Knowing thirdparty certification shows buyers and tenants their buildings operate in a responsible manner, The Schuster Group made the Joseph Arnold Lofts the first Green Globes® certified residential high-rise building in the city, earning Three Green Globes under the Multifamily for New Construction Program.
“It’s common sense at its best.”
Holly Gardner, Vice President at The Schuster Group, says her company was looking for a less burdensome certification system. “We designed with several certification systems in mind and at the end of design development, we committed to Green Globes,” recalls Gardner. “It’s more efficient from a time and materials standpoint and you don’t need an outside person to manage it. It’s common sense at its best.”
The Joseph Anrold Lofts feature 132 residential units on 12 floors above 2,250 square feet of retail, bicycle parking, and 70 below-grade parking stalls, including electric vehicle charging stations. Tenant amenities include a common area, fitness center, board room and a landscaped rooftop deck with a community garden.
SUSTAINABILITY FEATURES
- Electric submetering for all apartments
- A variable-refrigerant-volume (VRF) system that is more efficient than an ASHRAE 90.1 minimally complaint air-cooled chiller
- Water-saving calculations that demonstrate a water consumption target of less than 11,000 gallons/apartment/year through low-flow fixtures and ENERGY STAR appliances
- Durable, low-maintenance materials and life-cycle assessments performed for major building assemblies, cladding and windows
- The use of environmentally preferable refrigerants, low-NOX condensing boilers, pest minimization practices and separate
Game Changer
Gardner says that the Green Globes practice of including an assessor who was readily available was incredibly helpful. “I could speak with an actual person when I had questions. You can’t get that kind of responsiveness elsewhere. When a subcontractor asked if a certain material qualified, I was able to get the answer in real time. The assessor is a game changer.”
Gardner also appreciated that the assessor walked through the project and made scoring judgments based on realistic applications and intent rather than reviewing pages of documentation.
“I could tell the story to the assessor during the walk-though and they recognized the value of what we did do. That’s huge because it motivates you to go further. It got us asking, “Where else can we innovate to get where we need to be?”
Gardner used the assessor’s report and suggestions for improvement to examine costs, payback periods, and determine which items made sense to pursue post-design. They are using the final assessment as guidance for the Walton Lofts — the planned Joseph Arnold Lofts “brother” tower — and including the suggestions that can be incorporated at a reasonable cost.
According to Gardner, Green Globes can also be a cost-efficient, more approachable certification system for those just entering the green building realm. “One of the biggest encumbrances to getting more professionals involved in greening their projects is that if it isn’t approachable, it won’t become widespread. Having a knowledgeable assessor to turn to helps people who are learning because they don’t have to interpret every strategy themselves. Hopefully, that will help change the marketplace.”
