JL Architects

Green Globes

Environmentally Friendly Multi-Family Fights Suburban Sprawl

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In today’s environment, multifamily is one of the most active construction sectors.  Moving out of urban centers to find space and affordable housing has become even more desirable during the current age of COVID, yet it is also often associated with the negative connotations of suburban sprawl.  Our JL video above shares a recent case study of the developing ideas and approvals for a suburban multifamily site. With JL Architects’ help, what was thought to be a potential 60 apartment property turned into over 220 units. Located outside of Philadelphia, it is suburban without negatively impacting the environment and social fabric of the area.

We are proud of our teams vision, commitment and skill that will lead to a new, attractive, centrally located apartment development with great amenities and connectivity that will also be certified by a nationally recognized sustainability protocol, Green Globes or LEED.

What I Learned at the GBI/Green Globes User Summit

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Industry meetings are a wonderful way to become familiar with and immersed in the organization’s mission. There are also presentations to increase awareness of new products and research.  These are 4 of my takeaways from the Green Building Initiative User Summit held Atlanta this year.

  1. Everything is Iterative

Iterations and revisions lead to better solutions.  The more we consider a challenge the more detail we add to the solution. That is what we mean by iterative solutions.

With each step towards a building design or efficiency strategy, we add detail.  Areas of consideration include:

  1. Building design aesthetic
  2. Technical drawing production
  3. Energy analysis
  4. Budgets
  5. Value propositions

Each iteration makes the decision clearer and helps to understand the building idea on a granular level.  Greater understanding and detail results in greater success.

  1. Leverage and The Payback Myth

Even for the home owner, success in real estate depends on debt and leverage. No one buys their home for cash, nor does an investment group buy an office or apartment building for cash.  They put money down and borrow the rest.  So why are decisions on building performance based on the “payback period?”  The better metric is cash flow.

The process of certifying a building is a commitment to a better performing building. The cost of the certification is a one-time expense which can be paid for over the life of ownership and the mortgage.  Consider the following simplified case: If a building upgrade costs $1,000 and saves $400 per year the quick analysis is that it will take 2.5 years to pay for itself. However, most investments are paid as part of the project financing, not in cash.  Therefore, the correct analysis is based on cash flow.

Saving $40/year means we save 33.33 per month. If that improvement adds 24.00 to the monthly debt, then the monthly savings (cash flow improvement) is $6.67 per month. Extending that over the life of a 30-year mortgage will result in a $12,000 savings for the $1,000 investment starting on day one.

  1. Value Engineering and Cove.tool

Value Engineering is often used as code for “cut the budget”.  Looking for the highest value, one must compare operating and capital costs.  There is a great tool on the market, Cove.tool (www.covetool.com).  It can be used as a plug in to AutoCAD and REVIT.  It can be used very early in a project, starting with very fundamental decisions such as orientation and building shape. As the project progresses, more detail is added. All along the way, on demand, the cost/benefit of decisions can be quantified relative to building performance.  The program comes with baseline estimated costs which can be updated with actual in-market information.

Cove.Tool is just getting started and has a very promising future.

  1. Energy Model Accuracy

While I have been a lifelong promoter of energy conservation, I was still skeptical of the Energy Model.  I have long been a full believer in the science and always wanted more information about relative vs. predicted performance.  The User Summit included a presentation by Chris Baker, AIA, PE, BEMP, BEAP, LEED AP BD&C and Dana Kose, LEED Fellow, GGP of Willdan (www.willdan.com) comparing projected to actual energy consumption. Rushing to the bottom line, the actual averaged better performance than projected. This is attributed to a greater awareness on the part of users.  Awareness is what changes behaviors and is the single greatest tool of the conservation movement.

I have attended 3 GBI User Summits, and each has exposed me to new thoughts and considerations.   I bring those new thoughts back to JLA so we can best support and advance your projects priorities and agendas.

-John W. Lister, Principal

Designing for Bird Safety

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Clients love glass buildings and high skyscrapers because glass provides more natural light and prestige. Architects have a growing affinity for glass too. However, this building with glass creates problems with bird mortality. US Fish and Wildlife has estimated 750 million birds perish annually from flying into glass. (1) Other statistics dispute that staggering number but no one disputes that glass buildings are the cause of a large number of dead birds every year.

Other human activities also create serious safety hazards for birds.   Urban lights, for example can disorient birds, which rely on star light for navigation and on certain light frequencies for their internal compass. Intense light sources can lure them off course and burn up their energy. Their migration delay can impact breeding and further depress bird populations.(3)  Even, the slow moving wind power has attributed to birds’ death (2)

Architect Guy Maxwell became a passionate advocate for the protection of birds after his glass cube Hayden Planetarium became a deadly invisible barrier to birds. It has became his mission to protect our feathered species.

Working with him is a circle of anti-collision advocates including the American Bird Conservancy, Audubon Society, and the Bird Safe Glass Foundation that started in 2011. Together, they are raising awareness of bird safety among architects, have performed bird-safe research, and pushed for bird-safe building regulations.

