Friday, April 11, 2008

Dallas City Council ratifies green building codes for new construction

Dallas City Council ratifies green building codes for new construction

The Dallas City Council adopted a resolution for the implementation of the citywide green building program and an ordinance establishing the green building program on April 9, 2008.

The proposed ordinance incorporates the recommendations of the task force into the Dallas Development Code. The program will consist of two phases (summary of program below). The long term vision for the program is for Dallas to be carbon neutral by 2030 and for it to be the greenest city in the U.S.

If you are a builder, land developer, general contractor, remodeler, realtor, architect, designer, or any way connected to the construction industry, you will have to learn about and implement the City of Dallas’s new green building codes.

If you require more information on the City of Dallas’s new green building codes and how they affect you, or need education on green building practices, or if you need help in developing a green program, we are available for individual consultations or group seminars.

RC3D offers:
Consultancy in green building and sustainable design.
Educational seminars.
Energy modeling.
Document review for LEED compliance (or any other rating system).
LEED Project Management (or any other rating system), i.e. liaison with LEED for Homes Provider, coordination with verifiers/raters, filing of documents and submissions for certification, etc...
Meet with our consultants to find out how you can build green without incurring huge costs.

Go to our web site for more information and news on green building and sustainable design.

A summary of the Task Force Recommendations and Ordinance Requirements can be downloaded from Dallas City Hall
Summary of the City of Dallas's Citywide Green Building Program

Phase 1 becomes effective October 1, 2009, and includes requirements for energy efficiency, water conservation, cool roofs, and outdoor light restrictions for new residential projects and new proposed commercial projects affecting less than 50,000 square feet of floor area in a single 12 month period. Builders must use 15 percent less energy and 20 percent less water than current Dallas code standards mandate.

Proposed projects affecting 50,000 or more square feet of floor area, or more than 50 dwelling units, in a single 12 month period will have to achieve 85% LEED certified level compliance under any of the applicable LEED rating systems or equivalent (e.g. must achieve at least 22 LEED NC v2.2 points), although formal certification by the USGBC or an equivalent entity is not required and equivalent green building standards may be used.

Phase 2 becomes effective October 1, 2011. Phase 2 applies to all new proposed projects, residential and commercial. Proposed projects must be LEED certifiable or certifiable under an equivalent green building standard.

All new proposed residential projects must be LEED certifiable under either the LEED for homes standard, or meet the Green Built North Texas standard, or an equivalent minimum green building standard certification level as determined by the building official, although formal certification by the USGBC or an equivalent entity is not required.

Each proposed commercial project may apply for compliance under any of the following LEED rating system products: LEED NC (new construction), LEED for schools, LEED for retail, LEED for healthcare, LEED CS (core and shell), or LEED for homes.


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