While sustainability remains an important focus of this blog, the shift will be to more generic real estate issues.

The new topics will be of interest to investors, developers, academics in finance and real estate, property managers, brokers/salespeople, developers, architects, engineers, land planners, landscape architects, appraisers, engineers, lawyers, and on.

We are looking for new bloggers that are articulate and well-credentialed in their field.  Email us your qualificaitons and topic(s) that you would like to address to amervalu@bellsouth.net.

 What else is new?

Being a green building verifier, I frequently encounter a couple of recurring questions from builders:

What have your challenges been in educating the consumer about Green?

and

How do you market the ADDED VALUE of Green?

In regard to the first question, there certainly are some challenges to successfully promote and effectively message “green.”  Sustainability comprises a set of ideas, values, mindsets, principles and practices that enable individuals to improve their quality of life in ways that are meaningful to them.  Information alone will not create change and knowledge will not always lead to changes in behavior.  However, effective application of information and knowledge produces an experience.  Karen Barnes, Director of Insight at the Shelton Group, says:  “Typically, people who have personal experience and/or personal relevance to a topic are more likely to act. They understand what’s in it for them. They understand the consequences.” 

Karen further states in her blog post, The Power of Personal Experience:  “Marketing energy efficiency and sustainability has to get really personal to make a real difference.  So we must demonstrate the impact of personal behavior instead of begging for help to do “the right thing” for the faceless masses. That’s the only way we’ll get participation to reach the critical mass it’s believed is needed to prevent serious issues.”

In contrast, the second question, marketing the added value of green, must be answered by corporate behavior demonstrating the impact of “doing the right thing.”   While “doing the right thing” is somewhat subjective, homes with sustainable attributes will only appeal if they are clearly consistent with the values and actions of the builder.  Short term financial objectives that tend to focus builders on making cosmetic “green” improvements to promote sales are not added value.  This brings me to a few questions about what constitutes “added value” and what experiences will drive customers to action:

Is there added value in meeting the barest minimum green rating? 

Is there a perceived value difference between green rating protocols?

What constitutes significant energy savings?  Or demonstrable health benefits?

What proof points verify durability?

If we tend to focus on energy, shouldn’t that include embodied energy as well? 

In future blog posts, I will post some thoughts about these questions, but, for now, I want to focus on achievable Added Value.  Below, I have listed 10 items that I believe point the way to what builders must do to truly add demonstrable value to the homes they build.  This is not intended to be the definitive list of added value, but simply a starting point to gain input from other green professionals.  I look forward to your thoughts and suggestions that will reshape the content of this list. 

1.   Sustainability must be an element of overall home quality.  Sustainability comprises a set of ideas, values, mindsets, principles and practices that enable individuals to improve their quality of life in ways that are meaningful to them.  Make green a primary catalyst rather than an add-on.

2.  Focus on building a better home, then make it green.  Efficient, healthy, durable (sustainable) houses are intentionally planned and purposefully built.  If the homes you build are not better quality, it doesn’t matter if they are green.  Short term financial objectives that tend to focus builders on making cosmetic “green” improvements are not added value.  Study how people use their homes, what defines a positive experience for them, and find a way to build a greener home that enhances that experience.

3.  Sustainability does not equal sacrifice.  Recent marketing studies show that consumers tend to overly focus on energy curtailment rather than efficiency because of perceived upfront costs.  The perception of sacrifice may be preventing consumers from making informed decisions about sustainable choices.  In order to make sustainability mainstream, builders need to lead with the features consumers care about – style, price, function – and design sustainable benefits around these features to create the positive personal experiences that drive people to act.

4.  Sustainability requires Transparency, Transparency leads to Authenticity, and Authenticity builds Credibility.  You must be able to communicate transparently about every aspect of the homes you build.  Green homes with sustainable attributes will only appeal if they are clearly consistent with the values and actions of the builder.  The quickest way to lose credibility by attempting to ‘go green’ is by taking a fundamentally unsustainable product and layering on some green messaging. 

Be careful not to promote the homes you build beyond the actual value that they provide.  Instead of trying to convince your consumers, empower them to make informed decisions through open, two-way, ongoing dialogue.  Being upfront about the challenges you face is the most certain way to ensure your accomplishments are credible.  Emphasize the sustainability of the products you use across their full lifecycle, how they are made, and the ethics of the company responsible for producing or manufacturing them.  Use proof points and third-party verification to back up your claims and qualify performance.

5.  Slow and steady progress.  It is not possible to build a perfectly green house, but this should not stop you from advancing toward an incrementally better product.  Advancing toward a better product or a higher green certification requires methodical steps be taken to ensure quality through an understanding of building science principles (durability), reducing product/service liability (risk mitigation), and management of resources (sustainability).

