Visible City and MSP real estate studies

Unofficial word is that the sales-engineering capability of SmartLam is growing. In Minnesota-speak, they are skating to where the puck is going to be as we all work our way through and out of the COVID era.

In this writer's estimation, pent-up demand will be there for those that prepare now. For official status of growth at SmartLam, contact Steve Marshal: steve.marshall@smartlam.com

In the meantime Wilkinson Building Advisors ("WBA") is skating as well. WBA and it associated work group are designing and engineering the next generation of small commercial and industrial buildings using advanced and sustainable building techniques. Today's snapshot can be found at the blog post "Small Sustainable Commercial Buildings".

These methodologies are also applicable to the emerging need for creating live-work environments for many of us working from home offices. Take a look at the blog post "Sustainable Live-Work Environments."

The decision to build with mass timber and has many layers. It is not simply a matter of apparent first cost but also decisions about aesthetics, the environment, and sustainability.

And finally, the industry that designs and builds is itself changing. Design protocols and building codes are evolving.

Let’s take them in order:

• First cost
• Aesthetics
• The environment and sustainability
• Design and building codes

Application of solar energy collection and use into a building project involves a sequence of planning, design, construction, operational actions as well as financial engineering.

In the case of an existing site and building what constitutes “solar ready”?

1. Is there physical space on the building or site in sufficient quantity?
   • Open space on the site
   • Roof space on the building
   • Exterior wall space on the building
   • If the building roof is to support solar arrays, is the roof configuration suitable to support the solar equipment?
     • Is it strong enough?
     • Is it not in shadow most of the day?
2. Does the local serving utility offer financial incentives?
3. Is the federal and state tax status of the building ownership such that tax incentives can be taken advantage of?
4. Does it make sense for the owning entity to allocate its capital and credit-worthiness to the solar enterprise; i.e. is the pay-back period short enough?

In the case of a site and building project, all of the above considerations apply.  However, there are additional advantages:

1. The physical plan can be laid-out maximize solar collection potential without sacrificing other requirements
   • The configuration of array’s supporting elements can be designed for efficiency, and cost effectiveness
   • The solar configuration can be part of the aesthetic and architecture

With the above ideas in mind, it is also important to remember that the tax status of individuals and corporations are very different. This has a fundamental bearing on the “go, no-go” decision. Can various tax incentives be applied?

Lastly, working with an experienced entity that can deliver all aspects of a well-engineered financial and physical solution is a key to success. Plan thoughtfully and act purposely.

(Contact Steve Oman at IPS)

If you have read the post about “Successful Project Completion” then this post helps with some critical details: the concepts of FFE and fixed FFE (i.e. “Furniture, Fixtures, and Equipment”)

FFE (fixed or otherwise) is needed to complete your project and isn’t always expressly included in traditional design and construction services. Examples are:

• Security systems (designers and builders don’t want the liability)
• Data and communication systems (often part of the business work flow)
• Furniture and accessories (includes plants and specialties)
• Modular furniture and work stations (often called “cubicles”)
• Decorations (includes wall art)
• Special equipment (cooling systems for computer equipment etc)

100 years ago, old-growth trees were used to make columns, girders, and planks for commercial buildings. Butler Square in Minneapolis is a good example of this applied construction technology. It was a sound construction strategy; 100 years of service is impressive. However, limitations arose from the availability of old-growth trees to be used for this purpose.

50 years ago mechanical designers in the Minneapolis area took the innovative step of applying emerging heat pump technology to indoor climate applications. It was revolutionary. Systems were simplified and installed costs plummeted. It was a serviceable technology for many commercial applications.

Fast forward to today, and the old is being made new again. The fabricated, structural timber industry now makes components to build frames and floors without relying on old-growth trees. To the contrary, 12 to 14-year-old trees are farmed and harvested to make glue-laminated products for the construction of timber frames and CLT floor systems (cross laminated timber).

