With Earth Day right around the corner, here are some properties that are going green, and what specific initiatives developers have taken to ensure each of these properties is eco-friendly, yet still boast a feeling of luxury for residents who live there.
The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Miami Beach | Completed in 1925, The King Cole Hotel (dubbed the Nat after its most famous frequent guest) was built by historic real estate developer, Carl G. Fischer, who helped finance Collin’s stalled bridge to connect the island to mainland Miami. With a plan to re-envision Miami Beach as a winter playground for the well-to-do, the three-story, 60 guest room luxury hotel evoked the essence of Spanish style architecture. During the second world war, the building was temporarily converted into a military hospital which later was re-imaged as the Miami Heart Institute in the 1950s. Now beginning its third life as The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Miami Beach set to open in 2018, the residences range from 2,000 to 10,000 sq. ft. and are priced from $2m to $40m. Utilizing the institute’s original concrete frame, divided into four separate buildings and clad with soaring hurricane-proof glass windows and delicate metal screens, the 111 residences feature the very same views of Surprise Lake available from the original King Cole Hotel and will house a houseboat, navigable marine helipad, residential art studio and so much more!
70 Henry | Constructed in 1895 as a butcher shop, the building that now sits at 70 Henry Street in Brooklyn Heights is not only an adaptive reuse building– but also a historical destination that has been preserved with the help of New York’s historic preservation society. Even more recently, the property was home to a community theater, “The Brooklyn Heights Cinema,” which entertained the community for over 44 years. Now in the present day, JMH Development is working to keep the historical nature of the community through the restorations of the historic brownstone façade while re-imaging the interiors to include 5 luxury boutique residences as well as a commercial space for the community. Well versed in working with the historic preservation society, Jason Halpern (Principal of JMH Development) prides himself on his work with historic buildings and building a community around them.
Oil Nut Bay | Oil Nut Bay celebrates Earth Day every day with developer David V. Johnson’s environmentally-friendly philosophy of being built-in harmony with nature. Tucked away in the secluded region of the North Sound on Virgin Gorda, BVI, Oil Nut Bay is making a powerful comeback after being hit by this year’s devastating hurricane season, with villas that reopened this March. The Oil Nut Bay property aims to be entirely carbon neutral with solar panels on all villas, turtle-friendly lighting and all buildings are designed to have electricity and water-efficient using solar water heaters.
Three Hundred Collins | From poisoning and injuring marine life to disrupting human hormones, from littering our beaches and landscapes to clogging our waste streams and landfills–1 in 10 people lack access to clean water. JMH Development is actively involved with charity: water, a non-profit organization that has brought clean and safe drinking water to over seven million people and created 22,936 water projects around the world. Three Hundred Collins, JMH’s most recent Miami luxury boutique project donates $20,000 for each unit sold. The property is currently 85% sold and the projected is slated for completion this Spring (which will total out to $380,000).
1000M | 1000M, the ultra-luxury condominium coming to Chicago, is registered with the USGBC, United States Green Building Council, and will be a LEED Certified Building. The building’s environmental impact on the surrounding community and region will be minimized through several strategies such as redirecting construction and building waste away from landfills. Additionally, by selecting many-core building materials that contain high levels of recycled materials and are manufactured/ harvested and supplied locally, within a 500-mile radius of the project site.
Troon Pacific | Troon Pacific is a San Francisco-based, single-family home developer that designs high-end, high-performance estates with a focus on sustainability. Residence 2680 is the largest single-family home renovation (4,700 square feet) that is certified as a Passive Home with Home Platinum LEED certification. Built to strict sustainability standards, naturally sourced, low-chemical producing materials like wood, stone, and glass were incorporated throughout the home. Located in the prestigious Pacific Heights neighborhood of San Francisco, this home was designed with indoor/outdoor living spaces that enhance the homeowners’ lifestyle and quality of life. Other sustainable features of Troon Pacific homes include gray water/rainwater filtration systems, MERV 13 -16 air filtration systems, the installation of electromagnetic-shielded cabling and EMF-free zones within each home.
