The Sustainable Real Estate Journal Phipps Conservatory Housing Developments Incorporating Local Food Production Net Zero Energy Modular Construction Decentralized, Modular Wastewater Treatment Amazon Effect Impacts Commercial Real Estate Rights for Rivers in 5 Florida Counties Lake Erie Bill of Rights Case Heats Up Nov/Dec 2019
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The Sustainable Real Estate Journal
Phipps Conservatory
Housing Developments Incorporating
Local Food Production
Net Zero Energy Modular Construction
Decentralized, Modular Wastewater Treatment
Amazon Effect Impacts Commercial Real Estate
Rights for Rivers in 5 Florida Counties
Lake Erie Bill of Rights Case Heats Up
Nov/Dec 2019
2
White Pine
White Pine—The Sustainable Real Estate Journal is published bi-monthly by SolarWinds Publishing, Inc.
How the Amazon Effect is Impacting the Future of Retail An Interview with Altus Group Net-Zero Energy Modular Construction Maximizing Community Benefits in “Opportunity Zones” Fire Blankets Can Protect Buildings From Wildfires Refinitiv Increases Investment to Unearth Links Between Sustainability and Financial Performance New Urban Land Institute Report Reflects Decade of Progress in Improved Environmental Performance in Buildings In Pictures: Projects Setting the Agenda in Sustainable Design Decentralized, Modular Waste Water Treatment Proposed Legally Enforceable Rights for Rivers in 5 Florida Counties Lake Erie Bill of Rights Court Case Heats Up as Algae Bloom Grows Passage of Local “Rights of Nature” Ordinances Meets Stiff Re-sistance at County and State Levels Rights of Nature Constitutional Amendment Introduced in Sweden’s Parliament
4 5 6 8 9 11 13 15 25 26 27 29
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White Pine Back to contents
White Pine Journal recently
interviewed Pauline Hale of the
Altus Group Limited about the
growth of the industrial real es-
tate market. They are a commer-
cial real estate services and soft-
ware company based in Toronto,
Ontario.
WPJ: Regarding rein-
vestment in industrial
space, what type of reinvest-
ment trends are you seeing
in the industry? What are
some of the reasons why
this is happening?
Industrial space is currently
the “darling” asset class and
funds that are able to pencil out
deals in this low cap rate envi-
ronment are reinvesting pro-
ceeds from sales of other asset
classes.
There is limited to no mar-
ket-wide concern for overbuild-
ing in this sector. Low vacancy
rates have led to continued rent
growth, and retrofitting and turn
costs are lower than for other
asset classes further amplifying
its appeal to investors.
We’ve also seen an increase
in e-commerce investments with
a new focus on the need for re-
verse logistics capabilities that
equip facilities to better manage
the increasing rate of product
returns. This is partly due to the
influx of consumers who are
shopping online, lured with the
promise of hassle-free returns.
An example of this can be seen in
Amazon’s recent Prime Day,
where there were an estimated
20 million items sent back to the
retailer.
To effectively manage this
demand and subsequent pres-
sure to get returned products
back on sales shelves, facilities
need to pay strong attention to
the different operational and
staffing needs necessary for re-
turns processing with increased
labor towards repackaging and
sortation. This will vary substan-
tially from the operations at typi-
cal distribution centers.
Rapid-delivery is another
aspect consumers have come to
expect and is again demonstrat-
ed by Amazon. Both secondary
and tertiary markets are drawing
more investor interest due to the
need for last-mile facilities that
are close enough to get products
to consumers within a short 1-2
hour window.
WPJ: Why do you think
there has been an increase
of brick and mortar clos-
ings? Is it just the emer-
gence of e-commerce? If so,
how are you seeing these
buildings/malls being re-
purposed?
E-commerce is a big part of
brick and mortar closings, but it
still only comprises approxi-
mately 15% of retail sales. Many
chain closings can be attributed
to rapid expansion, and locations
in oversaturated markets, that at
times resulted in poaching sales
from their own nearby stores.
