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Green Standards Start to Finish

There is a movement in Green Building which is taking a 360 degree look at the the entire building process. LEED is still the gold standard for Green Building, and Channel Lumber has worked closely with LEED over the years, and seeks to support the most sustainable products and practices. 

The concept evolving is that not only does the structure itself need to be Green, it implies that ALL aspects of the structure, and all construction materials involved from start to finish need to employ Green standards. So this is something of a revolution in design, as architects, engineers, and contractors need to factor in each stage of development, and the carbon footprint it creates. This can even go into sourcing, distribution, and delivery. 

In several previous blogs we have addressed "Net Zero" structures. Green building as a concept goes a step further and really looks at the manufacturing of materials and the carbon footprint this has before ground has been broken. 

Channel Lumber remains an industry leader in Green Building through three primary channels:

• FSC (Forest Stewardship Council). This council sets the guidelines and helps to monitor the health and sustainability of forests around the world.
• U.S. Green Building Council. This is system of guidelines to address every element of development, from manufacturing through completion. 
• LEED. LEED works on a point system that allows the development team a more quantifiable analysis of the project. There are different tiers of qualification for LEED depending of carbon emissions, grey water, heating/air conditioning, sustainability, etc.