November 5, 2008

McGraw Hill Launches THE GREEN BUILDING BOTTOM LINE

What it takes to build green – from considering the economic benefits of sustainability to marketing a sustainable project

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has created a gold standard by which environmentally responsible buildings can be constructed, suggesting that LEED certification can be achieved within budget and will provide economic returns for the life of the building through efficiencies gained in construction. However, the question persists: how much more does it cost to construct a green building?

In The Green Building Bottom Line: The Real Cost of Sustainable Building (McGraw-Hill; November 2008; Hardcover: $69.95), Martin Melaver and Phyllis Mueller provide a detailed accounting of the "true" costs associated with green building. In this book, a group of individuals with experience in various fields, without backgrounds in green building, worked together to develop five LEED certified projects. They document the costs associated with each aspect of these projects, which range from a LEED renovation of a National Historic Register property to the country's first all-retail LEED core and shell project.

From attracting financing for a LEED development, working with building professionals (architects, general contractors, sub-contractors) to coordinate a LEED project, marketing a green project, to negotiating the "green" elements of a lease with a prospective tenant, readers will be "at the table" with the entire Melaver development team as it tackles the variety of challenges involved in sustainable development.

Martin Melaver is CEO and Vice President of Melaver, Inc., a position he has held since 1992. He is a graduate of Amherst College, earned M.A. and Ph.D. degrees at Harvard University and an M.B.A. from the J. L. Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, and is a LEED Accredited Professional.

is CEO and Vice President of Melaver, Inc., a position he has held since 1992. He is a graduate of Amherst College, earned M.A. and Ph.D. degrees at Harvard University and an M.B.A. from the J. L. Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, and is a LEED Accredited Professional.

Phyllis Mueller is an editor and writer whose areas of interest and professional experience include environmental issues, construction, and business. She is a graduate of Emory University.

Chapters in the book were contributed by individuals from the entire development team, so that the reader gets not only the viewpoint of the CEO, but that of the project manager, the attorney, the publicist, the CFO, and others.

Additional titles in McGraw-Hill’s GreenSource series include:

- Solar Power in Building Design: The Engineer’s Complete Design Resource by Peter Gevorkianby Peter Gevorkian

- Emerald Architecture: Case Studies in Green Building by GreenSource: The Magazine of Sustainable Design by GreenSource: The Magazine of Sustainable Design

- The Engineering Guide to LEED—New Construction: Sustainable Construction for Engineers by Liv Haselbachby Liv Haselbach

- Green Building Through Integrated Design by Jerry Yudelsonby Jerry Yudelson

About GreenSource A mainstay in the green building market since 2006, GreenSource magazine and GreenSourceMag.com are produced by the editors of McGraw-Hill Construction, in partnership with editors at BuildingGreen, Inc., with support from the United States Green Building Council. GreenSource has received numerous awards, including American Business Media’s 2008 Neal Award for Best Website and 2007 Neal Award for Best Start-up Publication, and FOLIO magazine’s 2007 Ozzie Awards for "Best Design, New Magazine" and "Best Overall Design." Recognized for responding to the needs and demands of the profession, GreenSource is a leader in covering noteworthy trends in sustainable design and best practice case studies. Its award-winning content will continue to benefit key specifiers and buyers in the green design and construction industry through the books in the GreenSource Series.

The Green Building Bottom Line: The Real Cost of Sustainable Building by Martin Melaver and Phyllis Mueller

McGraw-Hill; November 2008; Hardcover: $69.95; 384 pages; ISBN-10: 0-07-1599215; ISBN-13: 978-0-07-1599214

# # #

For author interviews, artwork, or excerpt information, please contact:

Bettina Faltermeier, Sr. Publicity Manager, 212-904-3604, This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it