Cornish & Carey Commercial’s Sustainable Building Practices discipline and business services was formed to assist developers, property owners and tenants in evaluating their participation in the greenbuilding movement. What began a decade ago as a movement toward “sustainability” in the building and construction industry has grown into the mainstream in every way – through our consciousness, mass media and business practices. Leading edge companies like Adobe Systems, Google and Cypress have implemented sustainable practices and proved its worth. What was once “an experiment” has evolved into tangible results; significant returns on investment have been demonstrated with implementation of sustainable practices. Add intangible benefits to ROI: employee recruitment and retention, increased productivity and health benefits, reduced sick time, and lower health insurance costs and medical fees. Then factor in employees with sunnier dispositions because they have more natural light in their workplaces, and America’s business operators have achieved a formula for success by building and occupying eco-environmentally friendly offices, homes and related structures.
The proverbial “tipping point” has been reached with state and local legislation beginning to mandate green building. Significantly, this critical juncture was achieved because of market demand, organizational and corporate demand, and individuals insisting upon sustainable practices.
ABOUT LEED:
The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System™ promotes and rewards sustainable green building and development practices through a standardized rating system. LEED is a program of The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), a non-profit organization committed to expanding sustainable building practices. More than 15,000 building industry organizations are working to advance the environmentally-responsible construction and retrofitting of profitable and healthy places to live and work. USGBC includes building owners and end-users, real estate developers, facility managers, architects, designers, engineers, general contractors, subcontractors, product and building system manufacturers, government agencies and nonprofits.
Sherry Gubera, Senior Advisor with C&C’s Client Solutions Group in the Santa Clara office, is one of seven brokers in the Bay Area to have earned a LEED Accredited Professional (AP) consultant designation. As a LEED-AP, Ms. Gubera is certified to advise clients who are seeking eco-friendly space as well as building owners who want to market green projects. LEED Professional Accreditation recognizes those professionals with the knowledge and skills to successfully steward the integrated design and certification process. LEED-APs, through rigorous training and examination, must demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of green building practices and philosophy to assist clients in navigating LEED requirements, resources and processes. |
