Above: A ferry and other activity on the river is made possible by Noisette. For the first time in a century, people will have access to the riverfront.

Housing will be energy efficient and environmentally conscious and provide options for a wide range of income levels and lifestyles. To make housing “green” and affordable, the Noisette Co. has asked EarthCraft House, the Greater Atlanta Home Builder Association and Southface’s residential green building program, to consult in the process. Noisette and EarthCraft House will partner to develop a strategy enabling and encouraging builders to build to certain performance standards. Better housing improves occupant health, saves energy, conserves water and reduces construction waste but most importantly, it makes affordable housing affordable. If the Noisette Co.’s master plan dictates development patterns over the next 20 years, the city could become a nationally recognized urban center with a thriving commercial industry and a strong community identity. A Short History In 1993, the federal government announced the closing of the North Charleston naval base as part of an extensive effort to consolidate and privatize the defense industry. In 1996, the naval base was closed and the land was given to the state of South Carolina. At one time the naval base had employed more people than any other employer in South Carolina history—25,000 during World War II. When the base closed, about 5,000 civilian jobs were lost. The city and state recognized the need for a massive effort to re-evaluate land usage. Jim Augustin was the director of the North Charleston base closing. In the late 1990s, he partnered with Knott to develop the Noisette Co. In partnership with the City of North Charleston, the Noisette Co. sought to develop a plan that would restore and revitalize the urban environment. “I asked our urban designers to think of themselves not as designers, but as healers,” Knott says. The development team includes EQA Landmark Communities, established to bring developers, designers and builders together to deliver viable solutions to community housing. IBACOS provides integrated home-building solutions and is the primary consortium in the Department of Energy’s Building America program. Burt Hill Kosar of Rittleman Associates, a U.S.-based company, develops integrated approaches to project development. Along with other talented design and legal professionals, Noisette has established funding through the private equity of individuals who believe wholeheartedly in the company’s vision. The Noisette Project master plan makes recommendations and establishes guidelines for mixed-use development patterns and sustainable transportation systems. The project will be phased over the next 15-20 years and includes “Benchmarks for Success”—an extensive strategy to measure the results. The Noisette Project is unique among other urban renewal projects because there are existing communities on the 2,600 acres just beyond the company’s development boundaries. Noisette’s goal is to improve the existing communities themselves and enhance them with the new development in North Charleston.
	Before it closed, the North Charleston naval base (right) made this area vibrant. Now, current and new community members alike will enjoy the redeveloped area as a place of recreation & leisure (sketch of proposed site-left).

Building Sustainable Communities

The master plan envisions a modern city with a flexible housing supply that shifts to accommodate fluctuating demand. Observing current trends, people are working out of their homes and living single for longer periods of time. Individuals occupy half of all single-family homes in the United States. “Housing for All” is the master plan’s initiative that emphasizes diversity in housing over homogeneity. Noisette believes that adaptability is an important aspect of sustainability.

The strategy of diversifying housing will lessen the likelihood that traditional single-family homes will dominate the landscape. Those living and working at home will be accommodated. Owner-occupied units will be present in the same city block as rental units. Housing for seniors will be included among homes with children. A single city block will provide shelter to a broader cross section of the population.

Knott says that people of all income levels will live in the North Charleston he envisions. But he strongly believes subsidized housing has to be eliminated because subsidy by the public or private sector is not sustainable. To encourage affordable housing, the plan describes several tools at the disposal of homeowners. One tool is known as ground rent and consists of a legal agreement in which the owner owns the house but not the land. Ground rents have been shown to reduce the cost of home ownership by 40 percent.

Another tool to promote affordable housing is an energy efficient mortgage (EEM). Lenders will increase the loan amount if an approved third party has tested the home for energy efficiency. Fannie Mae sponsors the EEM because they recognize that living in an energy efficient home costs less. Transportation location mortgages are similar. Lenders will give more because the cost of living can be less if public transportation is locally available. These tools are part of a strategy to make modern, urban living affordable to all people.

Lofts and condominiums will be the prevailing housing type in the 600-acre waterfront development owned by the Noisette Co. Residents will walk easily to the grocery or dry cleaner and artists will work in renovated commercial spaces. Streetscapes will be densely vegetated and pedestrian walkways will be shaded. Constricted roadways will reduce traffic flow while natural drainage swales accommodate runoff. More narrow roadways reduce the heat island effect caused by large paved surfaces, and the combined, positive effects include a friendly urban environment that multiplies benefits to pedestrians.

