A SUPPLEMENT TO LEHIGH VALLEY BUSINESS | SPRING 2021 &REAL ESTATE Challenges & Opportunies 2020 is receding into history, but its impact on the construction and real estate industries is here to stay.

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WWW.LVB.COM CONSTRUCTION & REAL ESTATE ● SPRING 2021 3 3 PHOTOS / GETTY IMAGES CALLING ALL SUBCONTRACTORS As construction demand races back, finding a company to do the work could be tough.

BY MELINDA RIZZO | Contributing Writer

ill a shortage of con- worse,” said David Sload of demand for construction proj- or cancelled altogether. struction subcontractors the CEO and president of ects would widen the already “If you were working in Whinder the region’s post ABC Keystone [Associated gaping gulf between the num- hospitality or , it all came pandemic recovery? Builders and Contractors] ber of available subcontracting to a grinding halt,” he said. With few layoffs or fur- which covers an 11-coun- companies and the proposed Big box distribution, some loughs and ongoing projects, ty area includes Berks and or active jobs needing them. health care projects and the dam bursting on pent-up Schuylkill counties. Sload said the pandemic new facility additions often demand in the construction “Pent-up demand is rele- was a “mixed bag” for some remained active in 2020, he sector could be both a blessing vant to the workforce,” said ABC Keystone members. said, but the non-profit orga- and a curse. Daniel E. Durden, CEO of While some subcontracting nization is still hearing “mixed “If pent up demand breaks Pennsylvania Builders Associa- companies had a good 2020, signals” from the sector. [open] it will make it [the tion in Camp Hill. others were hard hit because After being deemed an subcontractor shortage] Durden said a greater projects were placed on hold essential many 4 4 CONSTRUCTION & REAL ESTATE ● SPRING 2021 LEHIGH VALLEY BUSINESS construction crews were able industries, like hospitality or to work through much of the entertainment, or be forced pandemic during 2020. But to choose other options to early inconsistencies during get jobs done, according to the year regarding who was Durden. an essential business and how Supply chain problems have to apply for waivers, made an been a factor since the pan- already challenging time more demic hit. confusing. With material costs esca- “Th e greatest impact in 2020 lating for softwood lumber was that this industry was not used for building , the considered ‘essential,’” said National Association of Home- Chuck Hamilton, executive di- builders recently reported the rector of Lehigh Valley Builders price of a new single-family Association in Allentown. home could jump to off set “Inconsistencies” in the higher materials costs by about waiver process caused problems $16,000. for many small subcontracting Th e pandemic forced small business owners. As small com- subcontracting companies to panies were already grappling choose between keeping their with managing an economic businesses open without any slump prior to COVID, some revenue coming in or clos- were forced “to trim back to ing their , according to survive,” Hamilton said. Hamilton. As more job opportunities “We are not seeing suffi cient MORE CONSTRUCTIVE IDEAS open up, the already belea- numbers of young people to e Benne Toyota facility was built using the Toyota Image USA II concept featuring guered sector may have trouble sustainable constructiona practice that reduces the impact on our environment. scaling new talent from other please see CONTRACTORS, page 6 FEATURING: • Low VOC paints and sealers throughout improves the indoor air quality • A vestibule preventing loss of conditioned air, reducingMORE A/C CONSTRUCTIVEcosts IDEAS e Benne Toyota facility was built using the Toyota Image USA II concept featuring • Recycled aluminum panels sustainableMORE constructiona CONSTRUCTIVE practice that reduces the impact on our IDEAS environment. • Site soil remediation FEATURING: e Benne Toyota facility was built using the Toyota Image USA II concept featuring • Large storefront glass sustainable • Low VOC constructiona paints and sealers practice throughout that reduces improves the the impact indoor on airour quality environment. allowing for more FEATURING: • A vestibule preventing loss of conditioned air, reducing A/C costs natural light • LowRecycled VOC aluminum paints and wall sealers panels throughout improves the indoor air quality • ASite vestibule soil remediation preventing loss of conditioned air, reducing A/C costs • RecycledLarge storefront aluminum glass wall panels SERVICES INCLUDE: allowing for more • Site soil remediation WATER FACILITIES • Largenatural storefront light glass Benne Toyota WASTEWATER ENGINEERING allowing for more Lebanon, PA MUNICIPAL ENGINEERING natural light New Construction Benne Toyota 29,145 sq  Lebanon, PA TRAFFIC & TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERING New Construction Benne 29,145 Toyota sq  Lebanon, PA ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING New Construction PLANNING & SITE DESIGN 29,145 sq  SURVEYING CONSTRUCTION ADMINISTRATION & OBSERVATION GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS

