Sustainable (Green) Building: Project Design

Environmental and Economic Assessment Tools

This list of design tools, databases, guides, studies and procedures is designed to help you measure the costs and environmental benefits of sustainable products and design strategies.

Title	Organization	Description	Year Developed
Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability (BEES 2.0)	U.S. government's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)	A design tool used to measure the "environmental performance of building products by using the environmental life-cycle assessment approach specified in ISO 14000 standards. All stages in the life of a product are analyzed: raw material acquisition, manufacture, transportation, installation, use, and recycling and waste management. Economic performance is measured using the ASTM standard life-cycle cost method, which covers the costs of initial investment, replacement, operation, maintenance and repair, and disposal."	2001
Green Building Advisor	Building Green and Design Harmony	Database of design strategies to improve environmental performance and cost-effectiveness. Several case studies are included.	2001
Green Building Resource Guide	The Architectural Machine	Price index for sustainable building materials.	1996
Green City Buildings: Applying the LEED Rating System (Adobe Acrobat PDF*)	XENERGY, Inc.	Study of potential costs and benefits realizable had 3 city buildings been designed green according to the LEED Rating System.	2000
Standard Practice for Measuring Life Cycle Costs of Buildings and Building Systems	ASTM Standard Designation: E 917-94	Procedure to complete several life-cycle cost methods.	1999