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towards ‘net zero’ construction for all buildings

“Our vision is to create possibilities to make net zero construction in an efficient way, giving everyone the possibility to do so.”

So articulates Jonathan Karlsson, Founder and CEO (with degrees in theoretical and construction physics) of Innenco, an international company based in Malmö, Sweden that performs.

Reports Inhabitat,

“It starts with their active systems: pipes are integrated into the frame construction to utilize a building’s thermal mass. Adding heat pumps and chillers to the system allows Innenco to get four to six times greater efficiency in heating and cooling. At this point they’re able to reduce energy by 85%, so to cover the last 15% they install Innenco Quantum Solar panels. ‘This makes an investment in solar cells much lower than a traditional system, and we can get net zero for a really cost-efficient investment.'”

See:

“This new energy concept from Sweden can make any building net zero” | Lacy Cooke, Inhabitat, 11 October 2017

Innenco

#Innenco #Malmö #Sweden #JonathanKarlsson #architecture #design #energy #netzero #CO2 #H2O #buildingtech #tech #physics #builtenvironment #resilience #thermalmass #efficiency #energyefficiency #costefficiency #performance #luxury #smartluxury #urbanluxury #urbanliving #realestate #finance #ROI #construction #Inhabitat

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buildings are a big part of our lives ・let’s get to know them

Many of us, somewhere in the world, live, work, study, go to school, see the doctor, worship, shop, eat out, vacation, collect and/or exhibit and/or sell art in buildings of some sort. The building might be a single-family home, large or small, grand or modest, a multi-family home, a residential tower, an office building, library, school, a shop large or small, a hotel, resort, or spa, a restaurant, hospital, a gallery or museum, public or private, … the list goes on and on. Buildings are a big part of our lives. Let’s get to know them.

A building is much more than an inert structure that we can take for granted. A building is a system of systems that interacts with us on many levels. A building almost lives.

Dodge Data & Analytics together with United Technologies have published a SmartMarket Report that we all can read. This particular report, World Green Building Trends 2016 SmartMarket Report, focuses on a crucial aspect of buildings, how they are “going green.” The intent of the report is to provide information, new world green building trends data, to support green building development.

The report is long-ish. 60+ pages. So I suggest that you read through it step-by-step, in small increments, perhaps a page or two a day. You’ll find lots of good information, valuable economic analyses, and comparative analyses, illustrating how people in different countries are approaching the development, costs, benefits, and economics of green.

How is “green” defined? “Green building” is defined in the study as a construction project that is either certified under any recognized global green rating system or built to qualify for such certification.

Why “green”? We’ll examine this question step-by-step. Hint? Quality of life, longer-term value, longer-term credibility, higher resale values, “future proof.”

Stay tuned.

See:

“World Green Building Trends 2016 SmartMarket Report” | Dodge Data & Analytics, United Technologies, 2016

#buildings #builtenvironment #resilience #luxury #smartluxury #houses #museums #galleries #retail #restaurants #hospitals #art #artcollections #collections #hospitality #realestate #CRE #commercialrealestate

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energy-efficient buildings & significant ROI

The return on investment in energy-efficient building features is significant and results accrue to corporate bottom lines.

According to the Morgan Stanley Research report, “Building Energy Efficiency,” the ROI in energy-efficient features can lower the cost of ownership by 50% for commercial buildings.

“Green buildings” can yield significant savings at every scale of construction, operations and maintenance. Rising global demand for such buildings is fueling growth of a high-tech, industrial-strength sector focused on delivering state-of-the-art building materials, equipment and energy management.

Observes Europe-based Sustainability Analyst Faty Dembele,

“With residential, commercial and public buildings accounting for more than an estimated 30% of the world’s energy consumption, this is an area of growing interest for consumers, building owners, tenants and regulators.”

See:

“Green Buildings Power Savings & Return” | Morgan Stanley Research, 20 June 2017

#realestate #commercialrealestate #CRE #residentialrealestate #ROI #finance #investments #greenbuildings #resilience #energy #luxury #smartluxury #urbansmart #art #MorganStanley

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bricks, mortar, health, wellness, & sustainable amenities → enhanced value + premium pricing

AMLI Residential, a company founded in 1980, owned by PRIME Property Fund, a core commingled institutional fund, and focused on the development, acquisition, and management of luxury apartment communities in the United States, has recently completed the first AMLI Sustainable Living Index. Residents of AMLI apartment properties were asked after their views of sustainability and green living. The survey was conducted in August of this year at properties in Atlanta, Austin, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Seattle, Southern California and Southeast Florida.

