Conference Presentations by Tyson Domer
A large revitalization area within the Mapleton-Fall Creek neighborhood in Indianapolis was the f... more A large revitalization area within the Mapleton-Fall Creek neighborhood in Indianapolis was the first neighborhood in Indiana to be certified under the USGBC LEED-ND (LEED for Neighborhood Development) sustainable development rating system as well as one of the first existing neighborhoods in the United States to be so certified. The project was sponsored by the Mapleton-Fall Creek Development Corporation, the local CDC (community development corporation.) Presentation by MFCDC board member and project leader to the HUD Sustainable Communities Learning Network in November 2014 includes project timeline, partners, funding sources, and a summary of internal and external organizational impacts.
Teaching Documents by Tyson Domer
Executive Summary:
Green building has matured considerably since its inception as a response t... more Executive Summary:
Green building has matured considerably since its inception as a response to the energy crisis of the 1970s. Contemporary green building, or high performance building, emphasizes energy efficient construction, occupant health benefits derived from superior indoor air quality, and a greater regard for efficient use of our limited natural resources, including water. This means constructing homes that not only meet, but in many cases also exceed the requirements of current building and energy codes. Green houses need not employ fringe building techniques or technologies; most cannot be discerned as such by the unknowing observer.
An integrated design process is one of the keys to any successful green building project. To build a home that is more energy efficient, healthier, and more durable than standard construction it is necessary to engage the entire project team in the design and construction process from the beginning. Many green strategies rely on synergies between building systems and assemblies that are only possible when all of the components work together. For this reason, many green projects are front loaded with extra design and planning time and require greater construction oversight.
Case studies that have analyzed multi-family and mixed-use projects in urban settings have shown that the incremental costs to build green are between 2% and 4% of total development costs. These costs are difficult for developers to offset, especially when targeting homebuyers rather than the rental market. Most developers agree, however, that green projects are easier to market and sell than comparable projects that are not green. Developers that build green are perceived by the public as offering a higher quality product, and many consumers are willing to pay a premium for green features. This is especially true because green and high performance homes offer health benefits, lower utility bills, and a sense of personal and community environmental stewardship.
For the same reasons, affordable housing developers have every reason to build green. The low to moderate-income population has the least capacity to pay high utility bills and suffers disproportionately from respiratory illnesses linked to poor indoor air quality and environmental contaminants. Green affordable housing stays affordable for a longer period of time due to energy cost savings, leaving homeowners and renters with more discretionary income. Additionally, building maintenance and replacement intervals are extended adding further to overall affordability. Other long-term economic benefits should likewise not be discounted. Air quality, water quality, and worker productivity will be enhanced while public health problems and associated health care costs will be minimized. When green building is undertaken on a regional level the economic benefits can be substantial.
In Indianapolis, affordable housing development exists within the framework of community economic development. By offering consumers green options, affordable housing in Indianapolis will be differentiated from similarly priced homes available in outlying areas. Additionally, the marketing potential of a City Sustainability Initiative, coupled with the draw of urban living can be leveraged in a fashion similar to efforts underway in Chicago, Minneapolis, and Kansas City, MO, not to mention Seattle and Portland, OR. Green building also dovetails nicely with existing citywide investments such as Great Indy Neighborhoods, Clean Streams, the Abandoned and Vacant Housing Initiative, Recycle Indianapolis, and the overall home renovation and historic preservation ethic. The existing CDC infrastructure is uniquely positioned to tap green funding sources that exist today.
Two of the greatest barriers to building green are a lack of understanding on the part of builders as to what it actually means to build green, and skepticism within the construction industry to alter timeworn building techniques that could potentially expose contractors to greater liability. Generally, green building is no more complex than standard construction, but rather focuses on achieving higher quality by adhering to industry best practices derived from building science research. It is also up to contractors to pay greater heed to the interconnectedness of various building systems: shell, fenestrations, mechanical systems, etc. For this reason, a thorough understanding of the underlying green concepts is essential. In order to build green within budgetary constraints, it is crucial that designers and builders alike fully understand the design elements that contribute to the green-ness of a given project. Architects and engineers often design within a mature green building paradigm, but contractors are better equipped to offer realistic input in the areas of job costing and prevailing construction practices. This is one reason why an integrated design and building approach is crucial to the success of green projects.