6.  Integrated design.  This is one of the most effective, but most overlooked, methodologies to achieve a quality home.  This is not the sequential, relay-race model by which most homes are designed and built.  Integrated design is distinguished from conventional design by the use of a highly collaborative, multidisciplinary project team in which everyone working on the house has a stake in the outcome.  Going into learning mode and being committed to the success of every project will often cut costs while improving quality. 

7.  Aim ahead of the curve….  It is better to be ahead of the curve than behind it.  Educate consumers about the various levels of green rating systems, how and why your homes rate where they do, and what you are doing to protect the value of the homes they are buying today. 

And Prepare for Green to become Code.  It is inevitable that green buildings are going to become, by codification, the law of the land.  Smart builders will start educating their customers that today’s ‘best green practices’ will be tomorrow’s minimum standard of construction.  Builders who understand added value will:

*  Change how their business thinks about projects and processes, thereby decreasing design and construction deficiencies.

*  Protect their customer’s interests by identifying green features that add minimal benefits and/or increase the builder’s potential liability.

*  Reduce potential building failures by working with their designers and training subcontractors to fully understand the implementation of high-performance building techniques.

*  Understand that when the building code mandates that every builder is a green builder, it will be vitally important to already be distinguished as a credible industry leader.

8.  Develop absolute performance standards.  This is a guideline for both practice and corporate mindset.  In practice, this means the establishment of an administrative system to ensure that the required quality assurance procedures have been followed - verification that the design has been executed in the field and direct appropriate corrective action(s) when the specified quality has not been achieved.

Within your corporate mindset, this means specifying indicators and goals that measure achievement rather than effort, efficiency rather than production and consumption, and vision rather than quantitative excuses for ignoring the long term.  Is your company motivated, rated, rewarded, and attention centered on your ability to produce quantity or quality?

9.  Engage stakeholders.  We must educate, inspire, empower, and motivate consumers if we are going to turn big ideas into relevant action.  Likewise, builders should design learning and intrinsic responsibility into their management processes and feedback policies.  Improving the homes we build means that feedback is sent directly, quickly, and compellingly to the decision makers.  This can only be accomplished through ongoing engagement with homeowners to better understand the experiences that drive stakeholders to act.

10.  Expand the time horizon of value.  More than anything, people want to feel like they are making smart choices with their limited budgets and shielding their future from uncertainty.  As home builders, we can help people make smart choices by constructing homes that use less and deliver more.  Through our own understanding of sustainability, we can build homes that truly enhance the lives of users, reach a broad array of people, and meet short-term needs while delivering long-term benefits and value.

___________________________ 

Grant Dorris is the owner of Green Choice, Applied Building Science. Green Choice is built on the principles of applied building science and that sustainability is necessarily about developing innovative and flexible solutions to improve the places we live, work and play.

Sustainable building is ultimately about building safe, comfortable living environments that balance with their surrounding natural environments. It is about integrating planning and design with climate and site analysis to maximize the energy efficiency, durability, indoor environmental quality and water conservation of our structures, while simultaneously minimizing waste and our impact on natural resources.

It is only though understanding building science principles (durability), reducing product/service liability (risk mitigation), and management of resources (sustainability) that building professionals can meet the challenge of putting this understanding into an actionable plan. GREENCHOICE works with building professionals – builders, architects, engineers, product manufacturers and trade contractors – to assemble Durability Management Protocols into an actionable plan that promotes sustainability within our built environment.

by Richard J. SobelsohnRichard

Sustainable development works, not only for fighting global warming, preserving animal habitats, vegetation, ground water, the ozone and air quality, but also economically. The prudent developer in the 21st century is building and renovating/retrofitting for tomorrow and saving money for tomorrow as well. When one considers that the payback period for most energy efficient/water efficient/environment-friendly materials and apparatus is only a few years, it no longer makes sense to postpone a retrofit or not to adopt this type of construction. Additionally, the government is now even mandating going green (in some shape or form) and even those property owners who thusfar were reluctant to “convert” to sustainable building practices, will soon be forced to adopt them anyway.

However, there are myriad legal issues to consider in the development of green buildings (those meeting either the USGBC LEED certification requirements or other standards to qualify for status as a sustainable, environmentally friendly, energy efficient building). Some of these relate to construction/renovation, some to leasing, and others to owner/manager aspects of property development and operation. While real estate developers may, prior to acquisition, only be concerned with traditional aspects of the acquisition, new construction, or renovation of an existing property, they may neglect to focus on the possibility of meeting green building standards in the future (either for LEED or similar certification, or to meet newly promulgated local, state or federal requirements). Examples of this would be a failure to address these “green” opportunities in due diligence and professional engagements. Similarly, though commercial property owners/managers may be concerned with meeting green standards today, they should also draft service/maintenance agreements with continued commissioning, metering, monitoring and reporting in mind. Development of real estate has turned a new corner as the beginning of the second decade of the 21st century is here, and it is incumbent upon all professionals involved in the acquisition and operation of real property to focus on the “greening process”. It is therefore important for counsel to address this concept in all related contracts.