Corporate Office: 949 Easton Road, Warrington, PA 18976 | 215-343-5700 630 Freedom Business Center, Third Floor, King of Prussia, PA 19406| 610-489-5100 101 Lindenwood Drive, Suite 225, Malvern, PA 19355 | 484-875-3075 www.funkconstruction.com 105 Raider Boulevard, Suite 206, Hillsborough, NJ 08844 | 908-874-7500 www.funkconstruction.com [email protected] | www.carrollengineering.com www.funkconstruction.com WWW.LVB.COM CONSTRUCTION & REAL ESTATE ● SPRING 2021 5 5 CONTRACTORS continued from page 5

enter the trades to run those [existing companies] or create their own companies,” Durden said. As the pandemic dragged on, even more companies disap- peared because some owners who were nearing retirement age decided to close up shop. Those owners without succes- sion planning didn’t have the option to keep the business open under new ownership or leadership, so many closed. Durden said those factors turned a pressing employment PHOTOS / GETTY IMAGES and workforce need going into Maryland, West Virginia or time on a schedule, Durden Longer mild weather con- 2020 “into something of a Ohio, subcontractors are com- said. For others, it could struction seasons in states with crisis.” mean broadening a market or warm or temperate climates Some companies got creative ing from outside Pennsylvania to work on jobs here. building additional professional draw construction companies to make construction dead- trust in a new or established away from Pennsylvania. Sload For some out of state com- lines, turning to professionals industry relationship. said some contractors continue in other states to meet their panies working in Pennsylvania Some small construction to call the organization looking talent needs. Whether from there is a chance to fill open companies, which make up the for qualified people. lion’s share of the niche, may He expects wages to be “driv- subcontract every aspect of a en up” if the talent shortage job. “They are reliant upon one for subcontractors continues or another,” he said. gets worse. Another way to grow the “The great news is there is a sector is to relax some licensing lot of opportunity in this in- restrictions imposed by state dustry, even with folks having legislators. Complicated state to close their doors,” Sload licensing requirements may said. in fact hurt start-up compa- “We have an underemploy- nies who want to do business ment problem,” Sload said. here, with the end result of “Health care, potentially driving them away, and construction have the abil- Durden said. ity to train people, but we have “The starter companies who too many barriers for people want to get going tend to entering the workforce and get migrate to the states that allow skilled up to take these jobs.” you to get to work right away,” The bigger solution is for he said. more young people to enter the In Pennsylvania, starting a workforce. new business is a paperwork “Despite it all the local heavy and time consuming building and remodeling process. With hundreds of companies are now busy and licensing laws on the books returning to some semblance of required just to start a business, ‘normal.’ This, of course, puts reducing those barriers to entry the subcontractors in a pretty could help. good position,” Hamilton said. 6 6 CONSTRUCTION & REAL ESTATE ● SPRING 2021 LEHIGH VALLEY BUSINESS A SHALLOW POOL Jobs in ‘the trades’ are hi-tech and high paying, so why are workers so hard to find?

