DMA's Levin Discusses Green Building Mandates on Expert Panel
Some municipal and state governments have moved to codify green building standards and/or require LEED certification, developed as a voluntary green building rating system. New green building standards include ASHRAE 189, California's CALGreen and the ICC's International Green Construction Code. On June 3, DMA principal Mike Levin participated in a panel discussion exploring the potential impact of mandatory green building codes. The Illinois chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council hosted the program,
LEED Extra Credit: Should We Codify Green Building? Four additional panelists, two presenters, and program moderator Helen J. Kessler shared their insights and expertise.
Levin's comments highlighted issues that arise for developers around mandatory green codes. How would responsibility shift for certification? How would the ability to secure financing and construction permits be affected, given that certification typically occurs after a building is occupied and operational? Levin noted that mandates could constrain project financing and that any move from voluntary to mandatory certification requires clear, enforceable standards, including municipal officials who are trained and equipped to ensure their consistent application.
Porter Teaches Real-World Real Estate Development at Northwestern
After participating as a guest lecturer for several years in the
Masters of Project Management program in the McCormick School of Northwestern University, DMA principal Charles Porter accepted a request to teach a Real Estate Development course to graduate students in the program. Offered in the Spring 2010 quarter, PROJ MGT 427 includes a survey of the organization and practices employed by development firms, methods and interactions with other professionals, the development process, ownership objectives and results, and project organization, resources and tools.
Students will have the opportunity to explore case studies of varying types and sizes, create their own development concepts, evaluate market considerations, test assumptions, perform risk analyses, prepare development schedules, and present results. Porter will share his extensive industry experience and insights throughout the course, helping to prepare students for future leadership roles in construction and development.
ICSC Class Explores Mixed-Use Concepts, Components
The International Council of Shopping Centers held its annual continuing education program, ICSC University, on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School March 8 - 10, 2010. For the second year, DMA's Charles Porter and co-instructor Angelo Carusi, of Cooper Carry, led a course on Master Planning, Design, Architecture, and Construction in Mixed-Use Development.
The experienced instructors used specific examples to illustrate important concepts and connections among project components. A team activity offered students the hands-on opportunity to discuss particular design, development, and construction issues and address the mechanics of successful integration.
ICSC University of Shopping Centers attracts a wide range of industry professionals from within and outside the U.S. and awards certificates to those who meet participation requirements. Porter is a frequent guest instructor for college-level continuing education courses on real estate development and previously taught an ICSC course on Shopping Center Renovations and Operational Issues.
With fellow presenters Pete Kadens and Jeremy Jones of SoCore Energy, DMA's Jason Westrope conducted multiple sessions on solar technology at the recent summit on Renewable Energy in the Public Sector, held March 2-3 in Champaign, Illinois. Westrope shared case studies of DMA's solar work in Los Angeles, including two sizable photovoltaic installations for JMB Realty. The SoCore team offered insights on solar approaches, state portfolio requirements, and policy hurdles. The sessions emphasized the significant opportunities in Illinois to implement renewable energy solutions.
DMA Offers Industry Insight to Parker Alumni Community
DMA's Mike Levin shared his perspective on current challenges and opportunities for real estate investors with an audience of Francis W. Parker School alumni on January 27, 2010. The Chicago school invited Levin and three fellow panelists to participate in its 2nd Annual Real Estate Symposium, designed to help the community understand and respond to the impact of global financial developments.
In a client interview for CMIT Solutions, Jason Westrope explained the value to DMA's business of both a secure and an accessible information technology infrastructure. DMA's secure back-up system, implemented with Jeremy Treister of CMIT Solutions, ensures the rapid recovery and restoration of project data after a disruption or disaster. Remote network access for DMA principals and staff, established by CMIT using Microsoft SharePoint, maximizes DMA's productivity and responsiveness to clients throughout North America.
DMA Shares Green Knowledge Using Green Technology
Jason Westrope recently shared his knowledge about sustainable development with graduate students at Texas A&M University--an invitation he also accepted in 2008. This year, his presentation not only illuminated the latest trends in green building, it saved 1,274 pounds of carbon dioxide. Westrope delivered the talk and conducted a follow-up discussion with students via the web.
Trends in LEED project applications and membership in the U.S. Green Building Council indicate escalating market interest in green building. Public requirements and incentives continue to expand, and measurable benefits exist for developers and tenants. Westrope shared specifics with students and described DMA's hands-on experience with green roof and solar power installations, green standards for "vanilla box" tenants, and green consulting on viable techniques for minimizing nonrenewable energy and water use. Graduate students, enrolled in Texas A&M's master of real estate program, prompted further discussion of the costs and levels of LEED buildings, the application of green building techniques to global industrial facilities, legislative and financial incentives, and other topics.
ICSC Class Gains Building Experience
DMA Principal Charles Porter recently shared his expertise on mixed-used design and construction issues with a class at the ICSC University of Shopping Centers, on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School. Porter and co-instructor Angelo Carusi, principal at Cooper Carry, guided participants through hands-on group exercises. The class used interlocking toy bricks to visualize planning decisions and discuss their impact. Porter is a frequent guest instructor for college-level and continuing education courses on real estate development.
