Sustainable
Building Technologies
Architecture, Real Estate Development
& Real Estate Master Planning Services
Leading the Sustainable Urban Living
Revolution
The
Future Belongs to the Sustainable
Office
Tel. (81342)
71518
- 0101217
Email: info @ sustainablebuildingsolutions .com
Home page:
www.SustainableBuildingTechnologies.com
Comprehensive Master
Plan
www.ComprehensiveMasterPlan.com
Providing Comprehensive Master
Plan Consulting Services
What is a Comprehensive Master Plan?
A city or county's Comprehensive Master Plan
or "CMP" is best described as a vision of what the city or county will
look like over the next 20 to 50 years. The Comprehensive Master Plan is an
ever-evolving document that establishes a common vision for what the city or
county will look like in the future. The CMP provides guidance for a variety of issues that directly affect the quality of life
for the citizens and residents of the city or county and includes the creation
of a sense of community in existing and new developments, provisions for services, growth management, open space protection,
environmental protection, transportation and water, and ever-increasing needs
for including sustainable growth and how to become a more sustainable city or
county. The community vision contained in the CMP guides decision makers and helps to prioritize community
values goals and objectives.
How a Comprehensive Master Plan Provides Vision for a Community
The Comprehensive Master Plan should be used as a guide for future growth and help improve the quality of life as well as all quality of life issues.
Open spaces and view corridors are of primary importance to the
many communities. While showing concern for a community's unique and natural surroundings,
the Comprehensive Master Plan must also ensure a balance within the community
and its' businesses and residential tax base. Rural and urban growth issues
should be a constant and ongoing dialogue in the community. The general background of
the residents is such that transportation, communication and cultural facilities are increasingly important and need to be integrated into the evolving planning process.
To achieve such balance in a community's Comprehensive Master Plan, sensitivity to the real carrying capacity of the land in the
community is critical. This sensitivity involves constant oversight, through application of Comprehensive Master Plan policies, in the following areas:
Water quality and supply
Power and Energy supply
Wildlife habitat and movement corridors
Open space and view corridors
A healthy balance between urban, agricultural and rural lifestyles
Adequate infrastructure
Affordable housing mix
Sustainability
Adequate and alternative modes of transportation and sufficient road development
Preservation and recognition of pre-historic and recorded community history
Conclusion
Every community whether a city or a county, should have a Comprehensive Master
Plan - or, be improving on the existing one. We can help your city or
county update, complete or develop a Comprehensive Master Plan. Contact
us at (832) 1758
- 00272
an initial no-cost
evaluation and to learn more about how we may be able to assist you and your
community with a Comprehensive Master Plan that meets your community's goals and
objectives - and makes it a better place for all.
What is a Real Estate Master Plan?
A real estate master plan is a roadmap to the future with respect to a specific real estate location or parcel. There are many different definitions for describing a Master Plan. Real Estate Master Plan's should provide the client with:
* A detailed, short-term, medium-term and long-range plan that determines how the specific real estate parcel will provide services to the community in the coming years and plan for future growth.
* Identify all positive and negative features and attributes of the specific parcel and how it best fits into the needs and requirements of the community.
* The economics, and feasibility of the proposed real estate master plan.
* Address issues such as environmental, physical facilities/city services, which will be required during the coming years. i.e. water, wastewater treatment, fire, police, environmental studies/impact of subject parcel, present and future regulatory requirements, and project funding.
* Review and analyze a city's existing planning and zoning laws/regulations that impact, or may affect the specific parcel.
A Real Estate Master Plan is a written and a schematic drawing depicting your present real estate site and any buildings and facilities, as well as parking, trees, topography, creeks/water features, overhead power lines, easements, streets, and any other environmental features, and the owner's "vision" or future plans for expansions, utilities, streets and buildings are overlaid. The plan also shows phasing of future expansion, for example: when the worship attendance reaches 400, expand the sanctuary and add classrooms.
The Real Estate Master Plan is, as previously mentioned, a road map to the client's future and vision of the real estate, beginning with where "we" are now, where we've been, and how we achieve the desired dreams and goals of the owner. The Real Estate Master Plan includes specific recommendations, implementation strategies, and the vision of the owner with his/her/their goals and objectives.
