Sustainable construction has become a standard expectation for commercial and multifamily developments, driven by rising utility costs, tenant preferences, and long-term investment strategy. Summit Design + Build has spent nearly two decades building sustainable commercial buildings across Chicago, Austin, Tampa, and Charlotte, from LEED Platinum manufacturing facilities to multifamily developments pursuing Green Globes certification.
Plan a More Sustainable Build
What Is Sustainable Construction?
Sustainable construction covers the planning, materials, building systems, and construction practices that reduce a building’s environmental impact while improving how it performs for the people who use it. This includes:
- Energy-efficient lighting and HVAC systems, including LED lighting with smart controls and high-efficiency mechanical systems that lower both energy use and long-term maintenance costs
- Insulation and building envelope improvements that reduce heating and cooling loads year-round
- Water efficiency measures, such as low-flow fixtures, efficient irrigation, and rainwater management systems
- Waste reduction during construction, including recycled materials and responsible disposal practices
- Responsible material sourcing, favoring recycled and locally sourced materials where they fit the budget and design
- Low-VOC products, including paints, adhesives, and flooring that support better indoor air quality
- Indoor air quality and occupant health, a growing priority for office, medical, and multifamily tenants
- Lifecycle planning, which weighs a building’s long-term operating costs and durability, not just its upfront price
How Sustainability Is Built Into the Construction Process
Sustainable construction works best when it is considered throughout the project rather than added on after key decisions have already been made. Two parts of the construction process are especially important for turning sustainability goals into practical decisions.
Preconstruction
During preconstruction, our team evaluates sustainability alongside the owner’s budget, site conditions, building systems, and material choices. This is where we identify which strategies make sense for the project, compare upfront costs with long-term operating benefits, and address potential challenges before construction begins.
Design-Build Construction
With design and construction coordinated through one team, sustainable priorities can remain part of budgeting, design coordination, material selection and procurement, construction, and project closeout. This continuity helps prevent the project’s original sustainability goals from getting lost between phases.
What Green Building Construction Means for Building Owners
These benefits apply across the project types we build from retail to multifamily and mixed-use developments. Each sector has its own priorities, but the underlying goal is the same: a building that performs better and costs less to operate over its lifetime.
- Lower utility costs from efficient lighting, HVAC, and building envelope performance
- Reduced long-term maintenance from durable, well-specified materials and systems
- Stronger tenant appeal, particularly among commercial and multifamily tenants who increasingly factor sustainability into leasing decisions
- Healthier indoor environments that support occupant wellbeing and productivity
- Greater long-term property value, as sustainable buildings tend to hold their competitiveness longer in the market
Why Choose Summit for Your Eco-Friendly Construction Project
The team at Summit Design + Build includes LEED Accredited Professionals who stay current on green building standards and bring that knowledge into project planning, not just certification paperwork. LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is the most widely recognized green building rating system in the country, evaluating projects across categories including energy and atmosphere, water efficiency, materials and resources, and indoor environmental quality.
It is worth being clear about something owners often ask us directly: formal LEED certification is not required to build sustainably. Many of the same strategies, including energy-efficient systems, sustainable materials, water conservation, and waste reduction, can be incorporated into a project without pursuing certification at all. We help owners decide which path fits their budget, timeline, and long-term objectives, whether that path ends in a certification plaque or not.
We’re a Sustainable Building Contractor Across Industries
Our sustainable construction experience spans a range of commercial and multifamily building types, allowing us to apply practical sustainability strategies based on each project’s use, performance goals, and budget.
- Multifamily & Mixed-Use
- Industrial & Distribution
- Office & Office Interiors
- Healthcare Facilities
- Retail
- Hospitality
- Restaurants
- Recreational Facilities
- Golf Course & Amenity Centers
- Institutional Facilities
- Adaptive Reuse
Our Featured Sustainable Construction Projects
From high-performance building systems to innovative materials, our sustainable construction experience spans a range of project types and sustainability goals.
Testa Produce Distribution Facility | Chicago, IL
91,000 SF | LEED Platinum
Summit helped deliver a high-performance foodservice distribution facility that reduced utility consumption by more than 60%. Sustainable features include a 45,000-square-foot vegetated roof, solar-heated hot water, 180 photovoltaic solar panels, and a 750kW wind turbine — the first freestanding turbine of its kind in Chicago.
1040 W. Fulton Market | Chicago, IL
Mass Timber | Adaptive Urban Construction
Summit’s headquarters demonstrates how structural and material choices can reduce a building’s environmental impact. The project became Chicago’s first multi-story mass timber building constructed in 50 years, combining a heavy timber structural system with a green roof to reduce reliance on conventional steel and concrete construction.
Method Manufacturing Facility | Chicago, IL
150,000 SF | LEED Platinum
Summit served as general contractor for Method’s manufacturing facility in Chicago’s Pullman neighborhood, which became the nation’s first LEED Platinum-certified manufacturing facility in the consumer packaged goods industry. Sustainable features include a refurbished 230-foot wind turbine and rooftop solar.
Sustainable Construction FAQs
Does sustainable construction cost more upfront?
It depends on the strategies selected. Some measures, like high-efficiency lighting or improved insulation, add modest upfront cost that is typically recovered through lower utility bills within a few years. Others, like on-site renewable energy systems, require larger upfront investment with a longer payback period. We help owners weigh these tradeoffs during preconstruction, before budgets are finalized.
Do we need to pursue LEED certification to build sustainably?
No. LEED is one path, and it is the right choice for owners who want third-party verification or need certification for financing, tenant requirements, or public image. But many sustainable strategies, like energy-efficient systems, water conservation, or sustainable materials, can be built into a project without pursuing certification at all.
What kinds of sustainable materials do you use?
Selections vary by project and budget, but commonly include recycled and locally sourced materials, low-VOC paints and adhesives, engineered wood products, and materials chosen for durability and long service life rather than lowest upfront cost.
How much can energy-efficient systems actually save?
Savings vary by building type and system, but efficient lighting, HVAC, and building envelope improvements commonly reduce a building’s energy consumption significantly compared to code-minimum construction. Our Testa Produce project, for example, reduced utility consumption by more than 60 percent.
When should we start planning for sustainability?
As early as possible. Sustainability decisions made during preconstruction and design, before construction documents are finalized, are far less expensive to implement than changes made mid-construction. If you are still in the concept or planning stage, that is the right time to bring us in.
Plan a More Sustainable Build
Whether you’re targeting LEED certification or simply want a building that costs less to operate and performs better for the people inside it, our team at Summit Design + Build can help you plan the right approach for your project.
