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

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Table of Contents

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

4

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.

Image credit: Grimshaw

15

The Sustainable Real Estate Journal

W e live on a planet

comprised

primarily of

water. Water accounts for

approximately 60% of the

human body. That said, we

continue to contaminate and

waste the very resource that

is most crucial to all life.

According to a just-published

United Nations report on the

global water situation, “In

2015, three in ten people (2.1

billion) did not have access to

safe drinking water and 4.5

billion people, or six in ten,

had no safely managed

sanitation facilities.” It goes

on to say, “…if the

degradation of the natural

environment and the

unsustainable pressure on

global water resources

continue at current rates,

45% of global Gross Domestic

Product and 40% of global

grain production will be at

risk by 2050.”

The problem goes beyond

drinking water and basic san-

itation. What about the reck-

less contamination of lakes,

rivers and oceans from over-

flowing sewage and the like?

The actual costs are astro-

nomical. Studies have shown

property values of waterfront

communities increase or de-

creases significantly depend-

ing on water clarity alone. A

one-meter distance either

way substantially affects val-

ues, and therefore municipal

tax revenue, loss of local busi-

ness, etc. (See “Sustainable

Real Estate – The Big Pay-

back” for more) This is not to

mention exorbitant health

costs, and loss of demand for

related industries such as

boats, fishing gear, outboard

motors, water skis, scuba

equipment…

Those who continue to

think, “it is the economy OR

the environment,” may want

to get their facts straight and

rethink a blind servitude to

the status quo. If money is

the prime motivator to either

act, or not act at all to a situa-

tion, then the scenario that

exists today does not make

any sense, because a lot of

money is literally being

thrown down the sewer.

Making matters even

worse, our archaic water and

sewer infrastructure is in dire

need of repair and renova-

tion. Ask the people of Flint

MI. The whole concept of

centralized water/sewer sys-

tems is inefficient, outdated,

dirty and expensive, yet for

the most part it remains busi-

ness as usual, with its limit-

ing belief system leaving little

room for more creative, effi-

cient solutions.

We recently interviewed

Dan Early and Riggs Eckel-

berry at OriginClear, a rela-

tively new player in the water

management arena based in

Los Angeles. Their concept of

decentralized, portable mod-

ular water treatment is sim-

ple, yet profound, given the

industry’s predisposition to-

wards centralization.

Architect Malcolm Wells

said ” ...A building should

consume its own waste,

maintain itself, match na-

ture's pace, provide wildlife

habitat, moderate climate

and weather and be beautiful.

That's a series of pass/fail

evaluation criteria...." Orig-

inclear’s modules are a big

step in that direction.

Decentralized, Modular Waste Water Treatment

By Don Kulak

Water Management

16

White Pine

The bottom line is that these

modules purify and recycle

wastewater for secondary uses

such as toilets, machinery wash-

ing, irrigation, etc. This not only

saves water, but significantly re-

duces wastewater discharge

thereby helping prevent sewer

overflows and contamination of

land and waterways.

The additional expense of

long transport costs, including

pipeline installation, mainte-

nance and repair are also elimi-

nated. More details about the

systems can be found in our in-

terview with Originclear, which

follows.

Dan Early: Okay Don, the

good news is that capability and

the product line that you and I

discussed last fall with 300 gal-

lons per day at roughly 24 homes

in a cluster system, that technol-

ogy is out there and we are pro-

moting and selling it.

We have just recently deliv-

ered one of those systems for a

car dealership in Pennsylvania.

They are doing a zero liquid dis-

charge, meaning that they are

collecting all their waste water

from this new dealership and are

treating that and are completely

recycling it for toilet re-flush and

for other secondary purposes.

So that technology I de-

scribed to you last fall, this is just

a variant or variation of that

same technology. Same scale,

same footprint, same general

functionality, just we've added a

couple extra features to it to take

advantage of the reuse and recla-

mation regulations. That the re-

use reclamation capability as it

relates to Modular Water contin-

ues to grow and expand.

I don't recall how much de-

tail we may have discussed back

last October, but at that time we

were working on standardization

around 2500 gallons per day,

5,000 gallons per day, 7500 gal-

lons per day and 10,000 gallons

per day advanced waste water

treatment systems for this pri-

vate sector, entry level waste wa-

ter treatment and reuse market

which would be single family res-

idential, multi-use family,

-use commercial and those types

of things. We have those product

lines. We are moving them into

the market and we are working

with a number of consulting en-

gineers that are making us Basis

of Design and are specifying

product.

One of the key functions is

we're heavily invested in and fo-

cused on the use of heavy plas-

tics to deliver the tank. And the

reason why I tell you that is that

heavy plastic is the most durable

of all of the materials of con-

struction available to us today.

That allows us to fabricate a

waste water treatment plant in a

factory setting and we can deliv-

er it using emerging and ad-

vanced technologies so that

when it arrives at the job site it is

installed and commissioned.

Not only does the end user

or the buyer have the benefit of

these advanced treatment units

but they also have the most du-

rable tanking system available to

them and that overcomes limita-

tions related to concrete and

steel that are highly susceptible

to waste water corrosion which

you've seen in the waste water

environment. So that is definite-

ly still moving forward and the

emphasis on that is still really

strong.

To answer your second ques-

tion, what has happened or what

is evolving since then is that in

late December, early January, we

started having enquiries from

the craft brewery industry which

is a niche commercial industry if

you're familiar with it.