BY MELINDA RIZZO | Contributing Writer

he coronavirus pandem- able openings our industry ic - an unkind blow to partners have,” said Adam T the construction indus- Lazarchak, executive director try—has only exacerbated a at Bethlehem Area Vocational workforce shortage already Technical School. simmering for years before Those hands-on jobs in- Gov. Tom Wolf ordered man- clude , joinery, dem- datory shutdowns last year. olition, electric, , “From our business and painting, as well as wall and PHOTO / GETTY IMAGES industry partners I hear the floor work and scaffolding. office, construction firms also video game,” said Daniel E. shortage is inhibiting their Commercial and industrial employ workers in estimating, Durden, CEO of Pennsylva- ability to grow and take trades include welding, pipe project management, admin- nia Builders Association in on additional work,” said fitting, steam fitting and stee- istrative positions or construc- Camp Hill. Michael Herrera, assistant di- plejacking. Steeplejacks are tion management roles. Debunking the idea of rector at Upper Bucks County crafters who erect ladders or James DePietro, professor construction jobs as a dead Technical School in Bedmin- do work building or maintain- and mechanical/construction end, DePietro said construc- ster Township. ing chimneys, church spires, technology coordinator at tion managers and developers A high priority industry, smokestacks or towers. Lehigh Carbon Community prefer to “grow” talent from construction and its trades is “We know there is a critical College said the stigma at the the field to move into man- essential for economic growth skills gap and COVID-19 has high school level over trades agement positions because and flourishing communities, widened that gap,” Herrera or technical career training skilled trade employees bring employing necessary skilled said. versus pursuing a college de- valuable experience and trades like plumbing, electric, He said many high school gree “persists. It is better, but knowledge to their new roles, or carpentry. The and young adult students the attitude is [still] out there. which cannot be gained any sector offers steady work, sus- favor what they perceive as And anyone who is building other way. tainable wages, benefits and highly paid technology jobs, right now is short staffed.” Time is a big part of the long-lasting career opportu- during a time when such po- Debunking the myth problem of filling job vacan- nities. sitions are extremely competi- Construction methods are cies quickly. It takes for some- The sector continues to tive. That mindset shrinks the cleaner, and crews work more one entering the market from struggle to attract new entries potential workforce for trades. with prefabricated pieces than scratch to “skill up,” according (those aged 30 or under) at all “In the construction indus- they did in past generations. to Durden. levels, partly due to a linger- try we’re seeing less competi- “The entire process has “We are seeing some mi- ing negative image, as well tion for jobs because there are gotten more automated and gration from other industries, as by less interest by younger less people and more jobs” on better for the employee,” he but learning a construction generations to work with their offer, he said. said. hands. Persistent perceptions that The industry has changed trade is time consuming,” he “What I’m hearing from construction is “all dirty jobs dramatically, too, keeping said. the teachers…is that this area that don’t pay well and have pace with digital technologies Most trades jobs typically has been booming for the last no advancement” are misno- including equipment con- require from two to four years four years and continues … mers in today’s construction trolled with joysticks and the of classroom training to fill we cannot graduate enough industry. software that runs them. students to fill the avail- From the field to the “Everything works like a please see JOBS, page 8 WWW.LVB.COM CONSTRUCTION & REAL ESTATE ● SPRING 2021 7 7 worker shortage drives eff orts school students entering high JOBS to recruit at the schools to school, or high school students continued from page 7 teach students about the very considering what they’ll pursue a position, and fi eld work to jobs needed to fi ll the shortage, after graduation. Durden said. “When you put a billboard fortify the experience. Broader outreach eff orts up, then parents are going to Th at makes a migration from include workforce develop- see it and create those ‘kitchen other industries hard hit by the ment investment, career and table talks,’” he said. pandemic such as restaurants PHOTO / GETTY IMAGES technical school marketing At Upper Bucks, Herrera and hospitality, challenging to those who leave the penal campaigns, retraining op- said guidance plans aim to span see through in the short term. system. portunities for those in other youngsters from Kindergarten While for decades con- industries, and an emphasis on through Grade 12 so career in- struction has off ered training The competition training military veterans are terests and appetites are being programs for those who are Competing for talent with eff orts aimed at repopulating developed and encouraged at incarcerated “it’s a catch-22” construction companies are programs. younger levels. upon release for industry em- hospitals, health care centers, “Demand is high, talent He said a video created for ployers to hire them. school districts and manufac- pool is low and there are lots sixth graders was completed “We are required to do back- turing campuses who also value of opportunities out there,” and a career camp last summer ground checks and sometimes and hire trades workers, often DePietro said. targeted Grades 2 to 8 to pro- those individuals get excluded providing more in benefi ts or Old-fashioned advertising mote positive attitudes about from some types of work,” indoor work environments,” campaigns could help, he said. trade careers and be more Durden explained. Health care Durden said. Signs on facilities and [high- inclusive to women in non-tra- campuses and school districts He said it is not uncommon way] billboards are a great ditional jobs. prohibit those with a criminal to lose trade talent to “warmer resource because everyone sees “Th e more experience you history from being employed climates and southern states” them, according to DePietro. can gobble up to enhance your on their jobs. Outdoor site where snow, ice and freezing While digital advertising learning will enhance your work and excavation companies temperatures are less of a work may be the norm it may not profession and enhance your often have more success hiring issue. Th e cycle feeds itself – a reach the right targets – middle life, DePietro said.