Likewise, traditional financiers are catching up to the design community when it comes to understanding green building. Lenders and insurers have been slow to appreciate the long-term benefits of healthy, energy efficient, resource efficient construction. Few objective analyses of the actuarial benefits of green building have been published. As such, financial products that leverage the cost-benefit of green development such as Location Efficient Mortgages and Energy Efficient Mortgages have been slow to come to market. The sales and marketing advantages afforded by green building are just now coming to the fore as sustainability issues permeate the mass media and ‘green’ remains a darling buzzword.
In order to move toward sustainable building practices in Indianapolis, several key changes must take place. One of the most effective green development incentives is to tie federal subsidy in the form of HOME and CDBG funds to green building standards. High performance building standards or guidelines can serve as the cornerstone of a more comprehensive, citywide sustainability initiative as well as a common point of reference for funders, designers, builders, and the general public. Embracing green building will also open up markets for related business enterprises such as green building product manufacturers and retailers, and specialty consultants and subcontractors. Additionally, as emerging green builders begin to manage their waste streams more effectively, illegal dumping will be reduced and recycling will increase. The development of new markets for construction and demolition waste materials will further drive economic development.
Green building has the greatest potential to effect significant environmental and economic changes in Indianapolis and across our region. Many cities in the U.S. and abroad have mature sustainability initiatives that focus on green building. As studies continue to quantify the benefits of green building, financial products that allow developers to capitalize on green building will help to transform the industry. Many financial incentives that target green and sustainable development are already available. Marketing Indianapolis as a green city will complement and enhance community and economic development initiatives already under way and open up new sources of community development funding. Making Indianapolis a green city will help to attract and retain the creative class in addition to paying health and economic dividends for all residents, now and into the future.
In April 2007 we began working with the City of Indianapolis DMD and stakeholders to craft a logi... more In April 2007 we began working with the City of Indianapolis DMD and stakeholders to craft a logistically and financially viable framework through which CDCs can successfully develop green affordable housing in Indianapolis. The goal of the program is to produce high-quality affordable homes that are energy efficient, healthy, and durable. By expanding local capacity to develop green affordable housing, we create both short- and long-term value for low- to moderate-income homebuyers, affordable housing developers, and the community as a whole.
Initial program development resulted in the creation of a comprehensive set of program materials based on building science best practices – prescriptive green building guidelines – which are specific to our climate zone, tailored to local building practices, and uniquely geared toward builders unfamiliar with green building. Significantly, DMD agreed to provide additional development subsidy through the federal HOME Investment Partnership Program in order to cover the incremental costs of green construction.
In 2008, we provided additional program development, design, construction, and inspection technical assistance to the City and three Indianapolis CDCs that built green homes as part of the program pilot. The City continued to pilot the program through 2009 and, as builders and developers have gained familiarity with green building practices, has adopted the USGBC LEED-H green building standard for 2010.
Mapleton-Fall Creek Development Corporation (www.mfcdc.org) constructed two new affordable green ... more Mapleton-Fall Creek Development Corporation (www.mfcdc.org) constructed two new affordable green homes as part of the City of Indianapolis DMD Green HOME Program Pilot in 2008.
Southeast Neighborhood Development (www.sendcdc.org) renovated an existing house to create a new ... more Southeast Neighborhood Development (www.sendcdc.org) renovated an existing house to create a new affordable green home as part of the City of Indianapolis DMD Green HOME Program Pilot in 2008.
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Conference Presentations by Tyson Domer
Teaching Documents by Tyson Domer
Green building has matured considerably since its inception as a response to the energy crisis of the 1970s. Contemporary green building, or high performance building, emphasizes energy efficient construction, occupant health benefits derived from superior indoor air quality, and a greater regard for efficient use of our limited natural resources, including water. This means constructing homes that not only meet, but in many cases also exceed the requirements of current building and energy codes. Green houses need not employ fringe building techniques or technologies; most cannot be discerned as such by the unknowing observer.
An integrated design process is one of the keys to any successful green building project. To build a home that is more energy efficient, healthier, and more durable than standard construction it is necessary to engage the entire project team in the design and construction process from the beginning. Many green strategies rely on synergies between building systems and assemblies that are only possible when all of the components work together. For this reason, many green projects are front loaded with extra design and planning time and require greater construction oversight.
Case studies that have analyzed multi-family and mixed-use projects in urban settings have shown that the incremental costs to build green are between 2% and 4% of total development costs. These costs are difficult for developers to offset, especially when targeting homebuyers rather than the rental market. Most developers agree, however, that green projects are easier to market and sell than comparable projects that are not green. Developers that build green are perceived by the public as offering a higher quality product, and many consumers are willing to pay a premium for green features. This is especially true because green and high performance homes offer health benefits, lower utility bills, and a sense of personal and community environmental stewardship.