That industry, those buyers

are very, very intelligent. Very

progressive in their thinking

about their water footprint and

their carbon footprint, so we

have developed an advanced

treatment system that allows us

to treat brewery waste water in

such a fashion that we can take a

recycle and help offset and re-

duce the waste water demand for

these craft brewers as much as

maybe 80 to 90 percent.

In a lot of their instances,

when they go through their

brewing process and they dump

their vats and they clean to prep

for the next batch, they need a

high purity water that they can

then clean their tubs, or vats,

and everything to prepare for the

next round of brewing.

We have a technology, it's

just an evolution of our commer-

cial systems and basically what is

really beautiful about this is it

takes our black water advanced

membrane treatment technology

Back to contents

17

The Sustainable Real Estate Journal

and we add on a reverse osmosis

advanced water filtration tech-

nology, which is a sister technol-

ogy from our division, Progres-

sive Water Treatment down in

McKinney, Texas, and so by tak-

ing those two technologies and

putting them together in a single

product, we have the ability to

provide this turn key solution.

You bring into the facility,

set it up, pipe in, pipe out, power

up and this system can treat

brewery black water and brewery

waste water, feed it into the R.O.

system which will polish it and

then we have, for all intents and

purposes, a very, very pristine

potable water that is way, way

more conducive to reuse and rec-

lamation for industrial cleaning

and vat prep and vat sterilization

and those types of things. So,

they can get the vats ready for

the next brewing process.

Well the next derivative that

comes out of this is that same

concept. Now, the craft brewery

industry is kind of unique in that

your flows are very small, at say

a thousand gallons per day on

the low end maybe up to as much

as five thousand gallons on the

upper end. Or at least relative to

the technology capability, the

way we deliver it.

There are some that do have

higher flow rates. But what

comes out of that, Don, is that

technology, because we have de-

veloped the footprint and have

developed the capability, now we

can scale it up and we're scaling

it up for the agricultural industry

because we have been contacted

by pork producers out in the mid

-west and the upper mid-west.

States like Illinois, Wiscon-

sin, Iowa where you have a heavy

focus on pork production and

pork farming and industrial

farming comes with that type of

application. Out there, their

problem is different in that they

don't necessarily, they can use

the water for reuse and reclama-

tion, but the two things they

need is to protect the environ-

ment so they want to take it one

step further, in that because we

have this R.O., this hybrid treat-

ment process where you use the

black water membrane filtration

followed by the reverse osmosis

polishing component, we can

treat the water for reuse and rec-

lamation inside the hog barns

but now we are removing total

dissolved solids, salts, other

compounds and particulates that

were making their way into the

local environment on the farm

lands and are creating ground

water pollution issues both

structurally and in contamina-

tion.

After 20 years or 30 years of

onsite waste water disposal at

these hog farms, the salts that

are present in the waste water

are binding with the soil struc-

ture and they are basically, for

the lack of a better word, creat-

ing a pavement. The soil is get-

ting very, very hard. They're very

constricted. Their hydraulic con-

ductivity is limited. So, that is a

major, major problem for onsite

waste water disposal.

The second thing is the pol-

lution element. Pollution in the

form of nutrients which would

be nitrogen or phosphorous.

Those things are making their

way into the environment. They

are making their way into the

ground water and they are in

gross violation. Most of these

farms now are in gross violation

of the EPA ground water nitro-

gen standard of 10 parts per mil-

lion for total nitrogen.

So, this hybrid technology

that we've developed allows us to

do the same thing that we're do-

ing with the craft brewery indus-

try in that we can reduce their

total water consumption by

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.

Back to contents

Buried vessel with ground level access hatches - lr

© OriginClear - Patents Pending

19

The Sustainable Real Estate Journal

Don Kulak: Where does

the fertilizer actually come from?

Dan Early: Two places.

Since we have this two part hy-

brid biological and reverse os-

mosis filtration process carbon

and bio-solids are captured in

the stage one membrane filtra-

tion system. The membrane bio-

reactors system. That is resource

recovery number one.

Recourse recovery number

two is going to be in the reverse

osmosis polishing system where

we're able to extract and capture

nitrogen and phosphorous com-

pounds and can concentrate

those in a side stream collection

tank where we can concentrate

those nitrogens and get those up

to a pretty heavily concentration.

So, it's a two-part process.

Don Kulak: All right.

Makes sense.

Dan Early: This is all in-

side a single footprint, single de-

liver method. It is not a combi-

nation of parts and pieces that

you have to field assembly. This

is a total engineered solution

that shows up in a container.

Pipe in, pipe out. It has an

onboard control room.

It's almost like practicing

naval architecture. You walk into

the control room. You got the

control panels, you have all of

your aeration and blower sys-

tems and those types of systems

that run both, it runs the entire

treatment process. It is the easi-

est of all available technologies.

It's the easiest one to deliver and

effectively solve this very chal-

lenging problem facing the agri-

cultural industry.

Well, my last comment is

this allows us to go after con-

fined animal feeding operations

where we can treat those pollu-

tion elements there for larger

animals. The beef industry. It

has its application in the poultry

industry. We’re really, really su-

per excited about this.

Don Kulak: So, going back

to that little subdivision we were

talking about. Can they all basi-

cally create their own fertilizer

from the waste water? I mean is

that possible or is that a whole

different animal that's not an ag-

ricultural situation.

Dan Early: Can it be done?

The answer is yes, you can do it.

