Green vs. Conventional

Abstract

The research project was focused on the construction cost of an office building containing four (4) floors of office space and two (2) levels of parking area use the same building construction under the guidelines of USGBC (U.S. Green Building Council), also known as a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certified Building. The main purpose for this comparative is to determine which construction method is more practical due to today’s economy. Parameter that wear used are Initial Cost (design and construction), Operation Cost (energy, water other utilities that apply), Maintenance Cost and Salvage Value at the end of the building life span. It was demonstrated in this research that all factors have to be considered because for a project to be of adequate use this analysis can mean the difference between a profitable or non-profitable project. Key Terms ⎯ LEED Certified Building, Life Cycle Costs, Life Cycle Assessment, and Maintenance.