The benefits of redevelopment

Even the most energy efficient new construction is much more damaging to the environment than property redevelopment. This is because despite advances in appliances, materials and construction techniques, the energy embodied within each new brick, beam and baseboard is much greater than the environmental “sunk cost” of an old building given a new life.

Case in point: according to a study produced by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, new buildings, even energy efficient ones, can take up to 80 years to begin to outweigh the damaging climatic effects of the construction process.

Our green strategy

Beyond the simple advantage of property redevelopment over new construction, our renovation work puts an emphasis on energy efficiency. We universally source appliances with the Energy Star certification, like washing machines and refrigerators. We replace old, low-insulating windows at our properties with modern, high-performing dual pane replacements. We source plumbing fixtures that carry the WaterSense certification for low water waste, alongside low-flow toilets in our bathrooms. We use new, energy efficient LED lighting throughout our communities.

We also pay attention to community-level energy efficiency. We continually audit our properties for leaky plumbing and other loss points. And, whenever possible, we replace the water-intensive grass at our desert properties with soft artificial turf that stays green without a single drop of water.