SERF'S UP

We've all heard about buildings that don't get environmentally friendly certifications because of the cost. Now, the Society for Environmentally Responsible Facilities is finding ways to certify buildings for as little as $3,000. We snapped SERF's Joe Maguire and Sarah Redwine at Harry Caray's at Navy Pier last week. Joe co-founded the company last year and has certified 36 buildings in six states since its inception. His family owns 58 commercial buildings in Michigan, some of which he certified.
SERF services include a case study of marketing materials to go along with each building they certify, explaining what features make the building environmentally responsible, like they did with the building above in Lansing, Mich. While its standards are similar to LEED, there's more flexibility, allowing points for innovative systems like the Creekside Commons Business Park's stormwater reclamation system, which drains rainwater from the development's parking lots to be separated from grit and oil and reclaimed into a nearby creek. SERF's next project? Certifying its own Foundation Green Demonstration facility on the campus of Michigan State. 

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