When acquiring a commercial property most purchasers naturally must focus on the issues concerning the applicable use of that particular property and related lender requirements. If the land is unimproved, the due diligence would include environmental studies, surveys, and an examination of zoning restrictions, easement agreements, covenants, conditions and restrictions, development agreements, and local and state code requirements. If the land is already improved, it would include all of the above plus in-depth engineering studies of the structure(s) and their many building systems. Similarly, if the property is already improved but the purchaser will be further improving the site or building(s), additional architectural and engineering studies may need to be performed. In addition, as some lenders are now jumping on the “green bandwagon,” the developer may consider at the due diligence phase how to qualify for financing dependent on the building obtaining green certification. A professional should be engaged for each of these functions (attorneys, engineers, architects, and vendors performing routine maintenance, such as cleaning, pest control, HVAC work, water/energy monitoring) and written agreements should be drafted for each. However, in order to best take advantage of their “green” opportunities, the property owner should insure that all those engaged in the acquisition and/or construction/renovation acknowledge their understanding of green construction practices, and if applicable, those requirements for LEED certification and the maintenance thereof. To effectuate this and to protect the many players in the sustainable building world, attorneys should be well versed in green building requirements.

We are no longer in a world where going “green” is just the right thing to do. It now does not make sense to ignore it. The existing economic incentives to go green are unrefutted. Though certifications through LEED or other organizations are extremely important, even if a property owner is unwilling to meet those minimum requirements, it still behooves them to adopt green building policies wherever they can (even if only on a dollar saving basis). As such, it is incumbent upon everyone involved in the green building process to be mindful of all legal ramifications that may present themselves. This is true from the perspective of the property owner, property manager, contractors, engineers, architects, designers, vendors supplying products or services to the property, attorneys and other consultants.

In addition, the hiring of professionals to get the purchaser to the green finish line will also relate to attracting the tenants who will occupy the project and who also share “green concerns”. Green buildings are attractive to owners and tenants alike, not only for the environmental good, but also for the bottom line monetary benefits. Studies have shown that overall operating expenses in a green building are lower than those not fitting the green standard. Furthermore, green buildings are shown to have healthier occupants, resulting in lower absenteeism and health care costs. Other studies show that worker productivity increases in green buildings.

The prospective sophisticated tenant is cognizant of these benefits and is now beginning to seek out relocation to green buildings. Green building leases are, however, a two-edged sword. If a landlord wishes to maintain a green building, it will be incumbent upon it to require all tenants to adhere to the landlord’s green building requirements. The failure by a tenant to meet such standards may not only relate to that tenant’s premises but have a greater impact on the entire project. If a building’s green certification could be jeopardized by a tenant, the legal implications are enormous. On the other hand, if a tenant requires a landlord to maintain a green building, the lease could contain landlord default provisions and subject the landlord to damages (clearly a large tenant or the sole tenant in a building would have better leverage to include this in the lease negotiations). So similarly, a failure of a landlord to deliver to a tenant or to maintain a green building could result in termination of the lease and possibly other damages. Keep in mind that in order to get to the green building delivery stage the developer has counted on its contractor, architect, engineers and others and to keep it green includes those parties and others. Every party involved in the process is therefore responsible for successful delivery and maintenance of the green project and each would have some culpability if the project is ultimately found to be undeserving of “green status”.

When a purchaser of commercial property considers an acquisition, when all the preliminary numbers are being run (and this is especially applicable to existing structures), the purchaser may wish to consider the possibility of having the building meet green standards (either at the time of acquisition or thereafter). This is important not only from a numbers crunching perspective, but also from a long-term, big picture planning view. As a result, the purchaser should seriously consider whether it may be beneficial to orient the building toward green construction/retrofit at the time of acquisition since there is a strong potential for future local, state, or federal mandates that will require all buildings to meet some sort of green building standards. When the decision to go forward with the purchase has been made, and if this includes developing a green building, the developer’s counsel should insure that (i) all applicable agreements to reach that status have been carefully drafted and (ii) maintenance of the green building is also considered.

Once a commercial property is developed as a green building, a developer will need to maintain that status, determine whether this is done in-house (either partially or entirely) or by an outside vendor (either partially or entirely), and promulgate policies and agreements which will need to be in place to insure compliance. Though routine maintenance may include building systems (HVAC, plumbing, electrical, grounds), it will also relate to other components of the green building operation such as maintaining recycling and storage areas, use of low VOC products in all renovations, integrated pest control, exterior building management, site disturbance, landscaping, parking areas, cleaning, interior alterations and more. Those contracted to perform the maintenance of and to adhere to the Green Building standards and policies should have written agreements requiring them to fully understand their responsibilities relating thereto and how it interrelates with the overall maintenance of the property. Similarly, if the property is maintaining LEED or other organization certifications and/or the local municipality requires it, audits, reports, education of staff and other record keeping will need to be in place and parties responsible to carry out these functions should have written policies to do so. Furthermore, since now many local, state or federal governments direct green building standards for existing buildings or new construction, additional paperwork will be required to confirm compliance.