You can add this exact same

complementary technology as a

polishing element to the ends of

the system we do for clustered

residential subdivision treatment

systems. You can do that. It will

add a level of complexity and the

one thing I will tell you is that

agricultural regulations tend to

be different than municipal or

domestic regulations related to

waste water treatment. There is a

human health and safety issue

related to pathogen infectors in

municipal and domestic sewage

that sometimes impede the de-

velopment and implementation

of advanced technologies like

this. So could you do it? Answers

yes. Can you mechanically do it?

Yes.

Don Kulak: Okay.

Dan Early: We already

practice a certain level of this in

certain applications but it's much

more difficult at a municipal lev-

el.

Don Kulak: So you said

that on an agricultural applica-

tion, it reduces the water con-

sumption by 90, 95 percent. In

other words what you're saying is

the filtrated and treated water

that remains at the end is okay

for animals to drink? And it's

okay for watering crops?

Dan Early: Definitely okay

for watering crops. You can dis-

charge it to the environment.

Not an issue there because we

have prepped it and cleaned it

sufficiently to eliminate the sodi-

um binding, the salt binding is-

sue with the soil. We've eliminat-

ed the nitrogen or the nutrient

pollution element in the form of

nitrogen phosphorous.

Where they're able to reduce

the water consumption is in the

clean-up. They use a lot of water.

Single use for washing down and

cleaning the hog barns and the

hog pens. Those types of things.

Don Kulak: Okay.

Dan Early: The farmer my

have an onsite well. He'll drill an

onsite well. He'll pull ground wa-

ter out of the ground. He'll flush

his barns and clean his barns

and that waste water goes into a

series of settling lagoons and

20

White Pine

sewage ponds, manure ponds.

From there it gets spread on

fields or percolates into the

ground. By implementing this

type of system we are able to ef-

fectively reduce their water con-

sumption by at least 75 to 90

percent. Now the drinking water.

Can they drink what comes out

of the polishing system? They

can. They probably will continue

to just use fresh water for drink-

ing water but they'll use the bulk

for reuse and for cleaning the pig

barns. The hog barns.

Don Kulak: Okay. There's

a building out in Seattle called

the Bullet Center. It's a real state

of the art building and they say

they can recycle all of their water

and create potable water as a re-

sult. But they added an extra

phase. In addition to the osmosis

and the filtration they added ac-

tually two extra phases. They

added UV and a small degree of

chlorination. They're still having

trouble with the city because

they're real tough about drinking

water for people and I can un-

derstand that, but according to

them it's as pure or better than

any other city water.

Do you intend to even try or

is worth your while to try to get

some of your recycled water in

these housing developments

turned into drinking water?

Dan Early: When you put a

reverse osmosis filtration system

downstream of the blackwater

wastewater membrane filtration

biological process that we de-

ploy, I mean for all intents and

purposes, the water that comes

out of that unit is potable, it will

meet the EPA drinking water

standards with every respect.

And I will tell you, UV disinfec-

tion and complimentary or auxil-

iary chlorination, we actually

provide those elements as well.

On the craft brewery indus-

try, we have redundancy, we will

polish and then we'll go through

a UV system and then the stored,

the treated water will be chlorin-

ated, so that you will have a chlo-

rine chemical residual available,

so that when you take that water

that has been polished and fil-

tered, and when you feed it back

in for sterilization and vat clean-

ing it carries that disinfection

capability with it.

So we already do that. That's

standard fare with our systems.

With the hog farm, what we call

the AgriSKID™, that's what we

call these Containerized Agricul-

ture Wastewater Systems. With

the AgriSKID unit we have that

same functionality built in, be-

cause the pork industry has the

same health concerns relative to

the animals, as humans do rela-

tive to public health and safety

for people. So we provide the

same level of redundancy, the

UV disinfection with a redun-

dant chlorination, chemical chlo-

rination capability so that if you

have a bad day with one or the

other, you always have a chlorin-

ation, disinfection and steriliza-

tion capability with you. So we

do both of those things.

Can you drink the water out

of this stuff? Could I take domes-

tic sewage and clean it up and

drink it? Yes. Can I take hog ma-

nure clean it up and drink it?

Yes.

Don Kulak: Now with

whatever agency that governs

that, would they be okay with

that?

Dan Early: Therein lies the

issue. The regulatory bodies are

very hesitant to approve and per-

mit these type of applications

because their responsibility is to

protect the environment and to

protect the public health and

safety.

These regulators, these regu-

latory bodies at the federal, state,

and local levels, they all need to

get their brains wrapped around

the capabilities of these technol-

ogies, the fail-safes and the safe-

guards that are built into these

technologies, the monitoring and

automatic operation of these

technologies, such that you could

use these things and be able to

recycle the water for human con-

sumption.

It can be done. It can be reg-

ulated. Bureaucracy, the wheels

of bureaucracy, as everybody

says, they turn very, very, very

slowly. So it will take a while. I

am starting to see adoption of

some of these technologies and

some of these components in

certain regions around the Unit-

ed States. It's just going to take a

while to get there, and then

there's a stigma, there's a public

stigma that comes with it as well.

Back to contents

21

The Sustainable Real Estate Journal

Atlanta November 10 2019

– Today the World Green Build-

ing Council (WorldGBC) has

launched a new digital case study

library showcasing examples of

the world’s most cutting-edge

sustainable buildings.

Each case study demon-

strates enhanced performance in

relation to health benefits or

achieve net zero operational car-

bon, as verified by established

certification schemes, rating

tools or other third-party verifi-

cation.

