Oregon Facilities Jan-Feb 2012
-
Upload
jengo-media -
Category
Documents
-
view
219 -
download
0
description
Transcript of Oregon Facilities Jan-Feb 2012
Management AcquisitionLANGLEY Purchases Management Entity
Healthcare FacilitiesA Study on Efficiency
LEEDOffice Space Earns Platinum Rating
11228855
2 I OREGON FACILITIES JAN/FEB 2012
OREGON FACILITIES JAN/FEB 2012 I 3
DEPARTMENTS
JAN/FEB 2012
FEATURES
5
10
12
4
16
15
13
18
22
8LEED
On the Cover: Milwaukie aims for comfort and efficiencyin its south downtown plans for transit-oriented development.Photo courtesy TriMet.
8LEED
Transit-Oriented DevelopmentTransit Spreads to Milwaukie
Management AcquisitionLANGLEY Purchases Management Entity
Healthcare FacilitiesA Study on Efficiency
21
Editor’s Letter
Tenant ImprovementsA Vital Part of Medical Office Leases
Building Information ModelingThe Evolution and Implementation
Energy ManagementA Complicated Study in Typical Challenges
RoofingInexpensive Roofing Options
Briefly
Pest Control
4 I OREGON FACILITIES JAN/FEB 2012
CONTACTPublisherTravis [email protected]
Executive EditorKelly [email protected]
AdvertisingBrian [email protected]
Editorial AssistantKristen [email protected]
Art DirectorDoug Conboy
Contributing Writers
Executive EditorOregon Facilities
Oregon FacilitiesPO Box 970281Orem, Utah 84097Office: 801.224.5500Fax: 801.407.1602www.OregonFacilities.com
EDITOR’S LETTER
Tom BergmannSteve BryantJonathan CohenMary Coolidge
Jeff HarrounAlexandra
IonescuChristopher
Sonnenberg
When compiling content for Facilities Magazines, I often get pitches from our
contributors for articles on sustainability, greening a building or environmentally-
friendly practices. Sometimes I wonder if the topic of green has become too much
of a focus in our publications – and in the commercial real estate industry in
general.The thought crossed my mind while I was attending educational sessions
at the International Facility Management Association’s World Workplace, held in
October in Phoenix, Ariz.The topic of sustainability was a common thread
throughout all of the classes – even in sessions where green would seemingly be
unrelated to the subject matter.
In one class, Crossing the Sustainability Chasm: Strategies and Tactics to Achieve
Sustainability Goals, John Clark, director of corporate marketing for TRIRIGA,
pointed out that commercial real estate facilities release the greatest percentage of
greenhouse gases.Their impact on the environment is substantial.Thus, building
owners have the greatest opportunity to reduce carbon emissions and make the
greatest impact on improving our environment.
The opening speaker at World Workplace, Bjorn Lomborg, author of ‘Cool It: The
Skeptical Environmentalist’s Guide to Global Warming’, addressed a new form of
thinking when it comes to tackling sustainability issues – such as global warming.
In his speech, Lomborg suggested the key to solving environmental issues is not
necessarily through energy-efficient measures, especially considering the costs of
such measures. Issues that have been tied to global warming need to be analyzed
more critically and researchers need to determine and attack the root of the
problem, Lomborg said. In the meantime, building owners and facilities managers
need to do the research on sustainability and implement energy-efficient measures
in their facilities that are both affordable and effective, he said.
“I believe today’s facility professionals need to focus on environmental solutions
that make cold financial sense, while emphasizing policies that will do the most
green good for the money spent,” Lomborg said.
The benefits of green practices are infinite. Building owners are saving money and
energy.They are improving the conditions of their buildings and the environment.
In addition, buildings that are energy efficient are more likely to find long-term,
happy tenants. So for the time being and for as long as energy-efficiency is
important in the industry, we will continue to publish articles on sustainability.
The publisher is not responsible for the accuracy of the articles in Oregon Facilities. The information containedwithin has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable. Neither the publisher nor any other partyassumes liability for loss or damage as a result of reliance on this material. Appropriate professional adviceshould be sought before making decisions.
Copyright 2012 Oregon Facilities Magazine. Oregon Facilities is a Trademark owned by Jengo Media.
Oregon Facilities is a proudBOMA National Associate member.
OREGON FACILITIES JAN/FEB 2012 I 5
T ransit-oriented development is spreading like
wildfire throughout the western states. A recentarea experiencing the heat: Milwaukie, Oregon,
an inner-ring suburb of Portland. The Portland regionis expecting to add one million new residents and nearly100,000 new jobs within the project corridor by 2030.The $1.49 billion light rail project, expected to open in2015, along with Milwaukie’s south downtown plan willbe the perfect transport-regulating solution for thegrowing population.
The Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail Transit Project willbe complemented with a station building at the TriangleSite in downtown Milwaukie.The station is being built forretail development, including bike shops and coffee shopswhere people can comfortably gather as they wait for trainsor passengers. The plans for the Milwaukie station areseparate from the light rail project, although both the cityand TriMet, Portland’s regional public transportationagency, are hoping to have the station building finished bythe time the light rail is completed.
continued on page 6
Milwaukie Aims for Comfort and Efficiency in its South Downtown PlansBy Kristen HutchingsAssociate Editor
Photo courtesy TriMet
6 I OREGON FACILITIES JAN/FEB 2012
“The station is an important parcel,and the city has strong ideas of whatshould be built there,” said KatieMangle, planning director for the Cityof Milwaukie.
The city has taken measures toensure the community, even the localhigh school students, have ampleopportunities to voice their concernsand see their ideas implemented at thestation. As of now, downtown willcontinue to be occupied by localbusinesses.
A Bridge to the FutureIn addition to maintaining a local
feel, the community expressed theirconcern over the construction plans ofTriMet’s Kellogg Creek light rail bridge.The original plan for the large concreteinfrastructure would block too muchsunlight, diminishing the cozy,hometown effect the community hadenvisioned. To combat this, the city andTriMet came up with a few solutions.The columns of the bridge will beminimized in size, and many will beeliminated completely. In addition, noneof the columns of the 700-foot bridgewill be submerged in Kellogg Creek, abrighter and greener move for theenvironment. The bridge’s abutments,the areas where the bridge supportstouch land, will have surface treatmentsat a pedestrian scale, especially innorthern downtown, and will include
texture and lighting that will make it afriendlier, safer place to walk, Manglesaid.
“The bridge really could have lookedlike a highway bridge, all concrete andreally bulky,” said Mangle. “Instead,TriMet worked with the community touse materials like Corten steel tubs thatare more earthy than concrete andintroduced details like special railingsand texture on the columns that will addsome more craft. Even though it’s still avery large infrastructure, it will have alittle bit more human feel to it.”
