DFW International Airport
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Guest Speakers
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Jerry Burbridge, Department of Homeland Security
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Rusty Hodapp, P.E., CEM, LEED AP
VP and Sustainability Officer
Our visit of the DFW Airport began with a visit with Mr. Jerry Burbridge, who works for Homeland Security, who not only has a great deal of knowledge in architecture and real estate, but has a wealth of knowledge in engineering, accounting, finance, building systems, materials data, and most of all, sustainability. He explained how a building should be looked at from many angles, and not only should the construction of a building be kept in mind as it is developed from the ground up, but its entire life cycle should be considered as well, including the deconstruction of that structure 20 or 40 years in the future. He referred to this concept as life cycle costing, which means keeping all systems in mind when developing a new structure. This concept was compared to a simple grain of dirt. He discussed how each piece of dirt has 6 sides, a top, bottom, and 4 sides, similar to a structure of a house. Mr. Burbridge explained the analysis of that piece of dirt or “structure” from the foundation, to the walls, to the roof. Once you have the basics of the structure considered, then move on to the main systems which should be focused on when designing a sustainable building. Those systems include the HVAC systems, the lighting and the windows. However, one major component that is often forgotten is the materials that are not only used in the structure of the building, but the interior design and even the furniture used within that building as well. He spoke of the MSDS sheets, which are Material Safety Data Sheets, which keeps track of all the toxins in each of the materials used in the construction of a building, and using that data to eliminate materials that will contribute to a more “toxic” environment thus creating what is often called a “sick environment”. That "sick environment" has been analyzed for some time, and has often been a hot topic among many companies. Studies have found that the buildings built with low VOC paints, low toxin materials, natural lighting, and even a natural ventilation system, all provide for a "happier" environment. And within that "happier" environment, they found that the employees would care more about their job, put more effort into their work, call in sick less, and get along better with their fellow coworkers. Therefore, it's easy to say that yes it's important to pay attention to the MSDS, but when you get down to the heart of it, those simple sheets containing a simple analysis can very well make or break a company over a period of time. For that fact alone, architects, builders and everyone involved in a construction project should keep in mind, am I building a "sick environment".
Mr. Burbridge also discussed the USGBC’s LEED categories and the changes that are now being implemented within that program. In the beginning of the USGBC LEED certification program, once a building was granted a particular level, they were able to earn that certification for the remainder of that building’s life, however, now they require that LEED certified building to maintain their sustainable efforts to continue to possess that specific certification. He went on to explain the categories of LEED and how each pertained to a structure.
LEED Categories
1. Sustainable Site
2. Water Efficiency
3. Energy and Atmosphere
4. Materials and Resources
5. Indoor Environmental Quality
6. Innovation and Design
7. Regional Priorities
3. Energy and Atmosphere
4. Materials and Resources
5. Indoor Environmental Quality
6. Innovation and Design
7. Regional Priorities
He closed with an encouraging, but cautious stance. As we move forward to a sustainable world, and sustainable buildings within that world, we should keep in mind the efforts to maintain the sustainability of that structure. That we need to be careful how ‘out front’ we get with our sustainable features and take into account what is required to keep that system running and how much it costs to maintain it. Expensive measures to become sustainable may not be economically feasible down the road, with the economic return not in a good balance with the initial cost and the cost of maintenance. Unfortunately, the cost of sustainable products and design is at the top of the list of most decisions as to whether or not one should make that effort to build a more sustainable building. To break further into the layers of sustainable development, cost is always going to be a battle. Most people's argument against embracing sustainable design is the expense. Now, what we have to take into account is the maintenance of that green element going to cost even more down the road, which in turn, unfortunately, will turn more people off and add one more thing to the con list of sustainable design elements. And while Mr. Burbridge brings up a good point, I think it's just the surface of many layers to the debate on whether or not to include green products in not only new projects but existing ones as well. I think as time goes by, and green products become cheaper to make and sustainability becomes more mainstream, the cost will go down and become more affordable to the general public. With all hope, the cost of maintaining those green elements will lower as well, unfortunately, it may take years and even decades to see how that will play out. However, we can't let that stop us from proceeding on this green highway that we are on. The only way the product and maintenance cost will go down, is to continue educate people on sustainability and to make sustainability as mainstream as possible. I hate to use the word tend with sustainability, being that "trend" by definition is one that is only temporary, but the more we get involved and utilize green elements, the more the sustainability trend will become the every day norm.
