Green Building Program

BUILDING A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

As a proud member of the U.S. Green Building Council, GTC recognizes the importance of providing sustainable construction services that result in efficient, environmentally-responsible buildings. Our Green Building Program has two branches:

Outreach: Providing the Owner and Design Team with the very best information during preconstruction and throughout the entire construction process, ensuring the best possible value for your construction budget and resulting in environmentally-responsible projects.

Operations: Creating and maintaining programs within our own company to ensure that we, like our eco-conscious clients, are working to minimize our impact on the natural environment.

Outreach

We staff many LEED® Accredited Professionals to provide expert services such as preconstruction planning, cost estimating, and constructability reviews of sustainable issues for projects of any size.

Preconstruction

  • Feasibility review of LEED goals/sustainable design

  • Prequalification of LEED Accredited MEP subcontractors

  • Research into alternative methods and products

During Construction

  • Construction waste recycling

  • Strategic site staging to minimize environmental disturbance

  • Alternative building products that are found locally, from sustainable sources, with recycled content, and with few or no harmful emissions

  • Education and guidance of subcontractors on LEED/green strategies

Post-Construction

  • Building Commissioning to ensure MEP systems operate as designed and with intended efficiency

  • Documentation and submission for LEED or other awards

This outline represents the more common avenues pursued when implementing green strategies into a project, and some of these strategies may have costs associated with them. GTC’s Estimating Department works closely with the Owner and Design Team to determine which of these fit within the project budget.

Operations

Not only is GTC qualified to facilitate development of green strategy and participate in LEED certification on the projects we manage, but we’ve also adopted Green Building philosophies within our own company. Some of our green practices include:

  • Purchasing eco-friendly, recyclable/biodegradable, and recycled-content products whenever possible

  • Encouraging clients to consider the benefits of green building

  • Driving fleet vehicles that include gas-electric hybrids and alternative fuel vehicles

  • Using electric energy supplied to our main office by Longmont Power & Communication, which is purchased through a renewable energy program in collaboration with Platte River Power Authority and derived 100% from hydro-electric and wind power

  • Recycling more than 96% of office waste, including all paper products

  • Providing exercise facilities at our office to encourage health and fitness, which increase employee satisfaction and productivity

  • Continuously updating a database of green/alternative products on the market so we can provide alternatives that are competitive and current

  • Maintaining current cost data on traditional building products and methods for quick and easy comparison of green versus traditional programs on questions of cost impact

  • Implementing an in-house Sustainable Site Practices Program on all applicable project sites to reduce environmental degradation caused by construction staging operations

GTC's LEED and Sustainable Experience