{"id":1004362337,"date":"2019-10-24T04:55:39","date_gmt":"2019-10-24T12:55:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.commercialsearch.com\/news\/?p=1004362337"},"modified":"2019-10-29T09:28:54","modified_gmt":"2019-10-29T17:28:54","slug":"sustainability-starts-with-people","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.commercialsearch.com\/news\/sustainability-starts-with-people\/","title":{"rendered":"Sustainability Starts With People"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>

Jodi Smits Anderson, Director of Sustainability Programs, Dormitory Authority of the State of New York<\/p><\/div>\n

With sustainability and green design at the forefront of the commercial real estate industry, biophilia, health and wellness, net zero energy and efficiency are hot topics in development and design. That’s why the U.S. Green Building Council’s Massachusetts chapter hosted its first Design 4 People conference in Boston this week. Here are some top takeaways from the inaugural event.<\/p>\n

\n

READ ALSO: <\/strong>Energy Efficiency Scorecard: Rating the States<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

Biophilia can be defined as humanity’s innate need to connect with nature and the natural environment. Jodi Smits Anderson, director of Sustainability Programs, Dormitory Authority of the State of New York, said this can be simplified into three segments: mind, in which your employees show higher scores in attention and reliability; body, where daylight is shown to regulate the body’s melatonin and aids in sleep; and spirit, producing an environment in which employee presence and productivity increase. <\/p>\n

“The most important part of biophilia is talking about satisfaction in a building as much as nature,”<\/em> she said. “It’s about connecting something local, something familiar.” <\/em><\/p>\n

Smits Anderson also shared the five strongest requirements for basic functioning in a building: (1) adjustability\u2014varying temperature, air, lights, etc., (2) ability to act on the environment and see the effects, (3) meaningful stimuli (stagnancy brings on chronic stress), (4) one’s own territory (for safety, an identity, and protections), and (5) views to the outside world. <\/p>\n

Developing with green in mind<\/h2>\n

Matt Edlen, director East Coast\/Midwest Development, Gerding Edlen, offered several case studies of how his firm took underutilized areas and transformed them into mixed-use districts focused on energy efficiency and community creation. “Green is not just an ‘addition to’ initiative. It’s something that can drive value,”<\/em> he noted. “In order to get anyone to buy in, you have to start with building a community and creating inviting spaces.”<\/em><\/p>\n

In order to achieve this, developers should keep in mind the following principles of place:<\/p>\n