Well-drafted documents for all of the above are paramount to assist the developer in keeping its building green. The first step in going down the green path is to become educated about it. From there, the possibilities are endless and the results are a “win-win” for everyone.

_________________

rsobelsohn@mosessinger.com
T: (212) 554-7643
F: (917) 206-4331

Richard J. Sobelsohn is an associate in the Real Estate practice at Moses & Singer. He represents developers, corporations, financial institutions and individuals concerning a variety of commercial real estate transactions including sustainable development, acquisitions, dispositions, financing, condominium offerings and leasing.

Building performance aside, what is it like to live in a LEED apartment building?  Here are samples of common comments. 

1.  "The AC does not cool the units to a level of comfort that we are accustomed to.  A low of 73 degrees F  is just not comfortable."

2.  "Water pressure is too low.  I have used water restrictors for years, but the water pressure in this new apartment is so low that the length of my showers is probably tripled and my water consumption has increased."

3.  "My apartment is in the U.S. south and adequate AC is an absolute necessity.  Aside from arguments that one shouldn't even be living here, the common areas and elevators have no AC.  As "green" as I am in my daily life, I don't like to sweat my way in and out of the building."

4. "Our building has fewer elevators that other non-LEED buildings of similar size.  Is it possible that they cut back on the cost of elevators to save money to pay for solar panels?  And the resulting wait time for elevators and the uncomfortable crowding is unacceptable."

5.  "The underground garage has very minimal lighting until movement triggers the larger lights and/or when entry doors are opened.  As I enter the garage it is dark and I feel unsafe.  Additionally, there is a time lag between entering the garage and when all the lights go on - this adds to my sense of unease."

What are your thoughts?

Are there any studies on occupant comfort in LEED apartments?

Are there acceptable levels of inconvenience for a greater good?

Will there be push-back from tenants and less demand for LEED buildings when 'inconvenience" factors are known?

___________

Grant W. Austin, MAI, MMRS, M.S., MRICS, PLE
President, Institute of Green Professionals

The following article is reproduced with permission from The Journal of Sustainable Real Estate.  Many of the world's leading academics and professionals are involved in this journal along with the American Real Estate Society and CoStar.  Consider raising your profile by submitting a paper for peer review or alternately write for the "Industry Perspectives" section that does not conform to academic writing standards.
Grant W. Austin, MAI, MMRS, M.S., MRICS, PLE
President, Institute of Green Professionals

A Performance Based
Real Property Valuation Model

by Robert Roth Esq.
Green Envy Development Group, Inc.

The time for trivializing the state of our environment is behind us.  Our stakes have matured.  With the world’s economies and natural resources fully inter-connected, neighbors on all sides now express their concerns in concert at polluters and deniers of the earth’s vulnerability. 

Likewise, the latest economic downturn demonstrated the inter-connectivity of the world’s economies; whether developed or emerging.  The Great Recession has affected us all.  “Sustainability” as a concept had been reserved in contemplation to management of the earth’s natural resources, but now it surely embraces economic viability in equal weight.

In terms of single industries, real estate bears most heavily on the natural world and our economy.  As evidenced by the genesis of The Great Recession, a real estate tumble can spill over into many other ancillary industries, and when in an aggravated condition, it can cloud nearly every industry and burden every checkbook.  As real property valuations go, so goes our economy.

What has made this recession so great, is that the real estate industry has taken such a pervasive hit.  Valuations, access to mortgage finance, foreclosures, bank failures, litigation, regulation, and others and have converged to affect a systemic failure.  The resulting malaise has proved difficult to shake off.  The question is thereby begged; how can we get the real estate industry directed on a positive course?  The follow up question is whether sustainable principles are expected to act as a central catalyst to a real estate industry recovery.  The answer to both is through the placement of proper value on green buildings.

In most real estate transactions, mortgage and/or mezzanine financing are requirements to making deals go.  In real estate finance, determining a given property’s market value is pivotal in the decision making process on whether or not collateral is sufficient to lend, and what specific loan terms justify the overall credit risk.  An appraisal report serves the function of offering a real estate professional’s opinion of market value, based on hard data and reasoned analytics. 

The appraisal’s place in real estate finance is not contested here.  What is contested is how appraisal reports should be modified in their scope and areas for analysis, in how final determinations of market value are demonstrated.  Green buildings in all of their various forms are not currently incentivized in appropriate measure for either residential or commercial properties.  By acknowledging the legitimate values inherent in environmental design and construction, and monetizing perceived benefits of green buildings where possible, the real estate industry will surely go green en masse, and the natural world may catch a break from a financially motivated human race for a change.

