Customer Reviews

Retrofitting Office Buildings to Be Green and Energy-Efficient: Optimizing Building Performance, Tenant Satisfaction, and Financial Return

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Retrofitting Office Buildings to Be Green and Energy-Efficient provides a fascinating and thorough explanation of the issues and factors to be considered in making existing office buildings environmentally sustainable. I found it to be well written, and filled with very specific advice regarding green retrofits of office buildings. I think it should be required reading for developers, architects, construction contractors, leasing agents, building managers, real estate attorneys, real estate fund managers, building and environment regulators, and other professionals. Remarkably, it is also very accessible to the lay reader who has just a general interest in urban environmentalism, and seeks an introduction to this critical component of the green revolution.

Retrofitting Office Buildings to Be Green and Energy-Efficient is divided into nine chapters, covering such topics as planning green office retrofits, managing the green retrofit process, green property operations, and new directions in green building. Sub-chapters cover just about every aspect of the retrofit process, including the initial cost-benefit analysis; green landscaping strategies; building mechanical systems; energy efficiency; sustainable interiors; historic preservation; construction issues; minimizing legals risks in the design and construction process; operational costs and paybacks; green real estate financing vehicles; selling points to potential lessees;and building automation systems and smart grid technology. (This list of topics is illustrative, not exhaustive.)

As noted, the book offers clear and concise writing by experts in the field. I especially appreciated that it discusses the green retrofitting process not just in generalities, but also with a great deal of specificity and supporting documentation, and it effectively uses sidebars to elaborate on particular matters. In addition, one chapter is devoted to a survey of green office building retrofitting policies and practices around the globe, which I found very worthwhile, and the last chapter is devoted just to case studies of particular green building retrofits. The book is also very handsome: well-designed, easy-to-read, stylish, and with many photographs.

One of the more important contributions of Retrofitting Office Buildings to Be Green and Energy-Efficient is that it convincingly makes the case that green office building retrofits can be, and typically are, cost-effective and profitable. In this area, one doesn't have to choose between being on the side of the angels versus maximizing investor value.

In sum, Retrofitting Office Buildings to Be Green and Energy-Efficient is an excellent and unique contribution to green real estate literature, one that has much to offer both experienced green building professionals and those seeking an introduction to the green retrofit process, either as a potential source of business growth or as a matter of academic or personal interest. Kudos to the the author, Leanne Tobias of the green building advisory company Malachite LLC, to her co-authors and expert contributors, and to the publisher, the Urban Land Institute.

It is not often that you find a commercial real estate book that you want to read from start to finish. Retrofitting Office Buildings to be Green and Energy-Efficient is one of the few. The book includes many fascinating case studies of sustainable and energy efficient renovations and retrofits from around the world. The U.S. is covered in detail, but also covered are projects from China, Singapore, Europe, Australia and Canada. The book also includes cutting-edge topics such as new materials, products and design methods for the next generation of "zero net energy" buildings. I was especially impressed that all of this great information was presented very clearly without jargon. While the focus of the book is office properties, the material presented is relevant to other types of buildings. As well, the book provides multiple perspectives relevant to the building retrofit process: architecture, engineering, interior design, finance, construction management, property management and leasing are all discussed in depth, as are software programs and new equipment related to building design and operation. While the book emphasizes modern buildings, it also includes examples of how historic preservation can be green. I found this book interesting, timely and complete, and recommend it highly.