Sustainability in Preconstruction

Beck Technology content marketing intern Iman Elagami wrote this article.

How can preconstruction help in sustainability?  

Site analysis, material selection, and energy-efficient design are ways to create more sustainable projects during the preconstruction phase.

Sustainability isn’t just about specific design choices that increase the overall health of the environment. Although that is a major factor in why more builders are switching to more sustainable building designs, research suggests that sustainable building practices can potentially increase a building’s longevity by 10% to 60% based on specific design choices which in return can play a role in increasing your ROI.

Staying on trend shouldn’t be your only reason for choosing more sustainable building practices — it can save project owners a significant amount of money like DESTINI Estimator users Brasfield and Gorrie did with a 300,000 square foot major hospital project with a 20,000 square foot central energy plant.  

Eco-Friendly Building Strategies 

The major differences between eco-friendly building strategies and regular building practices is the material use, energy efficiency through environmentally alternative choices, waste management through options like prefabrication and modular construction, and life cycle consideration through material assessment. 

• Energy-Efficient Design: Passive design incorporation that reduces energy consumption through techniques like natural lighting, ventilation, and thermal insulation. Early thought process and incorporation of solar panels and geothermal heating is also a great way to reduce energy consumption.   

• Sustainable Site Selection: When choosing sites for minimal environmental impact in mind, it may look like choosing a previously developed land or location near public transportation to reduce the carbon footprint associated with commuting. 

• Material Selection: Assessing the overall lifecycle of your materials through Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and using recycled, renewable, or local materials are some ways you can decrease the environmental footprint further ensuring an eco-friendlier project development. 

• Waste Reduction: Alternatives like prefabrication, lean construction, and modular construction are all ways to reduce waste on site. 

Can Sustainability be Integrated into the Preconstruction Phase? 

Early-stage decision-making plays a significant role in the sustainability of building projects. If your end goal is to minimize environmental impact, then you should be discussing this in the early stages of building. By engaging general contractors and architects early, you can leverage their experience and expertise towards your project leading to more successful outcomes.  

What’s Next?

Innovation never stops. And if we stopped innovating or implementing newer, safer, better suitable projects for our environments, what would our future look like?  

That is why at Beck Tech, we understand that our clients are committed to meeting the needs of their own customers. And if sustainability is a priority for their clients, we ensure that DESTINI Estimator supports the goals to help make sustainability a reality.