Commercial Building Science - Comfortable Environments Through Sustainable Design

USGBC Course ID 90006150

Commercial Building Science -Comfortable Environments

Through Sustainable Design

CertainTeed is a Registered Provider with the AmericanInstitute of Architects Continuing Education System. Credit earned upon completion of this program will be reported to CES records for all AIA members. Certificates of Completion for non-AIA members areavailable upon request.

This program is registered with AIA/CES for continuing professional education. As such, it does not include content that may be deemed or construed to be an approval or endorsement by the AIA of any material of construction or any method or manner of handling, using, distributing, or dealing in any material product. Questions related to specific materials, methods, and services will be addressed at the conclusion of this presentation.

This course qualifies for Sustainable Design credit.

This course qualifies for HSW credit.

CertainTeed Building Solutions

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Learning ObjectivesAfter completing this course you will be able to: • Understand concepts of green building through sustainable 

design• Describe three principles of sustainable design• Understand credit categories for a green building rating system• Describe several factors affecting thermal comfort• Understand ways to improve indoor air quality through 

controlled ventilation & material selection• Understand how to create superior acoustical environments 

through sound control design practices• Understand design strategies that help create a high quality 

visual environment

Contents1. Overview of Green/Sustainable Design2. Principles of Sustainable Design3. Overview of LEED green building rating system4. Thermal comfort5. Indoor air quality6. Acoustical comfort7. Visual comfort

Green Design

A Reference for Green Design Techniques

• Respects nature & natural order of things

• Minimizes negative human impacts on natural surroundings, materials & resources

• High performance over full life cycle of building

• Sustainability: Providing for present needs without compromising future needs

Sustainable Design• Basic objectives:

– Reduce consumption of non‐renewable resources– Minimize waste– Create productive environments

• Building projects should result in an optimal balance of:– Costs– Environmental benefits– Societal benefits– Human benefits– Meeting mission & function of intended facility

• May cost more initially, but can yield savings over time

Buildings in the United States

Energy Use Water Consumption

Electricity Consumption CO2 Emissions

Source: www.epa.gov/greenbuilding

39%39% 12%12%

68%68% 38%38%

Module 1

Principles of Sustainable Design

Design for People & the Environment

Life Cycle Design

Conservation of Resources

Sustainable Design

• Energy– Energy‐conscious community & site 

planning– Optimal thermal performance– Passive heating & cooling– Alternative energy sources– Low‐embodied‐energy materials– Energy‐efficient equipment & 

appliances• Water

– Native landscaping– Low‐flow lavatory toilets & fixtures– Rainwater collection & reuse– Water collection & recycling

• Energy– Energy‐conscious community & site 

planning– Optimal thermal performance– Passive heating & cooling– Alternative energy sources– Low‐embodied‐energy materials– Energy‐efficient equipment & 

appliances• Water

– Native landscaping– Low‐flow lavatory toilets & fixtures– Rainwater collection & reuse– Water collection & recycling

• Materials– Use material‐conserving 

design & construction– Properly size building 

systems– Rehabilitate existing 

structures– Use reclaimed or recycled 

materials & components

• Materials– Use material‐conserving 

design & construction– Properly size building 

systems– Rehabilitate existing 

structures– Use reclaimed or recycled 

materials & components

Conservation of Resources

• Pre‐building phase– Manufactured with renewable resources– Harvested/extracted without ecological 

damage– Recycled or recyclable– Durable over time with low maintenance– Distributed with low energy costs

• Building phase– Minimize site impact on ecosystem– Provide waste water separation facilities– Use non‐toxic construction materials– Plan routine maintenance with 

environmentally friendly material

• Pre‐building phase– Manufactured with renewable resources– Harvested/extracted without ecological 

damage– Recycled or recyclable– Durable over time with low maintenance– Distributed with low energy costs

• Building phase– Minimize site impact on ecosystem– Provide waste water separation facilities– Use non‐toxic construction materials– Plan routine maintenance with 

environmentally friendly material

• Occupancy phase– Recycle building 

components & materials– Adapt existing structures 

to new occupants– Develop existing land & 

infrastructure

• Occupancy phase– Recycle building 

components & materials– Adapt existing structures 

to new occupants– Develop existing land & 

infrastructure

Life‐Cycle Design

Design for People & the Environment• Minimize impact on nature

– Understand how construction affects nature

– Respect topographical contours– Do not disturb water table– Preserve existing flora & fauna

