Green Construction: An Introduction to a Changing Industry

What green, sustainable, and high-performance, mean for the construction industry and its workers. Not another how-to book, nor a sermon on the benefits of environmentalism, the text provides an overview of a quickly changing construction industry and clarification of what green means and how it is impacting jobs, workers, and the built environment.

In-depth coverage of topics include:
-- What is meant by terms like green, sustainable, and high performance?
-- What makes constructing a green building different from constructing conventional buildings?
-- How is green construction changing workers jobs?
-- What are the benefits, to jobs and the economy, as well as to the environment, of green construction?
-- What are the challenges and opportunities for general contractors and specialty trades?

Includes extensive coverage of:

-- Green standards, codes, and rating systems
-- Building certification programs such as LEED, Green Globes, and others
-- Green products and materials
-- Professional credentials and continuing education

Extensive appendices include a history of the green movement; How we get and use our power; How to get a building LEED-certified; and an extensive list of helpful organizations and resources. A comprehensive glossary and detailed index complete the book.

This book will be helpful to students, general contractors, tradespeople, designer, engineers, and the general public.

Written by Alison Dykstra, AIA, CSI, author of the Construction Project Management: A Complete Introduction, and presented in an understandable way.

Alison Dykstra has a masters degree in architecture from the University of Colorado and has been a licensed architect since 1983. She is a member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI), from which she received her CDT certification in construction documents technology, and her local chapter of the US Green Building Council. Her work with and commitment to the issues of renewable energy started at the Farallones Institute in the 1970s, where she worked on passive solar systems, alternative construction technologies, and integrated community design systems.

Dykstra has been an adjunct faculty member at Santa Rosa Junior College since 1992 and was inspired to write this book by her students. How do we get started in green construction? was a common refrain even among students skeptical of environmentalism. This book is a first step in answering that question.

Dykstra's interest and skill is in deconstructing complex subjects to make them accessible to those new to a subject, as well as to seasoned professionals interested in broadening their skills.