Excess car traffic is discouraged insouth downtown. In fact, Milwaukie’shistoric neighborhood has alreadyembraced the biking industry, an aspectthat goes hand-in-hand with TOD.Future mixed-use development in thearea will make walking, biking andtransit easier for residents and visitors.
Store Front ImprovementBusinesses have also taken part in the
planning process, which is why part ofthe south downtown plan includes thestore front improvement grant program.Financial funding is available to retailersfor basic touch-up projects that abide bythe design standards the businessowners and managers have agreed toimplement, said Mangle.
“It’s amazing what a difference just anew paint job with a few differentaccent colors can make to really brightenup a building,” Mangle said. “Other
buildings are replacing windows, one isreplacing a sign, some are replacinglighting.These are generally the projectsthat business owners have been thinkingabout for years. Once they know the citywill pay half of it, they are finally gettingthe estimates and getting the workdone. Most of it is superficial work thatdoesn’t require a lot of permits, doesn’trequire a huge investment, but will makea huge difference to how vibrant mainstreet looks.”
Mangle continued, “We are doing alot of coordinating, writing policy,encouraging private property owners todo things and connecting them withoutside resources.”
The city is encouraging localbuilding owners to work together onmarketing strategies as well as otherareas that need improvement.The SmallMoves Program helps owners identifyways to better utilize their property.Property and business owners who aremore organized are able to get involvedin the community and make smallchanges, helping the area increase
continued from page 5
Photo courtesy Ankrom Moisan Associated Architects
profits. The seemingly small changeswill enhance the aesthetics of the areaand pave the way for biggerimprovements. The area is alreadybeginning to see a booming change,Mangle said.
The Boom Begins“We were talking to a commercial
real estate broker recently who isstarting to really work on the Milwaukiedowntown, and because of the light railand the cumulative effect of peoplemaking investments in Milwaukie, we’reactually seeing the beginning of aboom,” Mangle said. “I think there’smore development and retail activityhappening now then there was threeyears ago at the peak of everyone else’sboom.”
Milwaukie will eventually link toPortland by light rail, decreasing trafficand use of cars between the two cities.Milwaukie’s TOD will enhancetransportation efficiency in under-served communities and createcomfortable public areas.
“The light rail project will alsoincrease the value of the buildingsdowntown,” Mangle said. “That’s whatbusinesses outside of Milwaukie aretelling us. People are starting to noticeand think about Milwaukie in adifferent way now that the light rail iscoming. So, it will have a positive impacton the businesses on Main Street, partlybecause it will be on the radar of peoplewho haven’t really thought aboutMilwaukie before.” OF
Photo courtesy TriMet
OREGON FACILITIES JAN/FEB 2012 I 7
8 I OREGON FACILITIES JAN/FEB 2012
The Northwest Energy Effici-
ency Alliance’s office space,located in the historic
Commonwealth building in downtownPortland, has achieved U.S. GreenBuilding Council LEED forCommercial Interiors (LEED-CI)Platinum Certification. The rating isthe green benchmark for the tenantimprovement market and therecognized system for certifying high-performance green interiors. Thesespaces are noted for being healthy andproductive places to work. LEED-rated offices are less costly to operateand maintain and have a reducedenvironmental footprint.
“We are honored to be able to useour office space as a vehicle to promoteenergy efficiency while walking ourtalk,” said Claire Fulenwider, executive
director of NEEA. “We used the sameapproach to green leases that wepromote through our initiativeBetterBricks, including findingpartners with like-minded values andpriorities. The takeaway is that nomatter what kind of tenant or landlordyou are, energy efficiency is good foryour bottom line, for workplaceproductivity and for the environment.”
The partnership with NEEArepresents a commitment betweenlandlord and tenant, said Brett Phillips,director of sustainability for UnicoProperties LLC, the building’s owner.
“When you marry a green buildingwith a sustainability-minded tenant,you create high-performing buildingsystems that maximize environmentaland economic efficiencies,” Phillipssaid. “NEEA has become an important
ally to Unico both as a tenant and as apartner in the sustainability world.And, as an owner with a distinct focuson sustainable building operations, wehave made numerous investments atthe Commonwealth Building to enabletenants like NEEA to more easilyachieve LEED-CI certification. We arehonored to collaborate with NEEA onits efforts in achieving this premiergreen benchmark.”
In addition to Unico, thecollaborative team includedBrightworks, Ditroen Inc., ColliersInternational, Convia Inc., GreenBuilding Services, Herman Miller,Lloyd Johnson Consulting, LUMALighting, Pacific Office Furnishings,Russell Construction Inc., SmithCFI,Steelcase Inc. and WGS Interiors.
“There was a large team of partners,
Photos courtesy of NEEA
OREGON FACILITIES JAN/FEB 2012 I 9
manufacturers, designers and vendorsinvolved to make this all happen,” saidSusan Hermenet, who was in charge ofthe relocation and maximizing energyefficiency in the new space. “Theirprofessionalism and knowledge were akey component in a seamless transitioninto our space while giving us the toolsneeded for a LEED Platinum rating.”
NEEA’s office space utilizes manysustainable and green attributes thathelped garner its rating. The office’sLighting Power Density (LPD) is.52/W/ft2 and uses 53 percent lessenergy each year compared to Oregoncode.
Open and closed office areas havedaylight sensors that dim overheadlamps in response to increased daylightthrough the large windows. Employeeworkstations are wired into the Conviaenergy management system thatmonitors energy used (by both lightingand plug loads) at employeeworkstations. An occupancy sensor ateach workstation allows for equipment
to be turned off automatically when theworkstation is vacant, resulting inreduced plug loads.
Marmoleum floors and bamboocountertops were used for the kitchen,which also includes a recycling stationfor composting food scraps and paper.No-VOC paints were used for theentire office, while employees who bikeinto work can park their bikes in one ofthe many bike spaces within the offices.
As part of its “green lease,” NEEAagreed to seek and maintain LEED forCommercial Interiors certification andnot use or operate the building in a waythat does not conform with thecertification. Meanwhile, the buildingowner agreed to separately sub-meterNEEA’s exclusive electrical usage andcooperate with NEEA during itspursuit of the LEED rating. NEEA hasbeen sharing its practices with othertenants and landlords transparently.
“NEEA is ‘walking the walk’,” saidPhillips. “By earning Platinum LEEDstatus for its office space, NEEA is
demonstrating that energy retrofits haveboth environmental and economicadvantages for tenants, owners,buildings,communities and the entire region.”
NEEA is located in the historicCommonwealth building, originallynamed the Equitable Building when itwas built in 1948 by renownedarchitect Pietro Belluschi.The buildingwas the first in the U.S. to use a double-glazing window system and the firstlarge commercial building in the nationto use heat pumps for heating andcooling. The rating is the ninthachieved in the Portland metro area.
