IRVINE, CA-So much emphasis is placed on high-tech products in green development, such as solar-energy systems, that it's easy to forget the low-tech options that can take designers and developers far. “We need to be aware of the latest products and technology that can help us create affordable, sustainable communities,” said Manny Gonzalez, a principal with KTGY Group Inc., in a prepared statement. “But just as import are the 'low-tech' opportunities like using 2x6-ft studs at 24-in. centers and installing electrical outlets that stop 'vampire' charging.”
Gonzalez added that putting the right design team together and selecting the right product and density that provides that best return on investment are vital to success. “A good design team can be very innovative in interpreting zoning and building codes. Perfect examples of this are the walk-up garden apartments KTGY has been designing at densities over 40 units to the acre and urban wood-frame apartments over 200 units to the acre.”
As GlobeSt.com reported earlier this week, LEED certification is an admirable goal for real estate development projects, but it is often too rich for developers' blood, and Gonzalez says that the high price tag of certification may evoke more “LEED-inspired” projects that have all of the green-building qualifications of LEED-certified projects without the formality—and cost—of the certification process.
“While developers are embracing the sustainable practices that LEED promotes, they seem to be less willing to pay the added cost of certification and commissioning,” said Gonzalez in a prepared statement. “Just building to the current California Building Code nearly guarantees that a project can achieve LEED certification. However, the six-figure cost for LEED certification is one of the first line items to get scratched from any development budget. Because of this, I think you will be seeing more and more 'LEED-inspired' projects in the future.”
Gonzalez added that as cities update their building codes, they will undoubtedly continue to add green-building regulations, “which will level the playing field for the construction industry as a whole since it will no longer be an elective cost to build green. But being able to build green in an affordable manner will put the savvy builders ahead of the pack.”
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Carrie Rossenfeld
Carrie Rossenfeld is a reporter for the San Diego and Orange County markets on GlobeSt.com and a contributor to Real Estate Forum. She was a trade-magazine and newsletter editor in New York City before moving to Southern California to become a freelance writer and editor for magazines, books and websites. Rossenfeld has written extensively on topics including commercial real estate, running a medical practice, intellectual-property licensing and giftware. She has edited books about profiting from real estate and has ghostwritten a book about starting a home-based business.
