Vertegy, a sustainability consultant,  was recently recruited by the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) to develop and update a course aimed at training individuals in the construction industry on the new LEED guidelines for new construction.

The second edition of the class, “Building to LEED-NC: Overview and Impact on Construction Practices,” will specifically focus on how the newest version of LEED – LEED 2009 – impacts the Contractor. The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) launched its LEED Version 3.0 program earlier this year, which included the release of the revamped LEED 2009 Rating Systems. Thomas Taylor, general manager of the St. Louis-based sustainable consulting firm and long-time AGC member, is currently working in partnership with the AGC to finalize the class so it can be available to professionals by June 2010.

Vertegy is in charge of developing the curriculum for this eight-hour course, as well as revising a course participant’s manual, instructor’s guide and course assessment. The course’s goal will be to train construction professionals on pertinent LEED topics, such as:

• sustainability and green building;
• the differences between the old LEED-NC Version 2.2 and the new LEED 2009 program, including
o the prerequisites and credits within the LEED categories,
o the creation and function of the Green Building Certification Institute (GCBI), and
o the new professional credentialing process;
• the significance of design and construction submittals; and
• the impact of LEED on the construction process.

“Growing up as a contractor and always having a love for the construction industry, I realize how important it is that contractors and other construction professionals are well-prepared for the future,” noted Taylor. “The new curriculum outlined in the revised ‘Building to LEED-NC’ course will ensure that these individuals are well-versed on sustainability in new construction as defined by the recently-modified guidelines so that they can successfully focus on achieving their or their clients’ sustainability goals.”

Taylor and the AGC are currently running advanced pilot programs to make sure the course exceeds the expectations of individuals in the construction industry, and so far, they have received positive feedback. More than 50 participants took part in a recent advance pilot session at Greenbuild Phoenix in November, and on Dec. 15, Taylor presented a webinar describing the course in detail to more than 100 professionals across the country. The pilot version is also scheduled to be implemented at the national AGC Convention, which is taking place in Orlando in March 2010. Feedback received on the pilot version will be factored into the final course, which is expected to be utilized by hundreds of industry professionals in the coming year, helping them remain competitive in the increasingly green market.

This collaboration is not the first time the AGC has turned to Taylor. Taylor, who chairs the AGC National Environmental Steering committee, was a part of the original course’s research advisory board and was invited by the AGC in 2008 to edit and write the foreword for Thomas E. Glavinich’s book entitled Contractor’s Guide to Green Building Construction: Management, Project Delivery, Documentation, and Risk Reduction.

SOURCE: St. Louis CNR

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Tags: green design, LEED

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