Buildings and construction

together account for 36% of

global final energy use and 39%

of energy-related carbon dioxide

(CO2) emissions when upstream

power generation is included.

Additionally, people spend 90%

of their time in buildings, and

there is a consistent association

between unhealthy indoor envi-

ronments and negative human

health impacts, for example ex-

posure to damp and mould is

recognised to raise likelihood of

asthma attacks by 40%. Building

operations, therefore, represent

a significant opportunity to re-

duce energy consumption and

carbon emissions, improve air

quality and create healthier plac-

es for people and communities.

WorldGBC has launched the

case study library in recognition

of growing market demand to

highlight the ‘best in class’ build-

ings that excel in key areas of

sustainability, and the role of

certification schemes to provide

third party assurance of perfor-

mance.

This ‘go-to’ resource for veri-

fied exemplar projects within the

built environment globally will

launch at USGBC’s Greenbuild

conference in Atlanta on 19 No-

vember 2019. Following the

launch, it will be open for new

submissions via the website on a

rolling basis.

Submissions are reviewed

against qualification criteria, de-

veloped by WorldGBC with input

of an advisory committee of de-

velopment partners. This process

is to ensure that each project fea-

tured in the library represents an

outstanding example of sustaina-

bility in the built environment,

as a net zero carbon building or

across different areas of health

and wellbeing.

Net zero carbon case studies

are existing buildings or spaces

that can demonstrate they have

achieved high levels of energy

efficiency and either generate or

procure sufficient renewable en-

ergy to meet the building’s de-

mand over 12 consecutive

months. This can be demonstrat-

ed either through the use of

Green Building Council or other

market rating tools that certify

net zero carbon performance, or

by providing third party verified

data to support the net zero

claim.

Healthy case studies are ex-

isting buildings or spaces that

can demonstrate they excel in

the provision of features that en-

hance human health, as verified

and certified using rating

schemes demonstrating out-

standing achievement of health

elements of a holistic green

building certification scheme, or

achieve specific health-based

certification, or demonstrate

equivalent levels of performance

using verified data.

The library also features in-

dustry “game changer” projects

– those that have achieved the

criteria for both healthy and net

zero performance criteria – and

information from the case stud-

ies about their specific features,

lessons learned and additional

useful project information. It is

therefore a useful resource for

sharing and learning about best

practice approaches to achieving

New digital library of exemplar sustainable

buildings worldwide launched

22

White Pine

pioneering levels of sustainable

performance.

An example of a “game

changer” project is Floth’s office

in Brisbane, Australia, which has

been certified as carbon neutral

by the National Australian Built

Environment Rating System

(NABERS) standard, and which

achieves exemplary performance

for healthy impacts in both NA-

BERS Internal Environment and

the Green Building Council of

Australia’s Green Star rating sys-

tem.

CBRE’s Vancouver office is

also included on the map for

achieving Gold certification un-

der the WELL building standard

and for its multiple features that

promote a healthy work environ-

ment.

Several buildings that have

recently been awarded certifica-

tion under DGNB’s Carbon Neu-

tral Framework for demonstrat-

ing best practice in energy effi-

ciency and a balance of renewa-

ble energy are also featured, in-

cluding City Hall in Freiburg,

Germany, the biggest surplus

energy building in Europe.

Over time, the case study

library will be developed to re-

spond to the changing nature of

sustainability and the impact of

the WorldGBC global network of

almost 70 Green Building Coun-

cils, closely linked to the UN’s

Global Goals.

By keeping track of these

projects, WorldGBC will be able

to share insights about global

trends in providing solutions to

reducing the environmental im-

pact of buildings, to help inform

policymakers, designers, and de-

velopers about the feasibility,

best practices, while promoting

advanced sustainable building

performance.

Cristina Gamboa, CEO,

World Green Building Council

said:“ As a global network com-

mitted to achieving a sustainable

built environment, I’m delighted

to launch our new case study li-

brary. It showcases the most cut-

ting-edge examples of sustaina-

ble building worldwide as veri-

fied by our local Green Building

Councils. Buildings are a vital

part of the solution to the cli-

mate crisis as they are the fast-

est, most viable and cost-

effective means to achieve emis-

sions reductions.

“Therefore, our case study

library will be a valuable re-

source to further inspire com-

mitment towards improving hu-

man health and eliminating the

building and construction sec-

tor’s CO2 emissions to reach net

zero before 2050.”

Developed in partnership

with DELOS, Integral Group and

Saint-Gobain, this interactive

digital resource is a joint initia-

tive between two of WorldGBC’s

global projects: Advancing Net

Zero – accelerating uptake of net

zero carbon to 100% by 2050 –

and Better Places for People –

accelerating market demand for

sustainable buildings through

demonstrating people-centred co

-benefits.

Whitney Austin Gray, Senior

Vice President, Head of Delos

Insights, Delos said:

“Delos is excited to contrib-

ute to the development of World-

GBC’s case study library. It’s im-

perative that we harness leading

global examples of certified

green and healthy spaces in one

place to catalyse the global mar-

ketplace. Data that links to direct

performance targets is key. Our

hope is that the WorldGBC’s case

study library will be an industry

leading reference for the best-in-

class in sustainable and healthy

building design worldwide, and

we look forward to seeing the

resource grow as more high-

performance healthy buildings

designed with people and planet

in mind continue to be built.”

Megan White, Chief Sustain-

ability Officer, Integral Group

said: “Integral Group is proud to

support WorldGBC’s case study

library. As a global deep green

engineering firm, we are com-

mitted to making an impact

through high-performance sus-

tainable building design that re-

spects and enriches the earth

and improves people’s lives.