Bird Safety 2

Disoriented by the bright light, scores of birds heading south for the winter swirl in confusion-wasting precious energy – around New York City’s Tribute in Light to victims of the September 2001 terrorist attack. Today, volunteers monitor the beams so they can be shut off when large numbers of birds get too close

They were successful partnering with the US Green Building Council to launch a LEED pilot credit #55 for incorporating “bird collision deterrence” into new buildings. (3) The goal is to make buildings visible to birds through technologies such as fritted glass, exterior treatments like louvers, screens, fractured metal screens and decreased night lighting levels. Other successes includes legislation in San Francisco and Oakland, and voluntary ordinances that have been passed in New York, Minnesota and Toronto.

New York City chapter of the Audubon Society has created an online portal called D-Bird where people can report building-related bird moralities. (4)

With this advocacy the hope is that awareness will result in more bird safety legislation, and greater bird friendly design by architects.

JL Architects are advocates for sustainability, green building and care for the environment. We are Green Globe & LEED professionals, and are conscious of our impact on the environment. Contact us at JL Architects to learn how we can be your partner in caring for the environment.

 

Citation:

(1) https://www.wired.com/2016/11/keep-buildings-killing-hundreds-millions-birds-year/

(2) https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-many-birds-do-wind-turbines-really-kill-180948154/

(3) Wildlife Magazines, October-November Issue 2019

(4) https://www.d-bird.org/

 

-Myrna Villaneuva, Architectural Designer

 

**Photo Credit: Alan Li

Greater West Chester Area Moves Ahead with Renewable Energy Plans

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The West Chester Area Council of Governments (WCACOG) consists of elected officials from 7 municipalities: East Bradford, East Goshen, Thornbury, West Chester, West Goshen, West Whiteland, and Westtown which make up a total population of about 100,000. These Southeastern PA municipalities have adopted the goals of achieving 100% renewable energy electricity by 2035 and 100% renewable energy for all uses, including heat, transportation, and powerplants, by 2050.  The WCACOG has hired Cadmus, a Boston-based consulting firm specializing in regional energy planning, to provide a customized Energy Transition Plan that includes an understanding of the context and conditions in southeastern Pennsylvania.

WCACOG recently held its first public meeting to create the path forward in achieving their municipalities’ energy goals.  Attendees met with representatives from Cadmus to ask questions and provide the local input needed to envision success, set priorities, and anticipate obstacles as the region transitions to clean, renewable energy.

Consideration of the economic, political, and social context of the region will create an equitable and inclusive energy transition plan.  Preferences and common barriers shared by the seven communities are being identified. In addition, each municipality will have the opportunity to work individually with Cadmus to convey their specific goals such as reducing energy costs, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and strengthening local economic development.

JL Architects is excited to be based in one of the 7 WCACOG communities that is moving towards 100% sustainable energy.  As an architecture firm and community member, we are committed to clean, renewable energy and have worked on many sustainable projects.  Our firm’s principal, John Lister, is a member of Green Building Initiative’s  Board of Directors and project manager, Kipp Happ, sits on the East Goshen Township Sustainability Advisory Committee.  If you need help designing your sustainable project, call the experts at JLA.

 

Photo Credit: Smart Energy

Kipp Happ, Green Globes Professional

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JL Architects is proud to congratulate Kipp Happ, in earning his Green Globes Professional certificate, and in his appointment to the East Goshen Township Sustainability Advisory Committee.

Kipp Happ

Green Globes is an environmental assessment and certification program for commercial buildings. Made up of an online and on-site program; it is the flexible and affordable building rating system for all commercial properties.

Kipp was also appointed to the East Goshen Township Sustainability Advisory Committee.  The committee’s mission is to develop, in partnership with the Board of Supervisors, residents, and businesses, a culture of (environmental, economic, & social) sustainability in East Goshen Township by utilizing innovation, education, communication, and comprehensive and strategic planning.

We are grateful for Kipp’s drive to foster growth, improvement, and excellence while servicing his JLA clients, and his community.

-Alex Schleicher

What is Sustainable Architecture?

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Sustainable architects design buildings to limit negative environmental impact through efficiency and moderation in the use of materials, energy, and space while considering the ecosystem at large. It is considered a conscious approach to energy and ecological conservation in the design of the built environment.

There are a few fundamental elements to sustainable architecture: site & building orientation, shading and sunlight due to pre-existing elements, natural ventilation opportunities, renewable energy systems, heating ventilation and cooling system efficiency, and sustainable building materials.

Energy efficiency is one of the most critical goals to sustainable design. The orientation of the building, the number of windows (openings) and good insulation are the key elements to ensuring energy efficiency.  Roof top solar panels, solar water heaters, heat pumps, and small-scale wind turbines can also be used as alternate solutions to traditional methods of heating and cooling.

When it comes to building materials, the building should be constructed with materials that can be easily available, reused, and disposed of. When older buildings are demolished, all wood, doors, windows, mantels and hardware can be reclaimed and renewed, allowing the materials to be retrofit with a new purpose.

Waste management is also an important component of sustainable architecture. Recycling as much as possible is critical. This will ensure less waste going to the landfill and protect the health of those on site from the harmful and possibly toxic effects of waste.

-Nital Churi, Architectural Designer