Sustainability

As a socially responsible investor, MacFarlane Partners is committed to the concept of sustainable development and to limiting the impact that the development and operation of our property investments have on the environment.

To ensure that our investment and corporate activities minimize our environmental “footprint,” we have adopted practices and guidelines for sustainable development that set company-wide objectives in four areas.

Site-Selection Criteria

Favor higher land-use densities, urban-infill sites, walkability, and proximity to public transit and existing infrastructure.

Property Design and Development Standards

• Maximize a site’s pedestrian-oriented open space.
• Develop compact, space-efficient buildings that are certified under the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating classification system for their energy-saving and environmentally friendly design and systems.
• Recycle and properly dispose of demolition and construction waste.

Property Operations

• Reduce waste and promote recycling.
• Maintain ventilation systems to reduce airborne pollutants.
• Use non-toxic, bio-based cleaning products.
• Install water-efficient landscaping and irrigation systems.
• Properly dispose of any hazardous waste.
• Measure a property’s energy consumption, water use and waste management.

Corporate Activities

• Facilitate employee use of public transit systems.
• Support telecommuting.
• Use recycled paper products and office supplies.
• Encourage double-sided printing, when printing is necessary.
• Recycle used paper, cans and bottles.

Certified Green Buildings

Among the properties in which MacFarlane Partners has invested over the years that have been certified under the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating classification system, or similar certification programs, are:

LEED Gold Certified

• Tribeca Green (New York City):  Construction completed in 2005.
• 55 M Street (Washington, D.C.):  Construction completed in 2009.
• Element 12420 (Rockville, Md.):  Full-building renovation completed in 2009.
• Sedona | Slate (Arlington, Va.):  Construction completed in 2013.
• The Terano (Rockville, Md.):  Construction completed in 2015.
• Tam Ridge Residences (town-home units) (Corte Madera, Calif.):  Construction completed in 2017.
• Park Fifth (Los Angeles):  Construction completed in 2019.

LEED Silver Certified

• The Uptown (Oakland, Calif.):  Construction completed in 2008.
• Hotel & Residences at L.A. Live (Los Angeles):  Construction completed in 2010/2011.
• Venn on Market (San Francisco):  Construction completed in 2013.
• Tam Ridge Residences (apartment-flat buildings) (Corte Madera, Calif.):  Construction completed in 2017.
• Trademark (Los Angeles):  Construction completed in 2019.

Other Certification Programs

• Mark on 8th (Seattle):  3-Star Built Green Washington multifamily community. Construction completed in 2016.
• Anthology (Washington, D.C.):  National Green Building Standard Bronze multifamily building. Construction completed in 2016.

Community Engagement

Our business objective is to achieve investment success while making a difference for local communities and their residents. We are firmly committed to our role as a corporate citizen and socially responsible investor, and work on multiple fronts to improve the communities in which we invest.

Real Estate Investments

Our real estate investments provide community and environmental benefits that last well beyond our investment holding period, such as reduced traffic congestion, walkable neighborhoods, energy-efficient buildings, affordable housing, and revitalized sites that create a better “sense of place.”

Employment Practices

We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer and believe that the diversity of our workforce is a key to our success as a company. More than 50% of our associates are women and/or minorities.

Business Practices

Our culture emphasizes integrity and honesty in all of our interactions with investors, partners, vendors and community groups. We typically require that contractors and subcontractors working on our development projects pay fair wages and benefits to their workers. And we strive to hire qualified minority- and women-owned business enterprises when engaging third-party service providers.

Philanthropic Giving and Employee Engagement

We make charitable contributions to outstanding non-profit organizations that are having a positive impact in the communities in which we invest, in addition to encouraging employee volunteer efforts. A sampling of the groups that we have supported to date includes:

• ICA Cristo Rey Academy: San Francisco college-preparatory school for young women from underserved communities. Participate in the school’s corporate work study program, in which students work as interns in the company’s office and receive training and mentoring in office tasks and business etiquette as well as gain exposure to a wide range of career opportunities.
• Initiative for a Competitive Inner City:  Non-profit, research and strategy organization that works to strengthen the nation’s inner-city economies by providing both the private and public sector with comprehensive and actionable information about urban market opportunities.
• Martin Luther King, Jr., National Memorial Project Foundation: Private foundation established to finance and construct a memorial to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
• Rebuilding Together San Francisco:  Local chapter of national non-profit organization that mobilizes volunteers to revitalize neighborhoods in San Francisco by repairing homes and renovating schools and non-profit facilities.
• The Robert Toigo Foundation:  National non-profit organization that offers a leadership development program for minority undergraduate and graduate students focused on the field of finance that involves scholarships, mentoring, career guidance, networking and other professional development opportunities.