Special thanks to Peter Ukstins, CRIS, ERIS, CM-Lean, LEED AP BD+C, for coauthoring this article.
We are on a mission to keep the construction industry from reinventing wheels.
So often, the industry already has the solution for a challenge, and it's just a matter
of repurposing or taking credit for what has already been developed. Where this kind of
efficiency exists, the industry will be way ahead if it recognizes this fact and
leverages it. The synergy between existing lean building practices and the demands of
building sustainably is a perfect example.
In the evolving landscape of construction, these two powerful
philosophies—lean construction and sustainable building—are converging to reshape how we
design, build, and operate structures. While each approach has distinct origins and
goals, their shared emphasis on efficiency, waste reduction, and early and ongoing
stakeholder collaboration makes them natural allies in the pursuit of high-performance,
environmentally responsible projects.
The very real challenges of project collaboration, especially around sustainability initiatives—such as misaligned responsibilities, inefficient data management, and evolving goals—might be mitigated by applying lean project management, with its focus on shared solutions, improving communication, clarifying roles, and integrating project processes.
Shared Foundations: Efficiency and Waste Reduction
At their core, both lean and sustainable construction aim to eliminate waste and maximize value.
Lean construction targets process inefficiencies such as delays, rework, and underutilized talent—through systematic planning, continuous improvement, and respect for people.
Green
building focuses on environmental stewardship and human
well-being through a focus on energy overuse, waste handling, water, material
excess, and pollution—by promoting resource conservation, healthier indoor
environments, and life cycle thinking.
Together, these approaches reinforce each other. Lean construction
streamlines operations, while sustainability ensures those operations are
environmentally sound. But it goes further than that, as all inefficiencies have
carbon or health and well-being impacts. For example, extended site operations
require power, which creates greenhouse gas emissions. Any rework more than doubles
the carbon impact of the work that was planned and, additionally, is less safe than
regular course-of-construction work. On the other hand, new sustainability
requirements for a project can create turbulence in the regular flow of work, which
would be well addressed within a lean framework.
Complementary Principals
Lean and green practices align across several key dimensions, as
shown in the following table.
Principle
Lean Construction Focus
Sustainable Building Focus
Waste reduction
Eliminates non-value-adding steps.
Minimizes environmental impact.
Life cycle thinking
Plans from design to demolition.
Encourages long-term resource efficiency.
Stakeholder engagement
Promotes early and continuous collaboration.
Supports participatory design and community input.
Continuous improvement
Uses Kaizen to refine processes. (Kaizen is a business philosophy that
focuses on continuous, incremental improvement.)
Adapts to new sustainability standards and tech
Performance measurement
Tracks process efficiency.
Monitors sustainability outcomes.
Social and economic impact
Improves safety, morale, and profitability.
Enhances health, equity, and community well-being.
Just-in-time delivery. Reduces excess
inventory and energy use.
Prefabrication and modular construction.
Minimizes site disruption and material waste, and increases worker well-being
and safety, as well as supporting streamlined construction schedules.
5S workplace organization. Creates clean,
safe, and efficient jobsites.
Pull planning and last planner system. Optimizes task sequencing, reducing idle time and energy consumption, and encouraging collaboration and information sharing between those responsible for the work.
Value stream mapping. Identifies non-value-adding steps that may harm the environment.
Integrated project delivery. Fosters collaboration for sustainable design decisions across a broad team, so that all perspectives and as much knowledge as possible are brought to bear on decisions.
Real-World Impact
According to industry reports, lean practices have led to
measurable improvements in safety, customer satisfaction, quality, and
sustainability. For example, the McGraw Hill SmartMarket Report found
that 67 percent of lean practitioners reported improved sustainability and reduced
waste, while 84 percent saw higher-quality construction outcomes. Higher-quality
work means less waste of all sorts—human effort, construction materials, energy
expenditure, etc. So, in addition to higher customer satisfaction, the projects that
successfully utilize lean principles could be said to be more sustainable by
design.
Supporting Green Certification Systems
Lean practices may also contribute to success in major green rating systems, lending support for a number of credits under various rating structures, including the following.
