Disqus - Latest Comments for RichCartlidge

Re: Change is coming. It’s name: Google Wave

RichCartlidge — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 08:12:48 -0000

I agree that Wave will help with communication and hopefully enable projects to be completed with less problems. However, this sharing of all conversations or waves with various members is an attorney's nightmare. Imagine a conversation between the developer and his contractor or financier which contains information which was meant to be shared only between them becomming part of an early two way conversation and then later being shared with additional team members. The old method of picking through your emails may be more time consuming but it minimizes the risk for inadvertently sharing information which was to remain confidential.

Re: The Bottom Line On Green Buildings

RichCartlidge — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 22:57:12 -0000

Michael,
You are indeed correct I was not trying to say that buildings would be decertified merely for failure to perform and the link to Chris Cheatham's website does an excellent job explaining the decertification issues and the MPR. However, the phantom of decertification still poses a valid concern when considering whether to certify a building. If a failure to report performance risks losing you certification (which it does) and you have a poorly performing building (where submitting the data will cause tenants to sue) you may seek to avoid certification which carries with it a high initial upfront cost and a the reporting obligation in lieu of simply building a "green" but uncertified building.

Re: The Concept of LEED De-certification

RichCartlidge — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 19:28:02 -0000

Tyler,
I think that the minimal requirements while a step in the right direction are a long shot from solving the problem of poorly performing buildings. It is my hunch that buildings are not performing poorly due to their actual design or construction which the MPRs are aimed at addressing but rather due to how they are being used by their occupants. Until green leases become the norm and until owners not only sell their buildings as green but properly educate the end users in their operation we will continue to see poorly performing buildings. Hopefully the requirement to share energy usage will illuminate the need to educate the occupants and correct practices leading to poor performance.

Re: The Concept of LEED De-certification

RichCartlidge — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 19:23:53 -0000

Preston,
Great job summarizing what can be a very confusing topic. It is truly a great thing to see people other than attorneys analyzing risks and the potential issues that could arise in future lawsuits.
Chris,
It is very tough to escape! I have Preston to thank for putting me in contact with you and starting my immersion into this area of law.

Re: Sustainable Development: Sustainable or Not?

RichCartlidge — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 01:17:49 -0000

I have given this more thought and as the folks at REAL building a St. Petersburg, FL based green building company stated at the current time certification/verification is important to the definition of what a "green" building is today. I hope that in the future it is not but at the current time I have to agree with Taylor Ralph, even if a building is not certified to one of the green building certification systems, verification of its energy use is essential if we are to maintain trust in "sustainability" as a viable economic proposition. I recently wrote a blog post over at www.greenbuildingenvirotren... discussing the new LEED version 3.0 and how it is closing the perfomance gap between building design and building operation. Unless we as individuals involved in the sustainable building movement do everything we can to ensure that buildings operate up to their specifications sustainabilty will be cast to the wayside as a waste of valuable economic resources which does not merit a ROI. Please let me know what you think.

Re: The Increased Risk of “Green” Building

RichCartlidge — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 03:31:03 -0000

John,
You are right peer review can be done even though not required but how often do people do things, especially things that cost money and time, without actually being required to do them. I am not sure what your area of expertise is but in construction if you are taking extra time you are spending a great deal of money to do so. I think the point of that quotation was that absent peer review individuals need to make design decisions with a full appreciation of their potential impacts on the building as a cohesive unit rather than just their benefit in one compartmentalized area.

Re: Green is a Go on Twitter

RichCartlidge — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:10:03 -0000

Mark,
Great stuff. I think that Twitter is an absolutely amazing resource for anyone who seeks to explore this particular area. If it were not for Twitter I would not be connected with this great community. Your headline also made me think of my post yesterday. Green is a go on Twitter as its much shorter than sustainable.

Re: Eliminating the word “green”

RichCartlidge — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 19:48:26 -0000

James,
Excellent point regarding the energy usage of these buildings and how they are falling short. I think Chris Cheatham did a good job of explaining why that might be the case in his posts discussing LEEDigation. The individuals who are developing and managing these properties are afraid of properly commissioning them or performing energy audits because of the potential for litigation. I think that the failure or success of green buildings and sustainability in general will ultimately not be the buildings themselves but rather how they are used by their occupants. Without educating the end user of the product there will be a variety of means by which a project can fall short of its targeted energy goals (a prime example is overriding the occupant sensors on lights). Thanks for the input and the interesting link.

Re: Eliminating the word “green”

RichCartlidge — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 14:30:04 -0000

Thanks for the comments. Mark I fully agree I think that your industry is about to see some radical changes as a result of green construction. I will be very curious to see if the underwriter's who are pushing incentives for green construction will end up being exposed to more liability in the future due to "early adapters" not properly understanding the risks (such as those pointed out in your last post). Vik great points there was a recent study which analyzed sustainability and companies shifts from how can we do "less bad" to how can we do "more good" which I think is a shift that we are currently seeing across the population in general.

Re: There Can Won’t Be Only One

RichCartlidge — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 15:15:09 -0000

James,
A very interesting concept. However, I think there is one big problem with it. Energy companies in almost all locations are private entities. If the Federal Government begins assessing new taxes and then provides benefits to these private energy companies there could be years worth of litigation which would cost even more. The difference between energy and the interstate system is that the roads are owned by the state where the power companies are owned by the private companies. Here in Florida there was an increase in solar energy capacity when the state began to provide incentives for its construction but at the same time our power rates went up to fund the construction of two new nuclear reactors...While you are certainly correct that we need to begin breaking down the silos and working together I think we need to do so in a manner that does not provide economic windfalls to the energy companies at a detriment to the general public. Where that middle ground is will be the key question and I eagerly await hearing what the community has to say.

Re: Konstructr turned 1 yesterday!

RichCartlidge — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 01:55:52 -0000

Amazing to think how far Konstructr has come in just one year. I can't wait to see where it is at this time next year!

Re: Introducing Konstructr: Ep. #1

RichCartlidge — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 17:24:54 -0000

Vik,
Great job you crushed it! Next episode I fully expect you to be drinking the drink that we all know is responsible for your energy! Keep up the great work, I am thrilled to be part of such a vibrant community.