Traditional stores that have been
successful during this market
transition have learned to em-
phasize the strengths of their
multi-channel capabilities where
consumers can touch and feel a
product in a brick and mortar
store, buy it online from the re-
tailer’s site, and have the option
to return it to the physical store.
WPJ: How does Altus'
work and capabilities play
into this current state of re-
tail?
As far as navigating the cur-
rent retail environment, our ad-
visory team provides our clients
with a reasonable and reliable
understanding of their asset val-
ues which reflects our independ-
ent market value opinion. Our
How the Amazon Effect is
Impacting the Future of Retail An Interview with Altus Group
5
The Sustainable Real Estate Journal
Building and Architecture
benchmarking and performance
analytics products provide clients
with the data and tools to analyze
their asset performance both in-
ternally and against their peers.
Altus Group’s tax division can al-
so help firms reduce their proper-
ty tax liabilities which decreases
operating costs.
T he current state of the
sustainable development
industry is, in my
opinion, fragmented and lacking
cohesion and synergy. There are
many variables to consider when
developing a truly sustainable
building development. Rather
than trying to position a product
or service as the ultimate
solution, it is best to consider
how each component integrates
into the whole, and complements
other designs and technologies.
This is time consuming and
confusing given the sheer volume
of information on sustainable
building and land/water man-
agement that is available today.
Moreover, these products/
services are usually presented
with a certain degree of bias to-
wards the company delivering
their message.
White Pine Journal recently
interviewed John Rowland at
S2A Modular, a manufacturer of
turn key modular homes that are
truly sustainable, on many levels.
Solar panels account for 100% of
electric needs. During extended
periods without sun, Tesla
Powerwalls efficiently store
enough energy for about 2 days’
worth of continuous backup
power for each Powerwall. These
low voltage, low amp batteries
work on a 30-amp circuit, and
are specifically designed to pow-
er an entire house, including de-
manding power usages such as
starting up air conditioning com-
pressors.
To ensure optimal efficiency,
these homes are also divided into
zones which reduces electrical
demand in unused rooms.
These buildings are perfect
for off grid applications. Howev-
er, if the building is connected to
a power utility, net metering will
enable the owner to sell excess
electricity back to the utility at
wholesale rates.
Modular construction has
several benefits over traditional
construction.
1. Cost to build at the factory is
less than on site construction.
2. It takes less time to build in a
controlled environment
Unfinished materials are not
exposed to the elements during
construction
In order to better visualize
the end result, a 2,600 square
foot S2A home required 18 roof-
top solar panels and two Tesla
Powerwalls, with each being ap-
proximately 3 feet tall, 2 feet
wide, and 5 inches deep. A 9,000
square foot 4-plex consisted of 16
modular pieces with interior fin-
ishing completed before being
shipped to the site.
Each S2A modular home al-
so comes with a gray water sys-
tem which diverts shower and
sink into the yard for irrigation
purposes. This reduces water
bills and is less taxing on sewer
systems.
When it is all said and done,
these buildings are about 30%
faster to construct and cost about
10 – 20% less than conventional
building when you take every-
thing into account.
The cost per square foot is
$165 completely finished inside
and out, including solar panels,
batteries, and gray water sys-
tems. S2A Modular is based in
Palo Alto, CA
Net-Zero Energy Modular Construction
By Don Kulak
6
White Pine
HUD’s (housing and urban
development) Office of Policy
Development and Research
(PD&R) held its regular Quarter-
ly Update at HUD headquarters
in Washington, DC. In addition
to presenting key findings on the
state of the U.S. housing market,
the event featured a panel dis-
cussion on Opportunity Zones
that focused on maximizing the
benefits of investments in disad-
vantaged communities.
Moderated by Erika Poethig,
vice president and chief innova-
tion officer at the Urban Insti-
tute, panelists included Michael
Kressig, partner in the St. Louis
office of Novogradac; Rachel
Reilly, director of impact strate-
gy at the Economic Innovation
Group; Frank Dickson, director
of strategic business initiatives at
the Maryland Department of
Housing and Community Devel-
opment; Fran Seegull, executive
director of the U.S. Impact In-
vesting Alliance; and Robert
Stoker, professor of political sci-
ence at George Washington Uni-
versity.