While still an emerging art form, appraising green buildings has taken on several forms and has meandered in many directions.  Over time, the lack of uniformity in appraising and acknowledging green buildings may prove to emasculate all that we have worked for in promoting sustainable real estate.  Simply defining what is considered a green building is an uncertainty.  For the purpose of appraising green buildings, it makes the most sense to subjugate any green building certifications (LEED, Energy Star, Green Globes, Passive House, etc.), and instead, assign priority on the buildings’ performance.  What this reorganization of priorities will do is answer the question as to how much value enhancement building green has with another question, “How green is it”?

We can come to some reasonable conclusion as to how green a property is, and in turn, delineate where its value enhancements lie, by breaking down any given green building’s constitution into the following areas, which can collectively comprise a Performance Based Real Property Valuation Model:

a) Efficiencies (energy, water, and other utilities) 
b) Potential for future economic rewards (cap and trade, government incentives, financing options, tax relief) 
c) Sustainability (stewardship of natural resources, urban planning, pollution control) 
d) Functionality (low VOC, IAQ, fenestration, etc.)

On first inspection, it may be evident that these categories are to some extent analogous to LEED’s major headings on the New Construction and Major Renovation green building standard, which may be so.  However, the difference is, that this Performance Based Real Property Valuation Model is prioritized for certainty and quantifiability in value enhancement to the more esoteric, less quantifiable aspects of green building practices.  The result is to acknowledge the values inherent in green buildings, while remaining in touch with the instruction of hard market data and the general public’s collective appreciation for environmental sensitivity.

Of course, the query will soon be posed, “Why should we stretch to assign dollar values to green buildings”?  My response is that the government and all of its sanctioned authorities (including Fannie Mae, HUD and Freddie Mac, who set parameters for standardized residential and commercial appraisal forms) routinely theorize, incentivize and subsidize in favor of any number of business practices over the years.  So, why not for green buildings?  Is this cause not noble enough?

Green buildings cut across class lines, show potential to create jobs, are eco-friendly, are timely in terms of combating the effects of The Great Recession, and they are currently under-valued in light of the distressed real properties that they are deemed comparable to in today’s market conditions.  The time to seize market recovery is now, and placing appropriate value on sustainable real estate is how to do it.  Here’s how it will work.  

• Efficiencies:  A baseline is determinable by comparing non-green properties for energy, water and other utility usage, and a monthly savings amount would be determined for the given green building’s utility consumption, based on the cost of utilities at the time of property appraisal inspection.  Actual utility bill comparisons would be preferred, but energy modeling reports from a qualified professional would be acceptable to demonstrate efficiencies on utilities for this purpose.  This monthly savings amount on utilities would be extrapolated over the remaining life of the green building; assumed to be at least 30 years (this is good enough for mortgage loan amortizations and for the IRS tax code).  This accumulated savings would be discounted to present value.  In so doing, we will simply and coherently quantify measurable green building efficiencies.  This calculated figure could then be added to a green building’s appraised valuation. 

• Potential for Economic Rewards:  This line item is a bit trickier to determine with certainty.  Therefore, whatever financial rewards are anticipated for the building’s owner or occupants would have to be discounted for time valuation, and also weighed against the likelihood of it being put into effect.  On this line of logic, it is important to note that if and/or when a “Cap and Trade” system is adopted domestically it may not take effect for some period of time in the future.  Furthermore, it is still uncertain that it will be enacted at all.  Lastly, its terms and calculations are not as yet determined.  Therefore, whatever value adjustment would be assigned to a “Cap and Trade” compliance and resulting trade value (within the domestic carbon market which is not yet established) through the use and operation of a given green building would need to be numerically offset against the aforementioned uncertainties in determining a property value enhancement.  Therefore, a maximum of three percent (3%) would be permissible as a property value enhancement in this line item for Potential for Economic Rewards.  This three percent cap would be fair yet realistic; appropriately acknowledging perceived value, while remaining true to reliable data analysis. 

• Sustainability:  This line item would be capped at one percent (1%) of value enhancement.   Even though everyone should care much more about the environment, with humanity and business’s accumulated corruption on the earth, placing more than a one percent value adjustment on final appraised valuation for building green would be an attenuation and invitation for withdrawal of common support.  This is where having a LEED, Energy Star, Green Globe or other green building certification would become relevant, if not instructive. 

