Page 12 - NY Cooperator September 2020

12 THE COOPERATOR — SEPTEMBER 2020 COOPERATOR.COM 100+ Years / 380+ Buildings / 1000s of Satisfied Owners, Residents and Boards l State-of-the-Art Financial Reporting l Responsiveness & Communication are Our Top Priorities l Leader in Technology & Compliance Tracking l Energy Auctions & Volume Purchasing to Reduce Building Costs l Long-Term Continuity of Managers & Systems l Greening NYC One Building at a Time Management for the Ages 675 Third Ave. New York, NY 10017 212-370-9200 ellimanpm.com info@ellimanpm.com RANKED #1 RESIDENTIAL MANAGEMENT COMPANY IN NYC EllimanRethink_NEW_DEPM ad_V1.indd 1 4/18/19 11:46 AM Ad for Yates Restora on, February 2015 RESTORATION GROUP, LTD. Phone: 718.993.5700 info@yatesrestoration.com www.yatesrestoration.com Yates Restoration has set the standard in the restoration and maintenance of New York CIty’s most notable properties. Our unsurpassed expertise and team of artisans, technicians and project managers, means your project gets done right and on schedule. Call or visit us at our website. Restoring the City of New York for over 90 years • Facade Restoration • Roofing and Waterproofing • Terrace and Plaza Restoration • Balcony Restoration and Repair • Structural Stabilization • Steel Work • Ornamental Sheet Metal • Local Law 11 ship in Energy and Environmental Design lower water use and help a building reduce (LEED) program—an internationally rec- ognized green building certifi cation system ing itself better insulated. that provides third-party verifi cation that a building or community was designed and ing a more important factor when consid- built using strategies aimed at improving ering the impact of climate change. Strong performance across the energy and envi- ronmental metrics that matter most. Th ese materials, creating dangerous windborne include energy and water conservation, debris that can cause even more damage to CO2 emissions reduction, improved indoor the building itself, to its neighbors, and to air quality, stewardship of natural resources, passers-by. Building operations and main- and sensitivity to human impacts. Improv- ing assets—and hence value—is really what surfaces with watertight membranes and good management and stewardship are all seal joints to better protect against high about. Aft er all, what board member isn’t winds and heavy rain. Snow events can proud to say that improvements made un- der their watch helped to increase the value so managers should consider insulation of the community and the individual units? Tarafdar goes on to explain that resil- ience planning is key to helping buildings them from bursting. adapt to climate change. “In 2015, LEED in- troduced a series of resilient design credits in an eff ort to bring the issue to the forefront green strategy is simply… people. Human of project design,” he says. “In 2018, those behavior is probably one of the hardest as- credits were revised to improve eff ectiveness pects of green building to infl uence. For res- and refl ect feedback.” How Green Building Changes the Landscape Heating and cooling are among the big- gest expenses residential buildings incur— so an effi cient sys- tem not only can reduce a build- ing’s emissions while maintaining tenant comfort, but also can help lower operating costs. Condos and co-ops must con- sider upgrades and changes as part of a larger energy effi ciency strategy in order facility manager doesn’t receive necessary to determine how these changes will have training on certain systems, you won’t get an the greatest impact. Energy effi cient options optimal performance out of that system. Th e exist for HVAC, water heating systems, and USGBC, International Facility Management lighting, but even if a building isn’t ready to Association (IFMA), and other organiza- invest in a major HVAC system upgrade, tions off er a number of training programs just changing all the lighting to LED would to help facility managers learn about green be a meaningful step. “Th ere is no single building principles and what they need to be solution to making a building sustainable,” on the lookout for to ensure their building is says Tarafdar, “and that’s why LEED is so reaching optimal performance. comprehensive. It’s a combination of deci- sions and a commitment to continually im- prove.” Landscaping is another area where own- ers can fi nd cost-saving opportunities, as co-op and condo buildings—which make well as make contributions to improve the up 90% of my clientele—don’t value green environment and community around their building the way developers of new con- building. By prioritizing green building struction do. While ‘green’ is a selling point strategies for landscaping, owners address for many new high-rise buildings, it is not issues like rainwater management, which the case for renovations and retrofi ts of ex- is critical for buildings located in areas isting buildings. About 10 years ago when prone to droughts or fl ooding. Another big green design fi rst became fashionable, my trend—particularly for urban residential clients asked about a green renovation. I was buildings—is the green roof. Green roofs enthusiastic, but unfortunately, green build- create outdoor space for residents, which ing was more expensive. Since boards need can be diffi cult to access in cities, and pro- vides important mental and physical health benefi ts. Th ey can also be tools for rainwa- ter collection and management, which can its heat island eff ect, which keeps the build- Th e exterior of buildings is also becom- winds can easily displace segmented roof tenance managers can retrofi t existing roof also be very dangerous and unpredictable, and sealants around all wall and door pen- etrations to avoid frozen pipes and prevent The Human Factor Oft en the biggest question mark in any idents, the easiest thing to do is incorporate smarter systems into their homes—low-fl ow water fi xtures, LED lighting, etc.—that they don’t have to think much about, but that ul- timately help them live more sustainably. Another critical factor that has more to do with people than the physical plant is facil- ity manager e du c a t i on and training. Buildings are designed to operate a certain way, and if a Susan Lauren is the principal of Lauren Design, a design fi rm located in New York, and had this to say about the current real- ity of green design: “Th e boards of high-rise “A building that is safe and functional in a changing climate will be more valuable.” —Gautam Tarafdar A CHANGE IN THE AIR continued from page 1