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Streetwise Parking

April 20, 2012 in Conservation, Green Building | No comments

Starting few years ago, it seems commercial developers and cities began approaching parking differently.

It wasn’t that long ago when 4-5 parking spaces per 1,000 sf of development was the standard. Now, it is more like 3-4 spaces. It’s estimated that in the U.S., we have 500 million surface parking spaces, roughly equivalent to the land mass of Puerto Rico. Amazing.

The Wall Street Journal recently ran a review of Eran Ben-Joseph’s “ReThinking a Lot” book on parking. This MIT expert in urban planning and landscape presents a few historical facts on the topic:

  • Julius Caesar might have been the first to regulate parking, prohibiting chariots and carts from Rome’s commercial district at certain hours.
  • The first American “off-street” parking emerged in the 1920s, with the rise of auto manufacturing.
  • During the suburban flight of mid-century in America, it was considered enlightened public policy to use surface lots as downtown placeholders until redevelopment could take hold.

I think we are all a bit more mindful now. Here’s what I’m seeing on several of our projects:

Reasonable Design. Most of the design, if it is not code driven, is working smarter. We are seeing development plans for 80% of maximum expected traffic level, rather than accommodating those few days (like Black Friday/retail) when every parking space is taken. The stalls themselves are also getting smaller.

Regard for Runoff. There is a little more bioswale type of thinking, including porous paving and strategic placement. This results in better quality storm water discharge/lower turbidity.

Attention to Vegetation. Parking fields are being landscaped with more centralized tree mass. These areas are not just an afterthought: small marooned pods placed every 50′ or 100′, sometimes dictated by code. They seem more intentional and meaningful to the end users.

Move to lighter-colored surfaces. When compared to asphalt, lighter surfaces create less of a heat sink. This lowers light pollution and energy expended.

The results? Better quality of life for us and future generations.

I think we’ll see many more changes going forward. How have you seen parking evolve?

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Merrill Stewart is Founder and President of the Stewart Perry Company, a commercial building contractor based in Birmingham, Ala. Contact him via email

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A Sustainable Carpet That Tracks Footsteps

March 15, 2012 in Construction Trends, Green Building, LEED certified | No comments

Last year, the carpet industry lost on innovator.

Ray Anderson was a pioneer for corporate sustainability, who changed an entire industry when he founded InterFace. Given his relatively young age, we were saddened to hear news of his passing.

Anderson showed the world that corporations can have a focus on capitalism and sustainability. Among many innovations, his company cut petroleum usage in the manufacturing of carpet by introducing modular tiles. His mission and his products inspired us enough to include Interface recycled carpet at our corporate campus.

Recently, our friends at Randall Paulson Architects shared another innovative Interface Concept: TacTiles. This installation is a glueless adhesive that allows carpet tiles to become a floating floor, installed over a hard surface or sub floor. The adhesive comes in strips that are equipped with a radio frequency identification. Data from foot traffic can be converted and measured for a variety of applications, including the following:

Retail. Track product preferences based on shopping patterns within a retail environment.

Office Buildings. Monitor areas of building offices for the proper temperature and security controls.

Senior Care. Determine traffic patterns for patient’s safety and security.

Technological advances continue to accelerate at ever-increasing speed. We’re seeing a renewed spirit to strive for greater efficiencies, consuming less energy. To us, these advances make our world a pretty good place to be living right now. Would you agree?

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Merrill Stewart is Founder and President of the Stewart Perry Company, a commercial building contractor based in Birmingham, Ala. Contact him via email

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EPA Storm Water Regulations: Tough Sailing.

March 9, 2012 in Construction Trends, Green Building, Preservation | No comments

Under the Clean Water Act, quantity and quality of storm water discharge continue to be right in the EPA’s bulls eye.

I remember years ago, the late 70s to be exact, I was involved in a project where we graded 5 acres uphill from the surrounding terrain. You guessed it: every time it rained thousands of gallons of storm water cascaded from the site with a turbidity factor so thick you could almost walk across it. Today, I would have been put in jail.