• Functionality:  This line item would encourage the design and construction of structures as productive, healthy places to work and live.  Examples of this line item which are more esoteric and subjective would include Indoor Air Quality (IAQ), fenestration, use of low Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC), use of hypo-allergenic construction materials, proximity to public transportation, etc.  These types of building features promote health and happiness.  While some building occupants may not place any value on being healthy, happy or productive within the buildings that they live or work in, it is hereby acknowledged.  Therefore, the minimal one percent (1%) value enhancement cap is appropriate to recognize this sad fact; providing further commentary on human nature and its skepticism for the urgency to take better care of the earth and its denizens.

One may notice that the cost of implementing these green building features is not referenced in this line of logic.  This is by design.  What little allowances the current system of property valuation makes for green buildings does do in halves (by permitting a fractional value enhancement based on the cost of energy related upgrades only) or not at all (see above Potential for Economic Rewards, Sustainability and Functionality).  Market efficiencies in a real estate industry context rarely, if ever, assume value based on the cost of various types of upgrades.  If it did, personal taste would be included and quantified on standardized appraisal forms and accounted for in appraised valuations as matters of degree from, “delightful” to “tolerable” to “heinous.”  Corresponding numerical adjustments would have to be made based upon the appraiser’s assessment on the property owner’s personal taste in finishes.  We know this invites flaws in demonstrating property value, if not laughter, therefore, we omit reference to the cost of these upgrades and focus instead on their effect.  Thus, a performance based valuation system for green buildings takes hold.

Once we have this valuation model established to place additional and appropriate value on green buildings, the real estate finance infrastructure would surely respond in an accommodating direction.  Furthermore, real estate market players at every level would gravitate to financing and lending opportunities as created from this change in focus towards green buildings and their associated value adjustments.  Did the prior boom and bust cycle in the real estate industry closely trail financing accommodations?  Of course, it did.  The problem with that phenomenon was that the accommodative gap was fueled by relaxed, if not reckless, underwriting and credit standards.  Isn’t a preference for green building practices a more rational and healthy spirit to build a market upturn upon?

Let’s give green buildings a chance.

Take a look at the photo below.  In the far distance is downtown Toronto and in the foreground within a river valley was a brick factory and quarry that began in 1889 and was abandoned in 1984.  The old brick buildings sat idle for nearly three decades until a national charity devoted to greening communities initiated a $55 million project to reinvent the site as a showplace for urban sustainability.

The sole purpose of this blog contribution is to highlight the multiple methods by which this project has been successfuly marketed to the local government, the community and contributors - it is an exemplary example of how to capture the attention of all key participants for your next project.   Maybe some of the marketing and organizational lessons of this project can take your brownfield to the state of this property where it has just been recognized by National Geographic's Center for Sustainable Destinations as one of the world's best geotourism destinations.

 Continued below the photo . . .

Here are some of their marketing strategies . . .

In the News:

Metronews: Apr. 26 Evergreen profiled in article “Eco heroes honoured” reporting on the Green Toronto Awards http://www.metronews.ca/toronto/live/article/511382--toronto-s-eco-heroes-get-honoured

Globe and Mail (also carried by CTVNews) Tues. May 4: Brick Works fired up for the future . Detailed article and several photos profiling 16-hectare Evergreen Brick Works site in Toronto's Don Valley. Forest, meadow and wetlands now ...

Toronto Star: Doors Open supplement kids guide profiles activities planned for kids down at the Brick Works for Doors Open Toronto weekend.

Canadian Geographic Travel: Issue Summer 2010 – EBW referenced in detail as one of top 3 venues to visit while in T.O.

Local, Spring 2010 Green Issue – Feature article for regional Beaches publication called Local. The City That Brick Built http://localmagazine.ca/features/the-city-that-brick-built/

Boston Globe, The art of history The most ambitious of the industrial revival projects is the Evergreen Brick Works in the Don Valley. Few cities can claim such a centrally-located example ... http://www.boston.com/travel/getaways/canada/articles/2010/05/02/the_art_of_history/

Toronto Star (Thursday May 6) - Toronto a 'laboratory of urban innovation'-  Kaplan works out of the Providence, RI-based “Business Innovation Factory” he ... and the Evergreen Brick Works, the transformation of the Don Valley Brick ... http://www.thestar.com/yourcitymycity/article/802934--toronto-a-laboratory-of-urban-innovation

The blog, Heads up Dad, does a wonderful photo montage/essay walk with kids through the Brick Works and ravine http://blog.headsupdad.com/2010/05/03/sustainable-fun-in-toronto-the-evergreen-brickworks-2/

 Video:

Time lapse video of EBW parking lot being prepared for Holcim pour: http://www.archive.org/details/TimelapseMay4th2010TorontoBrickworksDonValley

 Events:

Thursday May 6th our “Peek Behind the Curtains of Evergreen Brick Works evening with Joe Lobko” was positively received by the building community, attended by some 75 builders and architects.   