The Northwest Energy EfficiencyAlliance is a non-profit organizationworking to maximize energy efficiency tomeet their future energy needs. NEEA issupported by and works in partnershipwith Bonneville Power Administration,Energy Trust of Oregon and more than100 Northwest utilities. For moreinformation, visit neea.org. OF
Some of the key highlights of the LEED-CI Platinum Certification include:• 84 out of 88 points were awarded
• High-performance lighting uses 53 percent less energy than required by Oregon code
• Water-efficiency measures use 44 percent less water than a comparable space without these efficiencies
• 100 percent of the furniture is certified as meeting requirements for healthy indoor air quality
• Most of the building materials contain no or low-VOC content, a key component of indoor air quality
• During construction, 95 percent of the waste was diverted from landfills, while 29 percent of construction materialscontained high-recycled content
10 I OREGON FACILITIES JAN/FEB 2012
Former Ashforth PacificCEO Purchases
Company AssetsScott Langley Plans
to Create aMore Efficient
Business Model
By Kelly LuxExecutive Editor
LANGLEY INVESTMENT
PROPERTIES, a newly-formedinvestment management company
by Scott Langley,has bought the manage-ment entity of Ashforth Pacific, Inc., aConnecticut-based commercial real estatecompany with a strong presence on theWest Coast. LANGLEY will be anequity provider along-side its institutionalpartners in future acquisitions anddevelopments.
The acquisition will give Langley,former president and CEO of AshforthPacific, control of approximately threemillion square feet of Class A mid- andhigh-rise office space and nearly 100
Photos courtesy LANGLEY INVESTMENT PROPERTIES
employees in Portland, Seattle and SanFrancisco. The LANGLEY portfolioincludes the Pacwest Center, nearly523,000 square-feet of Class A officespace, the Lloyd Center Tower, another434,000 square feet, the Liberty Centre at278,000 square feet, the Orrick Buildingat 504,000 square feet and the ExchangeBuilding with approximately 300,000square feet of Class A office space.
Langley worked with Ashforth formore than a decade and doubled thesize of the portfolio in that time. Hewill continue to focus on investment,development and management servicesas an owner, partner and operator,providing asset, property, parking,construction and developmentmanagement expertise as well as leasingand building engineering services. Bycentralizing ownership of the company,Langley hopes to create a more efficientbusiness model.
“Everyone is excited about thetransition and the local ownership,”Langley said.“There is a strong, positiveattitude about bringing the company’sheadquarters locally – to the WestCoast.”
The company will continue similaroperations under the new name with apush toward expansion in Portland,Seattle and San Francisco and otheropportunities along the West Coast.
Growing LANGLEY INVEST-MENT PROPERTIES Langley withnew and existing partners will be a toppriority for Langley.
“We are always looking for otherexisting assets in which to invest. Weare also contemplating futuredevelopment,” Langley said. Currentlyin the planning stages, LANGLEY andAmerican Asset Trust are wellunderway in the development of theLloyd District Superblock. TheSuperblock will be a mixed-usedevelopment featuring office, retail andhousing nestled in the Lloyd BusinessDistrict along the new street car line,minutes from downtown Portland,blocks from the Rose Garden andConvention Center.
“Our vision is to strengthen andexpand LANGLEY’s portfolio, to invest,manage and develop as owners, operatorsand partners of prime commercial officespace,”Langley said.“We will continue tofocus on existing markets. From anoperational standpoint, this transactionshould be seamless to our tenants,vendors and contractors.”
LANGLEY INVESTMENTPROPERTIES will also continue tomanage their buildings on a sustainablelevel – a management style alreadyimplemented by Ashforth Pacific, saidWade Lange, vice president of propertymanagement. Many of the buildings in
LANGLEY’s portfolio have beenrecognized with a Leadership
in Energy and Environ-mental Design
Certification. OF
Scott C. LangleyPresident and CEO
Scott Langley is president andCEO of LANGLEY INVESTMENTPROPERTIES. His career nowspans more than 30 years ofdiversified real estateexperience.
As chief executive, he isresponsible for overall strategicdirection and profitability ofLangley and its partnerships. Heoversees all operating divisionsincluding investment anddevelopment, leasing andmarketing, asset, property andparking management,construction management andgeneral contracting, as well asaccounting and finance.
Prior to founding LANGLEY, hewas the president and CEO ofits predecessor, Ashforth Pacific,for 11 years. Langley previouslyserved as senior managingdirector of Cushman &Wakefield and was responsiblefor institutional markets and TheBoeing Company relationship.
A frequent speaker to businessand industry, Langley is activein the community and hasserved on numerous business,community and non-profitboards. He is the former boardchair and founder of thePortland State University Centerfor Real Estate and a currentboard director of the PortlandBusiness Alliance.
Langley is a graduate of theUniversity of Oregon, LundquistCollege of Business, majoring inReal Estate Finance. Accredita-tions and memberships include:the American Society of RealEstate Counselors (CRE), UrbanLand Institute (ULI), AppraisalInstitute (MAI), NationalAssociation of Industrial andOffice Properties (NAIOP) andthe Building Owners andManagers Association (BOMA).He is also a licensed real estatebroker in both Oregon andWashington.
OREGON FACILITIES JAN/FEB 2012 I 11
12 I OREGON FACILITIES JAN/FEB 2012
T he Legacy Salmon Creek
Medical Center in Vancouver,Washington, was built to
perform more efficiently than thetypical United States hospital in termsof electricity and natural gas. The456,086 square-foot facility wasconstructed with several energy efficientfeatures, including relatively aggressivesupply air temperature reset, heatrecovery on 100 percent of outside airsystems and on steam boiler blow-down, variable frequency drive capacitycontrol on the chillers, high efficiencylight sources, daylighting controls anddirect digital controls for HVACsystems. Because of its reputation forefficient energy use, the 220-bed
medical center, which was built in 2005,was an ideal research hospital for afederally-funded energy studyconducted by the University ofWashington’s Integrated Design Laband Eugene-based Solarc Architectureand Engineering Inc.
“For the purposes of the researchproject, the study hospital needed to bea new facility within an acute careprogram area of about 500,000 squarefeet, preferably located in the WesternUnited States. Legacy Salmon CreekMedical Center satisfied all of thesecriteria,” said Michael Hatten, principalof Solarc. “In addition, the researchteam, and its Northwest EnergyEfficiency Alliance (NEEA) sponsor,
has a longstanding relationship withLegacy Salmon Creek Medical Centerinvolving retro-commissioning andtune-up efforts. This relationshipcontributed to positive communicationand facility support for being involvedin our research effort.”
The study, which was conductedduring a one-month period in January2011, was performed to confirmassumptions about how and wherehospitals in the United States useenergy. The national study, whichreceived funding from the U.S.Department of Energy, through theAmerican Recovery and ReinvestmentAct, and the Northwest EnergyEfficiency Alliance’s BetterBricksInitiative, was conducted in response toa regional study which called intoquestion conventional design andoperation assumptions related to energyuse, Hatten said.
