Four Great Things to Know About Low Impact Design
When you’re preparing to break ground on your next construction project, there are lots of things to consider. Prior to purchasing your land parcel, you should have a site feasibility study done. If you decide to proceed, you’ll need surveys, such as boundary or topographical, or you may even need an ALTA/NSPS land title survey if your civil engineering firm recommends it. Once you get to the design stage, it’s important to consider what kind of impact your new building will have on the environment. Low impact design means considering the overall impact, or environmental footprint, of a new building project. Reducing the overall environmental impact of a new building is an important goal for builders because it’s a desirable quality when it comes to resale value in today’s marketplace.
What is LEED Certification?
LEED-certified buildings are becoming more and more common in the Midwest. LEED is an acronym for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. It’s a rating system devised by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) that evaluates the environmental performance and sustainable (green) design of buildings. The aim of LEED certified buildings is to reduce energy and water usage, promote better indoor air quality and overall quality of life for the building’s occupants. LEED certifications have four levels: from lowest to highest, they are: certified, silver, gold and platinum. Although LEED certifications are primarily sought in new builds, the process can also be applied to existing buildings that are undergoing improvements. How Does it Work? In terms of commercial building, the prerequisites include: Compliance with all relevant environmental laws and
Where in the World is Roger?
The Adventures of the World’s Most Interesting Engineer What makes Roger Ward, Sr. the world’s most interesting engineer? Roger Ward, Sr. (PE, BCEE) is the CEO at Roger Ward Engineering. A veteran of United States Army, he proudly served our country in the early 70s. After his honorable discharge, he led a water practice for a national engineering firm’s Indianapolis office. He currently oversees all of the public sector projects at Roger Ward Engineering and provides senior-level consulting services on public water and wastewater infrastructure projects. Ward Sr. has traveled the world with Engineers Without Borders, an amazing organization that provides volunteer engineering services and relief to communities around the world, volunteering to help them solve infrastructure, energy, agriculture, water and sanitation problems and other engineering challenges. In September, he
What is an ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey and When Do You Need One?
When you’re starting a new construction project, or purchasing a piece of residential or commercial real estate that may or may not already have some improvements on it, one of the first steps should be to request a survey of the land. After all, you need to know the extents of the land you’re purchasing. However, a boundary survey may not always be enough. Your lender, the land title insurance company or perhaps you, as the buyer, may be negatively impacted by things discovered later that might affect your ability to use the land in the way you intend. To determine whether any such conditions exist, an ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey may be necessary.. An ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey will provide you with a more complete map of the parcel,