There were 2,812 respondents. 12 percent of the respondents were younger than age 25, 47 percent were ages 25-34, 16 percent were ages 35-44, and 25 percent were 45 or older.

A majority of residents are willing to pay slightly more to live in a “green” residence

The survey indicates that a majority of residents are willing to pay slightly more to live in a “green” residence.

64% of respondents are willing to pay more for sustainable housing

84% of respondents say living in sustainable homes is important to them

85% of respondents believe living in sustainable homes is beneficial to their health.

The following features are most valued by respondents:

a smoke-free community – 94% of respondents

energy- and water-efficient features – 93% of respondents

access to public transit/ strong walk and bike scores  – 85% of respondents

77% of respondents report that AMLI’s green living features have saved them money in utility costs.

Resilience

AMLI Vice President of Sustainability Erin Hatcher discusses the resilience factor. Buildings can be made more resilient to environmental, market, and regulatory risks through the incorporation of a holistic features. “Utility price increases, unpredictable power outages and other unforeseen events just don’t affect them as much as their less environmentally-friendly counterparts.”

Sustainability is good business when done right & done smart

Ms. Hatcher reports:

“Sustainability is good business when done right and done smart. In multifamily residential, a developer should consider a sustainably holistic approach that includes value adds for the resident, our buildings, and the immediate communities where they reside. Operating costs, and ultimately residents’ utility bills, can be reduced through LEED-targeted construction, as well as efficient HVAC, lighting, and water systems. These […] enhance both the resident experience and asset values. Efficient systems can go far to decrease the wear-and-tear (i.e., maintenance costs) on the property’s equipment and the overall power and water grids, too.

“Green buildings are also more resilient to environmental factors. Utility price increases, unpredictable power outages and other unforeseen events just don’t affect them as much as their less environmentally-friendly counterparts. Similarly, avoiding potentially harmful building materials promotes the longevity of our buildings and the health of residents who live in them. More frequent fresh air exchanges and non-smoking policies at sustainable communities add to the health benefits. Keeping residents safe and comfortable in their home is always top priority, but that need not conflict with our sustainable mission, nor erode the bottom line.

“Sustainability on the community level is often overlooked, yet is a by-product of any eco-conscious development. Adding green space and rainwater management features such as rain gardens or ponds have great civic potential at a low cost. These efforts provide scenic, natural amenities for building residents and the community at-large, while reducing the loads on shared, often aged community infrastructure, especially storm-water drainage.”

Twenty-eight AMLI properties (more than one-third of the company’s portfolio) are LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified and 15 AMLI communities are ENERGY STAR certified.

AMLI received two awards this month from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC):

the Outstanding Multi-Family Developer LEED Homes award for its outstanding leadership and innovation in the residential green building marketplace, and

the LEED Power Builder award, which recognizes developers that certify at least 90 percent of their units built in the past year.

AMLI currently owns and manages 59 apartment communities including more than 19,900 apartment homes and has approximately 4,600 additional apartment homes under development at 14 new properties.

 

See:

“Residents Will Pay More for Sustainable Spaces, Says Survey” | Jennifer Hermes, Environmental Leader, 20 September 2017

“New Survey: 84 Percent of Residents Say Living in a Green Home is Important to Them; 85 Percent Believe Living in a Green Home Benefits Their Health” | Business Wire, a Berkshire Hathaway Company, 18 September 2017

“Leaders Unveil Their Secrets: Business Case for Environmental Stewardship” | Jennifer Hermes, Environmental Leader, 18 July 2017

“Bricks, Mortar, and Carbon | How Sustainable Buildings Drive Real Estate Value” | Morgan Stanley Institute for Sustainable Investing, March 2016

#realestate #commercialrealestate #investments #finance #ROI #bottomline #sustainability #resilience #health #wellness #value #enhancedvalue #luxury #smartluxury #AMLI #USGBC #LEED #EnergyStar #BerkshireHathaway

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Houston, Harvey, & post-natural-disaster residential patterns

Sarah Zhang of The Atlantic spoke with Princeton University and UCLA economist Leah Boustan about Houston and Hurricane Harvey. They discussed to what extent the natural disaster that befell Houston might serve as an impetus for residents of Houston to migrate, to move elsewhere.

