Colorado Real Estate Journal -

Fort Carson housing recognized for energy efficiency

by Jennifer Hayes

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Fort Carson Family Housing LLC, a joint venture between Balfour Beatty Communities LLC and the Department of the Army, recently was named the 2012 Energy and Sustainability Partner of the Year.

The award recognizes the leading public-public or public-private partnership working to achieve the Department of Defense’s energy efficiency and sustainability goals.

“As one of only two Net Zero Installations globally for the Army, it is of utmost concern to us that energy, waste and water be carefully planned and executed in new and existing developments,” said David L. Grosso, colonel, U.S. Army, and garrison commander of Fort Carson. “It is a matter of national security when resources are unavailable, unreliable or strained, so Balfour Beatty Communities’ efforts at Fort Carson are a giant step in the right direction.” The base is located in southwest Colorado Springs.

Fort Carson Family Housing incorporated a variety of practices, tools and products aimed at improved energy efficiency and sustainability, including Energy Star thermostats and appliances, recycled flooring materials, low-flow plumbing fixtures, high-efficiency water heaters and windows, and increased insulation and caulking.

Additionally, a comprehensive recycling program was launched with residents as well as recycling construction materials and landscaping designed to reduce water requirements by more than 65 percent in new construction areas.

Fort Carson Family Housing also worked to reduce its carbon footprint and protect natural resources indigenous to Colorado. Special conservation efforts include incorporating 20 percent fly ash concrete in curbs and sidewalks, planting trees, creating community gardens, and hosting environmental awareness and sustainability seminars and activities for residents.

“Balfour Beatty Communities has developed a truly unique and comprehensive approach to energy efficiency and sustainability at Fort Carson that is providing a road map for all of our military housing communities,” said Tabitha Crawford, senior vice president of Innovation and Sustainability for Balfour Beatty Capital Group, for which Balfour Beatty Communities is a subsidiary. “We are very proud of this important industry recognition of our efforts to support DOD initiatives by building communities where energy, water and waste are efficiently managed.”

Other News

Liquor Mart, known as an energy-efficient, community leader in the Boulder area, has now taken the energy efficiency of its own 32,500-square-foot building one step further with plans to install a 46-kilowatt rooftop solar system. Douglass Colony Group, a 65-year veteran of commercial roofing, metal, solar and waterproofing, will design and install the 46kW Solar World monocrystalline system, roof-mount racking system, and a new, energy-efficient white thermoplastic polyolefin roof. All products (modules, inverters, electrical gear, etc.) were made in the U.S. and 10 percent of the project will be locally sourced in Colorado.

The Liquor Mart store is an old barn that has been upgraded over the years for energy efficiency. Modifications over the years have included compressors, insulation, lighting and the recycling of all cardboard materials. All fleet delivery vans run on compressed natural gas. Also, 100 percent of all power is supplied via wind power. In fact, Liquor Mart is the 13th largest subscriber to wind power in Colorado.

“Our roof was badly damaged after all the hailstorms Colorado incurred this summer and a new roof was definitely needed,” said Jack Stoakes, Liquor Mart general manager. “I’ve wanted to add solar to our building for years now, but the timing was not right and the estimated payback was around 18 years.

Tough to justify that ROI. After talking with Douglass Colony Group, we realized we could save money by doing a re-roof and solar together, achieve an ROI of under five years, and enjoy energy independence sooner than predicted.” SlaterPaull Architects celebrated its 40th anniversary in the Denver business community with the building of a sustainable community garden at Jefferson High School, as part of the Denver Urban Gardens program.

The DUG program supports more than 100 community gardens in low-income urban neighborhoods and schools. The Jeffco project represents the first community garden built for a local high school and the first in the Jeffco Public School District under the DUG program.

The firm wide activity celebrated not only SlaterPaull’s anniversary but also its passion for sustainability and environmental stewardship. Nearly 100 percent of its technical staff is 100 percent LEED accredited.

SlaterPaull will provide ongoing support of the garden and work with students throughout the year on the project as an extension of its green practices and commitment to community service.

“Celebrating 40 years in business with a service project was a perfect way to give back to the community that has embraced us for the past four decades and to live out our mission of ‘Design for a Sustainable Future,’” said Jamie Pedler, president and chief financial officer of SlaterPaull Architects. “It has been and continues to be our deep commitment to serving our community and our clients by delivering high-performance environments that has afforded us this milestone achievement.

We look forward to the next 40 years as we continue to grow and contribute to the community by designing inspiring, functional, and sustainable spaces.” The Colorado Brownfields Foundation recently completed the first phase of technical assistance being provided to a coalition of Colorado communities undertaking a heritage tourism strategic planning effort.

The cultural and heritage sites across south central Colorado, include cities such Cañon City, Florence, Pueblo and Trinidad.

CBF met with local historic preservation and economic development representatives to assist with strategizing approaches that could enhance historic preservation and further heritage tourism goals. A key strategy of the coalition is to focus on restoration and adaptive reuse of historic structures as well as renovation and redevelopment of existing brownfields sites. CBF will provide technical assistance to evaluate the real estate components of the region’s heritage tourism strategy and help determine the processes for restoring historical and community assets.

Properties include former breweries dating back to the 1800s to museum sites to historic downtown buildings.