Please follow our experiences, challenges, and opportunities from the front lines of green real estate development.
Where do you stand?
Do you stand for something or do you stand against something? At REthink we very definitely stand FOR something. We stand for inspiring, environmentally sensitive, high performance, low impact, healthy buildings. We stand for the principles of walkable neighborhoods less dependent on cars and more dependent on community. We believe in building for the greatest benefit to the greatest number. We believe in meeting the needs of people, profit, and planet in every project we undertake. We do our best to live up to our ideals (and ask for your help in keeping us on track).
Our approach to development is inclusive. We speak to neighbors near our projects early and often. We listen and address their concerns in ways we believe are reasonable. We hope for the same in return.
We recognize that there is no such thing as a zero-impact development. By the dictionary definition, development means “growth” and “progress”. Both of these definitions mean change and there is no way to avoid it in our business. What we do insist on in every project is that the change is on balance for the good of the local and larger communities. For example, we put higher density in the middle of a city near public transit. As a result people don’t drive as far and more people can get to work without a car and growth pressure on pristine lands and farm lands are diminished. Such development will result in less traffic but there will be more traffic near the project. If we do our jobs well, the annoyance of added cars in the local area is outweighed by the positive attributes of the project.
We are secure in our belief that what we do is good for the planet and good for the communities in which we build. Where we run into trouble is when what we stand for comes in conflict with others that are equally certain of what they stand against. We have a lot to learn about how to resolve such conflicting goals. One thing is for sure, that if one of the two parties in conflict do not strive to understand the needs of the other, there is impasse.
I continue to learn, to listen, and to try to understand. I expect a fair result but I am willing to work for it. I hope for reasonable people to see the good in what we do and I hope my skin grows a bit thicker in the meantime.
Nature has had millions of years to solve the complex design problems presented by unforgiving environments. In order to thrive, plants and animals have evolved to be imminently resource efficient. They create some of the strongest, most durable, and most useful materials known using very little energy without toxic chemicals and very little waste. Using nature as an inpiration or even copying processes and stratgegies directly can lead to tremendous advances in human technology.
This building in Harare, Zimbabwe mimics the strategies used by termites. Termites keep their termite mounds at a constant 82 degrees year round in desert conditions in which the temperature swings from over 104 degrees in the day to 35 degrees F at night. The building uses similar techniques to keep its internal temperature around 68 degrees year round without the use of standard air conditioning or heating equipment. The building saves 90% of the traditional heating and cooling energy use as compared to a similar building while saving $3.5 million on up front costs.
The Gemsbok survives in the heat of the desert with little water under the harshest conditions imaginable. It has evolved advanced water conservation and temperature regulation strategies. What can we apply in our buildings in hot dry climates from the strategies of this animal?
More; http://www.inhabitat.com/2007/12/10/building-modelled-on-termites-eastgate-centre-in-zimbabwe/
http://www.arup.com/feature.cfm?pageid=292