“This kind of detailed data is simplynot available to experts in hospitaldesign, construction and operationsnationally; it is much needed andanticipated by those seeking to develophigh performance hospitals,” saidHeather Burpee, research assistantprofessor with the University ofWashington Integrated Design Lab.
National societies, such as theAmerican Society of Heating,Refrigerating and Air-ConditioningEngineers, along with key engineeringfirms and the U.S. Department ofEnergy, will be able to use the data fromthe study to make more informeddecisions when working with designteams and hospital owners who want tosave energy at their facilities.The resultswill be helpful for both newconstruction and retrofitting.
The University of Washingtonproject team was provided access tobuilding drawings, electricaldistribution systems, facility details anddata on various devices to conduct thestudy at the Legacy Salmon CreekMedical Center, said Pat Lydon,sustainability coordinator for LegacyHealth. Portable data loggers wereinstalled. Extensive trend loggingwithin the hospital’s digital controlsystem was implemented. Data fromthe collection and analysis of electricaland natural gas submeters was archived.And a detailed, fully-calibrated building
Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center StudyShows How Hospitals Use EnergyBy Kelly LuxExecutive Editor
energy model of the hospital wasdeveloped. Facilities operations staff atLegacy Health worked closely with theproject team to better understand theprocesses of gathering andunderstanding the data collected duringthe study, Lydon said.
“Some hospitals have extensivesubmetering, where they can track andmeasure energy consumption. We don’thave the level of submetering necessaryto provide the level of detail this studyproduced,”Lydon said. “This study gaveus the ability to learn more for ourselveswhere energy is actually being used.”
The study was informational abouthow energy is used at Legacy SalmonCreek Medical Center and generalizeshow energy is used in hospitals acrossthe nation, said Hatten.
“Our participation in this study wasbeneficial since it provided us with amuch deeper level of understandingrelated to energy use in the building,”Lydon said. “This information is usefulto us in tuning our systems foroptimum efficiency and to identify andprioritize additional energy-savingopportunities.”
In the Legacy Salmon Creek study,end uses of fossil fuels, such as centralheating, reheat, potable water heating,cooking, humidification and steriliza-tion, were determined. The end uses ofelectrical systems such as lighting, fanmotors, pump motors, coolingequipment and electric receptacle loadswere also evaluated. Additionally, anumber of miscellaneous end uses wereanalyzed, including elevators, specialtyimaging equipment, compressed air,vacuum pumps, pneumatic shuttlesystem, water purification and freezeprotection.
Findings countered some of theconclusions from the preceding study,said Hatten. The original findingssuggested that potable water heatingaccounted for between 10 and 11percent of the hospital’s annual energyuse. The Legacy Salmon Creek studyindicated that potable water heatingamounted to about 2 percent of theannual energy used. Additionally, theimaging equipment at the medicalcenter uses less energy than had beenanticipated.
Tenant improvements (TIs)
are an important part of any
commercial real estate lease,
but they are especially important for
medical users. Medical TIs are more
expensive and complex and tend to
take longer than non-medical office
space improvements. Hiring a
commercial real estate broker to
negotiate the lease and tenant
improvement package provides
tenants with an expert who can
leverage for the best possible
outcome.
Tenant improvements for non-
medical office space generally fall
between $20 and $40 per square
foot. Medical offices typically
require more extensive work, and
users should expect a significantly
higher cost for TIs. For a general
medical practice, they are likely to
range from $70 to $100 per square
foot, while dentistry TIs can fall
between $100 and $130 per square
foot. These estimates are simply
guidelines; TIs may be higher or
lower depending on factors such as
what shape the space is in and the
quality of finishes desired.
Some needs that are unique to
medical office space are load-
bearing floors that can support
heavy machinery, rooms specially
suited for equipment such as X-rays
and CT scans and higher electrical
capacity to operate these machines.
In addition, medical suites generally
require more extensive plumbing,
especially in the case of dental
offices, along with specific lighting
requirements, which is an important
criterion for cosmetic surgeons and
dermatologists.
While typical office build-outs
will likely take about 30 to 60 days,
medical office build-outs will
generally take longer than
traditional offices. Expect about 10
to 12 weeks for medical space, and
an average of 12 weeks for dental
office space.
Due to the cost of relocating a
practice and performing tenant
improvements, medical tenants
often sign longer leases and stay in
the same space for a longer term
than other office users. So when
signing a medical office lease, it’s
important to think carefully about
square footage. Many doctors add a
partner within five years of opening
a practice, so if this is a possibility, it
makes sense to lease and improve a
slightly larger space than a practice
may immediately need.
Many medical tenants are now
considering retail space for their
offices, as retail spaces may be
conveniently located in high
visibility areas with good signage.
ZoomCare, which has a unique
business model and has quickly
expanded to eight clinics in
Portland, mostly in high-traffic areas
like Hawthorne Boulevard and
Alberta Street, recently opened its
first location outside of the area in
Seattle’s Capitol Hill. While office
leases are typically full service, retail
leases are calculated on a triple net
basis, in which case tenants are
responsible for expenses such as
property taxes, building maintenance
and utilities. So it’s important to take
all costs into consideration when
negotiating a lease.
At the height of the recession,
the office market was unquestion-
continued on page 14 continued on page 14
OREGON FACILITIES JAN/FEB 2012 I 13
Tenant ImprovementPackage a Vital Part ofMedical Office LeasesBy Alexandra Ionescu
ably a tenant’s market. In order to
attract tenants, landlords gave
generous terms, including rent
abatements or larger TI allowances.
The overall economy has improved
since then, but office vacancy in
certain submarkets, especially in the
suburbs, has remained relatively
high. As a result, many landlords are
still offering attractive tenant
improvement packages. But these
concessions will decrease as the
market improves, so it’s a good idea
to start exploring renewal or
relocation options now.
Hire a broker who will do their
due diligence and help guide tenants
through the process. A good broker
has extensive market knowledge and
resources that are not at most
tenants’ disposal and can assist in the
especially complicated tenant
improvement process. And in a
majority of cases, tenant
representation won’t cost a company
anything; landlords generally pay the
fee charged by the tenant’s broker.
With a large population of aging
baby boomers and health care reform
causing many more Americans to
seek medical care, we expect the
demand for medical office space to
continue to increase in coming years.
Medical tenants can ease the process
of finding space and negotiating a
lease, while saving both time and
money, by hiring a broker.
