On Thursday, March 21st, the Real Estate Club hosted a panel discussion about sustainability in the built environment. Moderated by Professor Chris Timmins, the panel featured Jim Green, President & CEO of the Axiom Energy Group; Nate Helbach, CEO of The Neutral Project; Tyler Krupp (MSRE 2021), Principal and Development Lead at Threshold Development Group and Lecturer at the Wisconsin School of Business; and Matt Wachter (BS 2004, MBA 2009), Director of the Department of Planning, Community, and Economic Development for the City of Madison.
50 students were in attendance as panelists discussed the nature of sustainability. Nate Helbach talked about both environmental and financial sustainability as cornerstones of The Neutral Project’s model, while Tyler Krupp mused about the difference between degenerative and regenerative processes in society.
The topic of sustainability certifications provoked a lively discussion among the panelists. Matt Wachter pointed out that certifications help guide the thinking of architects and developers and allow people to better understand tradeoffs in construction: a green roof, for example, precludes installation of solar panels on the same building. Jim Green agreed that certifications were essential, while Nate Helbach argued that it depended on the specifics: some certifications are more like checking boxes than others. Tyler Krupp pointed out that investors care about certifications, so they are crucial for the financing of construction.
Asked by a student about how to deliver market-rate returns with the increased cost of building sustainably, and then by Chris Timmins about whether there are synergies between affordability and sustainability, panelists were split. Tyler Krupp summarized: “it’s not that affordable housing is doing anything more efficient. It’s that their deals do not have to pencil.”
Despite the meeting falling right before Spring Break, students were engaged and asked lots of questions. The panelists offered students a diverse array of advice for their future careers: Matt Wachter suggested that students go to a tax credit consulting firm or a housing finance agency to “learn where the money comes from;” Nate Helbach advised students to learn how to optimize on a micro-level by taking courses in sustainable building; Jim Green thought students should take a long-term view of their own career and focus on how they can position themselves to make more significant change in the future; and Tyler Krupp recommended that students learn how tax credit financing works.
The final Real Estate Club meeting of the semester will be Thursday, April 4.