Value of Architects

I was on a plane a couple of days ago on my way to a green building symposium and was talking with the woman next to me. We were discussing residential design and my history of working on this type of project. At one point she asked me, "So who is your biggest competition?" She was interested in knowing what other firms that I compete with for work. As I considered it, I answered that other architectural firms were not primary competition. My biggest competitors are in fact developers, builders, and showrooms who come with stock plans. These groups have basic plans that have been developed with the "average" consumer in mind. They have been market tested to appeal to the vast majority of consumers without the need for customization of any kind. The companies do not need to charge for the design as they make their money during construction. As an architect, I design around the individuals needs. The fee for these services cannot be rolled into the cost of construction. This does not necessarily mean the overall costs will be higher. By designing for an individual less space may be needed or a simpler solution can be found than for the stock plan.

VGBN Awarded Green School Grant

Earlier today, the Vermont Green Building Network was awarded a 2011 USGBC Green Schools Committees Innovation Grant, by the Center for Green Schools. The title of the grant is "Greening Vermont’s Schools- For Cost Savings and Student Performance." The goal of this grant as described in our proposal is:

"Vermont is a leader in both public education and environmental issues and has a very high per-capita rate for LEED certified buildings, yet none of them is a school. Nor is there a ChiPS certified school among the 307 public school buildings in the state. The Vermont Green Building Network (VGBN), as the USGBC’s Vermont chapter, has been advocating for green schools legislation for years, but legislators and school officials state that declining enrollments and revenues make it tough just to keep schools open let alone build new schools, and that green renovations are too costly. Our response has been that with the oldest school buildings (on average) in the US, it is too expensive NOT to implement green renovations."

VGBN will be producing a guidebook for school districts that will outline recommendations for undertaking cost effective green renovations. It is expected that this guidebook will be available for distribution in May 2012.

Update: 7/16/2011

Here is a complete list of Grant Recipients

California Central Coast Chapter: Gateway to Green Schools Initiative

Central Ohio Chapter: Ohio Green Schools Compendium

Charlotte Region Chapter: Outdoor Classroom: Green Building Systems

Delaware Valley Green Building Council: Green Your Schools Workshop

Florida Gulf Coast Chapter: Teaming Up for Green Existing Schools: A Public-Private Partnership

Illinois Chapter: Bringing Green to Chicago's Classrooms

Massachusetts Chapter: Plug Load Usage Green Guide Project

Minnesota Chapter: Minnesota Green Schools Coalition: Website Development

Orange County Chapter: Healthy Green Schools in a Generation: 2011-12 Green Classroom Project

Tennessee Chapters (East, Memphis, and Middle): Green Tennessee Schools: Website & Smartphone Application

Vermont Green Building Network: Greening Vermont's Schools: For Cost Savings and Student Performance

Bicycle and Pedestrian Infrastructure Projects

A study published on June 20, 2011 by the Political Economy Research Institute of University of Massachusetts has found that bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure projects create more jobs per dollar invested than "road-only" projects. This study did not look at the broader social and economic impacts of these types of projects although it does reference some other studies that did examine them. For every million dollars spent, it found that these are the number of jobs (including direct, indirect, and induced) created for the different project types.

• 11.41 jobs for cycling projects
• 9.91 jobs for pedestrian-only projects
• 9.57 jobs for off-street multi-use projects
• 7.75 jobs for road-only projects

It breaks down the reasons for the disparities for job creation as relating to the three following factors: labor intensity, leakages, and wage differences. Labor intensity is as it sounds the ratio of money spent on wages and salaries as compared to capital expenditures, such as materials and equipment. Road work typically requires more specialized equipment and more expensive materials than bike paths and sidewalks and thereby reduce the number of jobs created for the money spent. Leakages result from products and goods being purchased from other states or countries. When purchases are made from other states or countries, the production of those goods do not lead to jobs created within that state and reduce the impact. The study recognizes the impact that wage differences can have on job creation, but did not examine them as part of this study.