Sustainability

Why Green?

The built environment has a tremendous impact on the world around us, including our natural environment, human health and the economy. Green design and construction practices can maximize the economic and environmental performance of buildings while enhancing occupant comfort and health at the same time. A building project can go green at virtually any stage, whether new construction or renovation. However, the highest benefits are realized when the design and construction team takes an integrated approach from the earliest stages of planning. 

Our Approach

Christman has been an industry leader of the green movement in design and construction since its infancy. We continually strive to expand our expertise and related practices to deliver this important element of our clients' projects while nurturing the environments in which we ourselves live and work. We are committed to providing services that promote and support green building technologies that improve the triple bottom line of economic, environmental and social impacts. We do this in a number of ways: 

Project Achievements

With nearly 1.5 billion dollars in sustainable and LEED project experience and over six million square feet of building space in place, Christman has assisted clients in achieving their green building goals with virtually every building type, including hospitals, university facilities, schools, offices, and other institutions. Some of these notable project achievements include:

  • A Hazardous Material Response Facility for the Washington Headquarters Services - Pentagon Renovation and Construction Program, which is on track to achieve LEED Gold, 
  • The National Trust for Historic Preservation whose LEED Gold Historic Renovation of President Lincoln's Cottage and Visitor Education Center national monument in Washington, D.C. was the Trust's first ever LEED project
  • The Motherhouse Renovation — called "the state Capitol of Green" — for the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary near Detroit
  • The Rapid Central Station, the country's first LEED certified transit facility
  • Metro Health Hospital in Grand Rapids, Michigan's first full-service LEED certified hospital
  • The Christman Building, Christman's own national headquarters which is the world's first "Triple Platinum" LEED Certified Building, having been awarded LEED CS (Core and Shell), LEED CI (Commercial Interiors) and LEED EBOM (Existing Building Operations and Maintenance) Platinum certification, which was recertified in 2012.

We provide collaborative team leadership, to ensure a systematic approach to LEED project goal-setting, including achievability reviews, team assignments and thorough and consistent evaluation, tracking and documentation until the goal of accreditation is met. 

Education and Training

We have an ongoing continuous education program that features a comprehensive LEED training at introductory, intermediate and advanced levels for all of our staff, with 80 individuals company wide that have achieved their LEED Accredited Professional (AP) status and many more continuously in progress toward that goal.

Active Involvement in Professional Organizations

We are founding members of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) in multiple chapters, and continue to serve on the board of directors throughout our service areas as well as maintaining corporate membership at the national level

Project Waste Management

We "walk the talk" by implementing our own job site waste management policies consistent with sustainable development. Examples of procedures within this policy include routine and systematic sorting and recycling of  waste material, a waste impact minimization plan and standard provisions to promote green practices for trade contractors working on our projects.

Complementary Services

Christman maintains the mission to work with the client and design team to envision, plan and construct exceptional buildings—on time and on budget—that operate correctly and efficiently when opened. We also work to ensure that these structures operate efficiently throughout their respective life cycles. To accomplish this, we provide services such as life cycle cost analyses throughout the design process, implementation of commissioning plans and post-construction services such as preventative maintenance programs, utility consumption analysis and support staffing reviews.