Encouraging Equitable Opportunity
Despite the recent overall
growth of the American econo-
my, economic opportunity in the
United States is not evenly dis-
tributed geographically. To ad-
dress some of these disparities,
the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act
authorized the creation of Op-
portunity Zones — census tracts
designated by the governor in
each U.S. state and territory that
historically have lacked adequate
capital flows; in these zones, tax
incentives are used to promote
community development
through private-sector invest-
ment. A number of investment
activities can qualify for the in-
centives, allowing developers to
tailor projects to the strengths
and needs of each zone.
Following the Treasury De-
partment’s recent completion of
a second round of regulation
writing, the first significant wave
of Opportunity Zone investment
activity is set to take off, accord-
ing to Kressig. Seegull described
this as a pivotal moment in
which stakeholders have the
unique ability to shape Oppor-
tunity Zone markets at their in-
ception.
Policymakers have used cre-
ative strategies to promote the
success of Opportunity Zone in-
vestments. Dickson described
how his state is aligning public
programs and policy to leverage
the maximum possible private
investment in Opportunity
Zones. One strategy involved lo-
cating zones near current indus-
trial areas and anchor institu-
tions to encourage economic de-
velopment that builds on exist-
ing assets. Similarly, Maryland is
emphasizing transit-oriented de-
velopment, and Dickson cited an
example of a recently closed deal
for a multifamily project near
rail stations that includes Oppor-
tunity Zone equity. Finally, Mar-
yland is supporting private in-
vestment by expanding existing
state programs, including
providing increased funding.
Reilly cited additional exam-
ples of the types of projects com-
munities and investors can pur-
Maximizing Community Benefits
in “Opportunity Zones”
One strategy involved locating zones near current in-dustrial areas and anchor institutions to encourage economic development that builds on existing assets.
Back to contents
7
The Sustainable Real Estate Journal
sue. “Smart investment is data-
driven, community-informed in-
vestment,” said Reilly, praising
the efforts of Birmingham, Ala-
bama, to educate community
members on Opportunity Zones
and empower residents to identi-
fy investment priorities.
Community engagement,
says Reilly, is key to ensuring
that Opportunity Zone invest-
ments yield equitable outcomes.
Reilly cited two examples to
highlight how housing can be an
effective vehicle for Opportunity
Zone investment.
In Appalachia, one project is
producing affordable student
housing, which allows residents
better access to higher educa-
tion. In Memphis, Tennessee, an
Opportunity Zone designation
has enabled the Tennessee
Housing and Development Agen-
cy to launch a lease-to-own pro-
gram that provides tools, includ-
ing mortgage assistance and bor-
rower education, to increase ac-
cess to homeownership.
Ensuring Big-Picture Success
Although these diverse ap-
proaches to Opportunity Zone
development can be powerful,
they can also pose a challenge.
From the perspective of good
government, the flexibility of Op-
portunity Zones can count as a
strength.
Policymakers can combine
the incentives the zones offer
with various investment types
and leverage a range of policy
tools as part of a development
strategy that targets the needs
and ambitions of a particular
community.
Stoker noted, however, that
from an evaluation perspective,
the lack of consistency in pro-
gram design and objectives
across the Opportunity Zones
will make a rigorous understand-
ing of effective strategies for
community development a sig-
nificant challenge. He pointed
out that studies of the effective-
ness of past efforts at tax-
incentivized, place-based devel-
opment have been inconclusive,
and he emphasized the im-
portance of thorough data collec-
tion.
Some members of the im-
pact investment community are
working to ensure that such
standards are developed and im-
plemented.
Seegull discussed her organ-
ization’s efforts to work with the
private sector to develop a con-
sistent national approach to im-
pact accountability, describing a
series of meetings aimed at artic-
ulating key investment princi-
ples.
