2023 Brings Changes to Green Building Certifications

2023 is bringing some changes to the certification world. LEED & WELL are both increasing registration and certification fees while Green Globes and Fitwel are launching the newest versions of their respective rating systems. What does all this mean for projects pursuing these? Read on!

LEED:
As of May 1, 2023 registration fees jumped to $1,350 for USGBC members and minimum certification fees for interiors and new construction projects increased to $2,150 and $3,200 respectively. On average, a 12% increase.

WELL:
As of September 30, 2023 enrollment fees will increase to $3,000 and minimum documentation review fees will increase to $8,000.

Fitwel:
An updated version of the Fitwel Standard (v3) will launch December 15, 2023! It was updated to reflect the most recent research and evidence connecting health impacts and the built environment, while also enhancing the certification process and user experience. If your project is currently registered under v2.1, you have until December 31, 2023 to generate an invoice for Certification fees and avoid an automatic upgrade to v3.

Here are a few key takeaways from Novo’s analysis:

• Increased opportunity for higher level certification: V3 makes certification more attainable by expanding the number of strategies available. The thresholds for each certification level were not modified; however the total available points increased by almost 20% and the number of strategies increased by 50%!

• Reduced impact of existing strategies: The two most impactful strategies remain Walkability and Lactation Rooms & Stations, but, the impact of these have decreased – lactation rooms decreased impact by just under 50% and walkability by just over 50% compared to v2.1.

• Reorganization and expansion of policy and engagement strategies: By combining 3 categories into one (Vending Machine and Snack Bars, Prepared Food Areas, and Water Supply are all now combined into “Food and Water”), they created 2 new sections for “Programming and Evaluation” and “Operations and Maintenance.” This organized the policy and engagement-type strategies into one category and created new opportunity for supporting civic engagement and biodiversity.

• Increased focus on accessibility: New or enhanced strategies such as supportive infrastructure, wayfinding, and universally accessible restrooms, site, and circulation, were updated to enhance social inclusion, decrease risk of injury and psychological distress, and increase perceptions of safety and self-esteem.

And one more change to be prepared for: Fitwel’s certification fees will increase by $1,000 across the board in April 2024.

Green Globes:
A new version is expected to launch before the end of the year. Once the new version is released, NC-2013 will be retired and all new projects will have to use NC-2021 or the newer version. The timeline for NC-2013 phase out hasn’t been published but project teams should prepare now! To understand impact, we input data from a project recently completed under NC-2013 into a demo NC-2021 questionnaire.  The table below shows the dramatic difference in achieved points and certification level between the two versions.

You’ll notice that in NC-2021 they have eliminated the entire “Emissions & Other Impacts” category. Some of those credits still exist but have been reworded and/or rearranged into the remaining categories. Points allocated to specific credits were adjusted as well as total points available in each category. The table below shows the changes in point values per category. The most significant change is in the Energy category where the total available points were reduced by 130 points. This change puts more pressure on the design and project management teams to focus on proper planning at project conception to get the right team members engaged and to reduce site impacts and water consumption.

The bottom line is that if your project teams have been using Green Globes NC-2013 and designing “business as usual” projects, the usual will need to be tweaked to maintain the same level of certification awarded to prior projects.

Construction & Conservation: A Series on Becoming the Client and Growing Roots Part 1

Some people got quarantine kittens or puppies. Our family got quarantine land. Last December, we decided to take an incredible leap and purchase 155 acres at the base of a mountain in southwestern Maine. The spot is incredible. It’s part field with an existing, gigantic old barn and 100 acres in tree growth.  There’s a stream running through it and hundreds of wild raspberry and blackberry bushes, not to mention all the incredible fungi and trees and wildlife. We’ve seen turkeys, deer, grouse, and evidence that a moose calls the woods home as well.

A lot of people thought this purchase was a little crazy, and well, it IS a little bit crazy. While my husband and I are both passionate about sustainability and conservation, we’re not farmers. We don’t know how to “work the land.” We don’t even really understand how big 155 acres actually is. YET.

