For one, green construction costs have declined. Well known is the fact that green construction will help curb utility costs, but that the cost of investing in a green building can strain the pocket. However, this no longer holds true, as the upfront investment for a green building have come down—which means that building owners get to recoup the cost of their building faster and reap the benefits as well. Do not forget that energy costs constantly escalate too, so the long-term benefits of green construction is unquestionable.

Another finding reflected in the report is that the primary motivators for putting up green buildings are not environmentally driven. Rather, better indoor quality and better savings are the major reasons for turning to green residential buildings. These two reasons are more than enough for building owners to spend a little extra for them.

The report also highlighted the fact that green retro-fitting is becoming a major trend. For current building owners who cannot afford to tear down their buildings, remodeling the ones they have to fit green building standards is the best option. In fact, homeowners are willing to spend as much as 5% more for retro-fitting.

With the government catching up on legislation to fit to green standards, there need be no doubt as to the emphasis green construction will ultimately have in the industry.

If you are looking for a pre-fabricated environmentally conscious steel building, contact Norsteel for more information.

How are Steel Buildings so Quickly Built?

Published February 9, 2012 Construction and Workplace Safety Leave a Comment
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Construction site. Image Source: Public domain.

How come some steel buildings can be built so fast?

No, it’s neither an act of God nor an extraordinary feat of nature. This is a result of pre-engineered buildings—steel structures that are easily assembled and has a variety of uses across all industries. Several prospective building owners do not yet fully understand the merits of prefabricated buildings and refuse to understand fully its advantages. For that reason, Norsteel has prepared a list of advantages of prefabricated steel buildings.

  1. The easiest advantage to point out is that prefab buildings are fast to assemble. It virtually takes only weeks to put together them. Therefore, you can get back the return of investment a lot faster than conventionally built structures.
  2. Prefab buildings are self-supporting, so the costs for shuttering and scaffolding are reduced.
  3. Quality control is better with prefab buildings, since they are built in a factory assembly line setup and have the hands-on guidance of engineers and architects. On the contrary, building from scratch in a construction site always has the risk of having flaws in quality control.
  4. The construction is not exposed to harsh weather environmental factors caused by bad weather or strong winds. Such factors threaten the integrity of a regularly assembled building, but they are not present in prefab buildings.
  5. Advanced materials are used in assembling prefab buildings, such as sandwich-structured composite that improve sound and thermal insulation. These are materials that are much more expensive in other buildings.
  6. Careful handling of steel panels is assured. From the time the panels are manufactured to when they reach your site, the panels are shipped in a cost effective and safe way.
  7. Prefab buildings also cost less in terms of electricity and water costs. Because of its essentially environmentally friendly nature, prefab buildings are much easier to maintain.
  8. Because prefab buildings are easy to transport, you can do away with the arduous process of meeting with the architect and eating up your time. You can even deal online!

Green Building Trends for 2012

Published January 23, 2012 going green Leave a Comment
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Leaves. Image Source: Public domain.

After identifying the primary discussions on green construction, urban awareness, and environmental consciousness among varied sectors (architects, developers, policymakers, appraisers, lenders, builders, homeowners, etc.), the Earth Advantage Institute, a nonprofit green construction organization has identified the top ten green building trends for 2012:

1. Higher Urban Density. Empty nesters and yuppies will be moving in to the city and building laneway homes (similar to a carriage house behind the main house) and accessory dwelling units this coming year. The reason? A sustainable lifestyle and closeness to big city opportunities.

2. Green multifamily homes. An increase in multifamily building certifications is another trend, especially in progressive areas.

3. Home remodels. Many families will also be looking into remodeling their homes to make them much more energy-efficient.

4. Testing of new green materials. Engineers and architects are reluctant to use these new materials right now, but more testing can only contribute to the development and refinement of environmentally friendly technologies.

5. Energy tracking devices. Environmentally consciousness homeowners are increasingly willing to use energy trackers to assess the performance of appliances.

6. Energy education for commercial establishments. By this year, companies will realize the benefits of saving energy.

7. Transparency in marketing. Construction firms and real estate professionals will be compelled to disclose the merits of what they are building and selling. This is a commitment that Norsteel has always done.

8. Valuable and accurate appraisals. With the increasing number of appraisers, it will be a lot easier for buyers and sellers to know the precise value of a green building.

9. Adoption of residential energy ratings for homeowners. With the release of the Department of Energy’s Home Energy Score, it will be easier for homeowners to compare their energy use to others in the same building category and area.

10. Smart grid-compatible high-performance houses. Homeowners will now be able to monitor and control their electricity usage, all through a remote command.

Self-Storage Buildings Can Be Green Too!

Published January 17, 2012 going green Leave a Comment
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Commercial buildings, residential apartments, and hotels have been spearheading the road towards energy-efficient green buildings. We’ve seen drastic developments in these industries, but what’s the next big thing in green building?

Believe it or not, self storage facilities are have quietly but decidedly moving towards environmental awareness and energy efficiency. If you’re an owner of a storage facility yourself, here are a few tips that might help you lessen the costs of maintaining your business.