• Community site planning– Consider a scale larger than any 

single structure– Avoid polluting site & surrounding 

area– Promote mixed‐use development– Integrate public transportation– Create walking & bicycling paths

• Minimize impact on nature– Understand how construction 

affects nature– Respect topographical contours– Do not disturb water table– Preserve existing flora & fauna

• Community site planning– Consider a scale larger than any 

single structure– Avoid polluting site & surrounding 

area– Promote mixed‐use development– Integrate public transportation– Create walking & bicycling paths

• Provide for human comfort & convenience– Provide thermal, visual & 

acoustical comfort– Use non‐toxic, low‐emitting 

materials– Create visual environments 

connected to exterior– Provide fresh, clean air & 

access to operable windows– Accommodate people with 

differing physical abilities

• Provide for human comfort & convenience– Provide thermal, visual & 

acoustical comfort– Use non‐toxic, low‐emitting 

materials– Create visual environments 

connected to exterior– Provide fresh, clean air & 

access to operable windows– Accommodate people with 

differing physical abilities

Module 2

Understanding the LEED Green Building Rating System

What is LEED?

• Independent third party rating system • Developed by U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)• Standard for measuring a building’s environmental performance

LEED Categories, Prerequisites & Credits• Five “base” categories, plus 2 “bonus” categories• Buildings earn points for meeting LEED credit criteria• Refer to LEED Reference Guides for details

Category Prerequisites Credits

* LEED NC 2009

Innovation in Design 20Indoor Environmental Quality 82Materials & Resources 71Energy & Atmosphere 63Water Efficiency 31Sustainable Sites 81

Regional Priority 10

LEED Points & Certification 

Sustainable Sites, 26

Water Efficiency, 10

Energy & Atmosphere, 35

Materials & Resources, 14

Indoor Environ. Quality, 15

Innovation in Design, 6Regional Priority, 4

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

110

Possible Points

CertifiedCertifiedSilverSilver

GoldGold

PlatinumPlatinum

Resources for Sustainable Design• US EPA

www.epa.gov/greenbuilding• US Green Building Council (USGBC)

www.usgbc.org• Sustainable Buildings Industry 

Councilwww.sbicouncil.org

• Department of Energy Sustainable Design Programwww.pnl.gov/doesustainabledesign

• Whole Building Design Guidewww.wbdg.org/design

• US EPAwww.epa.gov/greenbuilding

• US Green Building Council (USGBC)www.usgbc.org

• Sustainable Buildings Industry Councilwww.sbicouncil.org

• Department of Energy Sustainable Design Programwww.pnl.gov/doesustainabledesign

• Whole Building Design Guidewww.wbdg.org/design

• High‐Performance School Buildings Resource and Strategy Guidewww.hpschooldesigntraining.com

• Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Environmental Design Librarywww.lib.berkeley.edu/ENVI/GreenA

ll.html• University of Michigan – School 

of Natural ResourcesEnvironment, Sustainable 

Architecture Module:– Introduction to Sustainable 

Designwww.css.snre.umich.edu

Module 3

Thermal Comfort

Meeting Standards for Comfort• ASHRAE Standard 55

“Thermal Environmental Conditions for Human Occupancy”

• ISO 7726: 1998

“Ergonomics of the thermal environment ― Instruments for measuring physical quantities”

• ISO 7730: 1994

“Moderate thermal environments ― Determination of the PMV & PPD indices and specification of the conditions for thermal comfort”

Thermal Comfort Factors• Air temperature & humidity• Radiant temperatures

– Floors – Walls– Ceilings

• Vertical temperature differences

• Drafts (air velocity)• Secondary factors

– Daily & seasonal change– Occupant age (metabolic rate)– Clothing insulation

5555

Human Comfort Range

Impact of Activity on Comfort

0.81

1.2 1.21.6

2

3

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

Metabolic Rate (m

et)

Reclining Seated,quiet

Office,school

Standing,relaxed

Lightactivity,standing

Mediumactivity,standing

Highactivity

Occupant Activity Level

Clothing Impacts Comfort

• ASHRAE Standard 55 –clothing insulation values for typical ensembles

• Clothing insulation measured in clo units

0

0.5

1

1.5

Clothing Insulation Value (clo)