Therefore, we welcome this im-

portant new resource that show-

cases exceptional buildings that

bridge the intersection of plane-

tary sustainability with people-

centric design to help inspire

greater uptake of sustainable

building globally.”

Pascal Eveillard, Sustainable

Construction Director, Saint-

Gobain said: “Saint-Gobain wel-

comes the launch of the case

study library and is proud to

support its development. This

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23

The Sustainable Real Estate Journal

valuable digital resource comes

at a critical time when we are

seeing growing global demand

for a more sustainable built envi-

ronment, and an urgent need to

demonstrate solutions to acceler-

ate the decarbonisation of build-

ings. Therefore, we look forward

to seeing the case study library

become the go-to reference for

exemplary green building prac-

tice worldwide.”

The case study library will be

regularly updated to display the

latest leading examples of sus-

tainable building worldwide.

WorldGBC will be accepting sub-

missions on a rolling basis. Ap-

plications for case studies can be

submitted at https://

www.worldgbc.org/case-study-

library-submission-form

Report delivers local,

regional and national in-

sights on renter expecta-

tions

Washington, D.C.

(November 12, 2019) – From

must-have technology to popular

pet perks, the 2020 Apartment

Resident Preferences Report re-

leased today by the National

Multifamily Housing Council

(NMHC) and Kingsley Associ-

ates provides an exhaustive look

at what apartment residents

want and need in their next

home.

The report is the largest-

ever collection of apartment resi-

dent insights, featuring input

from nearly 373,000 renters liv-

ing in 5,336 communities across

the U.S.

The report details the apart-

ment features and community

amenities that renters can’t live

without, how much they expect

to pay for them, and what mat-

ters during their apartment

search.

“While emerging technolo-

gies have allowed communities

to offer virtual tours and other

opportunities for online engage-

ment, we found that the majority

of renters still prefer an in-

person tour with a community

representative,” Rick Haughey,

Vice President, Industry Tech-

nology Initiatives, NMHC, said.

“That said, 14 percent of renters

noted they would rent an apart-

ment sight unseen.”

“The 2020 Apartment Resi-

dent Preferences Report offers

an in-depth look at what renters

expect when choosing where to

live,” John Falco, Principal,

Kingsley Associates, said. “This

data is invaluable for not only

developers, architects and de-

signers looking to build a new

community or renovate an exist-

ing community, but also for

property managers and leasing

agents trying to improve the

renter experience for current

and future residents.”

Among hot topics and

trends covered in the report:

Short-term rentals. The view

on short-term rental activity on

site is strongly reflective of resi-

dent age, with younger renters

expressing more interest. Na-

tionally, nearly 60 percent of re-

spondents said having short-

term rentals would either posi-

tively impact their perception of

a community or have no effect at

all; conversely, 16 percent said

they wouldn’t rent at a commu-

nity that allowed short-term

rentals.

Coworking. While 42 per-

cent of survey respondents said

they telecommuted at least part

of the time, just 15 percent said

they either had or would use a

coworking space, while 55 per-

cent said they were interested in

an on-site business center.

Coliving. Despite a lot of in-

vestment in coliving start-ups,

nationally, apartment residents

2020 Apartment Resident Preferences

Report Takes Residents’ Pulse on Top Leasing Factors

24

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remain skeptical about the

trend—at least for now—with 69

percent saying they definitely

would not be interested in this

type of living arrangement.

Voice-activated technology.

Forty-three percent of respond-

ents said they were interested in

or would not rent without voice-

activated virtual assistants like

Amazon’s Alexa or Google

Home. More than a third said

they already owned such devices.

Pet amenities. More than

one-third of respondents were

pet owners, with the majority

having dogs. Dog owners, in

turn, said they expected to pay

between $28 and $34 more per

feature per month for perks like

a community dog park, pet-

washing station or on-site pet

services.

New research among land-

lords, property managers,

agents and suppliers conducted

by the leading management con-

sultancy CIL reveals that invest-

ment in smart building technol-

ogies is finally moving up the

agenda. There is increasing

recognition of their ability to

create efficiencies in commercial

real estate, bringing costs down,

increasing tenant satisfaction,

improving space management

and ensuring strong energy per-

formance.

The research shows that

over half (58%) of respondents

see smart controls and sensors

as important in building man-

agement, with the majority

(92%) saying spend in this area

is increasing.

As a result, this is creating

exciting opportunities for sup-

pliers who develop systems and

technologies such as controls,

occupancy monitoring and data

led services for the sector, with

CIL forecasting a 10% growth

rate over the next five years, and

profit margins of over 20%.

In the short term, CIL be-

lieves that in a market that is

heavily driven by ROI, the

strongest case for smart controls

is within prime real estate.

James de La Salle of CIL, ex-

plains: “Properties in larger cit-

ies with higher rents can justify

refurbishments and upgrades,

so it is these buildings which are

seeing the early investment.

Older buildings and commercial

real estate out of larger cities are

likely to take longer to adopt this

technology.”

“However, as property man-

agers build a stronger economic

case for smart technologies, we

predict a sector of high growth

and strong margins, with clear

benefits for commercial real es-

tate.”

Energy efficiency has be-

come a top priority for commer-

cial landlords

The research also confirms

that energy efficiency improve-

ments have been a key driver of

investment across commercial

real estate to date, thanks to an

increased focus on combatting

climate change, new regulation

and the desire for cost-cutting.