DFW International Airport is one of the largest airports in the nation. While airports all over the country are making efforts to become more sustainable, DFW has a few key points that help them stand out above the rest. The airport began making sustainable efforts in the last 1990’s, however, it wasn’t until 2007 that their green efforts kicked into high gear. Rusty Hodapp, the VP and Sustainability Officer for DFW International Airport, wrote the DFW’s first Sustainability corporate policy in 2007. Once he received his LEED AP, he began analyzing the airports sustainable efforts and realized there was much that could be done. Then began DFW’s sustainable marketing plan: “Trusted with tomorrow”. He based the policy on six main principals.
DFW’s Principals of Sustainability
1. Systems thinking
2. Top to Bottom Analysis
3. Integrated Management
4. Continuous Improvement
5. Life-Cycle Analysis
6. Community Partnerships
4. Continuous Improvement
5. Life-Cycle Analysis
6. Community Partnerships
DFW takes a collaborative approach to ensuring all aspects of sustainability are achieved within the airport itself. There are 3 Sustainability “sub-teams” which consist of employees from various departments, coming together to do a secondary job serving on one of the three green teams at DFW. It was this point of the "secondary teams" that really sparked my interest out of the whole lecture. Being that I have a BS in Architecture, and hope to move into Urban and City Planning, this point and the idea of airports being their own "small city" truly peaked my curiosity. What if DFW moved from those secondary teams, and developed primary teams. Teams of each of the groups listed below, and made sustainability their main focus. While I understand that DFW International Airport is a non-profit business, they still run that company as a for-profit business. That being said, what if a small fee was added somewhere, for each passenger flying out of DFW which contributed to those primary teams. What if the money saved from all the sustainable efforts, went towards those primary sustainability teams. Though I'm sure the existing teams do a wonderful job, and at the present, may not make financial sense to develop a full time sustainability position, the end result may provide a larger savings in the long run should an employee's primary focus be on saving energy and thus saving money for the airport. Secondly, why not apply that sustainable efforts being implemented in larger metro areas and apply those ideas to the "small city" mentality. Analyzing traffic and transportation throughout the airport itself, both interior and exterior. I know that the DART project is a big focus right now, and while that is a great project and a fabulous step in the right direction, one has to ask themselves, can more be done? What about a higher density development? What about a focus on sustainable building elements such as energy efficient windows, doors, perhaps they have already implemented those aspect to the best of their allowable degree. In all honesty, I think I walked away with more questions than answers, however, it's a great place to start, and is well worth the further investigation. I might even be as so bold to say, this has sparked a new interest for me and might even have a new career focus. It's a way to implement my love of architecture and sustainability, coupled with my interest of city planning. One never knows...
DFW’s Green Teams
1. 1. Green Purchasing Team – in charge of purchasing environmentally friendly products and even ensuring that their 3rd party distributors are as eco-friendly as possible.
2. 2. Green Building Team – in charge of standards followed within the building / remodeling of the airports newly updated terminals, as well as the materials used within those spaces.
3. 3. Green ITS Team – in charge of reducing energy consumption throughout the airport, as well as reducing the electronic waste that is created within the airport and its departments.
Stages of Sustainability
DFW Main Public Relations Sustainability Points
1. Energy Efficiency Program – continuously commissioning alternative energy to power the airport
2. Thermal Energy Storage
3. Solar PV Array – atop one of the airport buildings
4. LEED Designed Fire Station
5. Water Conservation – Water Sense
6. Water Reuse Program – Purple Pipeline system, Direct Reclamation
7. Clean Fuel Fleet – CNG Fleet vehicles using natural gas as alternative fuels
8. TRIP – Terminal Renewal Improvement Program
The Future in Sustainability at DFW
1. External Sustainability Report
2. Higher Level Sustainability Matrix
3. Integrated Sustainability communication strategies
4. Sustainability with the DFW Workshops
5. Sustainability partnerships with key business partner and
stakeholders
Mr. Burbridge and Mr. Hodapp both provided a wonderfully detailed explanation as to how sustainability is being achieved on a large scale. Demonstrating how DFW international airport functions as a small city, playing particular attention to all aspects of sustainability. I have to say, I was rather impressed with all the green efforts being made at DFW, and have gained a new respect and understanding of what efforts can be made to become more sustainable on every level. I would like to thank our Professor, Mr. Brant Mullen for providing this occasion and allowing us to see our dreams of sustainability in action. We are truly in a unique position and greatly appreciate this opportunity.
References
DFW International Airport - TRIP - http://www.dfwairport.com/redefine/construction/index.php
DFW International Airport - http://www.dfwairport.com/
DFW International Airport – Sustainability - http://www.dfwairport.com/sustainability/P1_008769.php
Jerry Burbridge, Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection Department
Rusty Hodapp, P.E., CEM, LEED AP, VP and Sustainability Officer, DFW International Airport
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