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TWO CITY CENTER 645 West Hamilton Street, Suite 800, Allentown, PA 18101 (610) 797-9000 (610) 797-6663 www.flblaw.com For commercial real estate, the pandemic, and a shift to working from home, made for A CHAOTIC YEAR BY PAULA WOLF | Contributing Writer

fter a chaotic year deal- ing with the fallout of A COVID-19, the Lehigh Valley commercial real estate market is pretty stable, all things considered. Some businesses took an enormous hit and couldn’t sur- vive the pandemic-driven re- cession, including restaurants. But many have been able to weather the storm, often with emergency loans or grants. They’re adapting to new James Balliet Property Group was marketing this 30,000-square-foot building recently vacated by Sodexo, a major realities - employees working French owned food service and food management company. PHOTO/JAMES BALLIET PROPERTY GROUP at home, social distancing in the office sector, mostly larger stabilized.” report described the Lehigh the office, as examples – and companies seeking smaller Feeling the strain Valley as one of the fast- changing their requirements. work spaces. Testament to this Loren Keim, broker and est-growing areas in the state These companies are still fac- ing an economy with potholes, rebound is the drop in vacancy president of Century 21 Keim and the third most populous as COVID-19 rages on. rates with a moderate increase Realtors, has seen more of the region, following Philadelphia With nationwide vacci- in asking office rental rates.” downside. and Pittsburgh. Its metropol- nation efforts ramping up, Balliet specializes in shop- “Retail and office are show- itan area - with a population however, the end of the year ping center sales and leasing, ing signs of the strain,” he of 845,000 - encompasses could shape up to be much triple-net investments, land wrote in an email. Lehigh, Northampton and better than the beginning. development and office/ medi- “We’ve listed quite a few Carbon counties in Pennsyl- “The Lehigh Valley office cal office properties. restaurants lately that have vania and Warren County in market has taken some sig- The trends in the retail been hit by the pandemic. We New Jersey. nificant hits over the last year space market are better than have a former 50,000-square- “The metro is within a or so as the nation and region might be expected. foot call center on the market short commute to New York face unprecedented economic “Retail space in the Lehigh where the majority of that City, drawing on the region’s challenges,” said James Balliet, Valley has been quite resilient business has moved south. employers and recreational president of the James Balliet even with COVID-19 chal- And other businesses that did activities,” the report said. Property Group of Keller Wil- lenges,” Balliet said. not fare well over the past Schools such as Lehigh Uni- liams Real Estate. “With that “Obviously, there are certain year,” including a rock-climb- versity and Lafayette College said, the … market is certainly concepts that are hurting as ing gym and a line-dancing provide a skilled workforce, beginning to rebound back.” their operational hours have place. according to the report. “A Businesses, Balliet said, are been limited, but for the most “I think we’ll continue to renaissance in the area’s man- continuously evaluating new part the restaurants and retail- see strain on office and retail ufacturing industry is drawing environments where they can ers have been faring well. We for the next couple of years domestic and international be agile and downsize or