Jamie Kennedy and Friends event planned for June 19 at the Brick Works has also been reported in the Post City news: Jamie Kennedy and friends heading to Brick Works Post City On June 19, the Local Food Five will man the hot plates at Evergreen Brick Works, 550 Bayview Ave., home to the smashingly successful farmers' market and ...

 Evergreen Short Video Contest being organized by our curator is making the social media rounds: http://www.workinculture.ca/apps/index.cfm?fuseaction=job.showDetails&jobid=46693&termid=

by Grant W. Austin, M.S., MAI, MRICS, PLE

Because the arena of "sustainability" is so large and so diverse that we can't know it all but we need to have a general understanding of the bigger picture in order to excel within our small area of expertise.  This new Journal will prove to be a valuable addition to your knowledge - I know, you are inundated with information already and don't have time for another journal - so pick only one or two of the most relevant contributions. 

In the words of the Journal: "The Journal of Sustainability Education (JSE) serves as a forum for academics and practitioners to share, critique, and promote research, practices, and initiatives that foster the integration of economic, ecological, and social-cultural dimensions of sustainability within formal and non-formal educational contexts.

JSE is a peer-reviewed, open access trans- and interdisciplinary e-journal. Each issue will include research and practice feature articles, professional and news reports of projects and initiatives, opinion pieces, announcements of educational and research opportunities, and book and other media reviews."

I invite you to be a contributor.  Features for the March 2011 edition on “Learning and Leading Sustainability” to be guest-edited by Pramod Parajuli and Terril Shorb can be submitted through the JSE online journal system.

 Enjoy.

Smart by Nature:
Schooling for Sustainability

By Fritjof Capra and Michael Stone

In this inspiring essay, Capra and Stone take us beyond the trite use of the word “sustainability” to an operational way of applying it in the educational setting. They outline four universal principles that should guide sustainability education, each with a profound implication for how learning occurs. They then show how the principles can be applied through a “curriculum that is anywhere learning occurs,” including lunchtime in the cafeteria and the design of the school campus. Their book Smart by Nature: Schooling for Sustainability expounds on the principles and learning-anywhere ideas laid out in brief here.

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Media Review

Who is TED, and Why Can’t I Talk for More Than 18 Minutes at a Time?

By Thatcher Bohrman

The TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) website brings videos of world-class TED conference talks to everyone’s finger-tips. Something about the website gets us hooked, and the daily inspiration for ourselves, and our students, keeps us coming back for more.

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Media Review

Review of Andres Edwards’ Thriving Beyond Sustainability

By Rick Medrick

Rick Medrick gives context for Andres Edwards’ new book that takes us beyond sustainability to thriveability. The book suggests that, as the sustainability movement gathers force in the realm of all 3 “E’s” (ecological, economic, social equity), we are at a point of moving towards establishing a newly organized social and ecological environment. Strategies that will allow this to be a thriving environment, according to Edwards, are “SPIRALS:” Scalable, Place-making, Intergenerational, Resilient, Accessible, Life-affirming, and Self-caring.

Rick Medrick nos da un marco de referencia para el libro de Andres Edwards que nos lleva mas allá de la sustentabilidad a la “thriveability.” El libro propone que, mientras el movimiento de sustentabilidad gana fuerzas en el área de los tres “E’s” (ecológico, económico, equidad social), estamos al punto de establecer un ambiente social y ecológico mejor organizado. Las estrategias que nos permita crear este ambiente de superarse, según Edwards son “SPIRALS”: Escalable, Del Lugar, Intergeneracional, Resiliente, Accesible, Afirmando la Vida, y Auto-Cuidando.

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by Grant W. Austin, M.S., MAI, MMRS, MRICS, PLE
President, Institute of Green Professionals

Everyone involved in sustainable development, call it green or anything sustainable must have this new book.  

Why?  

Because in all projects we encounter the financial feasibility issue when it comes to selecting a feature/element that has a sustainable characteristic vs. one that does not.  Few of us will need to read the entire book and most of you will occasionally use it for a reference, but it is important for any client presentation - even a cursory knowledge and application of its contents will place you in the lead-dog position in the eyes of a client.

Hundreds of facts/issues/characteristics in the book are invaluable, but if I were to pick only one, it would be the "Sustainable Property Cost-Benefit Checklist."  If you are involved in any aspect of sustainability this list has some applicability to your work - architect, engineer, appraiser, land planner, landscape architect, accountant, attorney, IAQ or CSR expert, contractor, consultant, etc.

 Value Beyond Cost Savings can be downloaded for free and a hardbound book is also available for $35 USD.

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by Linda Ramey, Ph. D. Principal, Thumbprint Endeavors LLC

In case you have not noticed, there are many who are not on board with the impact of humans on the environment.  And while the scientific evidence is growing by the volumes, still there are those who say we need to do more studies, or worse yet, nothing at all to curb our carbon-based fuel consumption.  Our built environment and transportation needs to sustain our western lifestyle, is well, unsustainable.  So, where is the weak link?  Communication.  Education.  The job of taking the data and putting that information into a convincing format to not only educate but to educate those who are facing backwards or still on the fence. 