Dr. Boustan and her colleagues Matthew Kahn, Paul Rhode, and Maria Lucia Yanguas have tracked the effect of natural disasters on economic activity in US counties. Their study has included an examination of migration after 5,000 natural disasters in the United States between 1920 and 2010.

The following excerpts follow Ms. Zhang’s transcription of Dr. Boustan’s discussion.

Risk & infrastructure

Boustan: We do find a migration response to an event like that. But for a very severe disaster—and Harvey looks like it’s going to be in that category—the response is twice as large.

Part of that has to do with people learning about the risk factors. Maybe they didn’t know the area they’re living in is so susceptible to storms.

Part of it is watching whether the existing infrastructure really works. There’s discussions now about Houston not really having enough of a drainage system. People might have known, yes, there are tropical storms, but they may not have understood the tropical storm is going to be such a devastating effect.

FEMA & centralized disaster response

Boustan: FEMA started in the early ’70s, and it gets its own independent status as an agency in ’78. We looked at before and after the ’70s, there was a hypothesis, well—and I’ve heard a lot of this post-Harvey—that when you have centralized disaster response, there’s not really an incentive to move out.

Moral hazard

Zhang: This is the idea of “moral hazard”: When you’re protected from the consequences of your actions, you take more risks.

Boustan: Right, like there’s going to be big government payout, and that encourages people to stay put in places that are risky. You know you’ll get your FEMA payout. We actually didn’t have any difference of course in the migration response before and after FEMA.

Centralized government response & disasters are getting worse

Boustan: But of course, this is really just a before and after, and there’s a lot things about the ’40s, ’50s, and ’60s, that could be different about the ’80s, ’90s, and 2000s. In particular, you can really see the number of disasters and severity of disasters increasing. There are two things going on that could be kind of confounding. On one hand, there’s government response. On the other hand, disaster activity is getting worse. We can’t really separate those two things, but it looks like because disasters are getting worse, there’s just as much of a migration response more recently than there was in the ’30s, ’40s, and ’50s.

See:

“Will People Return to Houston After Hurricane Harvey?” | Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 3 September 2017

#Houston #HurricaneHarvey #Harvey #naturaldisasters #migrations #realestate #realestatemarket #market #risk #FEMA #economics #Princeton #UCLA

 

 

 

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Houston’s residential real estate market & Hurricane Harvey | single-family home sales decline 24% year-over-year

The Houston metropolitan area has grown by about 400 people a day, building about 40,000 housing units a year. This has made Houston the nation’s largest new-housing market, with seven percent of the nation’s residential construction. Regulation has been light, the civic model tied to growth. Building everywhere and fast, the city has kept housing prices low.

“You have a country that’s divided between high cost places like Bay Area and New York and higher unemployment areas like Detroit, and places like Houston pick up the slack,” observed Issi Romem, chief economist at BuildZoom, a startup that helps people find contractors, both residential and commercial.

The New York Times reported on September 12 that people in Houston are “betting that nothing can stop Houston’s continued growth”.

“Redfin, a national real estate brokerage firm, said its agents had 45 home buyers lined up to purchase homes here when the storm hit. Only eight buyers backed out because of the storm, and tour requests immediately rebounded a week later.

“‘I was shocked,” said Glenn Kelman, the company’s chief executive, who lives in Seattle.

“For now, buyers and sellers are trying to figure out how prices have changed after the flood. The Powells’ potential buyer and many others are looking for a deal on a damaged home.

“At the same time, many economists are forecasting that the price of undamaged homes will rise as demand outstrips supply. Early estimates suggest that tens of thousands of homes were damaged, and developers are worried about labor shortages as repairs get priority over new construction.”

Then, on September 13, Inman reported that Houston homes sales have declined 24% year-over-year in August.

“Home sales were humming throughout the first three weeks of August, but the moment Harvey struck the region, everything came to a screeching halt,” said HAR (Houston Association of Realtors) chair Cindy Hamann.

“HAR’s latest monthly report shows that all segments of the Houston housing market felt the strain.

