Innovation Leads You to LEED

nat rosasco • October 19, 2016

With green building becoming more and more prevalent, many designers and architects rely on the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) and their Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification as a benchmark for their work. However, some are unaware that along with the 100 points that can potentially be earned on the LEED scorecard, there are also six extra bonus points that aren’t featured on the rating system. These bonus points can be earned through innovation. While six points may not seem like a large number in the grand scheme of things, this amount could actually make a huge difference. In a recent USGBC article, Batya Metalitx, the technical director of LEED at USGBC stated, “It’s in a project’s best interest to use all of the innovation points because they’re essentially bonus points; they’re like extra credit. It could put you over the line between Certified and Silver and between Gold and Platinum.”

The USGBC article provides a great overview of how projects can earn these extra points, but we’ve broken down the options for you here, as well:

Working with a LEED Accredited Professional

One point earned, as simple as that!

Using Strategies from USGBC’s Innovation Catalog

Browse ideas from this great resource featuring successful methods that have been used in past projects and incorporate them into your own.

Exceed requirements in meeting existing LEED credits

Projects that have shown exemplary performance under the existing LEED credit categories can earn extra points.

Pilot New Credits

There are 50 available pilot credits, all noted in the Pilot Credit Library , which helps the USGBC test new credit ideas that will go into future versions of LEED. Projects can incorporate these pilot credits, and can, at times, even substitute any of these 50 credits for points on the existing LEED credit rating system. Teams who achieve these credits fill out a survey, which provides the USGBC with feedback on the credit.

Garden at the North Hills Wellness Center

One example of a pilot credit is the Local Food Production pilot credit. When building the North Hills Wellness Center in Los Angeles, Verdical Group achieved this pilot credit by including five herb garden areas in the landscaping. One of the pilot credits Group14 Engineering achieved for their University of Colorado Colorado Springs’ Summit Village (pictured at the top of this article) project was for Construction and Demolition Waste Management. This credit called for diverting at least half of the total construction and demolition material from three or more different material streams. Group14 recycled wood, metal, and concrete, keeping all of this material out of the waste stream.

Not only do projects earn extra points for all of these innovative designs, the companies themselves receive “bragging rights.” As Erica Weeks, of greenSTUDIO explained, “When you can say that you’ve earned one of these pilot credits that go above and beyond the standard criteria that everyone is used to, that gives you a marketable statement; a statement showing your commitment to doing things better.”

If you’re interested in achieving an extra credit, make sure to plan ahead. As John Marceau, Sustainability Project Manager at Group14, mentioned in the USGBC article, “Think about the innovation credits early on. Don’t put them off toward the end…[Y]ou try to squeeze them in if you need them but then it doesn’t work out.” Also, creativity is key. It’s extremely helpful to look through the Pilot Credit Library and Innovation Catalog, but don’t be afraid to submit a new idea to USGBC, as well. Innovation is what is needed to move toward a sustainable future.

Looking to also earn points for LEED under Materials and Resources, Environmental Quality, and Innovative Design? Our sustainably crafted furniture can contribute to all of these areas. Contact us for more information on how we can help your next project achieve LEED status.

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Inventory Sale

By nat rosasco • January 22, 2019

Reclaimed Table's huge selection of one-off, custom table tops are being sold at deep discounts at our Villa Park showroom. Find the durable tables you need for your next project, at prices you won't come across again!

Client Feature: Oak Tables & Benches for Navy Pier's Centennial Vision

By nat rosasco • July 17, 2018

Chicago’s iconic Navy Pier has always been a popular attraction since it opened just over 100 years ago in 1916. It currently welcomes 9 million guests per year. As explained on the Navy Pier website, the Pier was designed by architect Charles Sumner Frost and was originally based on architect’s Daniel Burnham’s “the People’s Pier” in his 1909 Plan of Chicago . It was originally known as “Municipal Pier,” but was renamed in 1927 in honor of the World War 1 Navy personnel who were housed there. As we blogged about a couple of years ago , Navy Pier has been undergoing renovations in honor of its “Centennial Vision” to reimagine and enhance the pier. While updating the pier with new programming and a greener landscape, this vision has also been attracting more local eateries ( like Tiny Tavern ) and shops, creating a space that’s more inviting to local Chicagoans. After providing pieces for the first phase of the remodel last year, we were pleased to continue to be part of this project for the recently completed phase two. Partnering with Gensler, we provided white oak tables and benches near the main entrance and for the brand new, 200,000 square foot Family Pavilion that features over 50 businesses. Fortunately, these pieces were created not only with their visual aesthetic in mind, but also to impressively withstand this sort of high traffic area. We also built the reclaimed red and white oak blade signs flanking all of the restaurants and shops, which creates a unified look within the complex. Much like the Pier, these signs have an interesting, rich history behind them. The red and white oak wood used to make the signs were actually horse fences on a farm in Mercy County, Kentucky that dates back to the late 1800s. Mercer county was one of the first settlements in the state, and the farm itself, Shawnee Springs, was originally over 2,000 acres. In the 1970s the farm was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. We knew the Navy Pier project was the right one for this specific wood-- historic wood for an historic landmark. (See our other applications of reclaimed red and white oak Kentucky horse fence here .) Check out photos of our tables, benches, and signs at the recently updated and unveiled Pier below. And if you’re in the Chicagoland area, you can check them out for yourselves in person, along with a whole host of entertainment on the Pier. Interested in some durable tables and benches for a high-traffic area? Contact us here to get started on your next project.

Aging Booker's Bourbon: Finding the 'Sweet Spot' for Flavor

By nat rosasco • June 18, 2018

When it comes to aging bourbon, Booker’s small batch bourbon has the process literally down to a science. Currently produced by the Jim Beam distillery, it was Jim Beam’s grandson, Booker Noe, who founded this brand in 1992 with bourbon from barrels he personally selected. According to the Booker’s Bourbon website, Booker was actually raised at a Kentucky distillery and brought his family’s six generations of master distillery knowledge to his bourbon batches. How does Booker’s perfectly age their bourbon? As we pretty much all know, bourbon ages in wooden barrels. When the weather becomes hot and humid, like it does during those sticky Kentucky summers, the wood expands and absorbs the bourbon, allowing for a chemical interaction between the bourbon and the wood. In colder weather, the wood contracts and the bourbon escapes the barrel’s walls. This interaction changes the spirit’s taste and color. The longer bourbon is in the barrel, the smoother the taste, (up to a certain point, that is). Barrels are kept in rackhouses where temperatures can easily be regulated. Rackhouses were originally built out of stone with several wooden floors and an exposed dirt basement to control humidity and large temperature swings. The windows were designed to keep the buildings well-ventilated.