Our “adult bookshelf’, as our 6-year-old calls it, is filled with books on permaculture design, silvopasture, small farming techniques, biodiversity, mycelium, plant identification, plant propagation, native Maine people’s history and land use, foraging, food forests, water management, and several titles on natural movement. Our new homestead will be our place to experiment with some of the sustainable design strategies I want to bring to my clients. We’ll have the opportunity to educate ourselves and others on alternative farming and land use methods, accessible and impactful building techniques, and sustainable lifestyle changes for a healthier planet and person all from real, personal experience.

This experience will include building a house.

The hardest part of any project is finding the right team. I’ve always counseled my clients on prioritizing value over cost. Value may not mean hiring the lowest bidder but choosing the right people who can bring your vision to life and provide quality workmanship. It’s also important to actually like the people you’ll be working closely with for a long period of time! We spent months searching for the right architect. We looked at countless websites, talked to more than 15 different firms, and ultimately got proposals from two.

Did we consider cost? Yes. Was that the only factor? No. I knew from the websites, example designs, and preliminary conversations that both firms were quality groups and could design to the sustainability and wellness goals we have in mind. But what sealed it for me was in the interview when talking about whether or not the house would include a basement our architect said, “ME TOO!” when I said I don’t really like basements. It’s those little things that can have a big impact on choosing the right partner.

We had a similar experience in choosing a builder. We talked to lots of people, some who would have done a fine job and some who would have done a “cheaper” job. But the builder we chose was visibly excited about our project and eager to work with us and the architect throughout the whole process, bringing his own ideas and thoughts to us for a truly collaborative experience. It was clear that he wanted to work with us and was truly interested in what we’re trying to accomplish.

What are we trying to accomplish? The smallest and most sustainable house that is realistic for our family of 5 and our budget. At minimum, we’ll have a HERS Rating and a Pretty Good House (check out the important work coming out of Maine here: https://www.prettygoodhouse.org/ and watch out for their book release!). We’re also evaluating certifications while we make some tweaks to the floor plan. But that’s a post for another time. We’ve got a ways to go still. Stay tuned for more updates.

Food as Medicine

The CDC reports that treatments for preventable, chronic diseases such as obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, or diabetes account for approximately 75% of the nation’s healthcare spending, which in 2019 topped $3.8 TRILLION according to data compiled by the US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). COVID-related expenditures aside, the CMS projects that by 2028 national healthcare expenditures will be over $6 TRILLION. Why do we, as a nation, spend so much on preventable diseases?

The answer to that is complex but is rooted in two things: modern agricultural practices and access to food.

Modern Agricultural Practices

Modern agricultural science has focused so much on disease and drought resistant foods that look “pretty” that many commercially grown products are lacking in the variety of nutrients and polyphenols our bodies need to naturally heal themselves and thrive. Our modern food system’s reliance on mass production has caused nutrient content to be an afterthought. It’s important for us to consume plants that are high in phytonutrients, which are diminished in a lot of commercially produced foods.

The centralization of food production is a problem too. While some vegetables, like potatoes, do not lose nutrient content when harvested, broccoli begins losing nutrients within 24 hours of being cut. So the broccoli that’s been in your fridge for a week that took a week to get to the grocery store before you bought it has lost most of its beneficial nutrients by the time you eat it.

Modern agricultural practices also include the widespread use of pesticides and herbicides. According to research by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), pesticide and herbicide residue can be found in lots of everyday foods and beverages like fruits, vegetables, water, wine, and pet food. In a report published by the NCBI in 2016, they state that ongoing exposure to even more ecological herbicides like glyphosate can cause a decrease in insulin secretion, disrupt normal cellular metabolism of proteins, carbohydrates and fats, and contribute to “serious health effects including cardiovascular diseases, negative effects on the male reproductive system and on the nervous system, dementia, and also a possible increased risk for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.” What’s more disturbing, they go on to state that washing and peeling a carrot, for example, does not remove all the residues!

Access to Food

While many folks reading this can easily walk to or hop in the car to go to a grocery store like Whole Foods or Kroger with tons of options, access to healthy and nutrient-rich foods can be hard to find in both urban or rural environments. Food deserts exist across the country, in every state. Food deserts are areas where people have limited or no access to healthy, affordable food. Lower income and rural communities are disproportionately impacted by the lack of access to healthy foods. The USDA Economic Research Service has a mapping tool to identify food deserts in the US. The number of people who have low access to fresh food is astounding.