We have all learned a lot in the last 40 years. We do a better job with the BMP‘s of our sites first because it is law, but more importantly because it’s the best practice. When dealing with storm water, working smart is the best for our downhill neighbors and for the next generations.

However, some might need encouragement to do the right thing when it comes to site runoff. New laws and policies on the Federal and State level are always crafted through litigation. One of the EPA’s noteworthy pursuits is the question of turbidity.

Turbidity, or lack of water clarity, is measured in NTUs using an electronic device. With regular measurement and monitoring, a standard is being set which might require more stringent erosion control devices on projects. Turbidity units are problematic to monitor, but the EPA says more stringent enforcement is coming. At some point, unless litigation dilutes the issue, we will have to deal with it on sites.

The 2012 permit incorporates most of the effluent limitation guidelines from 2008 and 2009, but leaves open the question of maximum numeric limits of turbidity units. Right now, regulation apply to projects disturbing 20 acres or more. By February 2014 it will expand to include projects disturbing 10 acres or more.

I wish the situation was different, but as these regulations migrate through the approval channels, it will ultimately cost money for development. Do you think the benefits outweigh the cost?

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Merrill Stewart is Founder and President of the Stewart Perry Company, a commercial building contractor based in Birmingham, Ala. Contact him via email

 

 

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LED Lighting Trends in Commercial Construction

March 1, 2012 in Conservation, Construction Trends, Green Building | 1 comment

Electricity is the #2 operating expense for most properties. Lowering cost can be a real game changer.

We’re about to commence our second LED exterior lighting package at the Redstone Arsenal and in the process should achieve about a 70% energy savings. Here is what we are seeing across the board: 

Landlords are investing. There is less new construction, but we see landlords taking more time to investigate energy efficient designs for new projects and existing holdings as well. Smart move. They are creating value on the front end and midway by making properties not only brighter, but lower cost long term.

Lighting technologies are advancing the cause of efficiency. This includes LEDs, induction, wireless controls and more. Coupled with contributions from local utilities, long term efficiency helps offset the upfront costs of retrofitting with these products. Creating and then sustaining energy efficiency is becoming the topic of action in addition to words.

Tenants are voicing their opinion. There is more pressure on property owners and managers to become more energy efficient. In return it brings along some postive press and good will.

Savings are being monitored in real time. New management systems like netLiNK wireless controls have the ability to control individual fixtures and verify the actual savings.

LED lighting is continuing to evolve. Manufacturing is getting more efficient and technology costs continue to burn off. There are still some challenges, especially for parking field lighting. There are now LED lighting applications which provide adequate light levels on taller poles including 35 & 40’ poles.

Induction is becoming a bigger player. Induction is another excellent light source rated for a burn life of about 100,000 hours. It is akin to fluorescent, but with no internal cathodes to fail. It seems that for canopies, garages, wall mounts and lower wattage “area” applications, induction is an excellent light source and typically costs less than LED. However, induction still a new frontier.

What experience have you had with LEDs, natural white and induction? Would you recommend one system over the other? 

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Merrill Stewart is Founder and President of the Stewart Perry Company, a commercial building contractor based in Birmingham, Ala. Contact him via email

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Advances in “Green-er” Drywall

September 16, 2011 in Construction Trends, Green Building | 2 comments

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A while back, I wrote a post titled, “Can Drywall Be Green?” which discussed the aftereffects of the Chinese Drywall crisis that plagued our country earlier this decade.

When it comes down to it, drywall is a convenience product. It is efficient, replacing lath and plaster and therefore saving time and money. However the emissions drywall produces–both in its creation and in shipping–are not exactly environmentally friendly. Until recently, the best way you could make drywall more green was by buying local, or looking into EcoRock (the usability and quality of which could provide another post entirely).

