Building Sustainability Moves from "Optional" to "Must Do" via GlobeSt.com

While this article uses examples of an office property the concepts have a direct relationship to the multifamily industry. Sustainability is coming to the apartment industry. Not only because of a reduction in energy expenses but in property code standards being implemented by municipalities.  

While the 1.3-million-square-foot Pennzoil Place, an office building in the CBD was being retrofitted, 700 toilets were removed. Rather than discard the older toilets in landfills, however, the apparatuses were cleaned, the porcelain crushed, and sent to the Gulf Coast to help refurbish oyster beds.

Though this is an extreme example of “going green,” it does outline where the green building movement is headed. Soaring energy costs, combined with environmental concerns, tenant demands and even municipal regulations mean commercial real estate property managers and owners are being encouraged to consider ways in which they can get more mileage out of buildings.

According to Victoria Hollon, Transwestern’s senior vice president, innovation and quality assurance, making a building more energy efficient is a powerful money saver. With energy costs being a huge chunk of an office building’s budget, it makes sense to build sustainability initiatives into operations. Furthermore, there is the environmental factor; a building that operates more efficiently is less likely to spew all kinds of junk into the air.

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