Seeing Green Eco-Friendly Buildings Translate Into Economical, Environmental Gains by Heather Meuller Architect Sassan Gharai’s decision to build a modern condominium complex in the heart of downtown Takoma Park, Md., involved more than the usual attraction to a nearby Metro stop. After meeting with local residents, Gharai’s company, SGA Architects, decided to use the building’s proximity to public transportation as part of a larger green design for the entire building, which will also offer Zipcar access in the basement parking lot. (Zipcar is a car-sharing program with hourly rates that include gas and insurance costs.) “We want to make living in an eco-friendly way economical,” Gharai said. “This one-person per-car mentality is something we need to get away from, and if we can provide a solution to that, I’m sure people will use it.” All of the units in SGA Architects’ new building, Ecco Park, slated for completion in early 2008, will include Energy Star-rated appliances. The building will also be topped with a garden-style “green roof,” and initial buyers will have the option to purchase amenities such as kitchen countertops derived from recycled glass and carpets made with natural fibers. “The options will increase the cost of the unit, but I think a lot of people will choose them,” Gharai said. Environmental consciousness is to be expected in Takoma Park, Md., the self-declared “nuclear-free zone” where a bronze statue in the town square pays homage to a free-roaming rooster killed in a hit-and-run accident in 1999. But many of the strategies designed for units at Ecco Park are popping up elsewhere in the Washington region. Ecco Park, it turns out, stands among a growing number of “green” residential dwellings planned for the area. Such properties seem to be the next big thing in themed luxury home design, but more than that, developers say, they offer solutions to skyrocketing energy prices and threats to the environment. Green building practices make effective use of natural resources and reduce environmental impacts over time. Most of the strategies and technologies—such as low-flow toilets and showers, energy-saving HVAC systems, and floors made with renewable resources such as bamboo—go almost unnoticed in day-to-day life. Others might involve the decision to develop a mixed-use residential building where residents can do their shopping, dining and working without leaving the property, thus lowering the use of air-polluting vehicles. “The term ‘green buildings’ is kind of a misnomer because people tend to think of recycled materials and sustainable products,” said Andrew Gutowski, vice president of development for Waterford Development. “More often, they involve green designs and how you place the buildings close to mass transit, and how they are interconnected to local communities. What’s implemented at the macro level is just as important as the type of countertops you select.” One of the most popular strategies is the green roof, such as the one that tops the new 18,000-square-foot Swiss residence, a two-story exposed concrete building still under construction. Vegetated with garden-style plants and soil, green roofs help regulate inside temperatures and absorb rainwater that would otherwise run off into a stormwater system. In collaboration with other technologies, they can significantly lower energy and water bills over the long run. Although green roofs and other strategies have been gaining popularity among rental properties and government buildings for several years, they are just beginning to creep into privately owned residential dwellings. Because financial benefits occur over the long term and tend to push up initial purchase prices, recent incentives—such as extra land offered to green developers and the opportunity for homebuyers to lessen the financial blow of rising energy costs—are making green building practices more appealing. Industry leaders also say that as the use of new technologies increases, the overhead costs of developing green buildings will drop. In the meantime, there is a bonus for buyers of green town homes and condo units. Condos have the capacity to become just about as green as a building can get. Because of their high density, they take up less space than other residential structures and conserve land. For this reason, local governments are starting to put incentive policies on the table to encourage development of more green condos. The result is that some developers are more willing to assume the cost of installing advanced technologies, meaning that buyers can benefit from long-term savings without the additional upfront costs. This is the case in Arlington, Va.. where a green building incentive program offers “bonus density” for projects that meet certain qualifications. High-performing buildings that employ a number of environmentally conscious products, for instance, can receive as much as a quarter-square-foot of free space—the bonus density—for each square foot of green design. Washington, D.C., is considering implementing a similar program, and proposed legislation in Maryland’s Montgomery County would make certain qualifications mandatory for large buildings. Even in areas where formal incentives haven’t kicked in, companies are finding other reasons to pay more attention to environmental design. “We believe in responsible development that involves engaging the community in which projects are going to be built,” said David Franco, founder and principal of Level 2 Development. “We want to produce buildings that move people and inspire people so there’s a sense of pride.” Next Page

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