CREJ - Property Management Quarterly - August 2015
Today’s next generation of real estate consumers increasingly are looking for sustainable places that feature a lighter ecological footprint, respect for - future inhabitants, and are renewable, responsible and efficient. In order to realize the larger goal of creating and managing sustainable communities we first must address environmental, social and economic factors to find a balance between natural systems and development that improves quality of life, while maintaining functioning natural systems. The term sustainability has been part of our national dialogue for more than a decade now, yet relatively few methods can successfully define and measure it for practical purposes. The Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design certification, sponsored by the U.S. Green Building Council and administered through the Green Building Certification Institute, is the most widely recognized system for measuring sustainability. Now in version 4, LEED provides a scientific, best practices method of measuring sustainable design, operations and management of buildings and related site performance for new building construction, schools, retail, existing building reuse, operations and management, as well as for homes. The Sustainable Sites Initiative, also known as SITES, developed a complementary rating tool that addresses site planning, landscape design, construction and maintenance. Twelve years ago, landscape architects created this tool to address site development projects such as campuses, parks, plazas, streets, greenways and cemeteries. The SITES version 2 certification program is now one of several under the auspices of USGBC that specifically address the needs of land developers and managers. Other rating systems include PEER (sustainable energy systems), WELL (healthy buildings) and GRESB (Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark). More information on these programs is available on the GBCI website. The National Renewable Energy Lab in Golden is one of two certified SITES projects in Colorado. The new office and industrial campus houses laboratories that develop innovative new building materials that showcase sustainable approaches to site and building design. While SITES certification requires a very deliberate and time-consuming process of documentation and seasoned professionals to implement it, it provides a platform for a more holistic approach to planning, design and monitoring, said NREL Energy Program Manager Michelle Slovensky. Long-term cost savings from a SITES-based approach results in measurable reductions in water and energy use, while providing a noticeable physical and visual fit within a project’s neighborhood and community context, she said. The SITES program pioneered the concept of “ecosystem services,” assigning a value to how natural systems help preserve, restore or enhance a project site during the planning and design process. Historically, building and site improvements are easily quantified and their value assigned by markets. The value of natural and designed landscapes is much harder to measure. SITES recognizes such elements as the value of healthy soils that support vegetation and reduce erosion, the value of tree and plant cover that can reduce carbon dioxide and increase shade, and the value of landscaping to a sense of well being and quality of life. SITES certification points are awarded in 10 categories, several with prerequisites that are required prior to qualifying for any points: • Site context (13 points) • Predesign: Assessment and planning (3 points) • Site design: Water (23 points) • Site design: Soil and vegetation (40 points) • Site design: Materials selection (41 points) • Site design: Human health and well-being (30 points) • Construction (17 points) • Operations and maintenance (22 points) • Education and performance monitoring (11 points) • Innovation and exemplary performance (9 points) Similar to the rating system for LEED, SITES certification has four levels depending on accumulated points and choices made during design and construction: • Certified (70 points) • Silver (85 points) • Gold (100 points) • Platinum (135 points) Registration, certification fees and the costs associated with specifying, commissioning and certifying the points should be factored into the decision to become certified. Discounts are available through LEED Accredited Professionals, USGBC and American Society of Landscape Architects members. Sustainable building programs, such as SITES, provide powerful tools to locally address global concerns such as climate change, loss of biodiversity and resource depletion. Land is a crucial component of the built environment, and it can be designed, developed and maintained in ways that protect and enhance the benefits derived from healthy functioning landscapes. For those who influence land development and management practices, including property managers and their planning, design and maintenance teams, applying sustainable methodologies to a project site can save short- and long-term costs, and closely conform to the needs and values of the end user. More information and certification applications are available at www.sustainablesites.org.