Use prefab steel buildings.

Prefab buildings are easy enough to set up, and make the best storage facilities. Storage facilities that are expanding opt for steel prefab buildings, because of its space-saving and energy-efficient qualities. Not to mention that they are easily customizable.

Have a natural garden area to purify runoff water.

Your storage facility can learn from Big Yellow Self Storage in Bromley, London. The business received an Environmental Award for having created garden areas so the runoff water will get naturally purified. This is much better than letting the toxic water go straight to the sewer system.

Replace lighting with fluorescent bulbs.

If you cannot invest on solar panels, you can instead replace your current lighting with fluorescent bulbs. They eat up much less electricity and will even give a laid back retro vibe to the storage rooms of your customers. Another option is to use motion-sensor light bulbs to save energy. This will also save your customers and staff from having to turn on and off the light constantly.

Set-up facilities using recycled materials.

Several storage facilities have gone the extra mile and built facilities made of recycled and reusable materials. This may take a bit of effort, but it is well worth it because the facility will not only be cheaper to put up, but also cheaper to maintain.

Pre-fabricated steel buildings have always been more green than other alternatives, but have only now been associated with the popularity of environmental building practices. And with innovations in building accessories, these buildings will be even more environmentally sound.

Nisku Building. Image Credit: Norsteel Buildings.

Understanding the LEED Rating Systems

Published January 9, 2012 going green Leave a Comment
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Logo. Canada Green Building Council.

If you’re planning to have your building LEED-certified, you first have to know in which specific LEED category your building falls under. Each category has specific prerequisites and a requisite number of points required in order to qualify.

  1. New Construction and Major Renovations (NC+MR) applies to major renovation projects and new buildings—particularly to institutional buildings and high-rise residential buildings, whether private or public.
  2. Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance (EB: O&M) refers to the certification of ongoing operations of existing commercial and institutional buildings. This covers offices, retail and service establishments, institutional buildings, hotels and 4-storey residential buildings.
  3. Commercial Interiors (CI) refers to tenant spaces in office, retail and institutional buildings for owners or lesser.
  4. Core and Shell Development (CS) is for developers who control the shell base building and entire core, but has no control over the design and construction of the tenant fit-out.
  5. Schools, New Construction and Major Renovations (SCH) refer to the certification of new school buildings and renovations of existing ones.
  6. Retail, New Construction and Commercial Interiors (Retail NC & Retail CI) is for all retail buildings and for tenant spaces in retail buildings.
  7. Healthcare (HC) is for inpatient and outpatient care facilities and licensed long term care facilities. This also applies for medical offices, medical education and research centers, and assisted living facilities. If the renovation is not significant, then they can fall under the LEED EB: O&M category.
  8. Homes, obviously, refers to the mainstream homebuilding industry. Homeowners can refer to a LEED for Homes specialist who can help in designing a home that’s in tune with the LEED rating system.
  9. Neighborhood Development (ND), unlike the 8 categories, refers to entire neighborhoods and groups of buildings. Single-use neighborhoods can apply for a certification.

Norsteel can offer several Energy Star® certified products, and help you obtain sustainable design and LEED certification in some of the aforementioned categories.

Residential Buildings and Apartments are Going Greeen Too

Published January 6, 2012 Norsteel Buildings News Leave a Comment
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Flat Back Rain Barrel. Image Source: Shopping.com

The trend of greening one’s space doesn’t only happen within commercial and industrial buildings, but within residential buildings and apartments as well. In fact, a lot of neighborhoods are starting to invest in other methods of going green, in composting food waste—a trend that used to be foreign and strange for most families a couple of years ago.

For example, in Minneapolis, several neighborhoods now have a chutes in their buildings designed for organic food that will be composted. This is only one of the several green features to be found in residential apartments across the US.

Another example is a roofing system that can deflect the heat of the summer.  Tanks are added to collect rainwater, so that the money paid by residents for storm water management is significantly reduced while water capacity stays the same.

The HVAC and plumbing system is an important aspect of green residential buildings as well. A lot of residential buildings have increased energy efficiency, improved insulation for doors and windows, and appliances that have a high Energy Star rating. Bike racks are commonly installed as more people are learning to use other forms of transport rather than the private automobile.

Granted that there are certain costs for going green such as operational and maintenance expenditures, but the benefits far outweigh them.  In fact, building developers are willing to develop and pay for these expenses upfront as the market is starting to demand environmentally sound and sustainable practices.

The response of residents has thus far been overwhelming. In fact, a lot of people looking for apartments particularly look for green residential buildings. With the chance of reducing electricity and utility costs by as much as 75%, there’s indeed every reason to look for a green residential building!

While LEED certification is the pinnacle of green building, even smaller efforts to cut costs and save the environment can help. The benefits will far outweigh the costs for residential green buildings.

A representative at Norsteel will be happy to offer their assistance on finding an inexpensive, sturdy and sustainable steel building to meet your requirements.