I’m pleased to say I recently read about a new development in “green-er” lightweight drywall in Environmental Building News. They report that multiple companies are producing a product that weighs 25-30% less the standard. While we are commercial builders, I did the math on what this means for the typical home which has an average of about 8 tons of drywall. By reducing the weight, it means  that in a typical residential building year (not like the last 4) the US would save about 400,000 gallons of oil in transportation alone.

The benefits I see include:

  • Easier installation with less fatigue.
  • Lower weight, meaning less energy to ship.
  • Increased sag resistance, allowing the same product to be used in ceilings and walls.
  • Scores and snaps more easily than standard drywall.
  • Less waste and reduced dust.

At this point, the only downsides I see are:

  • Costs slightly more, by about 5-10%, but I believe this will moderate.
  • Some reduction in sound dampening qualities.

Since the developments on this product change are so new, I don’t have any results to report…yet. I can promise that we will be investigating lightweight drywall as we bid future projects. If you have experience with these products, it would be great if you would share in the comments section.

In the meantime, it’s nice to know that more environmentally friendly products are being researched and entering the market.

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Merrill Stewart is Founder and President of the Stewart Perry Company, a commercial building contractor based in Birmingham, Ala. Contact him via email

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Keeping It Live and Local

August 30, 2011 in Green Building, Preservation | No comments

Have you heard of “locavores?” These folks are interested in eating food that is produced within a 100-mile radius of their home. The idea is to minimize fossil fuels from shipping and nutrition lost from farm to table.

We like to consider ourselves a small part of the locavore movement. We started three years back with a few tomato plants, and our garden has grown gradually each year.

Produce now includes cantaloupe, peppers, eggplant, cucumbers and more. We keep a box of these fresh vegetables on the kitchen table so folks can take what they need for their families.

It only seemed natural that our next step should be fruit.

Last week, we planted peach, plum, pear, apple and fig trees along our drive, just above our woodworking barn. As they mature, the trees will make our entry a little nicer and provide additional fresh treats for our team, our neighbors and visitors.

As for being local, the origin on these trees is just that. We were glad to team with Maple Valley Nursery, a Birmingham original with values similar to our own, to source our trees.

What are you doing to make your life more localized? Do you partner with local businesses like your own? We’ve found the benefits ripe for our picking.

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Merrill Stewart is Founder and President of the Stewart Perry Company, a commercial building contractor based in Birmingham, Ala. Contact him via email

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Paving Efficiency Pays Off In The Long Haul

April 12, 2011 in Construction Trends, Green Building, Tips from the Field | No comments

The clickety-clack noise a train makes when traveling down the tracks can be a soothing sound. But hearing that same noise while driving on the interstate is annoying. For me, it’s partly because it gets me to thinking about how the road was paved and how the breaks in the pavement are slowly, but steadily having a negative effect on the fuel efficiency of the thousands of vehicles passing over it every day.

Pavement smoothness is a key factor in improving fuel efficiency, especially for heavy trucks. The smoother the pavement, the less energy (fuel) is needed to propel the truck down the road. Every crack and dip in the surface creates a small amount of resistance, requiring an equal increase in force to keep the truck traveling at the same speed.

Even the type of surface can make a difference. Asphalt is more flexible than concrete. So when it flexes as the truck is rolling, there’s more energy of that truck put into the pavement and less propelling it forward. This impacts fuel economy and results in more carbon emissions. Fuel economy can be improved by simply increasing density of the asphalt by as little as 1%.

Obviously, each individual incident of resistance is miniscule, but it adds up over the course of millions of miles. A study published in 2006 by the National Research Council Canada found that trucks traveling on rigid pavements consumed an average of 3.8 percent less fuel than those on flexible surfaces. As fuel prices steadily grow, it’s important to find ways to assist drivers in easy-to-manage ways.

This is another example of how, in the long haul, even slight changes in design can make a big difference.

