BuildingSolutions

I recently read a blog post by George F. Colony on the impact that this recession will have on business. His premise: that this recession is unlike those we have experienced in my lifetime. When we come out on the other side we will find that there has been a fundamental shift in the way we do business and connect with our customers. A major change is taking place in the way we communicate, even in the way we meet people.  Ask any of the early adopters of Twitter and Facebook and they can give you concrete examples of the impact on their lives.  I began my foray into Twitter in January of this year.  The result has been a strong connection with people in my own town that I would not have met otherwise; people who have sparked new ideas, new opportunities for collaboration, and new ways to give back to my community.  There has been a fundamental shift in the way I connect with people and I am a better networker for it. There have been amazing rewards, not the monetary kind, but a much richer, more diverse group of friends that have enriched my life.

What will the world look like on the otherside of this recession? Mr. Colony has articulated this much better than I can, but the changes in my world lend credence to the possibility that he is correct. Take the time to read his blog, it is definitely worth your while: http://blogs.forrester.com/colony/2009/06/the-gateway-recession-what-ceos-will-face-next.html

There are times when we all overcomplicate a problem, looking for a complex solution when a simple one may be staring us in the face. I think this is the case for many when they think about green building. Just saying the words conjures up visions of passive solar buildings with green roofs and windmill power generation. And, though this approach may be the best answer in some cases, a simpler, green solution for a more urban site may be the reuse/renovation of an existing building.

It is not as glamorous as the gleaming, new, state-of-the-art green building, but a renovated building has some “built-in” advantages. Renovating instead of tearing down keeps large quantities of building materials out of our landfills. It may even help keep our water supply cleaner by not creating an open building site that could contribute silt and pollutants to nearby streams and waterways. Reusing existing buildings revitalizes our cities and may reduce urban sprawl. Depending on the age of the building, the existing materials may be just as green as the new materials that we might specify for a new project. 

So look around you. There may be some very green projects underway right before your eyes!