Even with access to grocery stores with a wide variety of fresh food options, families are faced with the reality that it could cost more than double to make a meal with fresh foods than it does to buy heavily processed or fast food and sodas. With financial constraints, many families choose quantity over quality, which keeps them from going hungry, but unfortunately contributes to those preventable, chronic healthcare issues.

What Does This Have to Do with Commercial Real Estate?

Hippocrates first said, “Let food be thy medicine, and let medicine be thy food.” We need a cultural shift. We need to find ways to make preventative care part of our lifestyle through sustainable, incremental changes to our daily lives, including our diets. We need to be saturated in a variety of plant life and increase our phytonutrient intake. And we need to make sure that everyone can do this, regardless of socio-economic status or location. Doing so will not only make us healthier but will also have a major financial impact both on an individual level and as a nation.

Wild foods contain much higher levels of phytonutrients than cultivated varieties. For example, dandelion greens have more antioxidants, calcium, vitamin A, vitamin K, and vitamin E than our modern day “superfood” spinach. Making small additions or swaps to our diet by adding herbs or different varieties of foods to increase gut diversity can have a waterfall effect on our health.

I’m not suggesting that we all go out foraging for wild foods (although I do). There are too many people and not enough wild landscape for all of us. However, commercial property owners and occupiers can respond to this crisis in specific, reasonable, and cost-effective ways, providing hope for those living in a food desert or near the poverty line or who simply want to lead a healthier lifestyle that will last. Here are a few ideas to inspire you:

• Envision office planters with atypical edible and/or medicinal plants

• Create a community accessible space

• Incorporate permaculture techniques to create a resilient, sustainable landscape

• Make simple swaps for traditional commercial landscape plantings for aesthetically pleasing edible and/or medicinal plants, shrubs, or trees

It’s not enough to provide a fee-based gym in your building or offer insurance discounts or Fitbit step competitions to your employees. Let’s be proactive in supporting each other for a collective improvement in the health of our communities. Through mindful and intentional design, we can support an approach to healthcare that is more preventative than reactive, which can benefit everyone, even your bottom line.

CSR: Why now is the time to put all the pieces together

In 2018, I published an article titled “Certification Overload” that discussed the drawbacks of having so many certification and reporting programs. I suggested that establishing a robust Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) reporting program would be a more flexible and meaningful alternative. And I still believe that. While formal certifications have a place in the market for benchmarking and standardizing processes, a comprehensive CSR reporting program offers an organization the opportunity to have the greatest impact through efforts that are tailored to its specific values, priorities, and culture.

What is CSR?

Before I get into why and why now, let’s first define what I mean by a comprehensive CSR program. A strong CSR program includes:

• Sustainability and Environmental Impacts. This covers things like energy or greenhouse gas emission reduction targets, conservation efforts, waste reduction and recycling strategies, sustainable design and construction guidelines, and green building certifications to name a few.

• Philanthropy and Volunteering. Financially supporting causes that align with your organization’s or employees’ mission and values is one of many facets of this category. Providing paid leave for employees to volunteer or coordinating company-wide service days are also common initiatives to consider.

• Employee Engagement and Wellness Initiatives. Employee Engagement is closely tied to the category above but is considered separate because there are many different ways to engage employees in the workplace. Examples include creating advisory teams or committees for various topics from technology to product purchasing. Formally promoting collaboration across business lines can also help employees feel more invested in the company and provide a sense of ownership in decision making. Wellness initiatives can range from enhanced insurance offerings to healthy living incentives or detailed criteria for office space design.

• Ethical Business Practices. Things like diversity policies, supply chain regulations, and clearly defined standards of business conduct fall into this category. Corporate governance structure, rules, and procedures could also be outlined in this section.

Why CSR?

In my previous article I highlighted how a CSR program is tailored to the individual company, so you’re only measuring and managing the things that are most valuable to your company. It also allows for a more holistic approach than a simple certification directive for your office portfolio. A strong CSR platform has the ability to increase overall profitability while creating operational efficiencies and driving cost savings through energy/water/waste reduction targets, employee retention, and potentially reduced insurance costs.

