The buildings we hold today have to stand for the next generation
We don't build to sell. We build to steward, owning assets long enough that today’s decisions still matter decades from now. Sustainability is not a separate initiative layered onto the work. It is embedded in how we think about ownership, operations, responsibility, and long-term value.
Why long-term ownership changes the math
Most developers build with a short exit horizon in mind. That model often rewards cutting costs on the systems that matter most over time, building envelopes, mechanical infrastructure, energy performance, and operational efficiency. KIC operates on a different timeline.
When you plan to own and operate buildings for decades, every design and infrastructure decision carries long-term consequences. Better systems are not just environmentally responsible, they are operationally smarter investments.
That perspective shapes how we build, renovate, and manage our portfolio. Sustainability at KIC is not a marketing layer. It is a direct outcome of long-term stewardship.
Energy reduction at Alnoba vs. standard construction
Solar panels installed across KIC properties
Of electricity at Pinnacle & Farm properties generated by solar
LEED Gold certified buildings
Passive House gathering center in the Northeast
Cross Laminated Timber building in Utah
How we build, renovate, and operate
Thoughtful development
New construction designed for long-term performance.
Every new project begins with a commitment to minimize environmental impact through responsible design, durable materials, and high-performance building systems. We pursue LEED Gold certification as a baseline and have helped pioneer Passive House and Cross-Laminated Timber construction within our markets.
Key practices: geothermal and solar energy systems · Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) construction · smart HVAC controls and high-efficiency mechanical systems · triple-pane glazing and superinsulation · sustainably sourced and reclaimed materials
Responsible renovation
Extending the life of existing buildings through thoughtful reinvestment.
Many of our properties are older buildings with decades of useful life ahead of them. Rather than demolish and rebuild, we invest in deep retrofits that modernize infrastructure, improve efficiency, and reduce long-term environmental impact while preserving the integrity of the original asset.
Key practices: high-efficiency condensing boiler conversions · full LED lighting upgrades with occupancy sensors · water-saving plumbing fixture replacements · rooftop solar installations · smart digital control systems for heating and cooling.
Intentional operations
Sustainability extends beyond construction into the daily operation of our properties.
Sustainability doesn't end at construction. Across our residential and commercial portfolio, we maintain operational standards designed to reduce waste, improve efficiency, and support healthier environments for residents, tenants, and teams.
Key practices: single-stream and specialty recycling programs · Green Seal-certified cleaning products · paperless resident communication · smoke-free buildings across residential and common areas · EV charging stations and bicycle storage · environmentally responsible consumables.
Sustainability across
our portfolio
- Entirely smoke-free in apartment homes and all common areas
- Energy-efficient centralized heating, cooling, and hot-water system
- Free electric car-charging station
- Efficiencies that include ENERGY STAR appliances, solar shade window coverings, and low-flow plumbing fixtures
- Sustainable materials, including low-VOC paint and carpet manufactured with recycled materials
- All building lighting provided by energy-efficient LED and CFL fixtures
- Occupancy sensors that control lighting in main common areas
- Digital communication with residents to reduce paper waste
- Single-stream recycling containers for paper/glass/metal collection and specialty recycling for toner, batteries, and bulbs
LEED Gold Certification
Sustainable Operations Implemented:
- Green Cleaning
- Recycling Program
- Promoting alternative forms of transportation
- Accessible to more than 15 bus and rail options
- EV charging stations
Air Filtration System:
- Single-point air intake for the entire building with hospital grade filtration system to clean all incoming air
- Clean air delivered directly to all 372 units via dedicated ducts and outgoing air is measurably cleaner than incoming air
Air Quality Awareness:
- Color-coded LED lighting on the 41st floor exterior updates with EPA and NOAA data for the following day
- The LED lights act as a city-wide visual alerting residents and the community to utilize public transit or work from home the following day
- New energy efficient appliances
- New energy efficient LED Lighting
- New energy efficient water source heat pumps
- New smart thermostats
- 6 electrical vehicle charging stations
- New smart HVAC control system with VSD drives alternating pumps
- Commercial spaces retrofitted with VRF HVAC systems
- LEED Gold Certification
- Solar panels
- Efficient mechanical and electrical systems
- An innovative Cross Laminated Timber system
Improvement: Upgrading all Heat Tape sensors
Working with Powder Watt to install updated cameras and sensors to help only run the heat tape when necessary. This will be done in 2026 or the summer of 2027. This upgrade could cut power costs by 20-30%, even more during mild winters. Rocky Mountain Power covers 50% of the cost.
