Understanding the Three Components of Sustainable Construction Planning and Construction Management in San Francisco

As a firm specializing in construction management in Concord, CA, we hear the word “sustainability” thrown around a lot in the media and in our meetings. But not everyone fully understands the term, or fully grasps the three different ways that it relates to construction planning.
Sustainability is about a lot more than “going green,” and we here at KSD Group Inc. are committed to pursuing sustainability in all its forms on each and every project. Here is a closer look at the three different factors to consider when planning a sustainable project, and how a team dedicated to construction management in Oakland, CA can help.
Economic sustainability
Whether you are building a high scale, mixed-use condo community or a low-income housing development, you must always look at the short- and long-term economic impact your project will have on the area around it. Rather than building something that will suck up resources and contribute to isolation or overcrowding in the area, you need to strive to build something that will function in financial harmony with its surroundings.
Sustainable construction planners do this by looking into local growth, taking meetings with local government and advocacy groups, and trying to create partnerships with local utilities, businesses and organizations.
Environmental sustainability
Environmental friendliness is usually what springs to mind when someone mentions sustainability these days, and for good reason: with limited resources and the threat of climate change looming large, builders are always looking for new ways to be more environmentally sustainable.
Much of that gets accomplished in the planning stage. Construction planners will look at three different factors: the possibility of treating and then reusing contaminated land; the potential of converting and reusing old buildings (but with more efficient materials); and the question of traveling and accessibility to food, public transportation, entertainment and other daily necessities.
Social sustainability
Finally, social sustainability refers to the usability, accessibility and overall positive impact a building will have on the people who live or work in or around the project site. These concerns often overlap with environmental and economic sustainability. For example, strong public transportation is both an environmental and a social benefit.
In addition to transportation access, construction managers will also look into economic impact, public spaces (such as parks, benches and courtyards), public need for housing and other social factors. Smart firms handling construction management in Berkeley, CA will also take the time to speak with local community members and organizations to learn more about that area’s social needs and wants.
Hitting all three points
As you can see, sustainable building encompasses many different features, factors and questions. If you want to build something that is not only architecturally impressive, but that also has a real positive impact on the surrounding community, then you ought to hire a Bay Area construction management business that has experience and expertise in all three areas.
Since 1979, the team at KSD Group Inc. has paid attention to the social, environmental and economic sustainability of each and every one of our projects. Get in touch today for more information.