right have not witnessed a signifi- until it bounces back,” he companies such as German size as more work virtually. cant jump in vacancy rates or concluded. firm Bosch Rexroth Corp.” “We as a company are see- a drop in asking rental rates Marcus & Millichap’s latest A relatively affordable ing quite a bit of movement in as the market seems relatively market overview research cost of living attracts many 10 10 CONSTRUCTION & REAL ESTATE ● SPRING 2021 LEHIGH VALLEY BUSINESS companies and residents, too. Doug Frederick, broker/ In the commercial market, to need new space immediately. Th e Lehigh Valley metro rate’s owner of Th e Frederick Group which Frederick said is more Pinpointing the offi ce va- homeownership rate is 65 at Howard Hanna, said there COVID proof than restaurants, cancy rate now is hard because percent, the report noted, well is more activity on the com- opposite forces are playing many tenants are on fi ve-year above the U.S. rate. mercial real estate front in the against each other right now. leases and don’t want to cancel, With its proximity to major Lehigh Valley than would be “Lots of people want to work because they don’t know what U.S. cities in the Northeast, expected in a 100-year pan- from home, but consumers the market is going to do, he Lehigh Valley is one of the demic. want the opposite,” to have largest warehouse and distri- “Th ere are still people buying them in the offi ce or the store, said. bution centers on the East land for hotels and restaurants,” Frederick said. Even if the lease ends in Coast, combined with a broad he said. Many in the offi ce market are 2021, the decision to let go economic base that includes In fact, when it comes to generally taking a wait-and-see could be diffi cult. “If you don’t construction, health care and property for hotels, Frederick attitude, but some are looking renew, you give up the space,” higher . said there’s “tremendous de- to actively downsize or upsize Frederick said. Th e report named Lehigh mand in that market.” in space, he said. While there For a tenant in the midst of Valley Hospital and Health “People are thinking in are businesses going smaller a lease, it’s probably smart to Network as a top job gener- longer periods of time,” he said, because more employees work renegotiate the length, term, ator, along with PPL Corp., discussing the mindset. virtually, others are expanding etc., if that option is available, Air Products & Chemicals and As for restaurants, some square footage to accommodate he said. ADP. couldn’t survive COVID-19. social distancing and other Or “maybe you can improve Th e area is also home to a But there’s still interest in pandemic realities. strong viticulture, or wine- restaurant space, Frederick said. Frederick said additional where your space is,” by adapt- growing, industry and various Small businesses that have issues that have nothing to do ing it to current realities and wineries, many in the Warren been able to secure coronavirus with COVID-19 factor in as requirements, Frederick said. Hills area. aid are more likely to be weath- well. For example, fl ooding “Take advantage of the world Adapting to a new normal? ering the pandemic. problems could cause a tenant we’re in.”

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610-691-1414 | lvcontractors-assoc.org WWW.LVB.COM CONSTRUCTION & REAL ESTATE ● SPRING 2021 11 11 This former foundry, vacant for more than 20 years, will be demolished and replaced with apartment buildings. PHOTO / OTT CONSULTING INC. REHABBING A BROWNFIELD In Emmaus, a 20-year-old eyesore is being reborn as apartments.

