Carlisle Development Group is a privately held developer based in Miami and is trying to open "green" construction to housing designed for low-income people.
As we all know, environmentally friendly construction is expensive and aimed at the high end of the housing market.
To the right is Matt Greer, chief executive at Carlisle, and he oversees a property management division that includes 7,500 apartment units.
This sophisticated 29-year-old says "Carlisle is using environmentally friendly features in developments that include a 200-unit rental project for the Broward County Housing Authority and a 100-unit project for the nonprofit Camillus House, in an historic building in downtown Miami."
When dealing with green projects, it typically costs more to develop. However Greer and other real-estate industry believe that these costs can be offset over time by the buildings' increased sustainability and energy savings.
Wall Street Journal Online did an interview with Greer on the strategies on "Going Green" and here is a piece from the interview.
WSJ.com: What specifically are you doing to make your buildings "green"?
MR. GREER: It involves a lot of things... There are people who come in a inspect the air and lighting and tune all of the settings so they are tuned for the most efficiency. For example, making sure the size of the air-conditioning unit is suited for the size of the room.
We're also diverting construction waste from dumps so that in can be reused. Ten percent of the materials we use are recycled waste; instead of hardwood, in many cases we use [wood shavings based particle board.] All the hardwoods we use are certified hardwood. We use low emitting materials in our carpets, paints, sealants. Some studies have found that these types of materials in the home can emit toxins. We install bike racks, and we petition to have bus stops moved near our properties. Then there are the water requirements, putting in low-flush toilets, which use .6 to 1.2 gallons per flush, and more efficient shower heads and kitchen sinks.
Chasta Nechvatal
http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB119344215484373464.html
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