Why you need a Master Plan
The most important aspect of master planning is for us to professionally interpret the owner's vision and dream into a " road map" for the future for their property. Any property owner that is considering a new site should have a feasibility site study completed.
Many times, a buyer will ask us to perform a feasibility study, which is the first step to a more formal Real Estate Master Plan, and they think they have a great price on a parcel or tract. Without our expertise, the buyer may have actually overpaid for the parcel due to the environmental, planning/zoning, or other unknown variables, and in reality the buyer thinking he was getting a great bargain on 40 acres for the price of 10, was only able to use 5 acres out of the 40 acres, for a real price 60 acres! Our feasibility studies identify these hidden problems and negative attributes of specific parcels, and helps the buyer discover the true value of the site as well as its' future potential.
Every site should be planned before ANY construction begins. Our goal is to help the owner produce an economically viable and profitable project without negatively impacting the opportunities for future development. Excellent master planning avoids costly mistakes and problems in the future.
What's involved in updating the Master Plan?
A Master Plan may be updated every five to ten years. Reasons for updating a Real Estate
Master Plan include:
* Growth, development and changes in the size of the community.
* Requirements to expand and upgrade facilities.
* To comply with new regulations.
* To prepare for future, planned growth as well as future financial planning and budgets.
How We Create a Real Estate Master Plan
We believe that the creation of a Master Plan is a collaborative process. Depending on the size of the project, expert consultants may be required to evaluate a variety of potential technical solutions and develop recommendations. Just as importantly, a stakeholder's outreach program may be required. A stakeholder is anyone that may be positively or negatively impacted as a result of the new Master Plan. Workshops, or a number of
"charette's" may be provided for stakeholders to discuss and comment on issues including local/regional planning and zoning, streets, utilities, water quality, air quality, regulatory compliance, wastewater, taxes, and city services, including police/fire/library services.
A real estate master plan can be a quick " sketch" or more formal feasibility study to help a buyer decide if a yet unpurchased piece of land is feasible. It can also be a formal, colored site plan used for presentations and fund raisers. However, a master plan is not an attempt to generate a floor plan for every future building.
How Often Should a Site be Master Planned?
A site should be reviewed before each phase of construction. Businesses, communities, ministries and zoning requirements change over time. Therefore, the long range goals of the site will also change. A master plan is nothing more than a snapshot in time of current conditions and ministries. As times change, so do goals for the site. Hence why exact buildings plans during a master plan are not feasible.
How We Develop our Real Estate Master Plans
First a topographic survey of the property is obtained. Next the overall land is analyzed with respect to streets, easements, buffers, zoning, setbacks, flood plains and natural features. The land remaining is the actual usable acreage.
A concept Sketch is first derived by assessing the long range goals of the site and the vision of the buyer/owner. The required parking and building sizes are then estimated and ready for placement on the site. Parking should typically encircle the buildings and not be to one side, aiding in exterior circulation. Interior circulation should be reviewed and building entry points determined.
Grades are reviewed for multiple story facility use. Finally, site amenities such as green space, walking trails, gazebos, playgrounds, gardens, etc. are added in the remaining areas.
The concept is then refined into the final product. Many projects use this final drawing for a marketing or fundraising tool. It is important to remember that while building masses are shown with some detail for visual character, changes to the building shape and overall layout are to expected when each phase is completed.
Conclusion
Every site should have a Real Estate Master Planned before it is purchased and before every phase of construction.
Contact
us at (832) 1758
- 00272
an initial no-cost
evaluation and to learn more about how we may be able to assist you with your
new project - and help you avoid costly mistakes or purchasing an inadequate
site that cannot meet your goals and objectives.
A effective Real Estate Master Plan provides for the physical, social, and economic development of
a site or project that provides the highest and best use as well as meeting the
local codes of the community as may be found within that community's Planning
and Zoning Department. The plan is to be comprehensive and developed in the context of
meeting the customer's objectives. It will include action recommendations to guide the responsible township and county agencies in the plan's implementation.
A Real Estate Master Plan is a written and a schematic drawing depicting your current site and facilities, parking, trees, etc. and showing the location of future expansions. The plan also shows phasing of future expansion, for example: when the worship attendance reaches 400, expand the sanctuary and add classrooms.