Northwestern Graduate Students Get Current on Green
As a guest lecturer for Northwestern University's Masters of Project Management program, DMA Principal Charles C. Porter offered graduate students fresh insights into current practices in green architecture and real estate development.
Porter's February 9th lecture highlighted recent trends in sustainable development, including significant commitments in both the public and private sectors to reduce carbon emissions and energy and water consumption. He detailed successful examples of the use of green technologies such as the recently completed
Constellation Place Solar Installation. Porter also addressed the financial payback of specific investments in sustainability, citing measures that can more than justify upfront costs.
Mundo Verde/Green World Symposium Spreads Sustainability
As a member of the USGBC Education and Research Committee, DMA's Jason Westrope helped plan and host a January symposium bringing green principles and practices to Latino professionals active in Chicago's construction industry.
Illinois Partners of the Americas, the Hispanic American Construction Industry Association, and the USGBC worked together to create the day-long event, which attracted more than 80 attendees.
The symposium included a site visit to one of two green building projects, a presentation and discussion by two of Spain's leading green architects, and a comprehensive update on the City of Chicago's environmental plans. Westrope co-led a presentation on the basics of LEED certification and moderated a panel discussion about the evolving requirements for professional LEED accreditation.
Green Talk in Aggieland
Jason Westrope recently gave a pair of invited lectures to "Aggies" in the Mays Business School at Texas A&M University. Speaking to graduate students in the Master of Real Estate program and undergraduates in the university's Department of Agricultural Economics, Jason discussed the broad market trend toward more sustainable development practices and the fundamental importance of bottom-line considerations. He provided an overview of green projects around the nation and their documented returns on investment. He also outlined forces propelling interest in green building, including the changing economics of green projects, current and imminent legislation at local, state, and federal levels, financial incentives for energy efficiency, and evolving code standards in many construction markets.
Jason described the USGBC LEED program in particular and how Development Management Associates, LLC and others are advancing highly successful projects by employing this point system for certifying achievement in green building. With academic backgrounds bridging the planning, environmental, economic, and real estate disciplines, many of the students were intrigued by DMA's growing experience with green roof installations on high-end retail and mixed-use projects in Chicago. For more information, email
jason@dmassociates.com.
Green Experts Gather at DMA Roundtable
At its Chicago offices on April 3, Development Management Associates hosted a group of exceptional professionals active in green building design and development. These individuals gathered to share ideas about green building practices, the state and future of the industry, and how to improve results for clients, collaborators, and the community.
For a detailed overview of the event,
click here.
DMA is grateful to the following roundtable participants for sharing their time and insights:
• Sachin Anand, PE, LEED AP, Principal, dbHMS
• Chad G. Harrell, AIA, President, Griskelis Young Harrell
• Helen J. Kessler, FAIA, LEED AP, Principal, HJKessler Associates
• Paul Knight, Principal, Domus Plus
• Pat Meara, Sr. Vice President, JMB
• Erik Olsen, PE, Green Projects Administrator, City of Chicago
• Maria Pellot, AIA, LEED AP, Project Manager, Urban Works Architecture
• Grace Rappe, AIA, LEED AP, Sr. Vice President Hoerr Schaudt Landscape Architects
The Green Roundtable is the first in a series of ongoing discussions planned by DMA to address topics relevant to the design, development, and construction of high-quality projects. For more information on the DMA Green Roundtable discussion or future roundtable plans, please contact
Jason Westrope at DMA.
The Domino Effect
In experienced hands, the Tenant Coordination process can drive your shopping center project to an exciting and profitable end. Lose control at the wrong time, and the domino effect can undo a good deal of hard work. Martha Spatz, a principal at Development Management Associates, LLC, used this analogy at the ICSC University of Shopping Centers, where she recently co-taught a course on
Managing the Tenant Coordination Process.
As she shared with a group of industry leaders, a tenant coordination team can be an important source of project success and stability:
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Serving as a hub between the development, leasing, design, construction, legal, and management teams
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Balancing the creativity and identity standards of tenants with the design goals of the center
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Enabling tenants to open faster, bringing in rent at project opening or sooner
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For more information on how to align your dominos for maximum impact, email
martha@dmassociates.com.
Sharing the Wealth - High-Value Renovation
How do you maximize net operating income during and after a mall renovation? At the 2007 ICSC Fall Conference, DMA Principal Charles Porter offered his insight as part of a five-member panel of experts addressing "Redevelopments: Passionate about The Economic Upside."
Porter highlighted income opportunities beyond adding space — for example, securing incremental revenue from ATMs, retail merchandise units, and advertising and sponsorship opportunities. He noted the potential for financial assistance from local municipalities. He also stressed the importance of redevelopment experience among project leadership to effectively manage tenant and customer expectations.
As a faculty member at ICSC University in March, Porter detailed renovation management and operational issues. For more information, email
charles@dmassociates.com.
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