“August sales of property types across the board totaled 7,077, a 24 percent decline compared to the same month last year, while total dollar volume dropped 22 percent to $2.0 billion. After 10 consecutive months of gains, single-family home sales took a 25 percent year-over-year hit.”

In August, Business Insider gave some thought to the Houston housing market and vulnerabilities. Houston is a city with 800 miles of creeks and bayous that can easily overflow during a storm surge. It has seen 38,000 acres of wetlands disappear in the last two decades due to a construction boom in greater Houston. The city is flat and drainage systems are outdated. Developers, further, have often not followed the federal wetlands mandate. And building regulations have not accounted for historic flooding levels.

 

See:

“Houston housing comes to ‘screeching halt’ after Harvey” | Gill South, Inman, 13 September 2017

“Houston’s Unsinkable Housing Market Undaunted by Storm” | Annie Correal and Conor Dougherty, The New York Times, 12 September 2017

“A Storm Forces Houston, the Limitless City, to Consider Its Limits” | Manny Fernandez and Richard Fausset, The New York Times, 30 August 2017

“Houston was a ticking time-bomb for a devastating hurricane like Harvey” | Leanna Garfield, Business Insider, 28 August 2017

 

#Houston #HurricaneHarvey #Harvey #realestate #realestatemarket #housing #housing market #resilience #Redfin #HAR

 

 

 

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art & emergency planning・the MFAH shares perspective

Having passed through Hurricane Harvey with an emergency team onsite 24/7 to monitor and manage everything throughout the duration of the storm, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston has shared information about its protocol for storm protection.

This information could prove helpful and encouraging to other arts institutions. A lesson to be learned: best to have an emergency plan and protocols in place ahead of possible natural disasters … and practice.

Here are some elements of the MFAH emergency protocol:

  • a hurricane-preparedness team
  • storm-planning measures to secure the buildings
  • sandbags (the MFAH has thousands of sandbags, each filled with sand the museum stores and re-cycles)
  • emergency water pumps (sump pumps)
  • floodgates to be activated as needed (the MFAH floodgates are house-made and 24-inches high)
  • preparation of a disaster-recovery website
  • a 24/7 emergency team to be stationed on site to monitor everything through the duration of the storm
    • the MFAH crew includes more than 30 people, each with a list of emergency contacts, including first and second responders, printed on a slip of waterproof Tyvek in their pockets. the team splits 18-hour shifts.
      • engineers
      • art handlers
      • IT
      • security guards
      • the chief technology officer (Shemon Bar-Tal)
      • the chief of building operations (Mike Pierce)
      • the chief operating officer (Willard Holmes)
  • relocation of works | works of art that are in potentially vulnerable locations to be moved as needed
  • a sense of humor, perspective, and humility
    • “Mother Nature and water are strange. You say, ‘I’m OK, I’ve got a floodgate, I’m good,’ and then she comes around the back door!” (Willard Holmes, COO)
    • “I think we’re really good on the broad strokes, but you can never just assume that the next storm is going to be like the one that just passed. If the last four days have taught us anything, it’s that it’s not over until it’s over.” (Willard Holmes, COO)

The permanent collection of the MFAH includes 65,000 paintings, sculptures and other objects at the main campus and at Bayou Bend and Rienzi, two historical estates along Buffalo Bayou, the city’s central waterway.

The museum is also responsible for several hundred masterpieces from other institutions, on loan for shows such as the current “Paint the Revolution: Mexican Modernization, 1910-1950.”

Paint the Revolution includes works by Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, Antonio Ruiz, Alfredo Ramos Martínez, María Izquierdo, José Clemente Orozco, Tina Modotti, Adolfo Best Maugard, and Saturnino Herrán.

See:

“How Harvey unfolded at MFAH” | Molly Glentzer, Houston Chronicle, 1 September 2017

“This Is How Museums In and Around Houston Prepared for Tropical Storm Harvey” | Priscilla Frank, Huffington Post, 1 September 2017

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH)

 

#art #artcollections #museums #MFAH #TheMuseumofFineArtsHouston #Houston #stormprotocols #emergencyteam #Harvey #HurricaneHarvey #realestate #resilience#smartluxury

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a helpful guide to settling post-disaster insurance claims

If you have sustained a major loss from Hurricane Harvey, Hurricane Irma, or from a flood, tornado, earthquake, or fire, here is a useful guide to follow.

