Profile
Benjamin C. Young
Community Development Acquisitions Analyst, Shea Homes for Active Adults
MBA, Technology, Science, and Engineering - Arizona State University
BS, Construction Management - Brigham Young University
Project
Green Building at Shea Homes: A Case for Change
Because of the downturn in the residential construction market, it is unlikely many builders will want to lead out in addressing sustainable/green building and development issues unless management understands more about the issues involved. At Shea, this includes a need to know where we are as a division, what the current trends are in the industry, and what steps can be taken in the near, medium, and long term to position ourselves as a market leader—not a laggard. I firmly believe that introducing sustainable building techniques and land development practices into the Shea culture is not only the right thing to do, but will eventually be the only option available if we want to continue to grow in an increasingly regulated and builder-hostile market. The advantage we have now is that if we understand the various cost-benefit tradeoffs of the leading sustainable/green design standards, we can choose a course that will best position us as sustainable leaders while still preserving—even enhancing—the bottom line. To date, little to no analysis regarding these points has been performed.
My analysis will begin with discovering what, if any, sustainable/green building measures are currently being utilized in the broader Shea organization and within the Active Adult division. At the same time, I will also conduct research into what sustainability/green standards exist in the building industry, systematically cataloguing them and rating them along different parameters. These parameters will give me the ability to determine which of the available offerings are most in tune with Shea’s needs and with the needs of the consumer in the markets in which we build. Having catalogued these measures, I will conduct a cost/benefit analysis of the most promising measures and will present a project summary to senior management concerning our options today.
