EQUITY GREEN

Are Residents Ready For Wind Power?

This seems to be a hot topic these days.  Wind turbines that are built in rural areas or out in the ocean don't seem to have the same impact on people as much as wind turbines built in your own neighborhood.  For some residents, aesthetics and safety are the main concerns.  For some, they don't want anything built higher than the roof-line, which, if you are building a wind turbine, wind accessibility is more difficult at lower heights.  I have seen architectural drawings that integrate wind turbines into the design of a house but many times those homes are usually located and positioned just right so as to take full advantage of a windy conditions.  Check out the article below about a county in Idaho that is considering an amendment to the zoning laws so that landowners would be able to erect residential wind turbines.  Let me know your thoughts!  

++Is County Ripe For Residential Wind Power [Idaho Mountain Express]

LEED Gold In Portland [Mississippi Avenue Lofts]

 

The Mississippi Lofts are a new mixed-use development (56,000 square feet) coming to Portland's Mississippi Historic District.  It looks as if they are going all out on this one.  Brownfield redevelopment...check.  Storm-water Management system...check. Use of regional materials...check.  Certified wood, use of low-e paint and materials, water efficient landscaping...all check.  The are shooting for LEED Golf certification, which requires between 39-51 points on a LEED scorecard and the Mississippi Lofts are attempting to receive 48 points.  They are scheduled to be completed by next month but by the looks of their blog, they seem to still be in the construction phase.  HOA fees seem to run from about $170 to $300 per month depending on the unit.  Some of the smaller units are going for about $393 per sq/ft (737 total square feet) where as the larger units go for about $341 per sq/ft (1172 total square feet). 

 

++Mississippi Avenue Lofts [site]
++Mississippi Avenue Lofts Blog[site]

++LEED Scorecard[link to pdf document]

If You Want A Big Home In Boulder, You Will Have To Pay For It!

In order to curtail house-size growth in Boulder County, residents may be facing huge restrictions on the size of home the county will allow them to build.  Based on 2006 building permits, the average size of new homes is around 6,290 sq/ft. 

Under the current proposal, homes built on the plains would be limited to 4,000 sq/ft and homes built in the foothills would be limited to 2,600 sq/ft.  But there's a caveat!  Under the new proposal, you can build a home that is larger than the square foot limitation provided you buy development rights that preserve rural land somewhere else in the county, which could add up to a large chunk of change. 

It seems the county has issue with the size of the home built, not necessarily the total number of homes being constructed.  The county wants to encourage "smaller-scale development, reduced energy usage, and agricultural preservation."  One 6,200 square foot home takes up less land than 4 separate homes each under 2,600 square feet.  Why not limit building permits?  This seems like the perfect opportunity to enact LEED building standards on a going forward basis for all new construction.  Limit building permits and strengthen the county's building code with sustainable measures.  However, there may be some local tensions between county and residents that we don't know about.  Curious to know if other counties are considering this type of reform.  Consider the quote from Boulder county land-use planner Peter Fogg:

"It's clear in our view that this ever upward trend in consumption, consumption, consumption is not sustainable, and we don't think it's unreasonable to put some checks and balances in place." 

Thanks to Melissa Lafsky at the freakonomics blog for the heads up on this one.  If you have never checked out that blog, give it a look sometime. 

++Freakonomics Blog [website]
++Boulder Article

Mosler Lofts In Seattle Deliver Green Urban Lifestyle

Basically, Mosler Lofts should be featured on MTV Cribs.  They are 100% the real deal!  This building comes with a ton of amenities and green features.  The building really has an awesome contemporary feel.  It was built with green in mind...they are awaiting LEED-silver certification.  This is loft living!  The floor plan calls for a lot of open space and all the units have high ceilings (10' high).  The views are unreal!  Right now it looks like they have 5 units left.  On the smaller end, they have a town-home listed at $649,900 for 1,100 sq/ft ($591 per sq/ft).  On the larger end, the penthouse is listed at $1.745 million and it has a little over 1,800 sq/ft ($955 per sq/ft).  Wow!  You would hope the insides are plated with gold.  Rest assured, you do get a ton for your money.  Here are just some of the condo features:  exposed concrete ceilings, private balconies, full-size front loading washer/dryer, Grohe faucets, European-style designer wood cabinets, stainless steel Bosch appliances, landscaped rooftop garden, fitness center, close vicinity to the Space Needle and Lake Union and Elliott Bay views.

As for the green features, the building includes:  solar panels on the roof, high efficiency boiler, high efficiency elevator system, green roof, energy star appliances, use of certified wood, hybrid car recharging stations, storm water management, CO2 monitoring, low-VOC paints, high performance windows, natural day lighting in all units and occupancy sensors for lighting efficiency.

It looks like Seattle is making a big push for sustainability.  Move over San Francisco.  There are a ton of green developments in Seattle and it seems to be welcomed by the residents and city officials alike.  Its great to see a city allow options for healthy, green, downtown, urban living, which offset the growing problem of suburban sprawl. 

++Mosler Lofts [website]

View South

Sustainable + Natural + Affordable: Seattle's First LEED-certified Residential Project

The Alcyone apartments are located in Seattle's South Lake Union neighborhood.  Built as a joint venture between Vulcan Real Estate and Harbor Properties, the Alcyone apartments were Seattle's first LEED-certified residential project.  They are very urban and designed for the young and hip who prefer walking to driving.  The Alcyone features energy efficient windows, a central gas-fired domestic hot water system, steel framing (instead of wood) for increased durability, low-VOC paints, electric vehicle charging stations, bike storage stations and a rooftop garden that recycles rainwater.  In building the structure, 80% of the construction waste was recycled.  All of this results in lower utility bills, cleaner air, more natural light, increased sustainability and healthier indoor living environments.  Heads up from Urban Ashley. 

