Building Code Organizations Unite
Words: Bronzella Cleveland
Building Code Organizations Unite
In early March, the nation’s leading building code organizations announced a first-of-its-kind collaboration they say is designed to boost critical green building practices across the country.
The ICC, ASHRAE, USGBC and IES have come together to establish a comprehensive model green building code designed to rapidly advance green building practice across the United States. The new code is known as the International Green Construction Code (IGCC). The groups say the IGCC creates “a previously unimaginable regulatory framework for the construction of high-performance commercial buildings that are safe, sustainable and by the book.”
“The emergence of green building codes and standards is an important next step for the green building movement, establishing a much-needed set of baseline regulations for green buildings that is adoptable, usable and enforceable by jurisdictions,” said ICC Chief Executive Officer Richard P. Weiland. “The IGCC provides a vehicle for jurisdictions to regulate green for the design and performance of new and renovated buildings in a manner that is integrated with existing codes as an overlay, allowing all new buildings to reap the rewards of improved design and construction practices.”
“The U.S. Green Building Council’s mission is market transformation and we’ve long recognized the need to reach beyond the market leaders served by LEED to accomplish this goal,” said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chairman of the U.S. Green Building Council. “Broadening the scope of the codes and establishing a higher floor allows us to continue to raise the ceiling, a critical factor in how the building industry is working to mitigate climate change. We are thrilled to see this set of complementary green building codes and standards; our organizations working collaboratively will advance green building nationwide in a way that was never before possible. ”
The organizations also are working to advance related education and advocacy efforts to promote adoption, enforcement and compliance with the IGCC codes that will pave the way for green buildings and neighborhoods, while creating jobs and strengthening the economy, they say.