Current industry focus is on

LED lighting which can substan-

tially reduce the cost of building

maintenance. This focus is

broadening to include advanced

heating, ventilation and air con-

ditioning systems (HVAC), with

84% of respondents predicting a

rise in future spend.

As a result, CIL is forecast-

ing growth of 5-10% in this area

over the next five years, driven

in part by the uptake of more

advanced systems. This is par-

ticularly true of the HVAC mar-

ket as it shifts towards local

heating and cooling of rooms.

Energy efficiency now a top priority

for commercial real estate – 10% growth forecast for smart technologies

Back to contents

25

The Sustainable Real Estate Journal

Environmental Law

In the face of state and fed-

eral inaction amidst mounting

ecological devastation, grass-

roots groups in Alachua, Orange,

Lee, Brevard, and Osceola coun-

ties are advancing county-wide

laws to recognize the legally en-

forceable rights of the Santa Fe

River, Wekiva River, Econlock-

hatchee River, Caloosahatchee

River, Indian River Lagoon and

the Kissimmee River.

The laws are being proposed

either through the citizens’ initi-

ative process or through county

charter review commissions. In

addition to Rights of Nature, the

laws also recognize rights of local

residents to a healthy environ-

ment and clean water. Business

entities and governments are

prohibited from violating these

rights. Efforts are aimed at giv-

ing Floridians the opportunity to

vote on these measures in 2020.

The Community Environ-

mental Legal Defense

Fund (CELDF) assisted in draft-

ing the measures as part of a

growing movement to use mu-

nicipal law-making to recognize

the legal rights of ecosystems,

and to challenge corporate pow-

er and undemocratic forms of

state preemption that have al-

lowed the degradation of rivers,

springs, and aquifers in Florida.

“Florida residents are in-

creasingly aware that the prob-

lems with our water originate

from the concept that corpora-

tions have the rights of humans

while nature and aquatic ecosys-

tems have no legal rights. We

have seen this past week that this

imbalance of rights continues to

generate negative consequences

in Florida and around the

world. It will take a small group

of thoughtful, committed citizens

to change this equation – and

that is happening right now

across this state,” says Chuck

O’Neal, of Orange County.

The Florida laws are among

the first in the nation to pursue

recognition of rights for specific

ecosystems. They follow the lead

of the Lake Erie Bill of Rights,

passed by Toledo, Ohio, voters in

February 2019.

Residents speak out:

“Groundwater in the Flori-

dan aquifer forms the springs

that feed the Santa Fe River. The

same groundwater provides our

drinking water – so if we save

the springs and river, we also

save our drinking water.” – Da-

vid Moritz, Alachua County

“The Caloosahatchee River’s

right to exist must be elevated to

the highest level allowed. We

must recognize the rights of the

river if we are to protect the eco-

system and residents’ health and

safety.” – Karl Deigert, Lee

County

“Our river was destroyed in

the name of flood control, killing

the wildlife it supported. A Kis-

simmee River Bill of Rights will

ensure that this living breathing

ecosystem will never be assault-

ed again.” – Barbara Cady, Osce-

ola County

“We have a community of

good people fighting a broken

system to protect our waters. We

must unite in the realization that

the system has failed us. It

doesn’t work – at least, not for

us. We must therefore shift our

paradigm and plainly declare the

inherent rights of nature.” –

Melissa Martin, Brevard County

Proposed Legally Enforceable Rights

for Rivers in Five Florida Counties

“A Kissimmee River Bill of Rights will ensure that this living breathing ecosystem will nev-er be assaulted again.”

By Thomas Linzey

26

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TOLEDO, OH: The City of

Toledo has exposed serious er-

rors and misrepresentations in

Drewes Farms Partnership’s

(DFP) federal lawsuit against the

City of Toledo and the Lake Erie

Bill of Rights (LEBOR). Through

briefs opposing motions by

plaintiff DFP and intervenor-

plaintiff State of Ohio, the City

argues DFP’s rush to overturn

LEBOR suffers from “fatal proce-

dural flaws,” misrepresentations,

and defects that require the law-

suit’s dismissal.

Citing the ongoing landmark

court case Juliana v. United

States, the City has come out in

favor of “Toledoans’ due process

rights to a clean and healthy en-

vironment.” Petitioners with To-

ledoans for Safe Water filed an

amicus brief, supporting the

City, particularly its argument

that DFP’s and the State’s law-

suit “undermine[s] the right of

local community self-

government established by the

City’s Charter and the Ohio Con-

stitution.”

The day after Toledo resi-

dents passed LEBOR in February

2019, DFP claimed it was per-

sonally injured by the vote. How-

ever, LEBOR only governs activi-

ties within the City of Toledo.

The City points out that not only

does DFP not own any land it

farms, but none of that land lies

within the City.

“It is the City and its resi-

dents that have been injured.

The state has failed to protect

Lake Erie,” stated Markie Miller

of Toledoans for Safe Water.

Since 2014, the City has spent

over $527 million to protect its

water supply, including during

the 2014 drinking water crisis

that was caused by toxic algae

blooms in Lake Erie. The lake is

currently experiencing severe

algae blooms.

In response to the State’s

arguments that the City and its

residents had no authority to

pass LEBOR or defend Lake

Erie, the City reiterates its juris-

diction over two miles of the

lake’s Maumee Bay, and its pow-

er to strengthen state protec-

tions. LEBOR does not replace

state or federal law or regula-

tions, the City argues. Rather, it

builds on them to provide addi-

tional protections for the lake.

