At the very heart of sustainable design is the concept of creating a product that is beneficial to all of its related elements. This means that the building adds well-being to the property owner, the tenant, the neighborhood, and the environment. Many people who speak of sustainable design think purely of the ecological aspects – which are definitely a large part of the root philosophy – and as a result forget the human aspect.
In this article, we will discuss the key elements of sustainable design and the impact that considering sustainability will have on your development organization. By the end of this article, we hope to show that sustainability is a worthy aspect to consider in any development project, and that incorporating sustainable design will increase the quality of both your products and your business.
This is the final article in our ongoing series about high-performance commercial development projects. In this series, we will cover such topics as: the components and benefits of high-performance design, the effects that high-performance design has on your development organization, and the effects that it has on the final product. If you have found this article of use, you may like to take a look at the rest of the series.
Follow the shortcuts:
Part 1 – Real Estate Developers: The Keys to High-Performance Design
Part 2 – Why High-Performance Is the Future of Commercial Real Estate
Part 3 – The Value of Productivity in Your Retail Development Project
Part 4 – The Value of High-Performance Design in Residential Income Properties
Part 5 – The Impact of Sustainable Design in a Commercial Real Estate Development
Part 6 – Improving the Lifecycle of Commercial Developments with High-Performance Design
Part 7 – How Modern Systems Can Save Money to Real Estate Developers
Part 8 – The Value of Sustainable Design to a Real Estate Developer
Part 9 – Real Estate Developers: Sustainable Design Has Real Perks
Part 10 – The Future of Commercial Real Estate Developments: Sustainable Design?
A market shift
Sustainable design is often regarded as a trend. If the concept of ‘sustainability’ is brought up, it is more often than not attached to an image of someone hugging a tree and not a serious shift in the wants and needs of the population.
The thought of it as a trend is fortunately not just a simple trend, but rather a real shift in the marketplace. Creating high-quality, long-lasting, and efficient places to live, work, and spend time is becoming a more viable option for developers and a greater desire from buyers. In other words, the demand for sustainability is rising along with the ability to supply the added quality.
Thinking ahead
When we say this, we mean that the effects of sustainable design are not simply just for the well-being of the planet, although that is a fairly important factor. Lowering waste and unnecessary energy consumption is a goal in itself.
No, when we say the future in this case, we mean that sustainable design is important for your future as a developer. Sooner than later, the market’s expectations will incorporate many high-performance features, and sustainability will be at the top of that list. Being able to incorporate sustainable features into your development projects will keep you at the forefront of the market.
The profit margin
Even in the short run, sustainable design has its perks. As we have discussed before, sustainability adds quality to a building in a number of ways. Quality in this case can be measured in dollars and cents, as the increase in quality also improves the profit margin, effectively optimizing an economic model through a wise investment. In other words, it pays to invest in sustainability.
This is the final article in our series on high-performance and sustainable design in commercial real-estate developments. We hope that you have found this information of use, and best of luck with your future commercial development projects!