A Real Estate Master Plan permits our customers to maximize the utilization of their site, save time and money, and it gives them a tool to use for annual planning, fund raising,
and raising capital, etc.
We receive many calls from clients who are now "land locked", and who may have had enough property before building, but because they did not have a Master Plan, the original building was placed in such a way on the site that additions are difficult or impossible. Also, costly demolition may have to be done in order to accommodate an addition that was not considered in a Master Plan before construction began.
Our company offers "Sustainable Urban Living" products and services that include: Mixed Use Developments, Sustainable Architectural Designs for Homes of the Future, and Buildings of the Future. We provide master planning services for creating "Traditional Neighborhood Design" communities. We also offer Sustainable, Real Estate Master Planning and Real Estate Development services that incorporate our Sustainable Building Solutions through our turnkey Sustainable Building Technologies.
We believe "the future belongs to the sustainable." In fact, we believe our future depends on sustainability.
Question:
Do you know how
many trees were "harvested" (destroyed)
to build this one new house (below)?
Answer:
At approximately 3,400 square feet, this new house required 40 mature, full-growth
trees, that were previously growing on 2 acres of mature forests, to build this one new house.
BUILDING
HOMES LIKE THIS IS
NOT SUSTAINABLE!
Our "sustainable" homes and commercial buildings use 95% - 100% less wood and timber products, and use 75% to 100% less energy compared to non-sustainable homes and commercial buildings!
Our company is one of the leading companies that promotes and provides sustainable building design and planning solutions that absolutely minimizes the environmental impact for our new homes, commercial buildings and real estate developments. Companies and homeowners that adapt Sustainable Building Solutions, Sustainable Building Technologies, and Sustainable Architecture, are truly serving their client's, families and our nation's future.
There is a finite amount of natural resources, and as the supplies are reduced, their prices go up. Just look at the price of energy. Our country is in a precarious position as more than 50% of our nation's oil is imported. We have reached "peak oil" production, and as a result, the price of oil, as well as other energy substitutes such as natural gas - have sky-rocketed in the past 2-3 years. Since much of our electricity in the U.S. is made through simple-cycle and combined cycle power plants, that are fueled by natural gas, electricity prices have also sky-rocketed in deregulated states. Similarly, as a result of last year's hurricanes, particularly Katrina and Rita, the price of building materials (plywood, 2 x 4's, sheetrock, etc.) have markedly increased the past 12 months as well.
In the case of energy resources, once a new home or building is built, the owner of the new home, is essentially, "locked-in" and "captive" to the building's energy systems for the life-cycle of their new home or building. And so is that home or building's future owners. For example, a homeowner that built a new home just 10 years ago in Dallas, Texas, may have installed natural gas for the home's water heating, space heating, cooking, and clothes dryer. The rest of the home used electricity for all other energy requirements including air-conditioning, lighting, refrigeration, etc. But in the last 4 years, natural gas prices have increased from about $4.00/mmbtu (industrial price) $6.00/mmbtu (retail price) to over $12.00/mmbtu, with spot prices spiking to almost $20.00/mmbtu. And electric rates have nearly doubled in much of Texas. Since January 2002, when Texas' electric rates and utilities became "deregulated," TXU has raised their electric rates an incredible 82%! Texas now has some of the most expensive electric rates, with the "price to beat" in TXU areas (north Texas, which includes Dallas and Fort Worth) for residential customers at $0.15/kWh.
For these reasons, we incorporate Solar Cogeneration and Solar Trigeneration power and energy systems in our Net Zero Energy Buildings and Net Zero Energy Houses.
Our Sustainable Building Technologies conserve and preserve our environment by using up to 95% less timber, 50% to 70% less energy, and conserve natural resources, through sustainable design and construction technologies as compared to traditional homes and commercial buildings.
At
the heart of our Sustainable Building Solutions homes and commercial
buildings are; sustainable architecture
designs and Structural
Insulating Panels or Insulating
Concrete Forms. Our
Net Zero Energy Buildings and Net
Zero Energy Houses made
from our SIPs that are virtually:
* Permanent and built to last over 100 years!
* 50% to 100% more efficient than typical homes or buildings. (This
translates into monthly
electric expenses of up to 100% less than what you are paying
now - that's right, complete
elimination of monthly electric expenses!)