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Merrill Stewart is Founder and President of the Stewart Perry Company, a commercial building contractor based in Birmingham, Ala. Contact him via email

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Pave the Road to Sustainability

March 29, 2011 in Construction Trends, Green Building, Preservation | No comments

Lately it seems like an increasing number of folks have seen the light when it comes to the drawbacks of dark-colored pavement. Black asphalt has traditionally been the surface of choice for our nation’s roadways and parking lots, but asphalt can act as a heat sink that retains the warmth of sunlight.

The effect is called an “urban heat  island.”  Think about a city like New York in the summer, the asphalt retains the heat, causing the city to be much hotter than the suburbs.

Over the last several years, we have worked a lot of jobs that involved the use of concrete and even crushed limestone over asphalt. These pavements reflect light and heat instead of absorbing it, which has two benefits;

  • First, it cuts down on the amount of solar radiation retained by the earth during the day, which mitigates the greenhouse effect.
  • Second, it significantly reduces the amount of artificial light needed for nighttime illumination, which saves energy.

When you think about pavement that is used for our roads and parking lots, even a slight change in heat and light reduction can have a major impact. Especially when you consider that these gains take place constantly.

Every daytime minute in which less heat is retained and every nighttime moment in which more light is reflected is a small win for our sustainability efforts.  And eventually, enough small wins add up to a huge victory for all of us.

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Merrill Stewart is Founder and President of the Stewart Perry Company, a commercial building contractor based in Birmingham, Ala. Contact him via email

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Recycled Carpet

February 8, 2011 in Green Building | No comments

According to the EPA, it is estimated that a staggering 800 million square yards of carpet is sent to U.S. landfills each year. That is enough to cover New York’s Central Park every two days.

Fortunately, the carpet industry has begun to realize that there is no need for all this shag and nylon to go to waste. Recycled carpet is a growing trend, thanks in part to the Carpet America Recovery Effort . While only 6 percent of carpet waste was recycled in 2009, that is triple the amount from five years earlier.

When we moved into our new building three years ago, we used recycled carpet manufactured by a Georgia company called Interface . I have been very impressed with it. It looks great and has worn well. Plus it comes in squares, so when you spill something or wear out a particular part of the carpet, you can replace it with a single square rather than an entirely new carpet.

Old carpet also is being turned into a variety of other products, including composite lumber, tile backer board, roofing shingles, railroad ties, automotive parts, carpet cushion and stepping stones.

But the easiest thing to do with old carpet is spruce it up and turn it into new carpet. Every time I walk across the floor in our office, I am reminded that what is now our carpet was at one time someone else’s. And I feel good knowing that we kept it from going to waste in a landfill.

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Merrill Stewart is Founder and President of the Stewart Perry Company, a commercial building contractor based in Birmingham, Ala. Contact him via email

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It’s the little things that add up…Some New Year’s Resolutions you might consider

December 28, 2010 in Conservation, Construction Trends, Green Building | 2 comments

I read recently that nearly 1,200 pounds of trash is produced by the average person per year. We ignore that scrap of paper or old cardboard box but it all adds up.  The drip-drip-drip process eventually turns into a river of trash.

When we moved into our offices 3 years ago, one of my main objectives was to reduce our waste that was taken off site. Our ultimate goal is to have no rubbish coming from of our campus and this might be a bit unrealistic.

Here are some simple steps we have taken:

  • We have two receptacles at each desk; one for trash, the other for recycling. This has allowed us to get a fresh perspective on what we throw away each day and for our folks to get the message that reducing waste is important.
  • Since starting this policy, we have greatly reduced the amount of waste, that in turn, reduces what is taken to the landfill and in addition reduce our carbon footprint. When we practice what we preach at the office, I believe this message gets taken home as well.
  • We have banned the use of bottled water. This is one of the leading causes of trash. A great example is shown here with this infographic about bottled water.
  • We also have banned Styrofoam cups, paper plates and plastic utensils and now use dishes and silverware. A dishwasher is a very efficient appliance.

What steps might you take to reduce your trash and increase your recycling?

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Merrill Stewart is Founder and President of the Stewart Perry Company, a commercial building contractor based in Birmingham, Ala. Contact him via email

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