Greening the Heartland (JPM)

Midwestern properties continue to make environmental improvements

by Karen Wagner

The following is an excerpt from the Mar/Apr 2007 issue (Volume 72, Number 2) of JPM? , Journal of Property Management.

Compared to the green building efforts of other regions in the country, the Midwest�s standing is reflective of its geographic location--right in the middle. More progressive in general, the East and West coasts are at the forefront of the green building movement but that�s not to say that the Midwest is lagging far behind.

�I would say that we�re behind in some areas, but we�re ahead in other areas,� said Connie Lindholm, executive director of the Milwaukee-based Wisconsin Green Building Alliance, an affiliate of the United States Green Building Council.

Not surprisingly, California leads the nation with the highest number of LEED-certified projects--79 as of last December, according to U.S. Green Building Council information. In comparison, Michigan, which leads the Midwest, has 35 LEED certified projects, while the entire region has 111.

The Midwest�s lower standing is primarily indicative of its lower population density, but also the region�s natural disinclination toward �jumping on the bandwagon� too soon, Lindholm said.

Almost half of the Midwest�s LEED buildings are ranked in the certified category--the lowest ranking--while only four have the highest ranking--platinum. The remainder is divided almost equally between silver and gold. Lindholm attributes the inflated number of lesser rankings to the regions� well-known penchant for practicality.

�We�re practical about decision-making,� she said. �We see that there�s a value for LEED, but it might not pay to go all the way to gold or platinum, but just to be satisfied with certified or silver.�

A BOUNTY OF GREEN

Still, the region has several reasons to be boastful about its green building efforts.

The Chicago Center for Green Technology, an office building and demonstration site for the city�s Department of Environment, was the third LEED certified platinum building in the country, said Doug Widener, executive director of the U.S. Green Building Council�s Chicago chapter.

The building�s energy efficient geo-thermal heating system pumps a non-toxic liquid, similar to anti-freeze, into underground pipes where it attains a constant temperature of 52 degrees to regulate the temperature of the air in the building.

A high-rise office building currently under construction in the city�s downtown by Hines, an international real estate firm, is pre-certified gold, said Hines project manager Brad Soderwall. Once the building has been completed, scheduled for 2009, the gold certification will be verified.

Among the building�s planned green features is a green roof with plantings to absorb heat, thereby reducing the roof�s temperature and the amount of energy required to cool the area. Storm water that would otherwise have to be redirected will be absorbed into the plants.

The building will also make use of its location along the Chicago River to use river water to cool the air inside the building. Normally, the process would be done through cooling towers on top of the building, which leads to evaporation. The river water process is more efficient and can save nearly 10 million gallons of water a year Soderwall said.

Milwaukee, too, has one of the first LEED-certified buildings in the country--Johnson Controls� Brengel Technology Center, an addition to a 150-year-old office building of the manufacturing company�s headquarters. Among its green features is an energy savings automation and controls system, which provides remote access for any activity, from turning off the lights to turning on the air conditioning.

Herman Miller Inc., in Zeeland, Mich., manufactures environmentally sustainable office furniture. Using sustainable furniture can earn points on the LEED scoring system. The company was active in founding the U.S. Green Building Council and has had a formal environmental policy statement since 1953, said Mark Schurman, director of external communications for Herman Miller.
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Herman Miller has received LEED certification for many of its buildings, including a pioneer award for a manufacturing facility in Holland, Mich., and two gold certifications for facilities in Zeeland: One was a new construction project in which it helped to create the green design of space it leases. The other was for renovating the interior of its headquarters building.

WILL THE MIDWEST BE A �LEED�-ER?

Schurman said while California may be a few steps ahead of Michigan in the green building movement, his state has still been a leader in the effort. He added that Michigan recently compiled a book of case studies of green buildings in the area.

In addition to green building efforts in Michigan, there�s good reason to be positive about what lies ahead for green building in the rest of the Heartland, especially because developers of green buildings have begun to realize the advantages that come with these buildings, Lindholm said.

�They found that it really does help increase both the length of the leases that they get and the quality of tenants.��

Another reason to expect more green development has everything to do with dollars and sense. Midwest builders and developers, like their counterparts all over the country, are beginning to recognize more and more the economic value of green building. Lindholm said while environmental concerns are still important, the bottom line drives everything.

At the beginning of the year, the Midwest had 830 registered LEED projects, which are in line for certification--a good indication of what�s in store for the region�s green building efforts.

With its rich natural resources in fresh water and wind energy, and the potential of biofuels, Lindholm said the Midwest definitely has the potential to take on more of a leadership role within the green building movement.

�We have the capacity,� she said. �I think that we will be leaders. We�ve got a lot of people in the Midwest who are committed to doing what we�re doing.�

Karen Wagner is a contributing writer to JPM.

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