Real Estate
Broker
Alexandra
Ionescu
specializes in
Portland-area
off ice leasing
and sales,
particularly medical space, at NAI
Norris, Beggs & Simpson, a real estate
brokerage and asset/property
management company. Contact her at
503.273.0314. OF
continued from page 13
It was also discovered that the largestsingle energy user at the hospital wasthe air-reheating equipment. Air iscooled to a common low temperaturethroughout the hospital, and thenreheated to provide comfortable airtemperatures in individual rooms.Opportunities to reduce the amount ofreheating done in hospitals is limitedbut promising, according to a pressrelease from Legacy Health.
“Most of the documented energystatistics are relevant for most modernacute care hospitals across the country,”Hatten said. “We have shared theresults with other hospital energyresearch efforts that are ongoing inparallel to this one.Energy us that is notdependent upon climate can begeneralized across many hospitals.Several interesting results have made forcompelling thinking on the part of
other hospital energy stakeholders.”Currently in the process of
implementing energy efficiencymeasures as a result of a previous study,Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Centerwill continue to evaluate itsmanagement plans to improve itsefficiency, Lydon said.
“Through this study, we canunderstand which measures have thehighest potential for return,” saidLydon. “This study validated the firststudy. It has been a great learningexperience for us. I was aware of thebenefits of tracking energy use at thislevel of detail, but this gave us somehands-on experience with placing dataloggers, and confirmed we could do sowithout creating any disruption toclinical processes. It also confirmed itwas possible for them to remainundisturbed long enough to gather thenecessary data for a useful report.” OF
14 I OREGON FACILITIES JAN/FEB 2012
Legacy Salmon Creek Annual Energy End Use Breakdown:EUI 215 kBtu/sf-yr
Misc. Equipment: 13 PercentInterior Lighting: 8.2 Percent
Fossil FuelReheat: 42.3 PercentPreheat: 3.5 PercentService Hot Water: 1.7 PercentProcess Steam: 6.2 PercentKitchen, Labs, Etc: 1.2 Percent
ElectricHVAC Fans: 10.6 PercentPumps: 5.7 PercentHeat Rejection: 0.2 PercentCooling: 4.2 PercentElevators: 0.7 PercentPlant Med. Equipment: 0.8 PercentImaging: 0.8 PercentKitchen: 0.9 Percent
continued from page 13
Photos courtesy Legacy Salmon Creek
OREGON FACILITIES JAN/FEB 2012 I 15
T he commercial construction
industry has made significant
advancements in using and
understanding the benefits of three-
dimensional modeling in pre-
construction coordination. BIM
coordination can be used in clash
detection and coordination between
trades. Coordination is usually managed
by either a mechanical contractor or
(general contractor, while having the
drafter work collaboratively with a field
electrician on a project team provides
the best opportunity for success.
The BIM model is a template to
build prefab items and assemblies. This
begins early in every project where
prefab opportunities are reviewed for
underground raceways and temporary
power. As the project continues, the
BIM model is used in identifying
prefab opportunities with supports,
raceways, equipment mounting, box
assemblies, panels, fixtures, devices,
labeling and more.
Layout of hangers, sleeves and
inserts prior to concrete pours are
included in the BIM model and
reviewed through clash testing, BIM
surveying and detailing coordination.
Working and installation clearances can
also be worked into the BIM model
through the use of a separate layer, all
while coordinating with subcontractors.
The model is updated throughout the
project life cycle while coordinating
with the project team and other trades
involved. This effort makes it possible
to deliver three-dimensional as-built
drawings to the owner when the project
is completed.
Benefits of BIMThe primary benefit of having a
collaborative model of a project comes
when potential conflicts or clashes can
be managed prior to installation. All
trades have the opportunity to see their
portion of scope overlaid with the rest
of the team. Answering questions and
establishing resolutions before they
impact a project not only saves money
but establishes open lines of
communication that may not have been
forged prior to construction.
When the BIM team coordinator
fails to update the live model for all
trades associated, BIM does not work.
In rare instances, BIM may be managed
incorrectly where issues are not
discussed or caught prior to
construction. This is the result of
undefined expectations and a limited
understanding of the use of the
program. Recovery from
mismanagement may be time
consuming up front, but the benefit of
no further clashes and clear project
planning makes up a major portion of
the cost and time. All parties involved
need to be fully committed to the use of
the BIM model to receive the benefits.
If a project is continued without
recovery of the BIM model, further cost
and schedule delays will occur.
Jeff Harroun and Steve Bryant are
BIM/Cad Coordinators at Oregon
Electric Group. Tom Bergmann assists
with scheduling and planning at Oregon
Electric Group. They can be reached at
503.234.9900 or visit www.oregon-
electric.com. OF
The Evolution andImplementation of BIMBy Jeff Harroun, Steve Bryant and Tom Bergmann
building information modelingProject Profile
Randall Children’s Hospitalat Legacy Emanuel
Randall Children’s Hospitalrecently utilized BIM throughout theentire construction lifecycle. Theproject required a significant effort intime management, particularly fordeliveries and prefab, especially dueto the heavy pedestrian foot trafficand limited site access.
This job required coordination of10 floors as well as undergroundlevels with the mechanical,plumbing, fire sprinkler andpneumatic tube contractors, alongwith the architectural and structuralengineers. Complex conduit routingunder the basement floor to the mainswitchgear, emergency switchgear,automatic transfer switches anddistribution panels, avoidingunderground plumbing and concretefootings, were modeled into theprogram. From there, massiveconduit racks, busway runs, andcable tray were modeled tosometimes share rack with plumbingor mechanical pipe, while avoidingconflict with any other trades.Placement of support racks withinthe model, including threaded rodand seismic support, allowed a vastnumber of pre-fabricated rackassemblies, as well as pre-placementof support anchors in the ceilings.Each floor’s electric rooms includedsets of stacked transformers, withsteel support racks which were alsoprefabricated. The electricians on siteused their laptop computers and thefinished models to facilitate theirinstallations, following their conduitruns through the model to clarifyexactly how everything piecedtogether.
The finished product ended uplooking similar to the BIM model.The BIM model contributed to theoverall safety of the site throughimproved communication amongtrades. Having a positive buy-inattitude resulted in fewer clashesamong trades and enhanced timemanagement.
16 I OREGON FACILITIES JAN/FEB 2012
A Complicated Study in Typical Challengesat St. David’s Episcopal ChurchBy Jonathan Cohen
L ike many non-profit owned
facilities that do not have
enough funds to go around,
spending money on improvements is
often a difficult choice to make. Many
buildings, like St. David’s Episcopal
Church in Southeast Portland, are 60
to 80 years old – not quite old enough
to have changed a major HVAC
system. As a result, there is an
antiquated, poorly-operating original
system, with many, many undocu-
mented scabs and improvements
installed over the years.
