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The industry doesn’t listen

January 25, 2007 By 15 Comments

I’m sure the few developers and marketing folks who stumble upon this site dismiss me as a nerdy guy with no life and likely suspect that no one reads or visits this blog. This of course could not be further from the truth. This site has many hundreds of visitors a day and receives thousands of page views every day from these visitors. These visitors are customers just like me. I encourage everyone ‘in the business’ to read this recent comment from a visitor to the site. It closely echoes my own feelings:

I just received a reminder from Trace for early registration. So I let them know that I was dissapointed with their party. (Although I loved La Spiga’s new place. The building is amazing!) No showrooms no material boards etc.. So apearantly if you are willing to put down the huge amount of reservation payment now, you get to visit the lofts and see the views in April. and if at that time you change your mind, then you get your money back with interest. Personally I’m so tired of all these marketting strategies.. Parties, presentation centers… Correct me if I’m wrong but doesn’t all get added to the final cost of the condo I’m buying?

I was at the south lake union discovery center last week. and I really appreciate that the center is a sustainable building. Miller Hull did a good job with that. but all the projects presented at the center was designed by firms like Callison which we all know are only in the game for the money.. It’s just interesting that Vulcan would spend money to get a super sustainable presentation center, but not put the same effort for the actual houses they’re selling. I think only the enso is leed certified, and only at Silver level…

Like this customer I too am frustrated by Trace. They are so close to completion yet their price range for some units is $150,000. Contrast this with the Vulcan projects which are essentially vacant lots and their price ranges have been narrowed down to a range of approximately ~$20,000. And no material boards or renderings at the party was simply in-excusable. And yes, the buyer is the one paying for the parties, the marketing on the side’s of buses (Lumen and Second + Pine), the full page newspaper spreads at $40k/weekend, the agents giving you the hard sell, etc.

Filed Under: Trace Lofts Views: 467
About Matt

Matt , Urbnlivn's publisher, has a love for lofts with industrial features and new construction condos that is only eclipsed by his passion for outdoor sports and urban living. Phrases such as “polished concrete” and “exposed brick” are music to his ears. You can also find Matt on Twitter or skiing.

  • jpsfranks

    off-topic:

    did you remove a post about a certain firehouse on capitol hill? looks like you’re interested enough that you had second thoughts about extra publicity. :)

  • jpsfranks

    off-topic:

    did you remove a post about a certain firehouse on capitol hill? looks like you’re interested enough that you had second thoughts about extra publicity. :)

  • jpsfranks

    off-topic:

    did you remove a post about a certain firehouse on capitol hill? looks like you’re interested enough that you had second thoughts about extra publicity. :)

  • http://twitter.com/mattgoyer mattgoyer

    i don’t know what you are talking about :)

  • http://twitter.com/mattgoyer mattgoyer

    i don’t know what you are talking about :)

  • http://blog.mattgoyer.com Matt

    i don’t know what you are talking about :)

  • kh

    “all the projects presented at the center [SLU] was designed by firms like Callison which we all know are only in the game for the money..”

    speaking from the inside the architecture/interior design industry, the budget an A&D firm gets in the scope of a project is extremely small! of course every industry wants to make money, but architecture is not an extremely lucrative industry… :) while most A&D firms are trying to push LEED onto all their projects, it is ultimately up to the developer as to the level of sustainability for each project.

    “Its just interesting that Vulcan would spend money to get a super sustainable presentation center, but not put the same effort for the actual houses theyre selling.”

    i completely agree! i know it’s not easy to achieve LEED certification or every project would be (ultimately costs more $$ to build and time & money to document). however, when Vulcan is focusing so much of their marketing effort on being green, it seems logical that they would want all their projects to reflect that. LEED is not just about the interior finishes, it also includes the environmental and health impacts of the site, energy and water use, and demolition/construction of the project. the guidelines are different depending on if the project is an existing building or if it’s new construction. in NC (new construction) out of a possible 69 points, only 13 points are possible to get based on the materials and resources used in the project. (www.usgbc.org)

    here’s the breakdown in points needed for each LEED certified building: Certified 26-32 points, Silver 33-38 points, Gold 39-51 points, Platinum 52-69 points

  • kh

    “all the projects presented at the center [SLU] was designed by firms like Callison which we all know are only in the game for the money..”

    speaking from the inside the architecture/interior design industry, the budget an A&D firm gets in the scope of a project is extremely small! of course every industry wants to make money, but architecture is not an extremely lucrative industry… :) while most A&D firms are trying to push LEED onto all their projects, it is ultimately up to the developer as to the level of sustainability for each project.