The tenets that emerged
from these discussions centered
around ensuring that authentic
community engagement sur-
rounds decision-making about
investments; that market for-
mation, aided by robust data, is
both efficient and reaching the
most distressed communities;
that evaluation criteria are flexi-
ble and applicable to a broad
range of markets; and that these
private-sector standards are un-
dergirded by a federal standard.
From those conversations
emerged strategies for tracking
impact and promoting equity
across the investment lifecycle.
“We fundamentally believe that
responsible community engage-
ment can [not only] improve
[the] community outcomes of
some of these investments but
also mitigate risk and drive fi-
nancial return,” Seegull said.
She reported that in Ala-
bama and Cleveland, local or-
ganizers are already developing
project identification tools using
this framework. She also noted
that some managers of impact-
driven funds have adopted the
data reporting recommenda-
tions.
Potential for Change
As activity around Oppor-
tunity Zones shifts into high gear
and projects are taking shape,
questions remain. Developing
rigorous reporting and data col-
lection standards in the imple-
mentation of Opportunity Zones
might help policymakers ensure
that their community develop-
ment efforts are well-tailored
and effective.
Meanwhile, principled in-
vestment decisions made with
meaningful community input
and encouraged by thoughtful
public policy have the potential
to transform some of the nation’s
neglected places.
As the panelists demonstrat-
ed, voices of a variety of stake-
holders will be crucial to achieve
success through Opportunity
Zone development projects.
8
White Pine
E xisting blanket
technology can protect
an isolated building from
a short wildfire attack, but
technological advancements are
needed for severe situations.
Wrapping a building in a fire
-protective blanket is a viable
way of protecting it against wild-
fires, finds the first study to sci-
entifically assesses this method
of defense.
By rigorously testing differ-
ent fabric materials in the labor-
atory and using them to shield
structures that were exposed to
fires of increasing magnitude,
this research, published in Fron-
tiers in Mechanical Engineering,
confirms that existing blanket
technology can protect struc-
tures from a short wildfire at-
tack. For successful deployment
against severe fires and in areas
of high housing density, techno-
logical advancement of blanket
materials and deployment meth-
ods, as well as multi-structure
protection strategies, are needed.
“The whole-house fire blan-
ket is a viable method of protec-
tion against fires at the wildland-
urban interface,” says lead study
author Fumiaki Takahashi, a
Professor at Case Western Re-
serve University, Cleveland,
Ohio, USA, who teamed up with
the NASA Glenn Research Cen-
ter, U.S. Forest Service, New Jer-
sey Forest Fire Service, and
Cuyahoga Community College
for this study.
He continues, “Current tech-
nology can protect an isolated
structure against a relatively
short wildfire attack and further
technological developments are
likely to enable this method to be
applied to severe situations.”
A burning need
Wildfires in urban and sub-
urban settings can have a devas-
tating effect on communities and
pose one of the greatest fire chal-
lenges of our time.
People living and working in
fire-risk areas contacted Profes-
sor Takahashi to find out if com-
mercial products are available to
help reduce the likelihood of
structure ignition, which would
reduce fire damage and improve
public and firefighter safety.
These pleas motivated the re-
search and an initial investiga-
tion revealed that the concept of
whole-structure fire blankets has
been around for quite some time.
“I thought about a means to
reduce wildland fire damage and
found a U.S. patent
‘conflagration-retardative cur-
tain’ i.e., a fire blanket, issued
during World War Two. In addi-
tion, the U.S. Forest Service fire-
fighters managed to save a his-
toric forest cabin by wrapping it
with their fire shelter materials,”
Takahashi reports.
An old flame-retardant
While there are anecdotal
reports on the ability of fire blan-
kets to protect buildings from
fires, Takahashi’s research high-
lighted a severe lack of scientific
evidence to back up these claims.
To rectify this, funded by a re-
search grant from the U.S. De-
partment of Homeland Security,
the team conducted several ex-
periments to test the ability of
different blanket materials to
shield structures against fires of
increasing magnitude.