BY MELINDA RIZZO | Contributing Writer

n Emmaus-based devel- Ott is president of Ott Con- two-bedrooms. 18-month construction cycle oper is keeping it local sulting Inc. in Emmaus, a civil “We were attracted to the is planned, Ott said. Complete A with plans to rehabilitate a engineering, land surveying and site because of its location and construction costs for the com- roughly 8-acre brownfield site firm. the opportunity it provided,” plex have not been released. in the borough, turning the top “Rental inventory is very he said. “For at least the past 20 blighted property there into low in Emmaus, and I think Ott expects the new complex years, it’s been vacant,” said upscale apartment housing. this will bridge a gap for the will attract young professionals, Shane Pepe, Emmaus borough Doing business as 300 Fur- community,” Ott said of the new college graduates looking manager. nace Street LLC, Jeffrey Ott is project, located on Furnace for their first home, newly mar- “[It] has a potential for posi- one of five partners in the Iron Street and bounded by Second ried couples as well as “empty tive economic impact – it’s only works Apartments, a working and Fourth Streets. nesters” interested in being a matter of four blocks” from name for the proposed 144- Once completed the at-mar- close to a walkable downtown the downtown, he said. unit apartment complex. ket units are planned as one with shopping, restaurant and Pepe said the land develop- “There’s nothing like this in and two-bedroom apartments, entertainment amenities. ment project cleared borough the downtown…nothing this with patios on the first floor According to the 2010 Cen- officials in May, 2020. Among close to the downtown,” Ott and balconies on the second sus, Emmaus is home to about the conditions tied to final said of the proposed three-story and third floors. 11,200 people. land development approval is buildings. There are six build- Ott estimated monthly Construction of the apart- a $1,000 per unit contribution ings with parking planned for rents at about $1,400 for one ment buildings is slated to be- – or about $144,000 -- to the each building on the site. bedroom, and about $1,600 for gin by the end of this year. An borough’s recreation program; 12 12 CONSTRUCTION & REAL ESTATE ● SPRING 2021 LEHIGH VALLEY BUSINESS ILLUSTRATION / OTT CONSULTING INC. expanded parking for each who are well funded.” processed, stored, distributed or be similar to other communities apartment building, emergency As many as eight prospective handled. in the area, and we haven’t set- access to Second Street and a developers walked out after Site cleanup will begin as tled on one style yet,” Ott said. connected walking trail. Phase I of the property investi- soon as weather permits and For more than 20 years the Getting the former industrial gation, because of the price tag all contaminated materials will building has been an eyesore, property back on the tax rolls for contaminant clean up, Pepe be encapsulated on the site, attracting vandalism and graffiti will be good for the commu- said. Meeting state remediation according to DEP regulations, as well as illegal drug sales and nity. requirements is expected to Ott said. use. Pepe said it’s also been a “Everyone before this walked exceed $1 million. The site was formerly home gathering place for some of the away. Nobody would touch it,” The main difference between to a tank cleaning and lining homeless. Pepe said. brownfield and superfund sites business, a machine shop and “I think new housing will Jeffrey Trainer, co owner is who regulates the cleanup – a foundry dating back to the bring a lot of people into the of Wind Creek Event Center the state or federal government. early 1900s, according to Ott. downtown to shop at the busi- in Bethlehem is among Ott’s Brownfields are regulated by the “We found some evidence of nesses, eat at the restaurants, development partners. state, while superfund sites are 55 gallon drums, which were and we’ll see a lot more people Ott said the time and talent regulated by the federal govern- empty, and large amounts of walking around,” said Ott, who signed onto the project made ment. Brownfield requirements slag, which is a by-product of also lives in Emmaus. now the right time to move are also not as stringent. the foundry operation,” he said. The Iron Works Apartments forward, despite its hurdles. Examples of common brown- “Slag will be removed and used is the largest proposed apart- “We turned the corner with field sites include gas stations, as a base for the parking lot ment complex close to the heart the environmental [investiga- dry cleaning businesses, indus- areas.” of the business district. tion and plan],” he said. “[And] trial properties, strip malls and The existing building would “This is probably one of the we have a team of experienced other commercial properties, be torn down. only vacant parcels left in the professionals and developers where chemicals or metals were “The architectural style will borough,” Ott said. WWW.LVB.COM CONSTRUCTION & REAL ESTATE ● SPRING 2021 13 13 Swarthmore College selected the Living Building Petal Certification for its dining and community commons project.PHOTO / WARFEL NOTHING BUT NET-ZERO The new construction goal is based on the question ‘are we actually making our community a better place?’

