Built Environment

Introduction to BE Credits

The phrase “Built Environment” refers to the man-made surroundings that provide the setting for human activity, ranging from large-scale civic surroundings to small personal places.  The impact of the built environment, including design, construction and operation is significant.  The built environment imposes on our natural resources, and without proper planning, can destroy the very attributes that inspire us to live in these places.  Recently there has also been considerable dialogue and research into the impact of the built environment on human health. 

A large percentage of the human environment is manmade, and these artificial surroundings are so extensive and cohesive that they function as organisms in the consumption of our natural resources, disposal of wastes, and facilitation of productive enterprise within its bounds. 

“Built Environment” also refers to the places constructed in our natural environment as well as on previously developed sites.  The built environment is made up of single buildings and multiple building developments; it includes landscape design, and also refers the bigger picture of urban planning.  It refers to places of any scale and form.  Many of these places are built without consulting any planning tools, let alone green planning tools or building standards.  It is a useful acknowledgment that only a small, but growing percentage, of our built environment constructed every year is designed by professionals such as architects, landscape architects, and planners.  In these cases, developers of the built environment encounter issues that cross the traditional professional boundaries between urban planners, traffic engineers, zoning authorities, architects, interior designers, industrial designers, landscape architects, etc.  In other cases, such as a public park that may have the look, feel, and nourishing quality of natural surroundings while being completely artificial and “built”, the line between the natural and the built environments can be very difficult to distinguish.

The goals of this credit category are to attempt to recognize and include the values of green building rating systems, including LEED.  Meeting the prerequisites of the appropriate green building rating tool is a solid base for all building projects.  However, the environmental challenges in this region go beyond those in LEED and are addressed by awarding specific points for positive actions.  The practices outlined in this Reference Guide and those in other green building standards, can minimize the impacts and potentially reverse effects of previously poorly developed sites.

The issues addressed in this credit category include:

•          Optimization of energy in all building types

•          Reduction of waste generation on construction sites

•          Recycling on construction sites

•          Designing buildings with material sizes in mind to minimize labor and waste

•          Reuse of organics

•          Development of outdoor spaces to connect man and nature and potentially minimize building size

•          “Right sizing” of residential dwellings to fit environment and function

Built Environment Design Team

Core Team Members

Sue L. Anderson, CTA Architects Engineers, Billings, MT

Garett Chadwick, Plan One Architects, Driggs, ID

Casey Dudley, Steve Dudley Associates, Bozeman, MT

Ron Pecarina, Energy and Sustainable Design Consultants, Inc, Billings, MT

Trey Warren, Whimpy Wolf Builders, Lander, WY

Consulting Members

Mike Keys, Keys Custom Homes, Red Lodge, MT

John McClure, McClure Custom Builders Inc., Cody, WY

Bruce Poe, Cole Poe Architects, Boise, ID

Facilitators

Kath Williams, Kath Williams + Associates, Bozeman, MT

Cheryl O'Brien, Co-Facilitator, INL Applied Mechanics & Sustainable Design, Idaho Falls, ID

Jennifer Henry, Liaison, U.S. Green Building Council, Washington,, DC