++Alcyone Apartments [Website]

Westgate Lofts Bring Warehouse Living + Geothermal Heating and Cooling To Salt Lake

Westgate Lofts are perfect for the downtown city dweller.  The building is within walking distance of downtown and is only a couple blocks away from The Gateway and EnergySolutions Arena where the Utah Jazz play.

   

A converted warehouse that was built in 1909, it once housed commercial tenants General Electric and Sears Roebuck.  There will be 54 residential and 3 commercial units.  Each tenant will enjoy there own private balcony and there will be a rooftop garden for all to share.  Sizes range from 650 sq/ft studios and one-bedrooms to 2,500 sq/ft penthouses.  Prices start at about $150,000 and range close to $700,000. 

But the cool thing that sets this development apart is the way the structure's temperature will be regulated.  A geothermal heat pump was installed, which compared to using natural gas and electricity, will save tenants between 25% to 75% on their utility bills.  Basically, water beneath the earth's surface remains at a constant temperature.  In the winter, that water is brought to the surface.  A heat pump extracts the warmth from the liquid to heat the units...the remaining water is sent back underground.  In the summer, the process is reversed.  Although simple in its design, the ground-source heat pump system should be extremely efficient, with low operating costs, as compared to installing new air conditioning system. 

   

Marmalade Brings Urban Contemporary Living To Downtown Salt Lake City

Set just a few blocks north of Salt Lake's downtown district (500 North and 300 West), Marmalade is bringing sustainable, contemporary living to one of Utah's most historic districts.  With tremendous views of downtown and the capitol building, Marmalade will be a mixed-use property that blends environmentally-responsible living with urban design.  Designed by Prescott Muir Architects and developed by Howa Capital, Marmalade will be a breath of fresh air for the Salt Lake area and will fit in nicely with the new downtown redevelopment project that is taking place over the next 5 years.

You will definitely find as much space as you are willing to pay for with units ranging from one-bedroom condos to full on three-bedroom penthouses.  The design cultivates natural sunlight with floor-to-ceiling windows and space is not in limited supply with open floor plans and balcony spaces starting at close to 1,000 sq/ft for the one-bedroom units (2,000 sq/ft for the penthouses).  The one-bedrooms start at $284,000-$325,000 and the three-bedroom penthouses are going as high as $750,000 right now (Price List on Page 3).  Keep in mind that this project is still in the beginning phases.  I drove by a couple weeks ago and they havn't even broken ground yet.  Once construction is complete, any available units will probably increase in price.

The units will have gourmet kitchens, highlighted by natural stone counter tops and Energy Star Appliances, and spacious bathrooms, featuring large bath-tubs and glass-enclosed showers.  If you live at Marmalade, you will be able to walk downstairs and shop at organic grocery stores or get something to eat at the side street cafes.  The plan for Marmalade reminds me of being in North Beach (SF) for some reason...maybe because of the vibe that they are going for.

   

Marmalade also has a few green features to mention.  Energy efficient heating and air conditioning systems, with programmable thermostats, will be in each unit.  Coupled with low-E glass windows and low-VOC paints and building materials that provide improved air quality, Marmalade will be a cool place to live and breath.  The homes around Marmalade right now are a bit run down.  Over the past 15 years, the homes have been somewhat neglected but that should change once construction begins.  It is seriously a sweet place to live and the views are fantastic!         

Enterprise Community Investment Offers Capital For Affordable + Green Housing

Everyone deserves a piece of the "green" pie.  At least that is what Enterprise Community Partners ("Enterprise") is all about.  Enterprise grants equity to non-profits and for-profit developers to build green space for low-income residents.  The catch?  Create sustainability by incorporating green standards in their projects.  Obviously the projects will have to meet certain standards for their tenants (i.e., rental housing projects should have at least 25 units reserved for renters with incomes below 60% of area median income) to receive the funding from Enterprise.  So far, they have set some pretty lofty goals in terms of funding but they are definitely seeing success.  In 2004, they launched the "Green Communities Initiative" aimed at providing more than $550 million to build affordable green housing.  One such project is Broadway Crossing in Seattle (pictured), which is home to 44 affordable apartments in Seattle's Capital Hill.  Found in the heart of a dense, urban neighborhood close to public transportation, Broadway Crossing boasts Energy Star appliances and lighting fixtures, southern and eastern facing units, low-flow water fixtures and green friendly paints, sealants and carpet.  One thing I haven't figured out is Enterprise's business model (i.e., how they generate a return on their investment).  Comments?

Green Communities
Enterprise
Broadway Crossing
Low-Income Built Green

Urban Development In Denver (The Glass House)!

 

Builders in Denver are doing some cool things with downtown urban development.  I think the Glass House design is one of the coolest I have seen.  Check out the Glass House!  Built for the "echo boomers" but snatched up by the "empty nesters!"

Wall Street Journal
Denver Post

Fifth and Madison = Seattle's Latest Green Project (High Rise Residential)

A new 24-story high rise is going to mark the Seattle skyline.  Fifth and Madison is the latest green project to hit the city's business district.  Beacon Capital Partners is seeking a gold LEED rating for the project.  The residential structure boasts a half-acre green roof (open to the public), underground parking, and an air monitoring system.

Fifth and Madison 
Uptown Downtown
Urbnlivn.com