Naked SummerAttire

BusinessAttire

WinterOutdoor

Clothing

Module 4

Indoor Air Quality

Creating Acceptable IAQ

• Quantity– Minimum ventilation rates

• Quality– Maximum airborne contaminant levels

• Goal: – Minimize potential for adverse health effects on occupants 

62.162.1

• Ventilation– Air flow rates in breathing zones– Air distribution effectiveness– Air flow zone requirements at diffusers

• Air distribution– Exhaust duct location– Outdoor air intake– Combustion air

Quantity Control

Quality Control• Moisture management

– HVAC System• Dehumidification systems• Drain pans• Humidifiers & water spray systems

– Building envelope• Weather resistive barriers• Vapor retarders• Continuous air barriers

• Air stream surfaces– Mold growth resistance– Erosion resistance

• Contaminant capture– Particulates 

• Filtration (MERV)

– Gases • Concentration monitoring• Removal (activated charcoal)

– Heat exchanger & finned‐tube coil cleaning

Humidity Impact on A/C System Design• Sensible heat loads do not consider effects of moisture in air

• Latent heat loads consider water vapor in air• Humidity ratios indicate amount of moisture in air• Geographic location determines humidity ratio

118118 112112

144144

144144

Air Classification & RecirculationASHRAE Standard 62.1

• Air quality must be evaluated for:– Contaminant concentration

– Sensory‐irritation intensity– Odor offensiveness

• Four classifications:– Class 1 – Low– Class 2 – Moderate– Class 3 – Significant– Class 4 – Harmful, Highly objectionable

Break Room

Private Toilet

Janitor Closet

Chemical Storage

Commercial Kitchen 

Hood (Non‐grease)

Laboratory Hood

1

2

3

4

Spaces Airstreams

Attached Parking Garages

• Goal: Limit entry of exhaust into occupied spaces

• Garage air pressure ≤ adjacent space

• Isolate garage & use airtight vestibules – Separate garage & adjacent occupied space

Airborne Contaminants

• Moisture• Bio‐aerosols

– Bio‐organisms– Mold– Pollen

• Gaseous Contaminants – Ammonia, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide

– Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)

• Particles

Guidelines for Environmental Emissions• Provides guidelines on air pollution due to product emissions

• Certifies products for IAQ performance– Formaldehyde & other aldehydes– Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)– Respirable particles– Gases

• Ozone• Carbon monoxide• Nitrogen oxide

Module 5

Acoustical Comfort

Superior Acoustic EnvironmentsMinimize:• Sound reverberation time• Airborne noise• Sound transmission through ceilings

• Impact noise• Background noise

Reduce Sound Reverberation Time

• Sound absorbing surfaces

• Configure spaces to dampen sound energy

Limit Airborne Noise 

• High sound transmission class (STC) assemblies

• Enclose or separate group activity spaces from common areas

Acoustically Efficient Wall

Limit Sound TransmissionThrough Suspended Ceilings 

• High ceiling attenuation class (CAC) assemblies 

• Extend partition heights

Reduce Impact Noise• High impact insulation class (IIC) assemblies 

• Isolate finished floors & ceilings– Resilient underlayments– Absorptive floor toppings– Resilient suspension systems Acoustically Isolated Floor

Minimize Background Noise• Design HVAC system to:

– Absorb sound energy– Reduce background noise

• Isolate mechanical equipment using: – Vibration dampening techniques

– High sound transmission reduction enclosures

• Provide sound masking to reduce impact of background noise

Open Plan Acoustics• Open plan work areas –not separated by ceiling height partitions

• Speech intelligibility –dependent on1. Background noise2. Reverberation time3. Shape of space

• Speech privacy: Degreeto which speech is unintelligible

Reverberation Time

• Time (sec) required for sound pressure level in a room to decrease (decay) by 60 dB

• Shorter reverberation time = more absorptive space

60 dB drop in sound

Decibel (dB)

ReverberationTime

SoundStopped

Time (s)

60 dB

Initial Avg. Sound Pressure Level

TrTo

Impact of Reverberation Time

• Poor speech intelligibility • Concentration difficulty • Increased stress levels • Premature fatigue• Increased frequencyof mistakes