St. David’s had many problems
other than its age. The church rents
out all of the space, not just for
religious services and events, but also
for community groups, day care and
small non-profits. As such, there are
disparate comfort needs and a
complicated weekly schedule. Making
the rooms comfortable in time for
events without slurping too much
energy is a challenge for the staff. And
how does the building shell fit into this
situation? Is it working with the
HVAC system, or against it? The result
is a frustrating situation for the staff,
with no clear answers as to how to
address severe comfort, controls and
energy efficiency problems.
Unknotting the IssuesGetting caught up in the challenges
and complaints can be easy for the
staff, who will want to lunge at the first
problem – the giant, old, oil-burning
boiler. But stepping back and
attempting to sort out and untangle
the various issues is an important step
before taking action. It requires an
engineering approach.
A simple energy audit, examining
the layout of the HVAC system,
controls and building shell, was
performed at St. David’s. Here’s what
was found:
HVAC: An original 1950s
steam/hot water boiler with an oil
burner upgraded in the 1980s. The
boiler connected to 10 hydronic fan
coils throughout the building. Some
zones had pumps per units, others have
one pump for multiple air handlers.
Thermostatic controls were basic.
Room thermostats sent signals to
thermal-mechanical mixing controls,
which reduced temperature of water to
air handlers. Pumps and fans
continued to run, despite satisfied
stats. Duct distribution was decent
with fresh air intake controls. There
were duplicate, mislabeled controls,
with separate pump and fan switches
in the boiler room, plus breakers and
duplicate switches in the upstairs hall.
Building Shell: The building is
about 25,000 square feet with a full
basement and a single-story brick
facade (with concrete block) and fixed
single pane glazing with wood frames.
The walls, basement and attic were not
insulated. Evidence of significant air
leaks was present.
Electrical Consumption: Lights,
domestic hot water, plug loads, HVAC
fans/pumps and kitchen appliances all
ran off electricity. The baseload was
high with no clear cause.
SolutionsEnergy Cost: Current annual oil
costs were more than $12,000, even
with oil averaging $2.50 per gallon. In
previous years, it had peaked at more
than $4 per gallon and required
Before (Average)Energy Usage Before:4,800 gallons per year of heating oil
Energy Costs Before:$12,000/year average (last four years,$2.50/gallon average price, but up to $4/gallon)
Carbon Footprint Before:53.4 tons of CO2 emitted per year
After (Predicted)Energy Usage After:5,088 therms per year of natural gas
Energy Costs After:$5,500/year average ($1.12/therm current price,as high as $1.4/therm two years ago)
Carbon Footprint After:0.33 Tons of CO2 emitted per year
ReductionsEnergy 24 Percent Reduction / Costs 54 Percent Reduction / Carbon 99.4 Percent Reduction (Wow!)
OREGON FACILITIES JAN/FEB 2012 I 17
constant gaming (What time to buy in
the season? When to fill the tank?) to
get a good deal in the volatile market.
Besides obvious low boiler efficiency,
fuel choice was the problem. Switching
to natural gas would easily half fuel
costs, if not more. Upgrading to a new
natural gas furnace would solve
combustion losses of the old oil burner,
as well as take advantage of the low
natural gas costs. Controls would
follow.
High electrical costs stemmed from
the HVAC system controls, which
operated the pumps and fans 24/7, 365
days a year. A new control system
would be necessary to reduce energy
consumption, provide finer control and
better scheduling.
Most building shell improvements
are difficult to access, so not cost-
effective, except for the attic. R-30
closed-cell spray foam could easily be
applied to the majority of the attic
(except for the vaulted chapel),
providing air sealing and insulation
benefits. Savings were estimated at 10
percent.
Comfort and Controls: The
system consisted of a decently
arranged duct system with no ability to
individually control half of the existing
fan coils, which are all on the same
circuit, except with crude mixing valves
or manually shutting off controls in
the hall. A new control system would
allow each fan coil to be shut off
individually, preventing cool air from
blowing and reducing base electrical
loads substantially. Due to the size of
the building, wireless, seven-day
programmable thermostats were
selected. Despite the heavy
construction, the wireless Honeywell
system worked flawlessly across 100
feet. New hydronic zone controls
actuated each pump and fan upon a
thermostat call. The ability to program
allows for better scheduling of events
and comfort.
Mixing valves were disabled and
fresh air controls were left as is. The
old (more-than-two ton) boiler was
cut up with a torch and removed.
Asbestos insulation was abated. New
permanent labeling, manuals and
documentation eliminated confusion
from the old system.
The engineering approach was to
understand the existing goals and
conditions, and then implement
improvements in stages to achieve the
goals of a more comfortable, efficient
building. A complicated problem was
solved.
Jonathan Cohen is an engineer andprincipal at Imagine Energy, LLC, thecontractor and consultant at St. David’sEpiscopal Church. Cohen can be reachedat [email protected] or503.477.9585. OF
energy management
A renewed focus on integrating
green technology such as
rooftop photovoltaic (solar)
panels, wind turbines and vegetative
roofs onto new and existing buildings
has been driven and largely funded by
the federal government to reduce the
nation’s carbon footprint and increase
focus on clean renewable energy.
However, with ROIs that can push out
20 years or more, it is simply not
financially feasible for building owners
to incorporate these types of green
technologies.
Fortunately, several affordable and
environmentally-friendly methods,
materials and technologies can be
utilized. Many of these are simple
specification or material adjustments
that can save money on the installation
cost as well as future utility,
maintenance and replacement costs.
RecycleAlmost all materials used in
commercial roofing can be recycled.
While the technology exists to recycle
these materials, the location of the
recycling centers are far and
inconvenient, which can make the
separation and transportation of waste
materials costly.
However, some materials separate
and transport easily and can save in the
cost of paying for disposal containers
and landfill fees. Most single ply
membranes are recyclable and easy to
remove and transport. Lightweight
membranes can be folded or rolled and
strapped down to a flat bed truck,
making it easy to transport large
quantities and minimizing the cost of
transportation. Other lightweight,
recyclable materials like foam plastic
insulation can also be easily and
efficiently transported.
This economy of scale is only
applicable with large re-roofing
projects that will produce enough
recyclable material to fill a flat-bed
truck. Partial loads can be arranged as
well, but the cost of transportation is
excessive when compared to the cost of
disposal.
ReuseReuse the materials on a roof that
are still in good condition and won’t
affect the performance of a new roof
system. IBC (International Building
Code) allows for up to two roof
systems to be installed on a
commercial building. Thus a new roof
can be installed over an existing roof
and retain the existing R-Values, vapor
barriers and roof slope.
Obviously, if areas of insulation
have become wet or damaged in some
way, they will need to be removed
before installing the new roof.
Technology, such as infrared cameras,
can locate specific areas of wet
insulation, which can then be marked
and replaced prior to re-roofing. A
new cover board can be installed, along
with a new roof membrane with the
same performance and warranty as a
roof that was removed and then
replaced with new components.
