11 Things You Must Know Before Starting Your Next Development Project

by Brandy LeMae, B.F.A. / LEED AP
founding partner / cfo / cco

1. Relying on the experience of qualified consultants will make your project run more smoothly.

You will need to assemble a team of professionals to address the inherent environmental, economic, physical and political issues(?). The development process requires the skills of many professionals: architects, landscape architects, civil engineers and site planners to address project design; market consultants to determine demand and a project's economics; attorneys to handle agreements and government approvals; environmental consultants and soils engineers to analyze a site's physical limitations and environmental impacts; surveyors and title companies to provide legal descriptions of a property; and lenders to provide financing.

When your next project is just a glimmer in your eye, feel free to pick the brains of several consultants. There is nothing we like more than to share our opinions and talk about our areas of expertise. Our off-the-cuff insight might be just enough to enhance your preliminary thoughts into a project with greater impact than you initially imagined. Developing mutually supportive and enjoyable relationships with your consultants and putting together a comprehensive team, is the first step to a successful development project.

2. Selecting land that addresses the social needs of the community and reduces environmental impacts of the development is paramount.

You’ve heard the adage that when it comes to buying a single-family home there are just three things that really matter, “Location, Location, Location.” Well this statement is just as powerful when applied a multifamily, senior or mixed use project. To develop a project that will stand the test of time, it should have several attributes:

• water supply necessary to support the proposed project that is from a clean, healthy source
• direct access to public transportation to reduce the  reliance on cars
• access to good child care and schools
• proximity to outdoor recreation and natural amenities
• near entertainment, health care, shopping and jobs
• programs in place to support the local community
• reduced exposure to environmental and human made hazards

3. Developing a project that directly serves the needs of the community will help in obtaining public approval.

Unfortunately there is often a stigma surrounding affordable housing, you can decrease opposition to your project by:

• addressing the social and environmental impacts of the development and educate the community as to the benefits not only to the residents, but the community as a whole
• presenting the intellectual aspects of the project and educating the opposition about planning priorities and protocol by communicating intellectually as well as emotionally
• protecting the environment and ensuring that the local community is benefiting
• practicing an inclusive design process that includes input from the neighborhood and other concerned parties
• designing a project that fit its context and presents a pleasing and progressive design aesthetic
• showing how diverse, mixed income neighborhoods have a vitality and vibrancy that attract residents - both tenants and owners - to improve quality of life and increase property values.

4. You can breathe life into your project with effective branding so that it is perceived as a great place to live or visit.

A well thought out branding and marketing strategy will bring to life your vision and shape the perceptions of adjacent land owners, planning and zoning boards and potential residents. Create a community by working with your design consultants to develop a strong, conceptual theme for the project that will promote pride among the residents.

Branding the project involves selecting a name and creating a mark that exemplifies the goals of the development. Designing the project around a central theme and making decisions based on that theme, ensures that there is a strong and logical connection among the architecture, landscape, interiors, signage and other amenities.

Planning and zoning meetings are crucial hurdles to clear on the road to making your vision a reality and with beautiful site plans, renderings, and story boards your presentations will be informational and inspirational.

If your development will have a mixed-use aspect, retail branding must engage consumers to embrace it as an asset to their community. In this case, the brand identity and environmental design has to attract consumers to use the commercial aspects of the project.

5. Considering local climate during preliminary site planning will lead to a more energy efficient, comfortable and user-friendly finished project.

Nothing drives a good architect more crazy than an ill-thought out site plan that ignores passive solar design strategies, adjacencies of other structures, and the patterns of wind and water. When developing the site plan, these should be your first concerns. Buildings should be placed on the site to take advantage of passive solar design strategies while blocking strong winds and making way for the natural flow of water. A livable site should develop around people and pedestrians, rather than automobiles.

6. Seeking advise from consultants before making promises to funders and/or lenders on certain green certifications (i.e. LEED or Enterprise Green Communities) will minimize surprises during design.

You may find yourself so gung-ho to obtain a Federal Grant or some other source of imaginative “green” funding, that when you are filling out the application you are willing to say you will do every visionary green-thing you can think of only to find that when you go to design or build the project, something you promised is either impossible or impractical. It is better to seek the advise of an architect and LEED consultant while you are applying for the funding, so you can make promises you can stick to.