BY BRETT CALABRETTA

he construction industry is designed and built sustain- clear that there was a need for manufactured in a high carbon a primary consumer of en- ably. LEED offers a prescribed more diverse approaches to production process– offsetting T ergy and materials, making method of establishing a sustainability which are more the owner’s original goals of it ripe for potential for focusing project’s sustainability, provid- accessible and customizable negating the project’s carbon efforts on more sustainable ing a set of checkboxes that to the needs and goals of each footprint. practices. In recent years, an owner must meet to earn client. The exodus from certifica- certification. We watched some owners in tions noted above has been construction firms and their Over a decade ago, LEED our market pivot from LEED enabled by a steady improve- partners have worked tirelessly certification requests began to what was frequently referred ment in sustainable technol- to create new methods of waste to increase, and construction to as “LEED-equivalent” proj- ogies, materials and practices reduction, including sustainable professionals pursued becom- ects. These projects still strove within the industry, giving the practices to ensure that resourc- ing LEED APs (Accredited for sustainability and energy sense that one did not need to es are used in an environmen- Professionals). As the focus on efficiency but did not strictly climb the certification ladder tally responsible way. sustainability became more follow the LEED certifica- to be sustainable. As this has In the early 2010s, LEED widely incorporated into stan- tion process. As technology occurred, the questions of (Leadership in Energy and dard practices during project improved in , sustainability have also grown Environmental Design) certi- development, some owners HVAC, and energy produc- more complex. fication became the prevailing began to contemplate whether tion, it became easier to select Design and construction method of affirming that formal certification was worth building materials that boasted professionals are not just a construction project was the investment. It became high efficiency ratings but were making more efficient build- 14 14 CONSTRUCTION & REAL ESTATE ● SPRING 2021 LEHIGH VALLEY BUSINESS demanded a new methodology sustainability, picking a path to Petal Certifi cation as the most for construction projects to net-zero that is more attainable appropriate accountability tool be held accountable. Enter for their organization. for their dining and commu- the newest philosophy in the One of the emerging nity commons project. After sustainability marketplace: net-zero focused certifi cation signifi cant research and project net-zero. A construction tools we have seen a growing evaluation, the Swarthmore project achieves net-zero interest in is the International team found that the Living emissions when any remaining Living Future Institute (ILFI). Building Challenge best fi t the human-caused greenhouse gas ILFI aspires to a truly holistic personality of their organi- (GHG) emissions are balanced approach – measuring whether zation and would help them out by removing GHGs from a building meets the organi- meet their sustainability goals. the atmosphere. zation’s metrics for everything If you are considering pursu- Rather than providing one from energy to social and ing a sustainable building for prescriptive approach (i.e., do economic equity. Additionally, your next construction project, X, Y, and Z and your project buildings that earn the Living it’s important to select a part- will be sustainable), net-zero Buildings designation demon- ner who can help you identify can off er a more holistic ap- strate that they have achieved the best measuring stick to Brett Calabretta proach that encourages owners not just net-zero, but net meet your net-zero goals. Th e to do as much good to the ings but are considering how positive energy, net positive right design or construction project choices are connected environment as our existence water, and net positive waste. professional will help you to larger environmental or in- and building processes cause Th is results in Living Buildings both aspire to truly sustainable dustrial systems. For example, the planet harm. It causes generating more energy than solutions while also fi nding materials that enable highly us to ask the question “from they consume. creative and right-sized paths energy effi cient buildings may beginning to end, are we actu- Most recently among our to accountability. be produced from materials ally making our community a clients, Swarthmore College Brett Calabretta is vice presi- that take an extraordinary better place?” amount of energy to produce, A construction project can selected the Living Building dent and principal at Warfel. which eff ectively negates achieve net-zero status by broader goals of having a posi- selecting a sustainability orga- tive, or even net neutral, eff ect nization’s certifi cation process on the environment. While and pursuing their prescribed certifi cation systems are not method. A wide variety of a guarantee of sustainability, organizations (driven by the lack of a certifi cation process many needs of our current in this endeavor can result in construction market) permits a fi nished building which does owners to select a sustainability not truly deliver on the owner’s certifi cation process that most intention. closely meshes with their val- Sustainability remains an ues and goals. Th is allows con- important goal for many build- struction consumers to take a ing owners, and the market more creative approach toward

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