Dense urban development has a unique and attractive character—so attractive that the following scenario is likely. Demand for property and housing goes up. Investors buy, tear down and rebuild. Property taxes increase as appraised values increase. Those that cannot afford the taxes sell their homes at a premium and move away. This scenario runs counter to Noisette’s principle of providing housing to all income levels. Gentrification, as it is known in the development community, will not be tolerated. A sign that hangs in Noisette’s boardroom reads: “Practice no tolerance for gentrification.” It will take more than ingenuity and business savvy to ensure this scenario can be avoided.

Sustainable communities help residents connect to the past by preserving historic homes and neighborhoods. The National Trust for Historic Preservation provides tax credits for physical improvements on properties listed in the national register. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) makes grants available to preservation efforts in economically depressed neighborhoods. These resources are part of a broader plan to preserve the city’s identity.

The urban renewal will initially use public funds for development. TIF, or Tax Incremental Financing, will be used to finance the changes to common property such as pedestrian walkways. A TIF works by using taxes to fund public improvements for a specified period of time. The city will benefit because viable businesses increase the tax base while private industry spurs future development.

Besides restoring watersheds and dedicating nature preserves, they are hoping the mixed-use development will attract ecologically minded businesses—recycled product manufacturers and the likes—may even relocate to a supportive community such as North Charleston. The city has great potential to turn into an economic nucleus of sustainable development by aggregating core competencies. In the long term, Noisette hopes to infuse ecological responsibility into the social and economic spheres.

The Role of High Performance Construction

John Knott’s blood becomes stirred when the subject turns to the quality of today’s housing. “It’s not built to last. When my grandfather was building they had real knowledge. They would build the house and let it sit so it could dry out. Builders today use housing to generate cash flow. They are not ‘building artisans.’ They are marketing and financial wizards,” Knott relented during a recent conversation in the boardroom.

Residential construction is a passionate subject for Knott, a third generation builder whose grandfather built in the guild tradition. In his grandfather’s day, builders would train their own carpenters and paperhangers who were infused with an appreciation for their craft. “They knew how to create great buildings and great places,” Knott insists.

Knott recognizes today’s homes are substantially different from those his grandfather built. Strict measures are needed to conserve energy because of the widespread use of central heating and cooling. Art Titus, a life-long builder and Vice President of the Noisette Co. explains, “Today’s homes must have a drainage plane and prevent air from moving through the wall cavity. The requirements are different.” His description is apropos. These strategies have been espoused in high performance construction for years.

Titus and Knott believe development must not jeopardize environmental health. It must enhance natural ecosystems. With the public’s growing concern for the environment, the master plan sets standards for home performance and site development. Development will have to meet criteria in the following categories:

• Sustainable sites and communities
• Water efficiency
• Building Durability
• Energy
• Materials and Resources
• Indoor Environmental Quality

Builders and homeowners often have little knowledge of high performance construction characteristics such as tight ductwork, proper insulation levels and improved windows. The Sustainability Institute, an environmental non-profit begun in partnership with Noisette, has built the “Green House” through an extensive residential rehabilitation to demonstrate the technologies and practices. The non-profit purchased a home typical of mid-twentieth century construction and renovated it to meet today’s challenges.

The Green House demonstrates the effectiveness and ease by which the built environment can be improved. Walking through the Green House on a recent visit, one notices the attention to day lighting and the great indoor air quality. The interior finishes do not off-gas, the mechanical equipment is energy efficient and the landscaping utilizes drought tolerant plants. North Charleston residents may tour the home on E. Montague Ave. to learn how they can improve their own homes.

Pat Buckley, Director of the Sustainability Institute, tells homeowners that renovation can be affordable. “We host seminars for the community to teach them how to save energy and finance their renovations,” she said.. To encourage the most basic energy improvements, the Institute gives away an energy kit for those who attend. Buckley plans to send volunteers into the community to find out what improvements were made and to collect unused items to be redistributed. The Green House renovation has been a success but the greater challenge lies in getting builders to comply with the Noisette performance standards in new construction.

EarthCraft House has been brought on board to help Noisette develop a comprehensive strategy to transform the local building market. Since the Atlanta-based green building program began five years ago, builders, homeowners and real estate agents have been shown that green homes are different houses altogether though they may be similar in appearance to conventional homes. The Noisette master plan creates a similar designation to EarthCraft certified homes. Their label, known as the ‘Quality Home’ is granted tohouses that meet certain green building criteria.

Early Successes

The wheels of change turn slowly, but several early successes are cause for speculation that the plan may be realized. Dialogue between local residents and members of the design team has paved (or more appropriately enhanced) the way for public acceptance of the plan—a facet of urban redevelopment that the planning team believes is essential for success.

Early plans were complicated by an effort to halt the redesign of Park Circle, a well-loved neighborhood-meeting place, though residents have been receptive to other recommendations. Members of the Ministerial Alliance, representing several neighborhood churches, have enthusiastically embraced the plan.