“The fire exposure tests de-
termined how well the fire blan-
kets protected various wooden
structures, from a birdhouse in a
burning room to a full-size shed
in a real forest fire. We tested
four types of fabric materials:
aramid, fiberglass, amorphous
silica, and pre-oxidized carbon,
each with and without an alumi-
num surface. In addition, we
conducted laboratory experi-
ments under controlled heat ex-
Fire Blankets Can Protect Buildings From Wildfires
By Fumiaki Takahashi
Back to contents
9
The Sustainable Real Estate Journal
posure and measured the heat-
insulation capabilities of these
materials against direct flame
contact or radiation heat.”
A hot new industry
The laboratory and real-fire
assessments demonstrate that fire
blankets could protect structures
from a short exposure to a wild-
fire, but also highlight the tech-
nical limitations of their existing
form. Further technological ad-
vancements are needed in the ar-
eas of material composition, de-
ployment methods and multi-
structure protection strategies.
Takahashi explains, “The fi-
berglass or amorphous silica fab-
rics laminated with aluminum foil
performed best, due to high re-
flection/emission of radiation and
good thermal insulation by the
fabric.
New technology is needed to
enhance the fire blankets’ heat-
blocking capability for an extend-
ed period to prevent structure-to-
structure ignition. In addition, it
will be more effective If dozens or
hundreds of homes are protected
by such advanced fire blankets at
the same time, particularly in
high housing-density Wildland-
Urban Interface communities.”
He concludes by suggesting
communities potentially affected
by wildfires work together to turn
the concept of whole-building fire
blankets into a reality.
“Fire blanket protection will
be significant to those living and
fighting fires at the Wildland-
Urban Interface and presents en-
trepreneurs and investors with
business opportunities. The im-
plication of the present findings is
that the technical community, the
general public, and the fire ser-
vice must work together to take a
step-by-step approach toward the
successful application of this
technology.”
Originally article at https://
www.frontiersin.org/articles/
10.3389/fmech.2019.00060.
New York/London – Build-
ing on its commitment to drive
positive change through its data
and insight, Refinitiv today an-
nounced that it has appointed Le-
on Saunders Calvert as Head of
Sustainable Investing & Fund
Ratings, a newly created role that
brings together Refinitiv’s ESG
Sustainable Investing and Lipper
Fund Ratings businesses to in-
crease focus on unearthing links
between sustainable business
strategies and financial perfor-
mance.
As asset owners and inves-
tors increasingly make strategic
investment decisions based on
Environment, Social and Govern-
ance (ESG) factors, Refinitiv is
committed to providing insight
and transparency around the link
between sustainability and finan-
cial performance, and plans to
increase the universe of corpo-
rates covered in its ESG database
while initiating ESG scores on
public mutual funds.
“As the universe of sustaina-
ble investing unfolds, investors
are demanding transparency
around ESG factors,” said David
Craig, CEO of Refinitiv. “We are
at an inflection point where the
need for corporate disclosure
around ESG and sustainability is
no longer in question; it is an op-
erational imperative that benefits
not only the corporation, but also
the wider investment community
and our global society at
large. Refinitiv is at the forefront
of this rapidly evolving landscape,
providing the critical data that
enables the transparency and in-
Refinitiv Increases Investment to Unearth Links Between
Sustainability and Financial Performance
10
White Pine
sights necessary for sustainable
investing.”
Uniquely positioned to score
funds based on various ESG fac-
tors helping investors in portfo-
lio construction and fund selec-
tion, Refinitiv is the leading pro-
vider of sustainability data cov-
ering over 7,000 companies with
17+ years of history across 400
metrics. Refinitiv’s Lipper data-
base has holding details on over
380,000 global Mutual Funds
with history going back over 40
years.
“We believe that creating a
strong link between our ESG and
Lipper data will be hugely bene-
ficial to the financial industry as
sustainability becomes a key and
fundamental metric,” said Pra-
deep Menon, Managing Director
of Investing & Advisory. “Leon’s
experience running our large
capital markets and investment
banking franchises will help us
really push boundaries in this
incredibly important area.”