* Fire-proof
* Mold-proof
* Termite-proof
* Storm-resistant
* Wood-free except for doors, cabinets and trim
Sustainable Architecture, Building Design and New Home and Commercial Building Construction Practices
Our own definition of "sustainable architecture" is: "Environmentally-friendly houses and commercial buildings, designed and built using sustainable building technologies, materials, and sustainable energy systems, which will not burden future generations with environmental and financial debts."
Why we need Sustainable Architecture as a Foundation for Building our New Homes and Commercial Buildings
The idea of sustainable architecture is not new. Countless numbers of homes and buildings that were built 200, 300 and even 500 years ago throughout much of Europe. They were built to last. They're cool in the summer and warm in the winter, without consuming massive amounts of electricity and energy.
The non-sustainable "cheap" homes and buildings that are now built, have significant and costly repercussions in terms of the home or commercial building's life-cycle costs. Our nation's demand for cheap, non-sustainable architecture, instead of utilizing sustainable architecture - is both the fault and responsibility of the architect customer.
The price of our past failures are now readily apparent, and it is time to create solutions!
The Cost to our Nation of NON-Sustainable Architecture
NON-sustainable architecture, like our country's national debt, has provided our country with cheap homes and commercial buildings that threaten our nation's safety, security, health and finances. They also consume and waste huge amounts of resources. From Florida to Louisiana, from New Hampshire to Oklahoma, and from California to Cancun, we have seen the results of our failure to design in a sustainable manner using sustainable methods and materials
Non-sustainable buildings (built in the standard, non-sustainable architectural and engineering methods) of the world presently consume about:
40% of the world's energy and materials
25% of the wood and timber
20% of our water
In the U.S., homes and commercial buildings account for about:
40% of the total electricity consumption
65% of electricity use
30% of greenhouse gas emissions
37% of ozone depletion potential
According to the National American Homebuilder's Association, a typical, (non-sustainable) "stick-built" or wood-frame home was 2,085 square feet and required more than one acre of trees/forest! And the waste created during the construction of this typical home averages between 3 tons to 7 tons, for EVERY new house built!
In addition, this typical, non-sustainable home uses the following resources:
13,127 board feet of lumber
6,212 square feet of sheathing
2,085 square feet of flooring
14 tons of concrete
2,325 square feet of exterior siding
3,100 square feet of roofing material
3,061 square feet of insulation
6,144 square feet of interior wall material
120 linear feet of ducting
15 windows
13 kitchen cabinets and 2 other cabinets
1 kitchen sink
12 interior doors, 7 closet doors, 2 exterior doors, 1 patio door, 2 garage
doors
1 fireplace
3 toilets
2 bathtubs; 1 shower stall
3 bathroom sinks
68 gallons of paint and coatings
Sadly, the majority of new real estate developments (subdivisions) in United States are built on greenfield sites/land. Greenfields are land that was not previously developed or built on. Every new subdivision or real estate development displaces otherwise pristine and limited natural resources in the form of forests, grasslands, farms, pastures.
What are Green Buildings, Net Zero Energy Buildings and Net Zero Energy Houses?
Green
buildings," like our Net Zero
Energy Buildings and our Net
Zero Energy Houses are an environmentally-friendly way of designing, constructing,
and operating homes and buildings that increases a building's performance,
minimize environmental impact on our natural resources, and maximize the experience for people who work, live and play in these
homes and commercial buildings.
Green buildings (Net Zero Energy Buildings and Net
Zero Energy Houses) compared to Traditional "stick-built
Buildings and Houses:
* Are Sustainable
* Reduce energy consumption from the electric
grid and natural gas utilities
* Save and may actually produce more
green power and energy than they consume
* Minimize environmental-impact
* Minimize waste
* Reduce
building materials and incorporate low-impact materials
* Protect the site and surrounding eco-system
* Save water
* Are healthier to live in
* Recycle existing building materials
The term "green buildings" are often used interchangeably with "sustainable,"
"high performance," and "healthy
buildings and houses." Eco-housing, green development, sustainable design, sustainable architecture, sustainable
building solutions, Net
Zero Energy Buildings Net
Zero Energy Houses
environmentally sound housing, and green buildings are all terms and
definitions that seek to achieve similar goals. The Rocky Mountain Institute, in its "Primer on Sustainable Building", flexibly describes this
sustainable architecture as "taking less from the Earth and giving more to people." In practice, "green" housing varies widely. It can range from being energy efficient and using nontoxic interior finishes to being constructed of recycled materials and completely powered by
Solar Energy Systems such as photovoltaic
systems, solar thermal
collectors that include very efficient evacuated
tube collectors, and Solar
Cogeneration and Solar
Trigeneration power and energy systems.
