#YOLO - Unless you’re a sustainable building?
Ever heard the term YOLO? It means “You Only Live Once.” I feel like that is a signature of the Millennial Generation and it can be related to building envelope engineering and design. My generation lives for the NOW instead of considering the architectural generations to come. Present-day design is streamlined and value engineered until you get the Costco-off-the-shelf version of a building envelope while leaving all the detailing and transitions up to the tradesmen. But, my generation also grew up with “reduce, reuse, recycle” and embraces the selection of sustainable materials - finding new uses for old materials. Sounds like the opposite of the YOLO, doesn’t it?
Design for construction used to consider that the building would have at least a 100-year life span. Let’s face it, most of us won’t live to see 100 years old, so, YOLO! But that is not true for the sustainability of new buildings. The sustainable building design concept embraces the 3 P’s: People, Planet and Pocketbook. Buildings are now considered to have only a 50-year life span and it is fully expected that many will be razed and redeveloped to meet the needs of our changing socio-economic environment and political trends. However, what will happen to those building materials in 50 years? My guess is that my generation will recycle them into new building materials.
How many of us enjoy visiting historic buildings and sites with our families? How many of our projects are Registered Historic Buildings? Do you think those builders had a “YOLO” attitude? Those buildings are still standing 100 and 200 years later! They were constructed of natural materials suited for their environment and carefully (most of the time) maintained by skilled craftsmen who embodied the concept of the 3 P’s long before there was a concept of 3 P’s. I wonder how all these new recycled materials, asphalt-based membranes, synthetic stone, and fiber cement products will stand up to the test of time.
My point in all of this is, if you want your building to last through generations, or at least survive the first 50 years, while still meeting sustainability goals, don’t have a YOLO approach to building envelope design. Consider the following points:
Longevity. Tested and proven life cycles of materials selected for the project. Materials may achieve higher performance in one category such as water infiltration resistance or thermal value but you sacrifice fire resistance or durability in another category.
You get what you pay for, i.e., cheaper doesn’t mean better. More upfront costs can translate to lower life-cycle costs.
Selection and location of moisture, air, and water control layers to protect the structure and interior components.
Selection of materials with recycled content or re-purposed building materials.
Fine-tune detailing of transitions on paper so they can be implemented properly in the field and not left to chance.
Simplicity of transitions and joints to allow for easy access and maintenance.
A multi-generational aesthetic with fenestrations and veneers.
And remember to have fun with the design of your new (and historic) buildings, because - YOLO!