The guide was prepared by Bernice Ross with information from Scott Friedson. Mr. Friedson is a public insurance adjuster (PA) and the CEO of Insurance Claim Recovery Support. Ms. Ross sustained over $100,000 of damage to her house from the Northridge earthquake in 1994.

what does a public insurance adjustor do?

“‘a good PA will be your advocate with the insurance company and will negotiate on your behalf to settle your insurance claim’”

Be safe.

Immediately notify the insurance company that you have a claim.

“By filing your claim right away, you are more likely to settle your claim quickly and to find a quality, local contractor. The sooner your claim is settled, the faster you can get your life back to normal.

“To file your claim, contact your local agent, call the special 800 number the company sets up, log into your online account or visit a mobile claims center.

“Flood insurance is separate from your homeowner’s policy and can be issued through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). If you have purchased flood insurance, your insurance agent will generally assist you in beginning the filing process.

“Unfortunately, if your home was flooded and you did not purchase flood insurance, you have no coverage. Nevertheless, there may be government assistance programs available. Visit DisasterAssistance.gov and FloodSmart.gov. for more information.

“The good news is that if you purchased “comprehensive” coverage on your vehicle insurance and your vehicles sustained flood damage, they should be covered.”

Establish the pre-loss and post-loss condition of your property.

Pictures, videos, documentation.

Know whether your policy requires you to mitigate damages.

To mitigate damage = to take steps to prevent further damage

Find out what the provisions for “loss of use” and “displacement” are in your policy.

When you contract to have work done, it is recommended that you only work with vetted local contractors who are willing to warrant their work.

Examine your policy: Do you have “cash” or “replacement value”?

“cash value” policy – pays on the depreciated value of your property

“replacement value” policy – provides you with the full cost of replacement

Avoid lawsuits.

Avoid bad apples.

See:

“Settling post-catastrophe insurance claims: What agents should know” | Bernice Ross, Inman, 5 September 2017

#Harvey #HurricaneHarvey #Irma #HurricaneIrma #hurricane #tornado #flood #catastrophe #insurance #claims #realestate #art #risk #resilience

 

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San Diego・Smart Gigabit Community

US Ignite has selected Cleantech San Diego and CyberTECH as the key innovation partners for the City of San Diego as a Smart Gigabit Community.

“US Ignite’s Smart Gigabit Communities (SGC) program enhances local community innovation ecosystems by enabling communities to accelerate the development and deployment of next-generation, gigabit applications and services that run on advanced networks.”

San Diego will join 20 other cities nationwide who are participating in the Smart Gigabit Community program. Cleantech San Diego and CyberTECH will collaborate with US Ignite in the development of six gigabit applications.

CleanTech San Diego is a member-based, non-profit trade organization working to position the greater San Diego region, including Imperial County, as a global leader in the cleantech economy.

“As a nonprofit organization, Cleantech San Diego is uniquely suited to support the industry by fostering collaborations across the private-public-academic landscape, leading advocacy efforts to promote cleantech priorities, and encouraging investment in the San Diego region.”

The CleanTech San Diego office is located on India Street in downtown San Diego.

CyberTECH also has its office in downtown San Diego, on First Avenue. Amongst many other activities, CyberTECH is leveraging experience and expertise in the Internet of Things (IoT) to develop the Smart & Safe Cities Institute.

US Ignite is a nonprofit organization working to

“accelerate new wired and wireless networking advances from research to prototype to full-scale smart community and interconnected national deployments. US Ignite’s Smart Gigabit Communities program accelerates the adoption of ultra-fast, programmable fiber and wireless networks as the bedrock of smart communities by identifying new economic and social opportunities created by those networks.”

Cox Communications has played a key role in bringing the Smart Gigabit Communities program to San Diego through a $300,000 grant to US Ignite over three years.

See:

“US Ignite Selects Cleantech San Diego and CyberTECH as Key Innovation Partners for San Diego’s Smart Gigabit Community Program” | N. Mohan, US Ignite, 7 September 2017

“What is US Ignite”

“Cleantech San Diego”

“CyberTECH”

#SanDiego #cleantech #cybertech #realestate #resilience #smartluxury #USIgnite #SmartGigabitCommunity #CleantechSanDiego #CyberTECH