In his Keynote talk at the recent Ecobuild Conference, Robert A. Peck, Commissioner, Public Buildings Service for Bob Peckthe U.S. General Services Administration made the point clearly – if we put the same building occupants, with their same habits back into even the Greenest of buildings, we will get less than optimal results. If we want to achieve the results we expect, it will take more than simply constructing more LEED-certified buildings. We need what might be termed Green Coaches, to prod or lead, which ever the case may be, to ensure that peoples’ behaviors are in line with the most sustainable use of resources, energy and space.

We need to make the most compelling case and convincing arguments, using some psychology to effect long term thinking on the humans and environmental impacts.  Not just data, but wording that swaying people’s thinking and behaviors. How do we convince someone that it is truly in everyone (and everything’s) best interest to do this?  We need to use all the tools in the toolbox and people who know how to effectively use those educational tools.  One example of a type of tool we need in educating would be to employ a type of environmental psychology to achieve results.  Dr. McKenzie-Mohr and other researchers in this field provide tremendous insights about where we have missed the mark on the environment and where we need to steer the message if we are to reach the intended audience and convince them to get onboard.  More on “Fostering Sustainable Behavior” is available at http://www.cbsm.com.

Another source of information on this topic would be the newly released publication (FREE download!) from the Center for Research on Environmental Decisions at Columbia University. “The Psychology of Climate Change Communication A Guide for Scientists, Journalists, Educators, Political Aides, and the Interested Public”, (www.CRED.Columbia.edu/guide).  Both of these sources represent tools for what I am calling a Green Coach – someone who can take the findings in the reports and explain the importance of the data in everyday terms.

Think of it this way.  We have all had the experience of sitting through a presentation that appears to be prepared for a different audience.  Or perhaps it was a professor who knew everything there was to know about a topic, except how to explain it to others.  It felt like we were in the wrong room or the presenter really just missed the mark and did not think through or know what we were there to learn.  Maybe it was the style, maybe it was the content, maybe it sailed over our heads or it was too simple, too complex or not enough detail to get at what needed to be said.  That is the case too often today.  For years the information and the warnings regarding climate change have been posted.  Some are heeding the advice.  Others are not.  The data has not changed (indeed, it is now more drastic than previously thought according to a recent MIT study) but the message has not been overwhelmingly heard.

Back to the toolbox, we need a new format, a new on-target presentation.  And that is where the Green Coaches come in.  They can reach out, connect with our audience.  Yes, we need to present the facts, the findings of the studies but the language and the wording needs to relate the information while addressing the “what does this have to do with me?” questions.   Those personal connections with the general public need to be made to help them to see the impact of their daily decisions.   Scientists, engineers, architects have the much needed data and answers to problems, but sometimes they need to work with those skilled in crafting a message that reaches and educates the building users and the general public.

Where is the American public getting their information today – TV, newspapers, the web, radio talk shows, tabloids?  Reporting by the media outlets are not effectively getting the job done.  By their very nature, they display attention-grabbing headlines and tease with media blurbs.   Newspaper and popular magazine articles get cut short, often pairing informed scientific statements with un- or ill-informed controversial opinions, implying both as having equal merit.  Those who are unsophisticated media consumers readers and listeners are often confused, disbelieving that any real answers are out there.  With this, the general public is left doubting or saying that they still don’t know for sure what the experts are talking about.  We also have the preachers – but unfortunately they often speak with opposing voices.  With this torrent of technical information (and misinformation), perhaps we need an interpreter, a Green Coach to decipher and spell it out. 

We need someone who can take the information and translate it to speak to the general public.  Someone who can help to reformat the presentation of the data from those in the know (scientists, engineers, building design, energy and resource conservation experts) and put it into easy to understand language, with the psychological twist that targets the audience we have not been able to reach.  We need what educators call pedagogy.  That means the linkage between the subject matter knowledge and how to facilitate the learning by breaking it down.  Providing a step by step, play by play educational guide for the technical information so it can be easily grasped by novices – that coach who can call the plays to get the sustainable behaviors that secure the end Green result.

In addition to providing other Green Building services, this role of being “Green Coaches”, is what we do at Thumbprint Endeavors.  We believe that educating and translating to help others more clearly understand data and reports is the often the missing link.  Our Thumbprint Endeavors Team provides this link by developing the personal connections for building occupants that result in their understanding and commitment. Clearly communicating and educating clients provides the desired sustainable behavior changes needed for LEED buildings to achieve the Green results that the designers and owners intend. 

Linda Ramey, Ph. D. Linda Ramey, Ph.D.can be reached for more information at: www.thumbprintendeavors.com.