    “Its just interesting that Vulcan would spend money to get a super sustainable presentation center, but not put the same effort for the actual houses theyre selling.”

    i completely agree! i know it’s not easy to achieve LEED certification or every project would be (ultimately costs more $$ to build and time & money to document). however, when Vulcan is focusing so much of their marketing effort on being green, it seems logical that they would want all their projects to reflect that. LEED is not just about the interior finishes, it also includes the environmental and health impacts of the site, energy and water use, and demolition/construction of the project. the guidelines are different depending on if the project is an existing building or if it’s new construction. in NC (new construction) out of a possible 69 points, only 13 points are possible to get based on the materials and resources used in the project. (www.usgbc.org)

    here’s the breakdown in points needed for each LEED certified building: Certified 26-32 points, Silver 33-38 points, Gold 39-51 points, Platinum 52-69 points

  • kh

    “all the projects presented at the center [SLU] was designed by firms like Callison which we all know are only in the game for the money..”

    speaking from the inside the architecture/interior design industry, the budget an A&D firm gets in the scope of a project is extremely small! of course every industry wants to make money, but architecture is not an extremely lucrative industry… :) while most A&D firms are trying to push LEED onto all their projects, it is ultimately up to the developer as to the level of sustainability for each project.

    “It’s just interesting that Vulcan would spend money to get a super sustainable presentation center, but not put the same effort for the actual houses they’re selling.”

    i completely agree! i know it’s not easy to achieve LEED certification or every project would be (ultimately costs more $$ to build and time & money to document). however, when Vulcan is focusing so much of their marketing effort on being green, it seems logical that they would want all their projects to reflect that. LEED is not just about the interior finishes, it also includes the environmental and health impacts of the site, energy and water use, and demolition/construction of the project. the guidelines are different depending on if the project is an existing building or if it’s new construction. in NC (new construction) out of a possible 69 points, only 13 points are possible to get based on the materials and resources used in the project. (www.usgbc.org)

    here’s the breakdown in points needed for each LEED certified building: Certified 26-32 points, Silver 33-38 points, Gold 39-51 points, Platinum 52-69 points

  • John

    all the projects presented at the center [SLU] was designed by firms like Callison which we all know are only in the game for the money..

    If you look at http://www.callison.com you will notice that they are a proud sponsor of the Green Build Conference and Expo. Maybe I am wrong and they don’t see the writing on the wall, but I believe that they probably enjoy designing Green/LEED certified buildings.

    Its just interesting that Vulcan would spend money to get a super sustainable presentation center, but not put the same effort for the actual houses theyre selling.

    This is an interesting comment. I really can’t believe you are talking about something when you haven’t done your research. If I recall correctly from talking to people at the Discovery Center, all three projects are aiming for LEED certification.

    I believe Veer Lofts and Rollin Street are aiming for LEED certification, and I believe Enso is aiming for LEED Silver certification.

    Based on a quick search, there are only NINE (9) buildings in Seattle that have obtained LEED Silver certification, FIVE (5) that have obtained Gold and ONE (1) that has obtained Platinum.

    Furthermore, there are only EIGHT (8) buildings that have obtained certification, according to http://www.usgbc.org.

    *I don’t see a single one of these that are actual condominiums, barring Alcyone Apartments and Nordheim Student Housing. Most are governement buildings or public projects*

    I commend Vulcan for being a leader in the industry as far as sustainability and LEED certification. As for your comments, you should be ashamed of yourself. It’s misinformed individuals like you that contribute to the overall ignorance of society. Do your homework!

  • John

    all the projects presented at the center [SLU] was designed by firms like Callison which we all know are only in the game for the money..

    If you look at http://www.callison.com you will notice that they are a proud sponsor of the Green Build Conference and Expo. Maybe I am wrong and they don’t see the writing on the wall, but I believe that they probably enjoy designing Green/LEED certified buildings.

    Its just interesting that Vulcan would spend money to get a super sustainable presentation center, but not put the same effort for the actual houses theyre selling.

    This is an interesting comment. I really can’t believe you are talking about something when you haven’t done your research. If I recall correctly from talking to people at the Discovery Center, all three projects are aiming for LEED certification.