“The links between financial
performance, risk and ESG are
becoming more evident,” said
Leon Saunders Calvert. “It is
with great excitement that I can
help drive further analytics and
value to our customers who in-
creasingly need insight into the
importance of ESG and its rela-
tionship to fund performance
metrics.”
Refinitiv has been serving
the financial industry with ESG
data and solutions for over 17
years and offers one of the rich-
est ESG databases in the indus-
try – a fully transparent resource
that is trusted by investors and
corporates to drive positive im-
pact and provide comprehensive
analysis. As members of the UN
Global Compact, Refinitiv is part
of a community of 9,000+ busi-
nesses across 135 countries that
are committed to operating with
responsible business practices at
its core.
Lipper research provides in-
dependent insight to asset man-
agers and institutional investors
on global collective investments,
including mutual funds, retire-
ment funds, hedge funds, and
fund fees and expenses. Lipper
offers premium-quality data,
fund ratings, analytical tools,
and global commentary through
specialized product offerings.
Trusted by investment profes-
sionals for more than 40 years,
Lipper provides unparalleled ex-
pertise and insight to the funds
industry.
Elena Philipova, Head of
ESG, and Robert Jenkins, Head
of Lipper, will report to Leon in
his new role. Before joining Re-
finitiv, Leon ran the research and
data teams at Mergermarket, a
provider of M&A intelligence to
the advisory community, and
started his career as an Analyst
at advisory boutique, Regent
Partners.
About Refinitiv
Refinitiv is one of the
world’s largest providers of fi-
nancial markets data and infra-
structure, serving over 40,000
institutions in over 190 coun-
tries. It provides leading data
and insights, trading platforms,
and open data and technology
platforms that connect a thriving
global financial markets commu-
nity - driving performance in
trading, investment, wealth
management, regulatory compli-
ance, market data management,
enterprise risk and fighting fi-
nancial crime. For more infor-
mation visit: www.Refinitiv.com
...the need for corporate disclosure around ESG and sus-tainability is no longer in question; it is an operational im-perative that benefits not only the corporation, but also the wider investment community.
Back to contents
11
The Sustainable Real Estate Journal
WASHINGTON – A new re-
port from from the Urban Land
Institute’s (ULI) Greenprint Cen-
ter for Building Perfo-
mance shows that the real estate
industry has made significant
progress over the past 10 years in
reducing carbon emissions and
energy consumption while in-
creasing asset value.
The Greenprint Center,
which is celebrating its tenth an-
niversary, comprises an alliance
of the world’s leading real estate
owners, investors, and financial
institutions who are committed to
improving environmental perfor-
mance across the global market.
Volume 10 of the Greenprint
Performance Report™, which
measures and tracks the perfor-
mance of 8,916 properties owned
by Greenprint’s members,
demonstrates a 10-year improve-
ment of 17 percent in energy use
intensity, which is the annual en-
ergy consumption divided by
gross floor area. The report also
finds that Greenprint members
are still on track to reduce carbon
emissions by 50 percent by 2030.
“For the past ten years
Greenprint has worked with the
real estate investment community
to help expand and improve upon
sustainability best practices with-
in the commercial real estate sec-
tor,” said Daniel M. Cashdan,
president, HFF Securities (a JLL
Company) and chairman of The
Center for Sustainability and Eco-
nomic Performance, which hous-
es the Greenprint Center. “As the
race against climate change’s var-
ious impacts on our cities picks
up, the focus of global fiduciaries
has become sharp-
ened. Greenprint, as part of our
Center for Sustainability and Eco-
nomic Performance, exists to
serve as a resource hub for inves-
tors across the globe.”
This year, Greenprint mem-
bers identified three trends that
are pushing real estate companies
to stay innovative and continue
integrating sustainability into
their core business. These trends
are:
A move towards a circular
economy: To fully address the en-
vironmental impact of buildings,
real estate must move towards a
circular economy where waste of
materials is minimized. This in-
cludes incorporating a “reduce,
reuse, recycle” mindset for build-
ing materials.