Research done by Cone Communications in 2017 showed that 73% of Americans are hoping businesses will take the lead to drive social and environmental change moving forward. They also stated 78% want companies to address social justice issues. It’s not a big leap to understand that employees want this from the companies they work for, too! According to market research performed by Bentley University, 84% of millennials favor “making a difference” over individual professional recognition. Similarly, a 2016 study from Deloitte identified that 56% of millennials would leave or choose not to work for a company based on company values and policies. Its clear that customers and employees would be attracted to companies with strong CSR platforms.

Going through the process of developing comprehensive CSR program can also facilitate business growth as new services, products and revenue streams are discovered while defining new strategies to address these changes. A great example of this is Unilever’s commitment to helping women in underdeveloped countries. They have many initiatives, but the most well-known is the Shakti distribution model in India. Through targeted training and an innovative business strategy, Unilever has empowered women in low-income, rural communities to be successful entrepreneurs by selling door-to-door. Addressing social justice challenges does not have to be a drain on your bottom line!

This also ties to marketing initiatives and new touchpoint opportunities for potential customers, brand recognition, and could lead to increased investor interest with those institutions who prioritize or incentivize “green” companies.

In general, a CSR program can do more to inspire employees and create a foundation of trust and loyalty than a simple certification. A certification is a great tool to support sustainability initiatives, but it is not the best solution to create large scale, company-wide impact.

Why now?

One of the many unfortunate results of the current pandemic is that business has slowed, across all industries. Companies are being forced to lay off or furlough in order to stay afloat. I am not making light of this- there are so many difficult decisions being made and challenges to face. But just as individuals are taking time to process and reassess, with this slowing there is an opportunity for companies to re-evaluate priorities and policies and to plan for the next phase. Why not Invest in the future of your company now, so that as the economy settles, you are prepared to hit the ground running with strategies that attract new employees, customers, and investors while also reducing operations costs. I’ve always been the kind of person to look for a silver lining. Perhaps something positive can come out of all of this mess. Companies have the opportunity to make the best of an otherwise very challenging time, to put all the pieces together and emerge from the quarantine and shut downs with a new philosophy, stronger values, and a path to move beyond “business as usual” to something better.

Certification Overload?

LEED, Green Globes, Living Building Challenge, EnergyStar, PassiveHouse, BREEAM, Parksmart, PEER, SITES, TRUE, NGBS, EarthCraft… these are just a few of the sustainability related building certifications available in the US. This list grows exponentially when we add in regional certifications like Austin Energy Green Building, global certifications like EDGE, green building design and construction guidelines and codes like IECC or CAL-Green and grows even more when wellness certifications like WELL or Fitwell are added to the list. And let’s not forget the expansive list of product certifications and labels like Cradle to Cradle, NSF, or Declare AND compliance verification programs like GRESB or CDP. This makes my head spin, even as an experienced sustainability consultant. With over 12 years in the industry, I’ve seen huge growth in the market. On one hand this growth is great because there is more variety and flexibility; sustainability has become mainstream and something that all companies (at least at some level) are thinking about. However, the market has also become confusing and cumbersome for a company to determine which certification, standard, or program makes the most sense to use, if any.

I know I’m not the only professional who is experiencing certification overload! And, if I’m honest, I’m questioning whether all the different certification options are detrimental in the way that they have created more silos that are limiting companies by forcing them to “check boxes” that don’t matter to them or making them sacrifice initiatives that their employees value because of project/certification specific budget constraints. There must be a simpler way.

I have always valued real conversations with my clients to be able to identify what is important to THEM, as opposed to what’s included in a checklist. Over the years as this list of certifications has grown, I’ve come to a realization: certifications are not the be all end all. Formal certifications certainly have their place- they are good benchmarks and an easy to follow design tool for large corporations. But what if a company wants something more meaningful than a benchmark or design tool?

This is where I see a huge opportunity for a company to establish or revamp their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) reporting. Creating dynamic CSR goals that encompass energy, sustainability, employee health & wellness, social justice, and philanthropic initiatives allow a company to focus on what’s important to THEM. Instituting clear and meaningful CSR goals also allows for the development of goal-specific metrics for tracking compliance or success… metrics which then can be incorporated into design standards, design and construction guidelines, and operational policies.

Making CSR the focus over certification can break down operational silos between departments that usually don’t communicate like real estate, communications, and HR. Companies can discover cross-departmental synergies like how real estate decisions impact HR driven health and wellness strategies. Directing attention to the development of suitable CSR goals and metrics may take more time up front than choosing a ready-made certification, but consider this: to effectively be able to address in detail all the items I previously mentioned (energy, sustainability, employee health and wellness, social justice, and philanthropy), a company would need to pursue three different certifications and complete a third-party reporting program.

