El “Chapulin Colorado” Goes Green #1

 

It’s almost impossible to visit a residential or commercial construction site anywhere in the United States today and not hear talk about “green” building practices, sometimes also known as “sustainable” or “high-performance” construction.

This health-conscious, environmentally friendly building approachThis health-conscious, environmentally friendly building approach is an increasingly popular trend – and those in the building community who understand and embrace it have a significant competitive advantage.

National Gypsum, one of the nation’s largest producers of gypsum board and related products and a leader in sustainable manufacturing, is committed to educating the Latino workforce about the importance of being familiar with this environmentally friendly building approach.

That’s why the company’s voice for the Spanish-speaking building community, the well-known television character Chapulin Colorado, is “going green” to motivate the Hispanic building community to learn more about sustainable building practices.

In this first of a four-part series titled “Chapulin Goes Green,” three members of the Hispanic building community share why they believe it’s essential to learn more about this movement to stay competitive.

A more responsible approach

“I believe green building begins with design and continues with construction practices that reduce the negative impact buildings have on the environment,” says Aaron Marin, a Costa Rican general contractor who works in the Southeastern cities of Atlanta and Charlotte, N.C. “We do this because we know green buildings can have a positive impact on the people who use them.”

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says green buildings are designed to be more eco-friendly by:

• Efficiently using energy, water and other resources
• Protecting the health of those who use them
• Reducing waste, pollution and harm done to the surrounding land

“It’s a more responsible approach to building, with both the environment and future generations in mind,” says Francisco Alvarado of El Salvador, who is the CEO of Charlotte-based Marand Builders. “In its early days, it was just a concept, but as the practice becomes more common, I believe it will become more structured, with better guidelines in place that will determine what we can and can’t do in the field.”

The most widely accepted green building guidelines currently are published by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The USGBC’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System™ focuses on five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.

Many Hispanics have a head start

Though green building practices are optional today, Alvarado and others believe the time is coming when they’ll become the required standard for doing business on residential and commercial job sites.

“It wasn’t all that long ago safety precautions that are now the norm, such as hard hats and glasses, didn’t exist,” Alvarado says. “I believe green building standards will follow a similar path – but until then, contractors who understand and embrace these guidelines will be at a real competitive advantage.”

In fact, Alvarado believes many Hispanic contractors have a head start because they learned the importance of adapting quickly to new economic and environmental conditions to achieve success in Latin American building communities before coming to the United States.

What’s more, says Francisco Semsch, a Tampa architect who has spent more than 30 years in the construction industry in the United States, Honduras and El Salvador, is that Hispanics already are familiar with some of the fundamental elements of green construction – though they might not know it.

“I often hear from people who are new to the idea of green building that it’s too complicated or too expensive to be worthwhile,” Semsch says. “They don’t realize a green building practice can be something as simple as saving and reusing every piece of clean construction waste, which is a very common, economically driven practice in Mexico and Central America.”

Those economics translate to the United States, too. Semsch and Alvarado agree that those who understand green building guidelines and can put them to use on the job are more attractive to general contractors and are viewed as assets to the building team.

“In order for a sustainable project to be successful, the whole team needs to be in the same frame of mind,” says Semsch. “If you can say you’re familiar with green practices and materials, it immediately gives you a competitive advantage.”

Alvarado says the advantages extend beyond the job site, too.

“It’s important for all of us to be responsible and respectful of the environment – not only for our own health and safety while on the job, but also for the long-term health and safety of our children,” he says.

In next month’s piece, El Chapulin Colorado will review the contractor’s role in “greening” a job site, including essential practices such as job waste recycling and product selection.

Helpful Links

National Gypsum - www.nationalgypsum.com/espanol

U.S. Green Building Council - www.usgbc.org

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - www.epa.gov/espanol

For other relevant searches, you might want to try:
(09250) Gypsum Board