National Association Of Realtors Seeing Green In D.C.
by Lew Sichelman
When the National Association of Realtors sold its office building in the Nation's Capital seven years ago and moved into rented space, several commentators had a field day pointing out the irony of it all. Here was NAR, whose members handle the sale of millions of houses every year and generally take responsibility for creating America as a nation of homeowners, renting instead of owning. How bizarre is that? Well, don't look now, but guess who's having the last laugh? Why it's NAR, the Mothership of all things Realtor, which will own its brand new, $46 million Washington headquarters building free and clear long before most home buyers own theirs without a mortgage company looking over their shoulders. The $15 million downpayment for the striking 93,000-square-foot structure at 500 New Jersey Avenue, just a few blocks from the U.S. Capitol, came from a special reserve fund established when the original property on 14th Street NW was sold in 1997. NAR staff will occupy the second floor and the top four floors in the 12-story edifice, taking a total of about 40,000 square feet. The remaining space will be leased. By owning its own building in Washington, the Chicago-based trade association says it will incur no occupancy costs. And with the income generated from rents when the building is fully occupied, the nearly one-million-member-strong group expects to save more than $500,000 a year. It's enough to make the wags green with envy. Speaking of green, that's what the new triangular-shaped office building is. Not only is it wrapped in green glass, it is environmentally sustainable, incorporating the latest, state-of-the-art green building techniques. For starters, it is located on a contaminated "brownfield" site previously occupied by a gas station. Before the building went up, construction crews dug down -- 24 feet, to be exact -- and hauled away tons of dirty dirt to approved waste sites. Next, the structure was designed to benefit the environment by keeping operating costs down. Among the green aspects are: - A landscape plan that uses native plants to reduce irrigation demands and captures rainwater for the lion's share of that task.
- An efficient heating, cooling and ventilation system that, when combined with the high-performance glass curtain wall, will reduce energy usage by up to 30 percent below code requirements.
- No CFC-refirgerants, and no smoking.
- Recycled and/or low-emitting materials.
- A carbon dioxide monitoring system that introduces fresh air into areas of heavy occupancy.
The building is so environmentally friendly that NAR expects it to be the first newly built office building in the city to earn a certification from the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System. The U.S. Green Building Council awards LEEDS certification to projects achieving high levels or environmental performance. NAR, which currently leases space at 700 11th St. NW, will take delivery of the new building this month. Staff will take up occupancy by September, when the interior build-out is scheduled for completion. | 