It appears that the application of lean tools to sustainability
rating systems may be directly applied to achieving sustainability rating system
credits, such as those in LEED, by improving integrative processes, communication,
and project scheduling.
A Unified Path Forward
As the construction industry faces increasing pressure to deliver projects that are both cost-effective and environmentally responsible, the integration of lean and green practices offers a compelling solution. By leveraging the work already done to align process efficiency with sustainability goals, project teams can build smarter, safer, and more resilient structures—benefiting owners, occupants, and the planet alike.
Opinions expressed in Expert Commentary articles are those of the author and are not necessarily held by the author's employer or IRMI. Expert Commentary articles and other IRMI Online content do not purport to provide legal, accounting, or other professional advice or opinion. If such advice is needed, consult with your attorney, accountant, or other qualified adviser.
Special thanks to Peter Ukstins, CRIS, ERIS, CM-Lean, LEED AP BD+C, for coauthoring this article.
We are on a mission to keep the construction industry from reinventing wheels. So often, the industry already has the solution for a challenge, and it's just a matter of repurposing or taking credit for what has already been developed. Where this kind of efficiency exists, the industry will be way ahead if it recognizes this fact and leverages it. The synergy between existing lean building practices and the demands of building sustainably is a perfect example.
In the evolving landscape of construction, these two powerful philosophies—lean construction and sustainable building—are converging to reshape how we design, build, and operate structures. While each approach has distinct origins and goals, their shared emphasis on efficiency, waste reduction, and early and ongoing stakeholder collaboration makes them natural allies in the pursuit of high-performance, environmentally responsible projects.
The very real challenges of project collaboration, especially around sustainability initiatives—such as misaligned responsibilities, inefficient data management, and evolving goals—might be mitigated by applying lean project management, with its focus on shared solutions, improving communication, clarifying roles, and integrating project processes.
Shared Foundations: Efficiency and Waste Reduction
At their core, both lean and sustainable construction aim to eliminate waste and maximize value.
Together, these approaches reinforce each other. Lean construction streamlines operations, while sustainability ensures those operations are environmentally sound. But it goes further than that, as all inefficiencies have carbon or health and well-being impacts. For example, extended site operations require power, which creates greenhouse gas emissions. Any rework more than doubles the carbon impact of the work that was planned and, additionally, is less safe than regular course-of-construction work. On the other hand, new sustainability requirements for a project can create turbulence in the regular flow of work, which would be well addressed within a lean framework.
Complementary Principals
Lean and green practices align across several key dimensions, as shown in the following table.
Several lean practices directly support green building goals and are commonly used in the building life cycle.
Real-World Impact
According to industry reports, lean practices have led to measurable improvements in safety, customer satisfaction, quality, and sustainability. For example, the McGraw Hill SmartMarket Report found that 67 percent of lean practitioners reported improved sustainability and reduced waste, while 84 percent saw higher-quality construction outcomes. Higher-quality work means less waste of all sorts—human effort, construction materials, energy expenditure, etc. So, in addition to higher customer satisfaction, the projects that successfully utilize lean principles could be said to be more sustainable by design.
Supporting Green Certification Systems
Lean practices may also contribute to success in major green rating systems, lending support for a number of credits under various rating structures, including the following.
It appears that the application of lean tools to sustainability rating systems may be directly applied to achieving sustainability rating system credits, such as those in LEED, by improving integrative processes, communication, and project scheduling.
A Unified Path Forward
As the construction industry faces increasing pressure to deliver projects that are both cost-effective and environmentally responsible, the integration of lean and green practices offers a compelling solution. By leveraging the work already done to align process efficiency with sustainability goals, project teams can build smarter, safer, and more resilient structures—benefiting owners, occupants, and the planet alike.
Opinions expressed in Expert Commentary articles are those of the author and are not necessarily held by the author's employer or IRMI. Expert Commentary articles and other IRMI Online content do not purport to provide legal, accounting, or other professional advice or opinion. If such advice is needed, consult with your attorney, accountant, or other qualified adviser.