LEED Milestone!

Published December 31, 2011 going green Leave a Comment
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The US Green Building Council just reported that the total LEED-certified square footage for existing buildings in the US has officially exceeded the square footage for new construction. This is a milestone for LEED.

The total size of existing commercial buildings in the US has reached 60 billion square feet. In the past, most of these had consumed enormous amounts of energy and water. USGBC, however, has made it a point to curb the exorbitant consumption of existing commercial buildings.

USGBC with its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating and assessment system, has launched the LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance. Otherwise known as LEED-EBOM, the program was only launched in 2008. Yet, the response of existing commercial building owners and managers has been overwhelming.

In three years, the certifications under LEED-EBOM have caught up with certifications for newly constructed commercial buildings. This month, the total square footage under LEED-EBOM has finally exceeded that under LEED-NC, or certifications under new construction. The difference is around 15 million square feet, as 640 million square feet of certified existing commercial buildings exist, while new construction amounts to 625 million feet.

Around 1.675 billion square feet of all buildings are already LEED-certified. In early 2010, LEED certified buildings have passed the 1 billion mark—and in a little less than a year, the size has almost doubled. By 2012, around 2 billion square feet of buildings is estimated to be LEED-certified. Such is the influential growth of LEED-certified buildings.

A few existing commercial buildings that have been LEED-certified by retrofitting are the Empire State building, the Taipei 101, and the Transamerica Pyramid. Among these three, the Transamerica Pyramid has reached the highest level of LEED-certification with a Platinum status.

What this means is that newly constructed buildings should catch up with existing buildings in terms of LEED certification. For high-grade quality green buildings, Norsteel is the obvious choice.

Green Hotels

Published December 22, 2011 going green 2 Comments
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Green living. Image Source: Plus Point Magazine.

The US Green Building Council (USGBC) has released information on how hotel businesses can manage to stay afloat by operating on green buildingsin order to cut costs and market themselves in an eco-friendly way. By facilitating green hotels, this means:

  1. Sustainability of the site. The site on which the building will be built must be sustainable in the first place. This involves open or reflective grid paving, access to convenient public transportation, bicycle storage, and the use of green space.
  2. Water efficiency and conservation. As much as 20% of water can be saved by using waterless urinals, efficient landscaping, and excellently made plumbing fixtures.
  3. Atmosphere and Energy. Using photovoltaic roof panels, geothermal systems, Energy Star appliances, rooftop solar water hearing system, and heat pumps are a few ways to facilitate a positive energy flow throughout the building.
  4. Excellent lighting and indoor quality. This takes into account the coating, painting, and lighting of the hotel. All these will make the hotel breathable for both the hotel staff and your guests.
  5. Use of environmentally safe materials. Using recyclable and reused materials, as well as locally produced raw materials, will ensure a high credit rating.
  6. Innovation in the hotel business. By being a model to the industry, a hotel can get extra points. This calls for a utilization of the hotel’s creative juices. A few examples include educating the hotel staff and encouraging guests to conserve energy, among others.

The roadmap to green buildings for hotels is rather straightforward, but in no way an easy one. The hard work, however, will pay off, once a LEED certification is awarded by the USGBC. In order to do this, two central aspects of a hotel business are evaluated: the building process and the day-to-day operations.

For LEED certification, there are four levels: certified, silver, gold, platinum. In order to be certified, a hotel must be able to have around 40 over 100 points. There are six credit categories to get a LEED certification.

Why Green Buildings Spell Success for Companies

Published December 16, 2011 going green Leave a Comment
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Green building. Image Source: Green Step.

Commercial building tenants are on the lookout for green buildings and it’s not difficult to understand why. With the growing research on green buildings, more companies are starting to get convinced that the benefits of staying in a green building far outweigh the costs.

Green buildings are the best workplaces

A huge portion of a person’s life is spent in the office. With that, the need for a conductive workplace that offers optimum productivity is clear. Research shows that green buildings offer high productivity gains for employee. Employees who work in green buildings have higher job satisfaction, motivation, and productivity. Naturally, all these translate to a more positive work environment and higher returns for the company.

This only means that a company who stays in a green building gets to retain its most valuable employees. It also means that it gets to attract other employees to join the company.

Corporate social responsibility is promoted

Brand image and reputation are two things that a company can’t easily create. In this aspect, staying in a green building can definitely help. Choosing a green building means that a company is responsible enough to recognize the importance of contributing to the environment. With that comes the positive influence on one’s brand image and reputation.

Sustainability is usually at the core of most company’s vision-mission and goals. However, very few of these companies follow through and use green space as their workplace. Companies that do have reaped benefits and showed significant reductions in terms of their financial expenses. A commitment to having a workplace in a green building will ultimately allow companies to maximize their savings, which can be used to fulfill the other goals and missions of the company.

Norsteel recognizes these benefits, and fully supports companies that establish their workplace in green buildings. With steel prefab buildings, establishing a green office space can be done in a jiffy.

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