Whether constructing a boutique condominium building or a larger condo complex, the US Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) offers guidelines to close the gap between what is and isn’t a green building practice. The LEED rating system promotes a whole building approach to sustainability. See how a few developers are implementing these practices.
Green Otis Flats
With the costs of green or eco-friendly products close to being “budget neutral,” 3DG LLC renovates or constructs new condominiums using green materials, often without consumers even realizing it. If the building’s design is excellent, that’s what buyers notice first, says John Goldman, chief executive officer of 3DG. Goldman, who started the firm with his wife Georgette as an interior design business that grew into a full service real estate group, says his boutique Green Otis Flats project in Columbia Heights “shows how sustainability and design can go hand in hand.”
Without compromising functionality or style, 3DG designed the LEED-certified flats with Icestone counters made from recycled glass and concrete, carpet composed of recycled plastic food containers, and floors of recycled rubber and porcelain tiles. In the two units, which each feature 1,600 square feet on two levels, the mechanical systems include high-efficiency heat pumps, with 3DG purchasing renewable energy credits for two years from Pepco Energy Services. Goldman says this means that for every kilowatt of electricity used in the house, another will be generated by a renewable fueled source like wind power.
Interior low energy light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs and exterior lighting complying to International Dark-Sky Association guidelines to reduce light pollution are only a few of the many components that make Green Otis Flats LEED certified. Prices start at $599,000.
Cromley Lofts
It’s not just a green roof or a solar panel that encapsulates green design; it’s looking and planning ahead in the developing process. “The single best green element you can incorporate into a design is insulation,” says William Cromley, developer of Cromley Lofts in Old Town Alexandria. A LEED-certified building, the lofts include tightly insulated spaces, argon-filled windows, and super efficient HVAC systems. The lofts also implement an Air Quality Control Plan for healthy living in an adaptive reuse structure.
Constructed in 1910 as an industrial warehouse, Cromley Lofts includes salvaged antique heart pine flooring and natural cork floors, custom designed and constructed bamboo kitchen cabinetry, and Energy Star appliances. “Everything from the cabinets to the shoji screens are made in our shop,” Cromley says. The lofts are engineered to utilize less energy with plumbing fixtures using 30 percent less water and furnaces designed to reduce energy consumption by at least 20 percent. A reduction in condo fees is available if residents use alternate transportation, such as riding on Metro, cycling, or walking to work. The eight-unit, four-story boutique building includes two one-bedroom penthouses along the green roof starting in the low $600,000s. The six two-bedroom, two-bathroom units range from $535,000 to $645,000.
Vista on Courthouse
Sunburst Hospitality Corporation introduces its first venture into residential building – Vista on Courthouse in Arlington featuring 252 units including 213 condos, 31 townhomes, and eight duplexes. Adhering to a modified version of the LEED program, the developer is using local materials, recycling construction waste, collecting rain water, and installing energy efficient heat and cooling systems and appliances.
Residing in the city is in itself a clear move toward sustainable living and Vista on Courthouse makes that possible with its location just a few blocks from Metro, restaurants, and shopping. “It’s a village oasis in an urban setting,” says Kevin Hanley, president and chief executive officer of Sunburst Hospitality. “This project gives someone all he or she wants in an urban environment – safety, tranquility, and space,” he says. “You get that sense here.”
Gregory Heflin, vice president of development for Sunburst Hospitality, says, “If you’re a buyer looking for a place to live with a wide variety of designs from studios to a penthouse, you’ll find it here.” In a curvilinear building designed by WDG Architecture, Vista on Courthouse offers 46 different floor plans ranging from the low $400,000s to $1.5 million. Community amenities include recreational facilities.