Application of heat pumps is being used for high-efficiency indoor climate systems.  The hydronic water piping systems move the energy around the building to where it's needed. The side of the building in sunlight sheds its excess heat (aka cooling) to the shaded side of the building requiring heating. This distribution by way of the heat pumps leads to reduced energy consumption for indoor climate and comfort.

It turns out that the many energy-saving advantages of wood when combined with high-efficiency indoor climate squarely addresses the issues of energy conservation needed in this era of global warming brought by man's activity.

Care taken in the building industry can make a big difference;  join the movement!

(see the blog post at this site: “Timber and Advanced Energy Project Planned in the Upper-Midwest.”)

Wilkinson Building Advisors (formerly Wpg Ltd) is in ongoing conversations and exchange of documents with the several government and private investors in connection with creating several demonstration projects in the upper Midwest.

1. The concept is that these projects would engage several intersecting technologies to create low carbon footprint buildings. These technologies are:
   • Glue laminated mass timber frames (Glulam) and cross-laminated (CLT) timber floor systems and shaft walls (to resolve lateral loads)
   • Structural integrated panels (SIPs) for exterior wall and roof panels (structural integrated panels)
   • Interior climate systems (energy exchange, distribution, and ventilation) including technologies to measure/control/report energy consumption in hydronic systems
   • Computer-based design and manufacturing control systems
2. The combination of the these systems is synergist with respect to reducing the carbon footprint of these buildings:
   • Sequestering CO2 in the timber products
   • Avoidance of energy expended in concrete production and steel assembly fabrications when appropriate
   • Application of enclosure systems designed for extreme climates
   • Design of indoor climate systems based on passive, sustainable solutions and using systems avoiding combustion based energy exchange
   • "Tinker-Toy" precast concrete assemblies for podiums and selected lateral load resisting systems
   • "Building in a box" construction management techniques; sequential shipment to tight sites, erection by small efficient crews
   • A high degree of off-site completion for the "kit of parts" as well as modular assemblies
3. The scale and geographic distribution of these projects is intended to showcase the possible and bring the market to a tipping point. These initiatives target 2 prototypical markets
   • Urban, infill, mixed use; small scale, 40-75,000sf, 3-5 stories; suitable for building in congested and complex urban environments
   • Private higher education, classroom addition or environmental science building; embodying the sense of mission of the institution
4. Here are snippets of the ideas from Woodworks, a leading building advisory group:

This author believes that demonstration projects, well executed, can attract the attention of both policy and market-makers. The walk-through, “touch and feel” experience of these proposed  and delightful places can be compelling. As the marketing folks would say: it makes the intangible… tangible.

This is a chance to engage a far-flung industry to plan for the benefit of the planet and the quality of life in the upper-midwest. Join the movement!

Gunter Dittmar was my icon in graduate school. He was a despondent German expatriate bombed into depression while growing up in Berlin during the Allied blitz. Amid his slow and thoughtful speech was a bit of genius. He understood that the "problem solving process" and the “problem seeking process” involved keeping the "levels of abstraction" aligned and not mixed up.

For example, you can't solve the big picture if you're focused too early on how many doorknobs and how much they cost each. Ultimately you care about the doorknobs, but only in the right sequence and at the right time.

          “The is nothing more worrisome that the wrong question answered well”            (quote from South American Architect on TED talks)

The reasons for the mix-ups are many are 1) participants competing for influence in the process and sowing mixed levels just to be in the conversation, 2) sometimes the logical structure of the issue is simply misunderstood and the conversationalists get down the rabbit hole, 3) the participating silos have standards of practice that run in opposition to one another, 4) the participants don't like one another, and 5) disorderly allocation of risk (hours of effort in dollars) etc .

In any event put first things first as you move from concepts to details.

Applied technology in the building industry is now at a tipping point. The intersection of timber construction technologies with indoor climate energy exchange and management is creating powerful new market opportunities.