For the same reasons, affordable housing developers have every reason to build green. The low to moderate-income population has the least capacity to pay high utility bills and suffers disproportionately from respiratory illnesses linked to poor indoor air quality and environmental contaminants. Green affordable housing stays affordable for a longer period of time due to energy cost savings, leaving homeowners and renters with more discretionary income. Additionally, building maintenance and replacement intervals are extended adding further to overall affordability. Other long-term economic benefits should likewise not be discounted. Air quality, water quality, and worker productivity will be enhanced while public health problems and associated health care costs will be minimized. When green building is undertaken on a regional level the economic benefits can be substantial.
In Indianapolis, affordable housing development exists within the framework of community economic development. By offering consumers green options, affordable housing in Indianapolis will be differentiated from similarly priced homes available in outlying areas. Additionally, the marketing potential of a City Sustainability Initiative, coupled with the draw of urban living can be leveraged in a fashion similar to efforts underway in Chicago, Minneapolis, and Kansas City, MO, not to mention Seattle and Portland, OR. Green building also dovetails nicely with existing citywide investments such as Great Indy Neighborhoods, Clean Streams, the Abandoned and Vacant Housing Initiative, Recycle Indianapolis, and the overall home renovation and historic preservation ethic. The existing CDC infrastructure is uniquely positioned to tap green funding sources that exist today.
Two of the greatest barriers to building green are a lack of understanding on the part of builders as to what it actually means to build green, and skepticism within the construction industry to alter timeworn building techniques that could potentially expose contractors to greater liability. Generally, green building is no more complex than standard construction, but rather focuses on achieving higher quality by adhering to industry best practices derived from building science research. It is also up to contractors to pay greater heed to the interconnectedness of various building systems: shell, fenestrations, mechanical systems, etc. For this reason, a thorough understanding of the underlying green concepts is essential. In order to build green within budgetary constraints, it is crucial that designers and builders alike fully understand the design elements that contribute to the green-ness of a given project. Architects and engineers often design within a mature green building paradigm, but contractors are better equipped to offer realistic input in the areas of job costing and prevailing construction practices. This is one reason why an integrated design and building approach is crucial to the success of green projects.
Likewise, traditional financiers are catching up to the design community when it comes to understanding green building. Lenders and insurers have been slow to appreciate the long-term benefits of healthy, energy efficient, resource efficient construction. Few objective analyses of the actuarial benefits of green building have been published. As such, financial products that leverage the cost-benefit of green development such as Location Efficient Mortgages and Energy Efficient Mortgages have been slow to come to market. The sales and marketing advantages afforded by green building are just now coming to the fore as sustainability issues permeate the mass media and ‘green’ remains a darling buzzword.
In order to move toward sustainable building practices in Indianapolis, several key changes must take place. One of the most effective green development incentives is to tie federal subsidy in the form of HOME and CDBG funds to green building standards. High performance building standards or guidelines can serve as the cornerstone of a more comprehensive, citywide sustainability initiative as well as a common point of reference for funders, designers, builders, and the general public. Embracing green building will also open up markets for related business enterprises such as green building product manufacturers and retailers, and specialty consultants and subcontractors. Additionally, as emerging green builders begin to manage their waste streams more effectively, illegal dumping will be reduced and recycling will increase. The development of new markets for construction and demolition waste materials will further drive economic development.
Green building has the greatest potential to effect significant environmental and economic changes in Indianapolis and across our region. Many cities in the U.S. and abroad have mature sustainability initiatives that focus on green building. As studies continue to quantify the benefits of green building, financial products that allow developers to capitalize on green building will help to transform the industry. Many financial incentives that target green and sustainable development are already available. Marketing Indianapolis as a green city will complement and enhance community and economic development initiatives already under way and open up new sources of community development funding. Making Indianapolis a green city will help to attract and retain the creative class in addition to paying health and economic dividends for all residents, now and into the future.
Initial program development resulted in the creation of a comprehensive set of program materials based on building science best practices – prescriptive green building guidelines – which are specific to our climate zone, tailored to local building practices, and uniquely geared toward builders unfamiliar with green building. Significantly, DMD agreed to provide additional development subsidy through the federal HOME Investment Partnership Program in order to cover the incremental costs of green construction.
In 2008, we provided additional program development, design, construction, and inspection technical assistance to the City and three Indianapolis CDCs that built green homes as part of the program pilot. The City continued to pilot the program through 2009 and, as builders and developers have gained familiarity with green building practices, has adopted the USGBC LEED-H green building standard for 2010.