“Even as a child, my mother would joke that my greatest interests were water and trees,” recalls Daniel Shindleman, managing director at Bridgemer. While others focused on oil reserves, he saw freshwater as the world’s most critical resource. This early insight would guide his approach to sustainable real estate investment.
“At first, sustainability was a luxury,” Shindleman says. “Those who could afford it were typically institutions or family offices with philanthropic objectives. It was thought you had to give up something to produce a sustainable product.”
That calculation changed as evidence emerged. A landmark U.S. Army Corps of Engineers study demonstrated sustainable features’ direct impact on workplace performance. “If you have a healthy environment – non-toxic paints, ergonomic chairs, lots of sunlight, the ability to have fresh air coming in – you will have a more productive environment. Your employees will be happier there. They will do a better job.”
The implications reshaped industry thinking: sustainable features became investments with measurable returns. “If it costs more to buy ergonomic furniture, you’re getting a return on that additional cost through reduced absenteeism and increased productivity,” Shindleman explains. “We were able to show that it wasn’t a luxury good – it was a necessity. Healthy employees are the most important resource of any business.”
Green roofs exemplify this shift from cost center to revenue generator. “Beyond environmental benefits, why not rent it out for a café or create a rest area for employees?” Shindleman suggests. “You could have that sustainable feature while generating a new revenue stream.”
The same principle applies to curtain walls: “Glass walls are popular for solar panels and natural light. But they’re also essentially blank screens – perfect for controlled electronic advertising in prime locations.”
Market dynamics have reshaped office sector expectations. “Office went from being a much-loved asset class to much-unloved, and now we see a repositioning,” Shindleman observes. “Class A office remains strong, with top properties still commanding premiums.”
The differentiator? Spaces that enhance productivity and wellbeing. “Humans need collaboration – we’re social animals,” notes Shindleman. “Working from home is fine part-time, but think about new employees who’ve never actually integrated with their colleagues in person. It’s difficult.”
Success requires more than desk space. “Instead of making trips to the cleaners or grocery store, why not have these amenities nearby? When you go to work, you can do these other things as well.” This integration of services advances both convenience and sustainability goals.
The sustainable construction movement points toward fundamentals. “Anything which is just a natural item is sustainable,” Shindleman explains. “But you have to take into account local building materials and see how those can be applied. You’re going to build differently in an area with lots of forests compared to if you have to ship wood across the ocean.”
This localized approach encompasses the entire construction ecosystem. “It means local personnel, local carpenters, local artisans, local services, local suppliers. It gives back to the community in which you’re building.”
The strategy delivers dual benefits: reducing construction’s carbon footprint while strengthening local economies. “When we talk about sustainability, it’s not only about what you build as a building and how you populate it – it’s also part of the community and what you do for the community.”
Data centers present a distinctive confluence of real estate and energy infrastructure. “Your source of energy, the reason why data centers are located in places where you have an available source of energy – that energy could be sustainable. It doesn’t have to be the typical hook up to the grid,” Shindleman explains.
His proposed shift: “Maybe data centers should actually be power plants which happen to have a data center attached.” This approach creates new revenue streams, with facilities able to “sell into the grid or have long-term contracts with neighboring facilities, maybe manufacturing facilities nearby, maybe residential districts.”
As stability returns to markets, Shindleman sees opportunity. “We’re back to what was normal. While there can be fluctuations – because stability doesn’t mean no fluctuations – it means fluctuations around a mean level of activity.”
The result: increased investment in property improvements and a market that validates Shindleman’s early thesis – sustainability drives measurable value.
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