- Passive House Standard-certified and built to reduce energy usage by 75% - 90%
- Preservation Timber, a small, Maine-based company specializing in rescuing and restoring New England barns, provided the building’s 17th-century restored timber frames
- Passive House architects and engineers at G-O Logic created a high-performance building that employs superinsulation, passive solar technology, and electric and geothermal systems, resulting in a grid-tied, net-zero-energy building (that is, ultra-low energy requiring little energy for heating or cooling)
- Installed two electric car charging stations
- LEED Gold Certification
- Solar panels
- Efficient mechanical and electrical systems
- An innovative Cross Laminated Timber system
Improvement: Upgrading all Heat Tape sensors
Working with Powder Watt to install updated cameras and sensors to help only run the heat tape when necessary. This will be done in 2026 or the summer of 2027. This upgrade could cut power costs by 20-30%, even more during mild winters. Rocky Mountain Power covers 50% of the cost.
Improvement: Upgrading all Heat Tape sensors
Working with Powder Watt to install updated cameras and sensors to help only run the heat tape when necessary. This will be done in 2026 or the summer of 2027. This upgrade could cut power costs by 20-30%, even more during mild winters. Rocky Mountain Power covers 50% of the cost.
- New digital control system for a more efficient HVAC system
- Replaced oil-fired boilers with high-efficiency, gas-powered, water-cooled, chilled air system
- Replaced the old steel-frame, wired-glass roof monitors with new double-insulated clear windows
- The result of these mechanical improvements include an approximate 5% improved efficiency in cooling seasons and an approximate 15% improved efficiency in heating season utility costs
1. Retention of Embodied Carbon
In new construction, a massive amount of energy is expended to extract, manufacture, and transport materials like concrete, steel, and glass. This is known as embodied carbon. By reusing an existing shell, you bypass the carbon-heavy process of demolition and new structural construction. It is estimated that it can take between 10 to 80 years for a new, energy-efficient building to overcome the carbon debt created during its construction.
2. Waste Reduction
Demolition and construction debris account for a significant portion of landfill waste globally. Adaptive reuse keeps high-volume materials—such as brick, stone, and heavy timber—out of the waste stream.
Divert Waste: Millions of tons of debris are avoided by maintaining the "bones" of a structure.
Circular Economy: It promotes the idea of buildings as "material banks" where resources are kept in use for as long as possible.
3. Energy Performance Upgrades
While older buildings are often perceived as "leaky" or inefficient, adaptive reuse provides an opportunity to perform deep energy retrofits.
Thermal Mass: Many older buildings feature thick masonry walls that provide excellent thermal mass, naturally regulating internal temperatures better than thin-walled modern glass towers.
Modern Systems: During the transition, developers can install high-efficiency HVAC, LED lighting, and smart building sensors, marrying the durability of old materials with the efficiency of modern tech
Improvement: Upgrading all Heat Tape sensors
Working with Powder Watt to install updated cameras and sensors to help only run the heat tape when necessary. This will be done in 2026 or the summer of 2027. This upgrade could cut power costs by 20-30%, even more during mild winters. Rocky Mountain Power covers 50% of the cost.
Improvement: Upgrading all Heat Tape sensors
Working with Powder Watt to install updated cameras and sensors to help only run the heat tape when necessary. This will be done in 2026 or the summer of 2027. This upgrade could cut power costs by 20-30%, even more during mild winters. Rocky Mountain Power covers 50% of the cost.
Improvement: Upgrading all Heat Tape sensors
Working with Powder Watt to install updated cameras and sensors to help only run the heat tape when necessary. This will be done in 2026 or the summer of 2027. This upgrade ccut power costs by 20-30%, even more during mild winters. Rocky Mountain Power covers 50% of the cost.
- ReVision Energy installed 152 solar panels at Pinnacle. As a result, 95% of all electrical usage at these properties is generated by solar power, and excess power from Pinnacle and the Goat Barn is being net-metered to other Pinnacle Leadership Foundation meters
- A well was drilled to offset the use of plastic water bottles
- Electric vehicles are used to transport supplies around the properties
Our impact
Our projects
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