Intensification of climate leg-
islation that sets building perfor-
mance standards: In the absence
of federal guidance, more than 30
major cities—from San Francisco
to Atlanta—have set energy
benchmarking policies for build-
ings. Cities are also beginning to
set minimum performance stand-
ards that become more stringent
over time.
Heightened investor pressure
on ESG initiatives: Investors are
asking real estate owners and as-
set managers for more infor-
mation on their real estate funds’
environmental, social and gov-
ernance (ESG) programs. Many
investors now see ESG initiatives
as material to long-term invest-
ment returns and work with asset
managers to balance ESG and fi-
nancial returns.
The report reflects the results
of hundreds of projects and best
practices Greenprint members
have undertaken to reduce energy
consumption and carbon emis-
sions. Examples include:
Green leasing for multifamily
housing: Greenprint member GID
Investment Advisers, a multifam-
ily real estate developer, investor
and operator with properties
across the United States, incorpo-
rated a “green lease addendum”
into all master lease forms. These
New Urban Land Institute Report Reflects
Decade of Progress in Improved Environmental Performance in Buildings
12
White Pine
addendums include agreements
that residents of the properties
will use the apartment in a
manner that will conform with
sustainability practices, includ-
ing using water-based paints,
limiting the use of products
known to be harmful to the en-
vironment, and allowing the
property to set controls on ther-
mostats to avoid freezing pipes
and mold growth.
Net zero energy invest-
ments: In 2018, Greenprint
members reported investments
of over $2.5 million in renewa-
ble energy technologies which
helps support buildings on their
path to aspiring for net zero en-
ergy (NZE).
Last year, Morgan Creek
Ventures, a mid-sized Colorado-
based developer, completed
Boulder Commons, one of the
first multi-tenant buildings as-
piring to achieve NZE. The esti-
mated energy use of the project
is about 70% less than the aver-
age building in Boulder. Com-
pared to traditional office build-
ings in the city, the project reg-
istered an annual energy sav-
ings of $146,000. Morgan Creek
Ventures gives each tenant an
energy budget and offsets exces-
sive energy usage with renewa-
ble energy credits.
High efficiency water fix-
tures: Cities and asset owners
around the world continue to
grapple with saving water. In
2018, Greenprint members re-
ported over $2.23 million in wa-
ter efficiency investments. Clar-
ion Partners, which holds $50
billion in total assets and has 55
hotel properties consisting of
8,000 guest rooms, has been a
leader in looking at ways to re-
duce water usage. The company
has installed water efficient toi-
lets, faucet aerators and show-
erheads that have reduced the
consumption of water, while
saving money and not impact-
ing the guest experience.
The number of properties
included in this year’s report
has risen by 12 percent from last
year, as Greenprint continues to
expand both its membership
and the building data collected
from members.
The portfolio has also
grown by 15 percent in terms of
floor area, and now includes
over 190 million square meters
(over 2 billion square feet) of
office, multifamily, industrial
retail, and hotel property. The
8,900-plus buildings in the
portfolio are located across 32
countries.
Greenpoint members hold
over$750 billion of real estate
assets under management,
which is almost 4 percent of the
value of high-quality commer-
cial properties globally.
"For the past 10 years,
Greenprint members have led
the way in making demonstra-
ble and meaningful action to
create high-efficiency build-
ings," said ULI Global Chief Ex-
ecutive Officer W. Edward Wal-
ter. "Greenprint demonstrates
how owners and developers can
be part of the solution to com-
bat climate change, and the re-
sults that Greenprint members
have achieved over the past dec-
ade are inspiring a broader
movement within the real estate
sector to improve building per-
formance."
The data used in the report
was submitted to the Green-
print Center by its members
and affiliated partners.
