According to the World Green Building Council Trends Report, commercial builders expect more than 60 percent of their projects to shift toward sustainable building practices this year. That’s up 13 percent from 2008. While we all know environmental concerns are one of the drivers behind the development of new green building products and sustainable building design advancements, the economic benefit of sustainable building practices is now undeniable.

How do you decide?

Green building products are no longer viewed as add-ons and luxury features. For most companies, going green has become a necessity in improving operations. Clients have begun to focus on sustainability at the beginning of their commercial project, enabling builders to incorporate green building products and sustainable building design from the foundation up, and all without increasing costs. Our primary markets are:

• Healthcare & Life Sciences
• Manufacturing & Industrial
• Hospitality & Resort
• Education & Campus

With costs now in alignment, we’re starting to see other economic drivers adding to the demand for sustainable building practices. Building owners are realizing they can protect their property’s future value by making sure their buildings meet the highest-possible green building standards. When it comes time to sell, building comps won’t compare if the building next door is more efficient to operate, requires less maintenance and provides a healthier environment.

Arguably, there’s no reason not to build green, especially since green building products have become more readily available. In fact, sustainable building design starts with some of the simplest considerations, like natural lighting, ventilation solutions and cool-roof technologies. These sustainable building solutions are inexpensive, meaning you won’t have to sacrifice dollars (your own green) to be green. Plus, green building products are now so ubiquitous, it’s become easy to seek out the green goods.