Page 22 - RE-NJ

20 MARCH 2024
GOING GREENER
From rainwater recycling to composting, apartment builders see a new frontier in sustainability
For some apartment developers, LED lighting and electric vehicle chargers just won’t do when it
comes to sustainability.
A handful of new rental projects in New Jersey are making that clear with features such as oversized green spaces, rainwater recycling and
even an on-site composting system, the kind that Halpern Real Estate Ventures has at its new building in Jersey City.
To that end, the 337-unit property known as Birch House includes trash rooms with chutes for not just garbage and recyclables, but for organics. To encourage residents, the building’s move-in gift includes a branded compost bin that fits comfortably under their sink.
“The sustainability features, including the composting, are definitely
out among the pack.”
According to Halpern and other experts, the decision to incorporate more forward-looking, eco-conscious building features reflects both a corporate philosophy and a desire
to meet the market where it’s going. And, while those features are by no means widespread in New Jersey, experts say that could change as local and state governments increase their mandates for green design.
“Especially in the post-COVID world, residents and people in general are cognizant of the way they live and where they live,” said Stuart Johnson, a principal with Minno & Wasko Architects and Planners. “And I think the way we live has also adapted and changed.”
Johnson, whose firm designed Birch House, said developers have expanded their use of
solar panels in
parking areas
and on rooftops.
He also pointed
to the growth
of green roofs
with deeper soil,
due in part to
stricter storm
water regulations, as well as so-called biophilic design elements in common areas that use plants that improve both aesthetics and air quality.
“They’re planning for the future, and they really are thinking long-term,” Johnson said, adding that both government regulators and financial
Joel Halpern
top of mind when we’re showing off the property,” said Joel Halpern, president and managing director of investments for Halpern Real
Stuart Johnson
Estate Ventures. The system, which produces fertilizer for the on-site landscaping, is among several cutting- edge green features at the newly delivered building at 49 Fisk St.
“The investment we made is also the differentiating factor,” he added. “It’s what allows the Birch House to stand
By Joshua Burd
Birch House, a new 337-unit apartment building in Jersey City, has abundant green space and systems for composting and rainwater collection, among other eco-conscious features sought by Halpern Real Estate Ventures.
Courtesy: Halpern/Rendering by Minno & Wasko Architects and Planners