Taller Buildings, Higher Standards

Tower Cos. Led Eco-Friendly Approach

Plenty of eyes rolled when Jeffrey Abramson, a partner at Bethesda-based Tower Cos., began his quest a decade ago to bring environmentally conscious building practices to Washington real estate.

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Competitors were skeptical about whether the extra costs were worth it. Tenants preferred having a nice building in a prominent location over a green design.

Today that has changed. "Green" has become commercial real estate's biggest buzz word. Nearly every developer is rushing to build to new energy-saving standards, though the actual measures taken can vary considerably. And the family-run Tower Cos. is regarded as a company ahead of its time.

"We have learned a lot from those early pioneers . . . and have made some really big strides since then," said Tom Hicks, a vice president with the U.S. Green Building Council, a D.C.-based nonprofit that sets national standards for green buildings. "They were among the early adopters."

An article describing office buildings as a major contributor of greenhouse gases and big consumers of energy led Abramson, 55, to first consider building green in 1997.

"I was always interested in bettering society," Abramson said.

Abramson's first green project, the Millennium Building, involved an office renovation project on the corner of 19th and K streets NW. The developers gutted the building and recycled its innards to turn what had been an eight-story building into a 12-story one.

Special windows were installed to make the building more efficient to heat and cool, and automated temperature and air-flow systems were added. Three kinds of air filters were installed to make the internal environment healthier for workers. After it was completed, the building used the same amount of energy as before the addition of 85,000 square feet of space, said Marnie Abramson, a partner with the company.

Yet when Mayer Brown, one of the nation's largest law firms, moved into the building in 1999, the company did not have the environment on its mind. The firm paid no premium for the extra attention paid to the building's green construction, and the Tower Cos. assumed the extra costs.

"We had outgrown our existing space. We liked the west side of town, and that was an attractive new building that was going to be available," said Alvin Katz, a partner with the firm.

The move has since become a public relations plus. When Mayer Brown recruits young lawyers from top schools, it advertises the environmentally friendly qualities of its office buildings as part of its commitment to ethics and environmental sustainability, Katz said.

By law, every new building in Washington is required to adhere to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards established by the Green Building Council. The standards vary depending on how energy efficient and environmentally conscious a developer wants to be. Getting certified at the most basic level of compliance does not require much cost beyond building to existing code, said Sally Wilson, a broker for CB Richard Ellis who specializes in green buildings. Her company is representing the Tower Cos. in leasing one of its new developments at 1050 K St. NW.

Attaining higher certification levels such as gold and platinum are more difficult. Going from a certified building to a platinum one can mean cutting energy consumption by 30 to 50 percent of what a typical building would use, Wilson said. Achieving a platinum designation can yield buildings that reduce carbon emissions by as much as 90 percent, she said.

Tower Cos. is pursuing gold certification for its new corporate headquarters at 2000 Tower Oaks Blvd. in Rockville. Nearly 30 percent of the structure will be built with recycled material. Concrete used to construct it will be purchased from within 500 miles, so that less shipping is required. Light bulbs will be more efficient. The elevators will use a belt system, rather than cables, to conserve energy. And to save water, the men's restrooms will feature urinals that require no flushes.

Abramson is happy to be a pioneer, but he would prefer to be one of many.

"There is a transformation underway," Abramson said. "But there is a need to go faster. . . . What good is it if it is just a few people, and not everybody? Nothing is to be gained by going slowly."