The cost savings in this scenario
can be substantial. Consider replacing
a roof on a 100,000 square-foot
warehouse with an R-Value of 21 in
rigid foam polyisocyanurate insulation
(approximately 3.5 inches). To remove
this entire roof system to the roof deck
and install new insulation and
membrane would cost at least
$200,000 more than if this system
were to be overlaid with a new cover
board and roof membrane. Obviously,
local costs for tax, disposal,
transportation and labor would
contribute to the price.
Cool RoofsCool roofs in commercial, low slope
applications are those with a solar
reflectance value of 0.65 or higher
when new. That means 65 percent of
the sun’s total radiant heat energy is
reflected back into the atmosphere,
Save Money and the Environment withInexpensive Roofing OptionsBy Christopher Sonnenberg
18 I OREGON FACILITIES JAN/FEB 2012
rather than being absorbed by the
building. Cool roofs primarily
accomplish two things: substantially
reduce the amount of energy needed
for cooling and reduce peak electrical
demand by an overall 10 to 15 percent.
Cool roofs reduce the urban heat
island effect caused by heat-absorbing
infrastructure that raises urban
ambient temperatures and creates an
inversion, which traps air pollution and
creates smog.
Most manufacturers have created or
enhanced viable roofing membranes
that are Energy Star rated and
economical. Some roof membrane
systems also include 25- to 30-year
warranties.
Some conditioned buildings can
experience a 20 to 30 percent savings
in energy costs by simply switching
from a non-reflective to a cool roof
membrane. This can be enhanced with
rebates or incentives provided by state
and city governments and local utility
companies. Most of these incentives
need to be applied for before the
project begins.
DaylightingDaylighting, the use of natural light
to illuminate the interior space of a
building, is now a popular way for
building owners to save energy and
money and increase worker
satisfaction, sales and productivity.
Prismatic skylights refract the sun’s
rays into thousands of tiny micro
sunbeams, diffusing the direct sunlight
into a softer, brighter light. Building
owners can reduce their electrical
lighting requirements by as much as 70
percent when using prismatic skylights
in as little as 4 percent of the roof
surface.
Light sensors and lighting controls
often allow enough light to enter the
building through the prismatic
skylights, eliminating the need for
artificial lighting during most of the
day. This can make a substantial
impact on utility bills for the building
user, often yielding ROIs in less than
two years. With effective material life
spans matching that of commercial
roof systems (20 years or more), the
savings add up and the amount of
carbon emitted is reduced
substantially.
Christopher Sonnenberg is the senior
project manager for CentiMark
Roofing’s Portland branch. He has
worked with CentiMark in the
commercial roofing industry for more
than 12 years and is responsible for all of
Oregon and Southern Washington. OF
OREGON FACILITIES JAN/FEB 2012 I 19
roofing
Oct. 14, 2011, warrented some
good news for birds.The U.S.
Green Building Council
introduced a pilot bird-safety credit to
its Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design (LEED)
library. The credit is the latest (and
probably the most trend setting) move
to reduce the incidence of birds
colliding with building windows, an
occurrence that kills up to one billion
birds every year.
Most people have heard the
distinctive thud of a bird hitting a
window or have found a stunned or
dead bird under a window. Birds
misinterpret reflections of sky and
vegetation as a continuous flight path.
In other cases, birds are fooled by
windows meeting at corners or closely-
spaced windows (think sky bridges)
that appear to allow an unobstructed
fly-through. With vast improvements
in energy-efficient glass, the use of
glass as a building material has
increased, resulting in far greater
collision risk. In fact, the percentage of
unmarked glass on a building face is
the strongest predictor of its strike rate.
However, don’t assume this credit is
going to steer architectural trends
toward windowless warehouses. On the
contrary, pilot credit 55 directs
architects and designers to types of
window materials that have been tested
and rated for their visibility to birds.
Good design solutions can include
patterned window glass, opaque glass,
exterior screens, shutters and louvers –
anything to create visual noise that
alerts birds to the presence of a barrier.
The credit divides buildings into
higher and lower risk zones. Higher
risk zones must achieve a lower Bird
Collision Threat Rating than the lower
risk zones. Areas considered high risk
include the first three floors above
ground level, the first floor above an
eco-roof and all windowed corners or
fly-through conditions. The building
must also develop a three-year
effectiveness monitoring program.
In addition to a façade treatment
and monitoring, the credit requires that
overnight lighting be designed to
minimize light spill from both interior
spaces and exterior fixtures. Abundant
evidence suggests that birds are
attracted to light. Many songbirds are
night migrants, reliant on celestial cues
to guide them on their precarious
seasonal journeys. Lit areas can dilute
these critical navigational cues and lure
birds in, especially on overcast nights.
Some birds may strike buildings
outright. Some circle buildings until
they drop from exhaustion, where they
face myriad other threats, including
deceptive daytime window reflections.
Birds are not the only species
impacted by windows and artificial
light. Research into ecological light
pollution has revealed that the
carefully-timed, long-evolved life cycle
activity of mammals, amphibians,
20 I OREGON FACILITIES JAN/FEB 2012
LEED Adds a Bird Safety CreditBy Mary Coolidge
OREGON FACILITIES JAN/FEB 2012 I 21
insects and plants are also impacted by
artificial lighting schemes. The new
bird-safety credit addresses the hazard
of light pollution by requiring
properly-shielded fixtures, as well as
establishment of manual or automatic
shutoff programs from midnight to 6
a.m. (Safety lighting is exempt.) The
credit is synergistic with other LEED-
spirited goals. It minimizes waste of
electricity (and money), helps to reduce
carbon emissions, minimizes impacts
to wildlife and preserves our age-old
cultural heritage of stargazing.
To date, 22 cities in the United
States have initiated Lights Out
programs, in which building owners and
managers are asked to reduce
unnecessary overnight lighting to
minimize sky glow. For more
information on the Lights Out Portland
program, visit audubonportland.org.
This new LEED credit dovetails
well with a number of other existing
programs. Numerous municipalities
have produced bird-friendly building
guidelines, including San Francisco,
Chicago, New York City and Toronto
and the state of Minnesota. American
Bird Conservancy has now developed a
template that updates and universalizes
guidelines for use in any city. Guidelines
can be found at www.abcbirds.org/
newsandreports/BirdFriendlyBuilding
Design.pdf
Portland may be the first to use the
ABC template. In 2003, Portland
became one of seven cities to pledge
ongoing stewardship of their urban
bird populations when it signed a U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service Urban Bird
Treaty. Under a Challenge Grant to
reinvigorate the program, Audubon
Society of Portland and the City of
Portland will draft its own voluntary
Bird Friendly Building Guidelines.
Bird safe volunteers have been out on
the streets, tracking collisions for five
seasons now at a small sampling of
buildings in Portland. Audubon’s
Wildlife Care Center brings in 200
window-strike victims per year.