Oceana Bal Harbour | At Oceana Bal Harbour,($3-30 M), a masterful 240-unit luxury condominium the elite enclave of Bal Harbour, the developer Eduardo Costantini forewent maximizing the land to preserve the natural greenery that takes about 70 percent of the property’s land with uses of trees, reflection pools, and manicured lawns. The glass tower is LEED-certified, meaning it’s resource-efficient, uses less water and energy and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. Other green and sustainable features include: Special turtle lighting, Native landscaping, by revered Swiss landscape architect, Enzo Enea, that help the longevity of the gardens thus needing fewer resources to care for them (such as a 75 percent less water), Thoughtfully designed stormwater run-off to protect and preserve the pristine beach-side ecosystem and Soundproof and noise pollution structure: The entire building is wrapped with two layers of insulated glass. The walls consist of one layer of laminated glass, followed by an inch of the air duct to absorb noise, and then another layer of laminated glass. This is rare for residential buildings, and the developer is paying a big premium for this (about 15 percent more).
Brickell City Centre | A Miami staple, the $1.05 billion mixed-use development project Brickell City Centre continues their commitment to the environment and emphasis on health & wellness with sustainable elements on Earth Day and year-round, as the project is LEED®-registered for Neighborhood Development – currently one of the largest in the U.S. Sustainability elements include: Earth Day Mass Mediation: In honor of Earth Day, BCC and Modern ŌM have teamed up for an annual Earth Day Mass Mediation to feed the souls of the residents of REACH and RISE (the two luxury condominium towers atop of BCC) and local visitors with a special mediation in celebration of our planet; Earth Hour: Swire Properties is an associate sponsor of WWF’s Earth Hour – the largest global environmental movement in the world – for the 9th consecutive year. In support of the initiative this year, the developer turned off all non-essential lights in BCC, as well as advertisements and sky signs; CLIMATE RIBBON™: A masterpiece of art and science, the $30 million elevated trellis spans 150,000 square feet over three city blocks of the project’s retail center. The ‘climate ribbon’ protects visitors from inclement weather, captures sea breeze to regulate airflow and temperature, collects rainwater for reuse and allow visitors to enjoy natural light in an open-air environment and Branded Bicycles: Save the world one pedal at a time! REACH and RISE provides an incredible opportunity for residents to leave their cars at home and use the residents-only branded bicycles to use and help prevent deforestation.
50 West | 50 West, a residential building in Downtown Manhattan along with several other Time Equities properties in New York are part of the Organics Collection Program in NYC that offers residents the option to compost (cardboard, meat, any organic waste). For example, at 50 West the composting baskets are on each floor and the building’s porter is responsible for bringing the compost downstairs and the Department of Sanitation comes and picks up the compost and they have a sophisticated sorting system from there. This stemmed from one resident’s request and TEI rolled the program out to all of its buildings in New York. This shows a commitment to accommodating resident’s wishes and promoting sustainability and betterment of the environment.
Nine on the Hudson | Nine on the Hudson, K. Hovnanian Homes’ premier 278-unit condo building in West New York, NJ features five-star amenities including a designated parking spot for every resident, in addition to access to several ChargePoint electric car charging stations. Resident benefits of electric car charging include a downloadable app for drivers, turn-by-turn direction to other stations and alerts when cars are finished charging. Audi, Toyota, Honda, Volvo, Mercedes, etc. are all compatible with ChargePoint technology.
Circa Central Park | Circa Central Park, residential development in Manhattan’s Upper West Side neighborhood offers on-site parking and has eco-friendly universal electric vehicle chargers for residents to use. These installations make it easier for homeowners to be on the go while still helping reduce carbon emissions. What’s more and why look at now? Circa has just received a silver LEED certificate.
Rock House | Rock House, Grace Bay Resorts’ latest luxury residential resort inspired by the Mediterranean coast, will bring sustainable design to Turks and Caicos when it breaks ground later this year. Crafted by Coast Architects, each Rock House cottage will boast a limestone feature wall created from the very limestone that the homes are built upon. Other sustainable design features will include aerodynamic roofs made of wood shingle, which can resist the effects of strong storms, maintaining native planting and maximizing the use of natural ventilation.