Consulting a professional before committing to specifics will help you identify the most cost effective and meaningful strategies. Certain LEED and Enterprise Green Communities requirements do not make sense in particular climates and locations, your architect should be able to help you determine which ones are viable for your project.

7. Budgeting now for durable materials will save maintenance dollars in the future.

Have you ever visited an affordable housing project that is less than five years old, but looks like it is 20? I have, and that kind of project is responsible for giving “affordable housing” a negative connotation. Working with your architect to make informed decisions about durable and sustainable products is important, but budgeting for them up front is crucial.

Selecting materials solely on price overlooks potential future savings that can substantially lower the life-time operating costs of a building. Fully understanding the benefit of long-wearing materials and finding creative ways to fit them into the budget, makes value engineering less painful. The intelligent use of resources incorporated into structures considerably simplifies a resident’s lifestyle while reducing waste and maintenance.

8. Creating a comprehensive schedule that allows ample time for funding, design and pricing will reduce the need for value engineering on the fly.

I know we are all in a rush to bring our projects to fruition, reduce holding costs and get units occupied, but rushing forward without understanding the full consequences can lead to frustration for you, the architect and the builder. It is fine to fast-track a project, but if you decide to do so, make sure you are honest about what that means in terms of making educated decisions and building a good product.

Creating a thorough schedule including site acquisition, public process, financing, design, pricing, value engineering, permitting, construction, close out, etc. is important so all parties understand what is expected of them and what will happen if those expectations are not met. Do what you can to allow enough time for full design and pricing by not rushing to construction. As we say in the architecture field, “It is cheaper to make changes on paper than in the field.”

Selecting a site that allows a by-right project will save money by reducing design consultant fees and minimizing the project design schedule.

9. Designing for the future will ensure a project that is useful and appreciated for many years to come.

I recently toured a Habitat for Humanity project in which I asked the developer why a certain architectural style reminiscent of the past was selected. The answer I had hoped to hear was something akin to, “Well, we talked with future residents and this is what they wanted, as it works well for their patterns of living.”
Instead the answer I got was, “It’s the way we have been doing it since 1985.” Maybe for that community that is a good enough reason, but what if it isn’t? What if Habitat missed an opportunity to create something that was better than what they have been doing since 1985?

Continuing outdated methods and styles of construction stifles  innovative and creative thinking which is necessary to our evolving society. I understand it is easy to do what we know and not take the time to explore other options, but don’t we come to work every day hoping we will find a better way to do what we did yesterday? There are so many things to consider when designing for the future it can be overwhelming, here are just a few points to consider, I’m sure you can come up with many others to ponder as well:

• will our residents want to age in place and should we therefore use the Universal Design approach?
• could urban farming be useful and viable to this community?
• is the landscape appropriate for the climate and the availability of water now and in the future?
• is the architectural style of surrounding community relevant for today and my development?
• do we need to accommodate multiple generations?
• is our demographic going to change dramatically in the next five or 10 years?
• are traditional construction methods the most appropriate based on current codes and building science?
• what kind of community do our future residents want to live in?
• what will energy prices be in future and how will they impact our residents?

10. Climate change and peak oil are inevitable and you must plan for them.

Regardless of how you feel about climate change, you must realize that the cost of energy will continue to rise and the current carbon based fossil fuels will run out eventually. Accepting this allows you to make meaningful decisions about your next project in terms of energy efficiency.

If you are considering LEED, instead consider building beyond LEED by creating a project that is NetZero Energy and Fossil Fuel Free. If you have “been there, done that” then perhaps it is time to consider community wide, on-site power generation—hey, they’ve been doing it in Germany for years.

If we continue to design our projects with conspicuous waste and decoration, we lessen the standard of living for others by using resources wastefully. You can create a project that provides for the needs of the inhabitants through an efficient allocation of resources and materials, in an energy-conscious and pollution-free environment, AND you can have fun doing it!

11. Beware, not all utility companies are ready, willing and able to accept net metering.

Check with your local utilities about metering and rates before beginning the design process. Tailor the renewable energy systems you plan to install to what provides the most favorable economic benefit, OR take on the utility company and make them change their ways through legislation!

Let’s all make the commitment to plan for a better world today. This is your opportunity to do it right.