GRAND CAYMAN, CAYMAN ISLANDS—Having a long-term commitment to best practices is something to really be proud of. That is according to Ross Tibbetts, design manager for Decco (Dart Enterprises Contracting Co.).
Tibbetts took some time last week to give GlobeSt.com a LEED-focused tour of Dart Real Estate's office buildings, 18 Forum Lane and One Nexus Way, here in the Cayman Islands.
As GlobeSt.com previously reported, 18 Forum Lane is the first LEED Gold certified commercial building in the Cayman Islands and recently won the 2017 Cayman Islands Governor's Award for Design and Construction (A local award recognizing best in class design innovation and sustainability as well as excellence in construction).
During our tour, Tibbetts explained more about the company's long-term commitment to the Cayman Islands, and how part of that commitment is using best practices in business. Part of that “practice” includes seeking sustainability in the construction and design of its properties wherever possible.
LEED certification allows a framework for sustainable building and ensures that the company's developments are best in class. “Not all elements we add get the LEED certification check mark,” Tibbetts tells GlobeSt.com. “But at least it is still good practice,” he continues, while pointing to different sustainable aspects included at the company's fifth commercial building at Camana Bay, One Nexus Way, which is currently being completed and also happens to be on track for LEED Gold certification.
While touring the properties, GlobeSt.com also learned that the most difficult part of building for LEED certification in the Cayman Islands is the fact that you have to bring in everything from overseas. Doing so adds significant cost and time factor to any construction project.
But those hurdles don't seem to matter because the company says that the cost savings and efficiency more than make up for the initial outlay. Tibbetts also adds that “It is about maintaining a standard of excellence.” And in addition to that, he says, many of the tenants that Dart is seeking have LEED as a criteria for new space when leasing.
And by no means has seeking LEED certification hurt the aesthetic appeal in any way. In fact, it has done the opposite. Whether through subtle paint shading, which included hues of blues and green, or through hints of colors from the building that are brought into the whimsical trees within the landscaping, attention to detail was apparent.
Decco and Lake|Flato—a leader in sustainable architecture—also worked together to focus on testing the impact of the sun's rays and orientations to optimize breezes and oriented the building in such a way to avoid direct sunlight and enhance shading (pictured below). And the sun shades are also resigned to cast shadows onto the building to help cool it down.
The landscaping, as mentioned above, is another unique aspect that sets the company apart from others. All of the company's developments are grown in the company's own 26-acre propagation nursery. And Dart's horticulturists have more than 20 years' experience growing plants in Grand Cayman.
And for recent developments, like One Nexus Way or the Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa, for example, the company has really focused on using resilient native and regional plants that are already adapted to Cayman's environment, rainfall and climate, says Tibbetts. He told GlobeSt.com that doing so allows the company to be environmentally responsible and further reduce the carbon footprint from of importing plants from thousands of miles.
Check back with GlobeSt.com for more from our visit with Dart Real Estate.
Want to continue reading?
Become a Free ALM Digital Reader.
Once you are an ALM Digital Member, you’ll receive:
- Breaking commercial real estate news and analysis, on-site and via our newsletters and custom alerts
- Educational webcasts, white papers, and ebooks from industry thought leaders
- Critical coverage of the property casualty insurance and financial advisory markets on our other ALM sites, PropertyCasualty360 and ThinkAdvisor
Already have an account? Sign In Now
*May exclude premium content© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.