Today's HVAC systems can do much more than maintain consistent temperatures. They can clean the air, generate electricity, and produce water, depending on the unit.
Andy Padian is a busy man. Padian, one of the country's most experienced multifamily energy auditors, runs the multifamily program for Steven Winter Associates, a nationally known architecture and engineering consulting firm. During 25 years in the business, Padian has seen interest in his services wax and wane, but with rising energy costs, his phone has been ringing a lot these days. "People have been screaming for help," he says.
Structural panels now come in almost as many flavors as ice cream. In fact, there seems to be a specialty panel system for nearly any situation a multifamily builder might confront. Depending on your location, investing a little more in one of these can save time and money, reduce liability, and even turn down the volume on resident complaints.
Dozens of new, low-income apartments went on the rental market this September in Cass Corridor, the poorest neighborhood in Detroit. The $13 million Brainard Street Apartment project consists of 20 three-story brick buildings, with a total of 120 two- and three-bedroom units. But some of the best news to those waiting for homes was how fast the buildings went up. The project would have taken two years to build using traditional methods, according to Patrick Dorn, executive director of the Cass Corridor Neighborhood Development Corp., which managed the construction. But because Dorn opted for modular construction, it took only eight months from start to finish. That means residents got into their homes–and started paying rent–16 months earlier than they would have with a conventional construction approach.
Seven months after the building opened in February 2003, the Summit Roosevelt was fully leased at market rents in what the owners call "a competitive rental market." Much of the credit goes to the building's excellent location near Washington's Dupont Circle neighborhood and Meridian Hill Park, but the owners also credit the quality of its public spaces. In fact, Summit is just one of a growing number of companies who believe that a property's community, rather than unit, amenities are taking on a bigger role in attracting and keeping tenants.