Perhaps developing strong CSR goals and metrics is the simpler path we’ve been looking for?

NovoSustainability: Origins

By: Laci Hoskins

In May, I left CBRE after nearly 12 years with the company. Some colleagues were shocked, thinking that I was a lifetime CBRE’er. After joining the Chicago Project Management team in 2005, I quickly took on more responsibility and rose to a leadership position after launching CBRE’s sustainability consulting practice for design and construction projects. I built a strong team of people who are trusted sustainability leaders not only within CBRE, but also in the industry. While I enjoyed a lot of success during my time there, I also felt like something was missing. I had a growing feeling that even with CBRE’s size and reach, I was limited in what I could actually do for my clients and the value I could provide.

Before leaving, I considered all my options, including moving to competitors or design firms. Ultimately all of those options left me with the same feeling of being limited by corporate structure and a heavy focus on profit and EBITDA. I decided to start my own, more holistic, sustainability consulting firm.

“Holistic” is sometimes open to interpretation, but for NovoSustainability, it means looking at environmental factors and human elements for a more sustainable workplace and workforce. My perspective on sustainability is a little different from most organizations because I don’t believe in a cookie cutter approach. Sure, there are best practices to follow, but not all solutions will be applicable to every client. You can’t simply follow a playbook. And that’s where my focus is- to help find the best solution for each individual client’s needs. Those solutions might include certification, but it also simply could be guiding them through sustainable design solutions or developing sustainable operations policies or maybe just identifying a few specific metrics to track on a project.

No matter what the environmental solution is, I feel strongly that employee interactions should be considered before moving forward with any plan. How will the changes impact the employees; how should the changes be communicated; does the change have an adverse effect on the function of the space; and how does this change motivate, inspire, or otherwise engage the employees in the space? Most of you are at least high level aware of the trends around employee health/wellness and employee engagement initiatives. Approaching a project with a mindful consideration of employee interaction will ensure a more collaborative process and successful outcome.

In trying to create a dynamic and engaging workspace, incorporating various forms of artwork throughout the workplace is the most direct way to influence engagement and support the design aesthetic the architect creates. A successful art strategy can be as simple as graphics throughout the space to commissioned pieces. My goal during this process is to help my clients define an appropriate, budget-conscious strategy that represents company culture and values.

The origins of “Novo” are refresh, renew, and revive and I chose that name because I hope to bring a refreshing perspective on what it means to be a “sustainable” company. I want to help my clients renew their commitments to the environment and their employees. I want to help my clients revive their office space as a means to reengage with their employees. NovoSustainability has a vision to support a world where governments, corporations, organizations, and individuals live by three simple rules: to do no harm, to do good, and to actively engage with each other in our communities. Won’t you join me?

Check out this interview with NovoSustainability contributor Holley Henderson

http://plus.usgbc.org/eco-sin-confessions/

WELL Certification: what it is and why it matters

By: Laci Hoskins

We recently published a post highlighting how office space can impact the success of an organization’s employee health and wellness policies. As we mentioned, The WELL Building Standard, also known as WELL, continues to gain momentum in the commercial real estate market, but what does pursuing WELL Certification really mean? We’ll break it down for you.

The WELL Building Standard is made up of seven different categories, or Concepts, each with their own unique requirements and supporting research. Within each of these Concepts are credits, or Features, some of which are required (Preconditions) and some which are optional (Optimizations).

In order to achieve baseline, Silver Certification, a project must meet all of the WELL Preconditions. Gold and Platinum level certification are based on achieving 40% and 80% of the Optimizations respectively.

The Air Concept is focused on indoor air quality. There are requirements for no smoking, ventilation effectiveness, air filtration, non-toxic and low VOC materials, construction IAQ policies, and green cleaning protocols. One of the major differences between LEED and WELL are the performance verifications that are required by WELL. Indoor air quality is tested as part of the WELL review process.

