Huffman Goes Green

We at Huffman West believe inducing sustainable/green design and building practices into our projects is the way of the future.  We are committed to team projects that incorporate as many elements as economically possible to produce a sustainable, healthy and environmentally friendly facility for your clients and employees to engage their everyday business practices.  The first wave of green buildings in the U.S. were met with skepticism and were thought to be a costly venture.  There was some initial truth to this statement due to the lack of knowledge from designers, builders and even the certifiers of the necessary elements to design and construct a green building.  As the education level regarding sustainable/green practices, of designers and builders have increased, the cost of incorporating these elements into all of our development projects has decreased.

The following information is quoted from the U.S. Green Building Council website www.usgbc.org

Why Build Green?

Did you know? The built environment has a profound impact on our natural environment, economy, health and productivity. In the United States, buildings account for:

• 36% of total energy use/65% of electricity consumption
• 30% of greenhouse gas emissions
• 30% of raw materials use
• 30% of waste output/136 million tons annually
• 12% of potable water consumption

Breakthroughs in building science, technology and operations are available to designers, builders and owners who want to build green and maximize both economic and environmental performance.

Environmental benefits:

• Enhance and protect ecosystems and biodiversity
• Improve air and water quality
• Reduce solid waste
• Conserve natural resources

Economic benefits:

• Reduce operating costs
• Enhance asset value and profits
• Improve employee productivity and satisfaction
• Optimize life-cycle economic performance

Health and community benefits:

• Improve air, thermal and acoustic environments
• Enhance occupant comfort and health
• Minimize strain on local infrastructure
• Contribute to overall quality of life

Huffman West is committed to delivering environmentally friendly, high performance, healthy facilities to our medical and dental clients.