• Easier communication• Better concentration• Less stress• Greater efficiency• Healthier working environment

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

1.2

1.4

Office Classroom ConferenceRoom

Theater

Rev

erbe

ratio

n Ti

me

(sec

)

Reverberation Time Influencers• Room volume• Room shape• Room surface absorption

• Number of people & objects in room

• Less than 1.0 sec for good speech intelligibility

Speech Intelligibility• Speech Transmission Index (STI)– Measure of intelligibility– Range: 0 to 1.0

• Rapid Speech Transmission Index (RASTI)– STI expressed as percentage

• Articulation Loss of Consonants (ALcons)– Percentage of consonants missed

ALconsSTI

Excellent

Unacceptable

Fair

Good

Poor

100%

33%

15%

7%

3%

0%1.0

0.75

0.6

0.45

0.3

0.0

Speech Privacy• Making speech less intelligible • Articulation class (AC)

– Rating of acoustical ceilings & sound absorbing screens for speech privacy purposes

– <150 = Low performance– >200 = High performance

• Articulation Index (AI)– Rating of speech intelligibility for completed office system

NormalPrivacy

MinimalPrivacy No Privacy Good to Excellent Intelligibility

0 0.05 0.35 0.50 1.00.20

ConfidentialPrivacy

Acoustical Performance for Schools• Equipment noise control

– HVAC systems– Electrical systems– Plumbing systems– Instructional equipment

• Background noise limit: 35 dB• Controlling reverberation

– Sound‐absorbing materials• Noise isolation

– Between interior spaces– Open‐plan classrooms– Outdoor‐to‐indoor– Impact sound– Vibrating machinery

Module 6

Visual Comfort

Visual Interest

Natural Daylighting

Artificial Lighting

Visual Comfort

Lighting Strategies• Optimize balance between daylighting & artificial lighting

• Light vertical surfaces– Increase perceived space brightness

• Balance quantity & quality of light

• Control ceiling lighting glare• Provide controlled task lighting at workstations

Integrate Natural Lighting Strategies

• Provide maximum natural daylight possible

• Use spectrally selective coatings – Avoid excessive heat loss & gain

• Use passive shading – Reduce solar loads

• Control window glare

Visual Interest• Provide view & access to outdoors• Include natural environments 

between interior & exterior spaces

• Create a visually interesting environment using:– Scale– Color– Texture– Pattern– Artwork– Plants

• Avoid uniformity & visual chaos

Resources for Visual EnvironmentWhole Building Design Guide – Daylighting

www.wbdg.org/design

DOE Buildings Technology Program – Integrated Building Designwww.eere.energy.gov/buildings/info/design/integratedbuilding

Illuminating Engineering Society of North Americawww.iesna.org

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute - Lighting Research Centerwww.lrc.rpi.edu

Energy Center of Wisconsin – Daylighting Collaborativewww.daylighting.org

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory – Windows & Daylighting Groupwww.windows.lbl.gov

Whole Building Design Guide – Daylightingwww.wbdg.org/design

DOE Buildings Technology Program – Integrated Building Designwww.eere.energy.gov/buildings/info/design/integratedbuilding

Illuminating Engineering Society of North Americawww.iesna.org

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute - Lighting Research Centerwww.lrc.rpi.edu

Energy Center of Wisconsin – Daylighting Collaborativewww.daylighting.org

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory – Windows & Daylighting Groupwww.windows.lbl.gov

Course Summary

We have reviewed the following topics:• Three principles of sustainable design• Eight credit categories for LEED Green Building Rating System• Six factors that affect thermal comfort• Controlled ventilation design recommendations for acceptable 

indoor air quality• Five sound control design practices that help create a superior 

acoustical environment• How to create visually interesting spaces through controlled & 

natural lighting design strategies

Thank You for YourParticipation

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• Rebate program for Architects, Designers & Engineers using CertainTeed products on their own home– New construction or remodel

• 15% rewards on CertainTeed products used on your home

• Easy to cash in:1. Fill out application 2. Include itemized receipts/invoices3. Redeem rebate rewards

• Online Rebate platform1. Cash out with a debit card2. Spend online at hundreds of retailers

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