Green buildings and sustainable development practices offer an opportunity to create environmentally sound and resource-efficient buildings by using an integrated approach to
design, planning and construction. Green building and sustainable development promote resource
conservation of our limited natural resources which includes energy efficiency, renewable energy, and water conservation. Green
building and sustainable development considers the environmental impact on
every new house or commercial building and also considers the life-cycle costs
and environmental impact of the new house or commercial building for its entire
"life-cycle." Therefore. waste minimization is also an important
consideration. Ultimately, green buildings and sustainable
development practices create a healthy and comfortable building and environment; reduces operation and maintenance
costs over the life-cycle of the building, conserves our limited natural
resources, considers access to public transportation and other community infrastructure systems. The entire life cycle of the building and its components
are considered, as well as the economic and environmental impact and performance.
Click here to find out more about us:
Click here to learn more about our Insulated Concrete Houses.
Click here to learn more about our Insulated Concrete Buildings.
Click here to learn more about our Structural Insulated Panels.
Click here to learn more about Insulating Concrete Forms.
Click here to learn more about our strategic partners.
Click
here to find out more about our Net Zero Energy Buildings.
Some of the above from the Department of Energy with permission.
Cement Sprayed Structural Insulated Panels Concentrating Solar Power
Energy
Savings Guarantee Energy
Performance Contracting FEMA
Trailers
Ground Source Heat Pumps
Homes
of the Future
Insulated
Concrete Forms
Insulating
Concrete Forms LEED
Livable Neighborhoods
Net Zero Energy Buildings
Net
Zero Energy Houses Photovoltaic
Systems
Solar Thermal Collectors Solar
Trigeneration Structural
Insulated Panels
Structural Insulating Panels Sustainable
Architectural Design
Sustainable Building Solutions Sustainable Building Technologies
Sustainable Buildings and Homes Sustainable Architects Sustainable Oasis
Sustainable Urban Living
Traditional
Neighborhood Development Texas Back
Home
Texas EcoHomes Zero
Energy Capable Homes Zero
Energy Option
Are
you doing your part to stop Global
Warming and Climate
Change?
Learn more about the leading causes of Global
Warming and Climate
Change, which are Carbon
Dioxide Emissions and
Greenhouse Gas Emissions at
the following websites:
Carbon
Dioxide Emissions
www.CarbonDioxideEmissions.com
Greenhouse
Gas Emissions
www.GreenhouseGasEmissions.com
Biofuel
Industries
www.BiofuelIndustries.com
Leaders in: Anaerobic
Digesters, Biomethane,
B100 Biodiesel, Biomass
Gasification & E100 Ethanol
Cogeneration
Technologies
www.Cogeneration.net
Cooler,
Cleaner, Greener Power and Energy Solutions
Net
Zero Energy Buildings
www.NetZeroEnergyBuildings.com
The
Future Belongs to the Sustainable!
Renewable Energy
Technologies
www.RenewableEnergyTechnologies.com
Solar Energy
Systems
www.SolarEnergySystems.net
Exclusive
Providers & Developers of
Solar Trigeneration Power
and Energy Systems
Sustainable
Building Technologies
www.SustainableBuildingTechnologies.com
"The
Future Belongs to the Sustainable"
Net Zero Energy
Houses
www.NetZeroEnergyHouses.com
"The
Future Belongs to the Sustainable"
Trigeneration
Technologies
www.Trigeneration.com
Cooler,
Cleaner, Greener Power and Energy Solutions
Information on this website is not to be
copied without the written consent of Sustainable Building Solutions
The
Future Belongs to the Sustainable
Copyright
© 2005 - 2006
Sustainable Building Technologies, Inc.
All Rights Reserved