May 2, 2008
The Greening of Southie
Sunday, I was lucky enough to catch a screening of “The Greening of Southie” at the Independent Film Festival Boston. The documentary showed real estate developer Tim Pappas and his team as they planned and constructed the Macallen Building, the first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold Certified apartment building in Boston. To achieve a coveted LEED certification, builders accumulate LEED points by using eco-friendly products and following eco-friendly procedures. The more points they accumulate, the higher the rating: Certified, Silver, Gold, and Platinum.
Some of the elements Pappas used to reduce the environmental impact of the Macallen Building include:
- Wheatboard cabinets
- Recycled steel
- Bamboo flooring
- Landscaped roof
- Dual-flush toilets (with buttons labeled “1” and “2”)
- Landscaped roof
- Rainwater collection system (for landscaping)
- Cotton insulation
Whether the the Macallen Building succeeds or fails as a real estate venture remains to be seen; however, Pappas succeeded in another tremendously important area. He proved large residential buildings can be constructed with environmentally-friendly products. Papas and crew also proved the cost to achieve this level of certification doesn’t price units out of the market. As technology improves, the cost of green building should decrease as better-quality, less-expensive materials become available to developers, making green living even more popular.
141 Dorchester Avenue, #512
South Boston, 02127
Beds: 0/Baths: 1
SQ.FT.: 804
$549,000
141 Dorchester Avenue,#319
South Boston, 02127
Beds: 2/Baths: 2
SQ.FT.: 1690
$999,000
Open House: Sunday, May 4, 2008 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM sales office at 9 W. Broadway
141 Dorchester Avenue, #714
South Boston, 02127
Beds: 2/Baths: 2.5
SQ.FT.:
$1,499,000
Open House: Sunday, May 4, 2008 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM sales office at 9 W. Broadway
Karl Lykos said:
Not as eco-friendly as living in, say, a cave, but it’s okay to compromise the environment a little in the name of comfort and not being eaten by wolves.
Hopefully we eventually reach the point where LEED Buildings become the standard.
May 2, 2008 8:49 AM
Alyk said:
Not as green as a cave, but I suppose it beats a styrofoam building.
May 2, 2008 5:31 PM
April said:
It’s nice to see that someone realized that building green isn’t as cost prohibitive as most people think it is.
We need more building renovations like it, though hopefully with platinum certification.
May 3, 2008 11:22 AM