The Water Concept has nothing to do with water efficiency, like LEED’s Water category, but rather focuses on the quality of the water being delivered to the space. These features include everything from the taste of the drinking water to testing for specific particulates or contaminants, and most rely on performance verifications to confirm compliance. The safety of U.S. drinking water has been in the news quite a bit lately, highlighting how water quality changes as it moves from a city’s treatment plant through aging infrastructure to be delivered to a building or home. Ensuring that the water in your building meets the WELL Water Preconditions would be one step in the right direction to protecting the health of building occupants.

The Nourishment Concept includes features which require healthy food options within the office, proper labeling of food to communicate common allergens and nutritional information, as well as employee engagement strategies for communicating serving sizes. The intent here is to make it easy for employees to choose healthy options. Many people will eat whatever is convenient in order to save time and get back to work. By making healthier foods available to employees, a company can positively influence employee food choices.

The features within the Light Concept are based on several research studies that showcase the impact the quality of light can have on an employee’s concentration and productivity. These features want to maximize the amount of daylight, or simulated daylight, while minimizing glare and providing appropriate light levels at the work surface. Inappropriate light levels and glare can cause eye strain and fatigue, so addressing these concerns during design and construction could improve the overall employee work experience.

The Fitness Concept has only one Precondition, which requires a company to offer incentives for employees to join fitness centers, participate in group fitness activities, fitness classes, or bike share programs. The intent here is to make it easy for employees to live a healthier lifestyle.

Ergonomics and acoustic and thermal comfort are the main focus within the Comfort Concept. Making a space comfortable from a thermal and acoustics perspective has a positive impact on employee concentration according to the research behind these features.

Similarly, the features in the Mind Concept encompass employee engagement strategies that have been proven to contribute to employee recruitment and retention. These features include things like healthy travel policies, maternity AND paternity leave, altruism, and artwork within the office space. Creating an engaging and positive work environment can motivate and inspire employees.

Pros to pursuing WELL Certification: The WELL Building Standard is a mix of complex and simple strategies designed to increase employee engagement and promote wellness. While some features could be difficult to achieve without base building compliance or Landlord support, the majority of the features can be relatively easy to incorporate into the design and construction process or into company HR policies.

Cons to pursuing WELL Certification: The rating system’s costs for registration and certification fees have proven to be cost-prohibitive for some clients because there is not currently a way to simply and definitively calculate the return on investment. While each of the WELL features are built on individual scientific research studies, the system is still new and therefore there is not a completed study to show the impact the full WELL Building Standard will have on a company’s productivity, health insurance costs, or turnover costs.

Originally published on LinkedIn September 1, 2016.

Should your company consider WELL Certification? Contact us to understand the impacts.

How to Make Your Employee Wellness Program Work

By: Laci Hoskins

The term “wellness” is a hot topic in the corporate world. Wellness, as summarized from Webster’s, is a deliberate effort to be healthy in body and mind.

Most people in developed countries spend more than half of their waking hours at work, making the workplace partially responsible for an individual’s health. Many HR departments recognize this correlation and have begun to roll out employee health and wellness plans.

A 2012 study by the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) showed that most companies see wellness programs as a way to reduce health insurance costs while increasing productivity, aiding in employee retention and recruitment, and reducing absenteeism.

However, more than half of the surveyed companies stated their wellness programs were not effective. Why? Because an HR policy alone cannot motivate and engage employees.

In a typical organization the HR department does not interact with other internal departments like Procurement or Real Estate. This sort of siloed operation is detrimental to the success of wellness programs.

Let’s look at two typical tenant improvement projects and compare the different outcomes of a hypothetical health and wellness program to see how the Procurement and Real Estate departments (or processes in smaller companies) can impact a company’s health and wellness program.

As you can see, collaboration is king. Workplace design needs to support wellness programs to make it easier for employees to participate. Procurement and Real Estate play a huge role in supporting wellness programs to ensure they perform the way HR intends.

Note that the initiatives listed in this comparison are basic components to a wellness program but there are countless other considerations to think about, including indoor air quality, access to daylight, and ongoing office operations. Some of the design components listed in the example do not add costs to the project, while others, such as height adjustable desks come with a small premium. However, the benefits of health care savings and increased productivity outweigh the additional costs.

The bottom line: where we work affects how we work. Our workspace environment impacts our overall health and should be a consideration when relocating to and building out new space, or renovating an existing space.

Originally published on LinkedIn March 15, 2016