The establishment of the Bird
Collision Deterrence credit demon-
strates the USGBC’s commitment to
expand the standards of its green
building program to include
ecosystem-level considerations in its
rating system. After all, environ-
mentally-friendly buildings should also
be safe for birds and wildlife.
Developers and architects who use the
new credit will be at the leading edge of
exciting and truly innovative
architectural trends.
Mary Coolidge is the assistant
conservation director for the Portland
Audubon Society. She can be reached at
503.292.6855. OF
pest control
22 I OREGON FACILITIES JAN/FEB 2012
Three rural Oregon SchoolDistricts, Days Creek,Estacada and Oakridge,celebrated the unveiling ofnew biomass boilersdesigned and installed byMcKinstry, a leader in energyinnovation and integratedconstruction services. Theinstallations represent not onlyguaranteed energy cost savingsfor the districts, but a boost tostate and local economies as well.
The three school districts replacedaging, inefficient systems with theresource-efficient biomass boilersystems, which are estimated tosave an average of $27,000annually. These savings wereutilized as part of a uniquefinancing model, which leverageda combination of grants, taxcredits and bonds to ensure theprojects were budget neutral foreach school district.
Estacada received a $450,000dollar ARRA grant, Oakridgereceived a $235,000 State EnergyAward, and Days Creek was thefirst school district in Oregon toreceive an Energy Trust of Oregonincentive.
“McKinstry’s energy performancecontracting model has thepotential to be a real game-changer in Oregon. We go aboveand beyond for school districts bynavigating all the complicatedfunding sources so they can makethese great investments on limitedbudgets,” said Tom Konicke, wholeads the Energy and FacilityServices team for McKinstryOregon.
The boiler installations alsoemployed local contractors in thecommunities of Estacada, DaysCreek and Oakridge, and thesystems themselves were
produced in Oregon by SolaGen,a St. Helen’s-based company. Thewoody biomass fuel will also besourced locally from BearMountain Forest Products inBrownsville. This type of localsupply chain has been heraldedby Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber,and he applauded thepartnerships that McKinstry hasforged around the state.
“McKinstry’s work in our schooldistricts is a model that can helpput Oregonians back to work inevery part of the state,” saidKitzhaber. “These projects saveenergy, create good, local jobs,and help ensure that we provide agreat education to the nextgeneration of Oregonians. This ishow we foster a great future forthis state.”
A stable outlook was givenin the NAI Norris, Beggs &Simpson Third Quarter 2011report for office industrial, retailand multifamily commercial realestate issued in October.
Central City office vacancy roseslightly to 12.88 percent during thethird quarter, with a number of salesof older downtown buildings,including the Medical DentalBuilding and the CommerceBuilding (now called BroadwayCommons). Suburban officevacancy fell slightly to 23.2 percent.Vancouver vacancy fell significantlyto 14.37 percent, withPeaceHealth’s lease at ColumbiaCenter at Columbia Tech Centeraccounting for 162,000 square feetof positive absorption.
The industrial market saw significantimprovement during third quarter, asvacancy fell more than two
BRIEFLY
OREGON FACILITIES JAN/FEB 2012 I 23
percentage points to 14.35 percentand 916,859 square feet wasabsorbed. Many of the large leasesthat were signed had long been inthe works, including SoloPower’s225,250 square-foot lease at MarineDrive Distribution Center.
Retail vacancy remained fairlystable at 6.38 percent. Much of thenegative absorption of the quartercould be accounted for by theclosures of four local Bordersstores, all at around 25,000 squarefeet.
The multifamily market remainshealthy, with just 2.78 percentvacancy, and rental rates have risensignificantly year over year.Institutional investors remain activeplayers in the marketplace, primarilyseeking Class A core properties.Development activity should pick upin 2012 and 2013.
For full reports, visitwww.nai-nbs.com.
NBS Real Estate Capitalhas relocated offices andchanged its name toMorrison Street Capital.NBS Real Estate Capital wasfounded in 2002 by CEO RanceGregory and Norris, Beggs &Simpson. Ownership of the firmremains unchanged. The namechange will eliminate confusionbetween the original name and theMorrison Street series of fundsmanaged by the company. Manyof the firm’s investors arerepresented by institutionalinvestment consultants who arefamiliar with the Morrison Streetname and the change will simplifycommunication going forward.
Morrison Street Capital acts as theinvestment manager of the
Morrison Street series of funds,which invest in commercial realestate through the use of a varietyof investment structures includingequity, preferred equity,mezzanine debt, B notes andcommercial mortgage backedsecurities. The primary producttypes include office, retail,industrial and multi-family assets.As a direct owner, the companyinvests in Colorado, Oregon,Washington California, Utah,Nevada, Idaho and Arizona. As alender, the company prefers thosesame target markets butoccasionally invests nationwide.
Remaining active since the creditcrisis emerged, in just the pastthree years, Morrison StreetCapital has completed 43transactions involving $101.8million of equity and totaltransaction value of $399 million.Over the past nine years, MorrisonStreet Capital has completed 78transactions involving $207.4million of equity and totaling morethan $868 million in totaltransaction value.
WoodWorks, a cooperativeventure of major NorthAmerican woodassociations, recentlylaunched an onlinecalculator that allows users tocompare the building or shellconstruction costs of wood vs.non-wood buildings. Developed inpartnership with RSMeans, thetool allows users to select abuilding type and location, thendraws on data that is updatedquarterly to provide a current costcomparison. The calculator isavailable at www.woodworks.org,under the Resources tab.
“This is an important tool forarchitects, engineers, developers,builders and anyone who wants tobetter understand the costimplications of different buildingmaterials and designs,” saidDwight Yochim, national director ofWoodWorks. “Wood constructioncan save a project money in a lotof ways – from material costs tospeed of construction to theavailability of a large andcompetitive labor pool. Nowdesign and building professionalshave access to a tool thatprovides instant, current examplesof the cost of wood buildings.”
For example, the calculator showsthat using wood to construct theshell of an average one-storyschool in the United States saves21 percent in construction costsas compared to an aggregate ofother materials while overall costsare 3 percent less. This examplewas reinforced with construction ofthe new 320,000 square-foot ElDorado High School in Arkansas,where designers saved $2.7million by changing from a steeland masonry design to woodconstruction.
Those who want a more detailedanalysis can visit RSMeans atwww.rsmeans.com for additionalcosting tools. In addition to thecost calculator, WoodWorks willsoon release a carbon calculatorthat estimates the carbon benefitsof wood buildings. This includesthe amount of carbon stored in thewood products and greenhousegas emissions avoided by notusing steel and concrete.
To use the cost calculator andlearn about other WoodWorksresources, visitwww.woodworks.org.
24 I OREGON FACILITIES JAN/FEB 2012
Oregon FacilitiesP. O. Box 970281Orem, UT 84097-0281
CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED