National Green Building Standard Almost Ready

In a previous posting we discussed the new green building standard being developed jointly by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), the International Code Council (ICC) and the NAHB Research Center. The new standard is intended to be seamlessly incorporated into existing building codes, thereby providing a code-based standard for jurisdictions considering mandatory green building requirements. In contrast to currently existing green building rating systems (e.g., LEED), the proposed standard specifically addresses multi-family development and construction.

The NAHB, ICC and NAHB Research Center have developed the National Green Building Standard with the goal of obtaining ANSI approval, so that the standard would be available for adoption by local building departments. The ANSI public comment period on the proposed draft closed on February 8, 2008, and the standard is currently anticipated to be released later this spring.

For more information on the National Green Building Standard, and a copy of the current draft, go to http://www.nahbrc.org/technical/standards/greenbuilding.aspx. (This entry published by Karen Carey, a member of Womble Carlyle's real estate development and construction law practice group.)