Leadership Corner: David Bylund
Interviewed by Catherine E. Toth
Advertiser Staff Writer
Name: David Bylund
Age: 46
Title: Senior associate
Organization: Architects Hawai'i
High school: Spartanburg High School in Spartanburg, South Carolina
College: Bachelor of science in civil engineering/architecture, Princeton University; master of architecture, Columbia University
Breakthrough job: Bylund had more of a "breakthrough experience" traveling through South Asia — India, Sri Lanka, Nepal — after graduate school. "My focus was on colonial architecture in India and the ways that the British and Indian cultures mixed and clashed," he said. "There may be tremendous differences, but there are tremendous similarities around the world. The perspective has served me well ever since."
Little-known fact: "I'm kind of an Apple computer geek," Bylund said. "It may be all PCs at work, but it's all Apple at home."
Major challenge: "In this professional life, managing a balance between all the day-to-day requirements of doing the work — solving today's problems, meeting deadlines, keeping ahead of the wave — and thinking further ahead — doing research, clarifying thoughts and ideas," he said.
Q. At Architects Hawai'i, you head the Sustainability in Architecture program. And you've also been appointed to the Hawai'i Environmental Council. What is sustainability and how is it important to apply this to today's architecture?
A. In broad terms, architectural sustainability is building and operating buildings that do less harm to the environment, which has conventionally been the case. As time goes by, we hope that sustainability will mean buildings that do no harm to the environment and even improve environmental conditions.
Q. You served as project designer on the University of Hawai'i's new John A. Burns School of Medicine in Kaka'ako, applying sustainability methods to its construction and design. How was sustainability incorporated into the school's design?
A. What makes sustainability work is paying attention to a lot of details. So in that building, the design of the air-conditioning system, the glass we use so that they're not heating up the rooms with sunlight, the use of sunshades on certain faces of the building, the use of materials that are locally assembled, which are good for the local economy, the management of construction waste. When people don't pay attention to it, construction waste is a really big contributor to the landfill and it doesn't have to be. ... At the moment, the project achieved around a diversion of 90 percent of construction waste from landfills to better places. That's a notable achievement and that's a testament to the whole process where everything came together.
Q. What's the most dramatic sustainable feature in the project?
A. It's a deep-sea extraction well. It reaches down directly below the medical school site to the cooler ocean water that's down there, brings it back up and uses it as the cooler in the air-conditioning system, then appropriately sends the warmer water back out. ... That hugely reduces the use of potable water — it doesn't impact our aquifer — and there's an efficiency there that saves energy as well.
Q. Is sustainability becoming a growing trend worldwide?
A. Yes, but the U.S. is definitely behind Europe and Japan. And you can watch that by looking at the products that are becoming available on the market and the growth of that. That's a pretty good sign that the demand is out there because the manufacturers are responding to it. And there are more studies and information now that show how you can build sustainably and build that way without any extra construction costs.
Q. How great is the need today that structures complement and support the environment?
A. Architectural sustainability is extremely important for many reasons. For one thing, construction and operation of buildings use about a third of all energy and about two-thirds of all energy consumed in the U.S., contribute mightily to the landfills, consume large amounts of water, and directly affect the health and well-being of almost everyone in the country. Over the near-term, this amount of consumption is not sustainable. Our children won't be able to enjoy the same benefits we do.
Q. Why is sustainability important to Hawai'i?
A. In Hawai'i these issues are even more critical. The beauty and balance of our Islands' environments are big reasons why we live here and why our economic engine — tourism — is successful. Every bit of degradation of our environment threatens the viability of the tourism industry. If we build and operate buildings that sustain our environment, we and succeeding generations can continue to enjoy Hawai'i and thrive here.
Q. What's your greatest or proudest achievement to date?
A. Lately, I'd have to say that I am proud of my role in helping raise awareness about architectural sustainability, in Architects Hawai'i and in our community. I'm not the only one doing this, by any means, but it feels good to see a growing realization that building owners can help the environment and maintain their bottom line. In fact, when one looks at the life of a building, meeting sustainability goals usually means notable savings —Êenergy and water costs, material and equipment maintenance and replacement, increased productivity and reduced health costs.
Q. What do you see as the most pressing issues or concerns in your field?
A. Always making better connections between the design and construction industries and the owners of buildings and projects. There is so much talent, knowledge and technology available to and through all of us. The challenge is to break down barriers between disciplines and roles to create the most integrated, effective and efficient solutions — to create the best buildings for us all to live, play and work in.