    I believe Veer Lofts and Rollin Street are aiming for LEED certification, and I believe Enso is aiming for LEED Silver certification.

    Based on a quick search, there are only NINE (9) buildings in Seattle that have obtained LEED Silver certification, FIVE (5) that have obtained Gold and ONE (1) that has obtained Platinum.

    Furthermore, there are only EIGHT (8) buildings that have obtained certification, according to http://www.usgbc.org.

    *I don’t see a single one of these that are actual condominiums, barring Alcyone Apartments and Nordheim Student Housing. Most are governement buildings or public projects*

    I commend Vulcan for being a leader in the industry as far as sustainability and LEED certification. As for your comments, you should be ashamed of yourself. It’s misinformed individuals like you that contribute to the overall ignorance of society. Do your homework!

  • John

    “all the projects presented at the center [SLU] was designed by firms like Callison which we all know are only in the game for the money..”

    If you look at http://www.callison.com you will notice that they are a proud sponsor of the Green Build Conference and Expo. Maybe I am wrong and they don’t see the writing on the wall, but I believe that they probably enjoy designing Green/LEED certified buildings.

    “It’s just interesting that Vulcan would spend money to get a super sustainable presentation center, but not put the same effort for the actual houses they’re selling.”

    This is an interesting comment. I really can’t believe you are talking about something when you haven’t done your research. If I recall correctly from talking to people at the Discovery Center, all three projects are aiming for LEED certification.

    I believe Veer Lofts and Rollin Street are aiming for LEED certification, and I believe Enso is aiming for LEED Silver certification.

    Based on a quick search, there are only NINE (9) buildings in Seattle that have obtained LEED Silver certification, FIVE (5) that have obtained Gold and ONE (1) that has obtained Platinum.

    Furthermore, there are only EIGHT (8) buildings that have obtained certification, according to http://www.usgbc.org.

    *I don’t see a single one of these that are actual condominiums, barring Alcyone Apartments and Nordheim Student Housing. Most are governement buildings or public projects*

    I commend Vulcan for being a leader in the industry as far as sustainability and LEED certification. As for your comments, you should be ashamed of yourself. It’s misinformed individuals like you that contribute to the overall ignorance of society. Do your homework!

  • kh

    i agree that Vulcan is stepping up from a developer’s standpoint and focusing time & money on sustainability for their projects. however, their marketing seems to be glossing over the real benefits of LEED certification. they need to give people the real facts on these issues when they are touring through the sales office. just saying it’s a green building or it’s LEED certified doesn’t mean much to the average joe walking through. they can definitely play a part in this education process. (i haven’t visited in a few months so maybe they are doing this – i hope so!)

    seattle is one of the national leaders in LEED certified projects so we should give ourselves some credit. if you look at the list of registered LEED projects that have applied you’ll notice a lot more multi-family and housing projects on the list to become certified in the next few years. i know we currently have at least 2 large-scale housing developments that will be certified.

  • kh

    i agree that Vulcan is stepping up from a developer’s standpoint and focusing time & money on sustainability for their projects. however, their marketing seems to be glossing over the real benefits of LEED certification. they need to give people the real facts on these issues when they are touring through the sales office. just saying it’s a green building or it’s LEED certified doesn’t mean much to the average joe walking through. they can definitely play a part in this education process. (i haven’t visited in a few months so maybe they are doing this – i hope so!)

    seattle is one of the national leaders in LEED certified projects so we should give ourselves some credit. if you look at the list of registered LEED projects that have applied you’ll notice a lot more multi-family and housing projects on the list to become certified in the next few years. i know we currently have at least 2 large-scale housing developments that will be certified.

  • kh

    i agree that Vulcan is stepping up from a developer’s standpoint and focusing time & money on sustainability for their projects. however, their marketing seems to be glossing over the real benefits of LEED certification. they need to give people the real facts on these issues when they are touring through the sales office. just saying it’s a green building or it’s LEED certified doesn’t mean much to the average joe walking through. they can definitely play a part in this education process. (i haven’t visited in a few months so maybe they are doing this – i hope so!)

    seattle is one of the national leaders in LEED certified projects so we should give ourselves some credit. if you look at the list of registered LEED projects that have applied you’ll notice a lot more multi-family and housing projects on the list to become certified in the next few years. i know we currently have at least 2 large-scale housing developments that will be certified.