The State has also argued

that LEBOR will undermine its

authority to protect Lake Erie.

“The state has repeatedly failed

to protect Lake Erie. Any claim

that it can’t protect the lake if we

do, rings hollow,” stated Miller.

The City strongly rejects

DFP’s argument that the corpo-

ration’s First Amendment speech

is being chilled by LEBOR.

“Conversely,” the City writes,

“the real chilling effect would

occur if the Court granted DFP’s

Motion and considered its re-

quest for attorney fees, since this

would give DFP – a non-resident

– the ability to use a speculative

and theoretical future injury to

nullify a citizens’ initiative peti-

tion and vote of the Toledo elec-

torate.”

“We are happy to see the

City standing up for LEBOR and

Toledoans’ rights to a clean and

healthy environment,”

says CELDF Ohio Organizer Tish

O’Dell. “The lake is experiencing

toxic blooms right now.

The people of Toledo decid-

ed at the ballot back in February

that they are done accepting be-

ing poisoned for corporate prof-

its. Instead of being able to go

forward with the law the people

passed, an agricultural corpora-

tion and the State of Ohio sued

the city on speculative claims.

It’s time for the judge to end

their lawsuit. We need to recog-

nize our dependence on the lake

– not the other way around. LE-

BOR is about recognizing rights

of the Lake and stopping the

harm before the Lake is com-

pletely dead.”

Lake Erie Bill of Rights Court Case

Heats Up as Algae Bloom Grows

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27

The Sustainable Real Estate Journal

W e previously wrote

about the Lake Erie

Bill of Rights passed

by Toledo, Ohio residents in Feb-

ruary of 2019. This law gave un-

precedented rights to the lake

and all its ecosystems, including

rights to a healthy existence. An-

yone violating those rights by

polluting or destroying the eco-

logical balance would be subject

to penalty under the law.

Since the passing of that bill

in February, it has come under

attack by:

The Ohio House of Repre-

sentatives

Ohio Governor Mike

DeWine

Franklin County, Ohio

Board of Elections

Ohio Chamber of Commerce

There is an obvious discon-

nect between the residents and

government officials. Supposedly

our political system gives people

the right to vote for officials that

work in their best interests,

elected by and for the people. In

this case Ohio residents wanted

clean water and a thriving lake

ecosystem which aside from the

obvious human health issue, has

huge financial implications for

the local economy. A one-meter

difference in water clarity alone

raises or lowers property values

astronomically. This then brings

in more tourism, local business-

es, etc. The increased tax reve-

nue from this alone would stimu-

late the economy and allow,

among other things, for the com-

pletion of desperately needed

infrastructure improvement.

Many ordinances such as the

Lake Erie Bill of Rights have

been voted upon and passed by

local citizens. However, getting

them put into law at the State

level is another matter entirely.

Most, if not all of these bills face

severe resistance from corpora-

tions, state, and county govern-

ment.

This is the hierarchy that is

our government system. Local

citizens have the fewest rights

with regard to what happens in

their townships. People who

have nothing to do with these

areas, and often live hundreds of

miles away, have the final word.

Most of these locally-passed

ordinances have to do with pre-

serving the health of the local

environment, and preventing

toxic contamination of the water

supplies, soil, and atmosphere.

What kind of people would try

and crush these laws and put

profit and greed ahead of life it-

self? That said, here are the key

players in the effort to kill the

Lake Erie Bill of Rights

(LEBOR).

1) The Ohio House of Repre-

sentatives adopted its 2020-

2021 budget with provisions that

prohibit anyone, including

local governments, from en-

forcing recognized legal

rights for ecosystems.

Crystal Jankowski, organizer

with Toledoans for Safe Water –

the local group behind the Lake

Erie Bill of Rights – stated, “The

state legislature’s continued ef-

forts to quash this growing

movement tell us that we are on

the right track. Whenever people

advance rights – for people of

color, women, LGBTQ+ commu-

nities, or others – we see the 1%

try to stop it, but we are not go-

ing away. Rights of Nature is a

Passage of Local “Rights of Nature” Ordinances Meets Stiff Resistance

at County and State Levels

By Don Kulak

28

White Pine

paradigm shift that is wholly

necessary. We are facing cata-

strophic global warming and

species extinction. The people of

the planet, including Toledo, will

act locally to address the crisis.

We do not need permission.”

According to Tish O’Dell at

the Community Environmental

Legal Defense Fund, “Over a

dozen rights-based measures

that included recognizing rights

for ecosystems have been sys-

tematically stymied from being

voted on by illegitimate actions

taken by the Ohio Supreme

Court, secretary of state, ap-

pointed board of elections offi-

cials, and the state legislature.

Those tactics – ongoing for five

years – are the subject of a feder-

al Civil Rights lawsuit that com-

munities jointly filed February

2019.”

