The Stranger reports that The Schuster Group is laying off staff and trying to sell its double-LEED-certified headquarters building in lower Queen Anne for $4 million.

An interior view of The Schuster Group\'s headquarters building

Dominic Holden’s post quotes Scott Bevan, senior development manager of Schuster, saying, “The building is actually owned by one of our investment groups and part of our responsibility is to return money to our investors … In order to return in that investment, we have got to sell the property.”

In addition to Mosler Lofts, this building has been a very significant feather in the green developer’s cap. It represented the company’s commitment to green building, and was often cited as an example of what could be done in green development. 

Last June, I reported on the double LEED certification for existing buildings and interiors here. The building’s improvements included daylighting 90 percent of the office space, installing daylight sensors control lighting, using rainwater barrels and a reflective roof.

In that story, Mark Schuster, founder and CEO of The Schuster Group, said, “We didn’t just want to create an environmentally savvy building, we wanted to create an environmentally friendly atmosphere in which every tenant and employee has an active role in using green practices every day.”

Schuster also spoke at a forum in February on how green development would be affected by the economy.  At that event, he said people in the green movement are going to have to be committed to jumpstarting green building once the economy comes back in a couple of years. To read the story, see the DJC here.

The Environmental News Network recently alerted me to a report by fastcompany.com on the 10 best green jobs for the next decade. Whether it’s truly reputable or not, I don’t know, but I do know that it’s an interesting list that doesn’t inlcude (gasp!) architects, engineers, contractors or developers.

Here’s the apparent top 10 green jobs, in ENN’s words:

#1– Farmer. The average age of the American farmer is nearing retirement age. A new generation of small-scale, local growers is needed.

#2– Forester. The field has growing international significance as programs aim to finance, conserve and develop forests in developing nations.

#3– Solar Power Installer. The Solar Energy Industries Association predicts an increase to over 110,000 good-paying jobs by 2016 and maybe more if anticipated tax credits are accelerated.

#4– Energy Efficiency Builder. Obama’s pledge to improve the energy efficiency of public buildings and homes could create almost a million jobs.

#5– Wind Turbine Fabricator.  The wind industry reportedly added 10,000 new jobs in 2007 and it is the fastes growing source of alternative energy.

#7– Green MBA and Entrepreneur. More and more, companies are beginning to understand that the values of sustainability are about survival, not just good press.

#8– Recycler. Although the industry is currently in a downturn. Recycling is still more cost effective than waste disposal, and supportive regulations continue to increase.

#9– Sustainability Systems Developer. These are the high-tech positions. Essentially computer information systems (CIS) designed for support energy efficiency and alternative energy supply.

#10– Urban Planner. Large infrastructure changes are needed to transition to less carbon intensive lifestyles and to prepare for climate change.

What do you think, did they get it right?

Here at the DJC, there’s been a marked turn around in what stories make it to our most popular list. Namely anything that mentions ”recession” or the “economic slowdown” in some way, shape or form immediately jumps to the top of the list.

With that in mind, I’ve been speaking with people about how business is changing and how they’re shifting gears to survive the current downturn. For green building, most people say the same thing: we’re shifting how we do business a little bit, in products or services, but we’re not making any major changes. We’re going to stick with building green.

But with everyone from architecture firms to consultants tightening their belts and making layoffs, it may be hard to keep moving like nothing has happened. For information on how local firms are coping, read these recent DJC articles: read this one on architecture firms, this one on cities, this one on the contracting communities, this one on job seekers, and this one on commercial real estate.

How about you… how has your business, or the work you do changed? What about your long term business plans? Remember, you can always comment anonymously.

As for me, I’m off to a four-hour course hosted by the Associated General Contractors of Washington on … what else? How to survive a recession.

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Green building has many elephants in the room and thanks to the current state of the economy, this is a big one: will green building suffer because of the current state of the economy?

The problem with trying to answer this question is that it all comes down to

The road to market-wide green buildings?

definitions: what do you consider to be a green building? Does it need to be certified by a third party operation? Are you talking about all markets - commercial, homes, mixed use etc.?

Assuming you can answer the definition question, another one immediately presents itself: how do we measure how green buildings are doing? Is there any way to realistically measure the buildings that are putting off plans, and then how green building is a factor in that?

I cannot answer these questions without doing a lot of research with time I frankly don’t have. But in the end, it seems like there are two groups out there:

1. The group that thinks yes, green buildings will take a hit because they’re more expensive.

and

2. The group that thinks green buildings are actually more valuable because they cut down on energy use and electricity bills, and will hold their value better in future markets.

Which group do you belong to? Comment on my new poll at right, or tell me more below, to let me know!

P.S. For great coverage about how the market is affecting the Puget Sound region, check out the DJC. On Oct. 13, we ran a story from local contractor’s perspectives. On Oct. 14, we run a story on local architecture and engineering firm’s perspectives. Don’t miss them!