Greenprint’s real estate
members currently include
BlackRock; Boston Properties;
CalPERS; CenterPoint Proper-
ties; Clarion Partners; Com-
monWealth Partners; DWS;
GID; GLL Real Estate Partners;
Granite Properties; Heitman;
The Howard Hughes Corpora-
tion; Jamestown Properties;
Jones Lang LaSalle; Kilroy Re-
alty; LaSalle Investment Man-
agement; LendLease Americas;
Morgan Creek Ventures LLC;
Parkway Properties; PGIM Real
Estate; Prologis; Rudin Man-
agement Company, Inc.; Savan-
na; SL Green; Sonae Sierra;
Tishman Speyer; The Net
Group; and Zurich Alternative
Asset Management.
Back to contents
13
The Sustainable Real Estate Journal
Amongst the Future Project Shortlist in the
twelfth edition of the World Architecture Festival
are a number of schemes designed to play a major
role in creating a more sustainable future. These
include a tower which uses algae to produce clean
air, to tackle the vast dust cloud which plagues Bei-
jing; repurposed oil tanks creating a new eco-park
to restore destroyed habitats in Brooyn; affordable
modular water dwellings for Bergen in response to
growing risks of flooding; a surge protection system
to counter rising sea levels in Houston; the first en-
ergy positive airport city in the world for Oslo; and
a residential community incorporating a large for-
est ecosystem reconnecting people with nature in
Samutprakarn.
The projects illustrate architects grappling with
some of the world’s most pressing challenges. This
follows the establishment of ‘Architects Declare’, a
collective of some of the most renowned practices
who have come together to announce a state of cli-
mate emergency.
The Forestias - Masterplanning is a joint effort by F+P (Thailand), DT Design, ITEC Entertainment, Atelier 10, EEC Engineering Net-
work, Grant Associates and TK Studio. Exploring the threshold between urban form and landscape, The Forestias masterplan
features community centres, residences and hotels in the heart of the forest in Thailand, designed to create a new type of mod-
ern lifestyle where humans are reconnected with the forest environment.
Image credit: F+P, DT Design, ITEC Entertainment, Atelier 10, EEC Engineering Network, Grant Associates, TK Studio
In Pictures:
Projects setting the agenda in sustainable design
14
White Pine
The Tanks at Bushwick Inlet Park is a project vision by Studio V for the site of the former Bayside Oil complex on the Brooklyn
Waterfront. The project's aim is to repurpose ten former oil tanks to create community gardens, performance spaces and galler-
ies. Part of the project is also to to re-grow the devastated oyster population in New York Harbor by creating a suitable habitat in
one of the empty tanks.
Image credit: STUDIO V and Ken Smith Workshop
The Modular Water Dwellings are Grimshaw's answer to mitigating flood risk brought on by climate change and minimising
one's ecological footprint. The prototype dwellings are designed with an assembly line approach and manufactured off-site, bring-
ing the benefits of an economy of scale and thorough quality control.
After 20 years or 30 years of onsite waste water dis-posal at these hog farms, the salts that are present in the waste water are binding with the soil structure and they are basically... creating a pavement. The soil is getting very, very hard. They're very constrict-ed. Their hydraulic conductivity is limited.
18
White Pine
about 75 to 90 percent. We
can extract, remove, and side
stream the problematic pollu-
tion particulates like total dis-
solved solids and nutrients in
the form of nitrogen and
phosphorous. And when we
side stream those we are able
to concentrate those so they
for the lack of a better word,
they become a liquid fertiliz-
er. It's a valuable recovered
recourse that these farmers
now can sell to crop farmers
who are buying these fertiliz-
ers, liquid fertilizers, and they
can actually supplement.
We’re very pleased with the
progress we're making there.
Don Kulak: Can I back
up? What remains after the
black water filtration?
Dan Early: After the
black water filtration there
will be some organic solid,
bio-solids, that are rich in
carbon that you can use for
composting and for land ap-
plication. But the fertilizer
component I'm talking about
is the more problematic pol-
lution element that is the
form of nitrogen and phos-
phorus.
Don Kulak: Now, I un-
derstand that but you said
you could create fertilizer and
I'm just wondering where the
fertilizer comes from. Is it a
result of what's caught in the
filters? And that's eventually
turned to fertilizer?
Dan Early: Both.
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Buried vessel with ground level access hatches - lr