2) Ohio Governor Mike

DeWine signed a 2500+

page state budget bill which

includes language that at-

tempts to abolish Rights of

Nature law in Ohio. It also

implied stronger protections for

those corporations exploiting

and contaminating the natural

resources of the area. Those in-

cludes legalized water theft by

water bottling companies, facto-

ry farms, fracking, and mega ag-

riculture. The budget bill states:

A. No person, on behalf of or

representing nature or an

ecosystem, shall bring an ac-

tion in any court of common

pleas;

B. In a civil action for nuisances

involving agricultural activi-

ties, it is a complete defense

if:

i) The agricultural activities

were conducted within an

(…) agricultural district or on

land devoted exclusively to

agricultural use;

ii) The agricultural activities

were established within the

agricultural district prior to

the plaintiff’s activities or in-

terest on which the action is

based;

iii) The plaintiff was not involved

in agricultural production;

and

iv) The agricultural activities

were not in conflict with fed-

eral, state, and local laws and

rules relating to the alleged

nuisances or were conducted

in accordance with generally

accepted agriculture practic-

es

Markie Miller of Toledoans

for Safe Water stated, “this

sneaky and seemingly innocent

language values, above every-

thing, corporate ‘rights’ to de-

stroy the natural life sources we

all depend on, for immediate

profit, the consequences be

damned.”

Mike Ferner of Advocates

for a Clean Lake Erie stated, “Do

legislators and the governor un-

derstand what they’re doing by

siding with corporations and

making it illegal for people to

protect the systems that support

all life? The so-called ‘right to

farm’ part of this bill has nothing

to do with farming and every-

thing to do with letting animal

factories continue using Lake

Erie as a free toilet. The stakes

are high and we will defend the

only Earth we have.”

3) Franklin County, Ohio

Board of Elections refuses

to place duly qualified Com-

munity Bill of Rights citizen

initiative on the November

ballot.

Columbus, Ohio citizens

were denied the right to vote on

a ballot measure entitled Com-

munity Bill of Rights for Water,

Soil, and Air Protection which

also included the prevention Gas

and Oil Extraction in the region.

In order to justify these actions,

the Franklin County Board of

Elections cited bill HB463 which

was written by the Ohio legisla-

ture with the full support of the

oil and gas industry. This bill ef-

fectively prevents Community

Rights initiatives from ever being

voted upon, much less signed

into law.

“The Board of Elections

meeting today was a farce. Board

members began by stating they

are not there as lawyers and are

not in a position to vote on this –

and then they proceeded to vote

such that we, the people, can-

not,” stated Bill Lyons of the Co-

lumbus Community Bill of

Rights. “In fact, neither we, nor

our attorney, was permitted to

speak prior to their vote. We

have a right to speak, we have a

right to vote, and we have a right

to clean water. Today, we’ve

been denied each of them.”

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29

The Sustainable Real Estate Journal

Citizen initiatives such as

the Community Bill of Rights are

protected by the Ohio State Con-

stitution and the Columbus city

charter. Residents there are pre-

pared to use these and any other

legal means in order to protect

their communities.

4) Zachary Frymier, Direc-

tor of Energy and Environ-

mental Policy for the Ohio

Chamber of Commerce

Wrote Ohio Law Banning

Rights of Nature

Enforcement.

In response to the local pas-

sage of the Lake Erie Bill of

Rights, Zachary Frymier wrote to

Ohio State Representatives, “We

have some language that we’d

request be considered for the

budget,” Language stating that

ecosystems and nature “do not

have [legal] standing,” he wrote,

“is essential to what we’re trying

to accomplish. If we could get

that added I would be very grate-

ful.” The language was added to

an unrelated budget bill, passed

into law by the Ohio General As-

sembly, and signed by the Gover-

nor.

Community rights organizer

Bill Lyons said, “People are un-

der the impression that their

elected representatives write the

laws and the process is transpar-

ent. This shows that industry is

doing it for them. It’s supposed

to be The People’s budget, the

representatives say, but this is

just a mirage.”

MERCERSBURG, PA: Last week, Rebecka Le

Moine, a member of Sweden’s Parliament, intro-

duced a motion to amend Sweden’s constitution to

enshrine the Rights of Nature. This is the first time

such a measure has been introduced in a European

national government.

The Community Environmental Legal Defense

Fund’s International Center for the Rights of Na-

ture worked closely with Le Moine, Rights of Na-

ture Sweden, and Lodyn to develop the draft

amendment.

The proposed amendment to Sweden’s Instru-

ment of Government would secure the Rights of

Nature to “existera, blomstra, regenerera och ut-

vecklas” – “exist, flourish, regenerate and evolve”

– and provide the people and government of Swe-

den the ability to defend and enforce these rights

on behalf of Nature. In addition, the amendment

builds on the “precautionary principle” – found

within European Union law – by stating that “lack

of full scientific certainty shall not be used as a rea-

son for denying or suspending the enforcement or

defense” of the Rights of Nature.

Member of Parliament Le Moine explained

that, “For twenty years, we have been working with

the national environmental goals in Sweden. After

all this time, we

are barely reaching two of them.”

“The underlying value in our society is that we

are the dominators of this world, and Nature is

just a resource for us to use,” Le Moine continued.

“Economic growth has been the real goal, not a

healthy environment. I’m tired of this era, where

our arrogant worldview has driven us far beyond

the planetary boundaries. Now, when we’re in the

beginning of an ecological and climate collapse, I

hope we can re-think our relationship with Nature.

And for me, it starts with admitting that Nature

has rights.”

Mari Margil, of CELDF’s International Center

for the Rights of Nature, stated, “We need to

quickly make a fundamental shift in our relation-

ship with the natural world. Advancing the Rights

of Nature in Sweden’s constitution is an important

step forward. We congratulate Parliamentarian Le

Moine on taking this politically brave, step.”

Rights of Nature Constitutional Amendment Introduced in Sweden’s Parliament

30

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31

The Sustainable Real Estate Journal

32

White Pine

Franklin County Board of Elections Denies Residents the Right to Vote