Presenters:

Steve Clem, Director of Preconstruction, Skanska USA Building, Portland, OR

Lisa Petterson, Associate, SERA Architects, Portland, OR

Dennis Wilde, Principal, Development Advisor, Gerding Edlen Development Company, Portland, OR

Rob Bennett, Executive Director, Portland + Oregon Sustainability Institute, Portland, OR

Session Sponsored by Coffman Engineers

The task of changing a cultural and social paradigm falls to those who are willing to disprove what is perceived as impossible. In the two years since the Living Building Challenge was announced, there has been growing interest from clients and design firms attracted by the simplicity of the concept and an appreciation for the new milestone it defines on the path to a restorative future. Often, the question that arises after clients begin to comprehend the magnitude of building a Living Building is “what is the cost premium?” 

This session is geared to answer that question, presenting the findings of the study ‘Cost of Living Buildings’, currently in its final stages. The study, led by SERA Architects, Skanska USA Building, Gerding Edlen Development, New Buildings Institute and Interface Engineering has been commissioned by Cascadia to shed light on what is perceived as a limiting factor for Living Buildings: cost. For the study, the team conceptually transformed nine LEED gold buildings into Living Buildings in four different climate zones. 

In this session, the team members (architect, engineer, developer and contractor) will provide insight on how they approached the details of each LBC prerequisite and will highlight the impacts of scale and climate on the pursuit of sustainable buildings from both a cost and form perspective. This presentation will provide useful cost information that will help jurisdictions, owners, designers, engineers and contractors better understand the true market limitations that challenge the pursuit of deep green buildings and certification under the Living Building framework.

Presenter Bios

Steve Clem

Steve is the Director of Preconstruction for Skanska’s Oregon Office and has been a Skanska employee his entire 12-year career. He led operations on OSU’s Kelley Engineering Building, the United States’ first new LEED Gold academic engineering building, and is directly involved with the office’s nine current LEED projects. He is a member of Skanska’s national Green Council, and has published articles on green building practices and presented on sustainability topics at national conferences.

Lisa Petterson

Lisa's work as a project designer / architect is focused on the development of projects with green building goals. As part of her Living Building work, she is working on a study to quantify the costs of Living Buildings. Lisa regularly speaks on the Living Building Challenge and other green building topics. Conferences and seminars she has spoken at include: Engineering Green, Solar Expo, the Oregon Chapters of ASHRAE and IESNA and the Natural Step.

Dennis Wilde

As Gerding Edlen’s designated “green guy", Dennis has encouraged increased sustainability in development projects while building a strong business case for the economic and social benefits of environmental responsibility. Dennis’ responsibilities include feasibility studies, management of the pre-construction process and overall project management. Dennis is passionate about design as well, believing that it is an expression of man’s highest aspirations. He has more than 20 years of experience in urban planning and design.

Rob Bennett

Rob is the executive director of the Portland+Oregon Sustainability Institute (POSI), a new non-profit organization founded to accelerate the growth of Portland's green business sector through collaboration with government, Oregon University System, NGO's, and green sector businesses. Prior to founding POSI, Rob was the residential and cities policy manager for the Clinton Climate Initiative and worked for the cities of Portland and Vancouver, BC. He founded the City of Portland’s green building program, G/Rated.