Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation – Shuhaib Bin Haji Nawawi – 2020

Goals

The Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation (TNDC) is a sustainable affordable housing developer and operates a portfolio of 45 multi-family buildings (3.5 Million Sq.ft) in San Francisco. TNDC has made great strides in reducing operational carbon and procured 100% renewable electricity for the entire portfolio. To advance sustainability ambitions, TNDC enlisted EDF Climate Corps fellow Shuhaib Nawawi to scale the use of healthy building materials and develop resources to reduce embodied carbon in new developments.

Solutions

Nawawi worked with TNDC’s Senior Sustainability Manager to develop resources to increase the adoption of healthy building materials and implement strategies to reduce embodied carbon:

• Healthy Materials Library and Specifications – In collaboration with Healthy Building Network (HBN) and industry stakeholders, Nawawi developed resources that include materials specifications, guidance, and recommended products for 7 high impact categories (Flooring, Insulation, Paints, Drywall, and others). This will enable architects to consistently incorporate healthy materials across all TNDC projects, scale material transparency, and improve the health of their low-income tenants.
• Embodied Carbon Reduction Primer and Analyses – In collaboration with TNDC’s architects and structural engineers, Nawawi conducted a market survey of embodied carbon reduction tools and used them to develop 5 case studies to demonstrate materials impacts. He also developed a primer document highlighting the opportunity for TNDC to reduce embodied carbon, outlines best practices and actionable strategies, and developed a business case for adopting a formal embodied carbon reduction goal.

Impact

Low-income communities are often at high risk for exposure to toxic substances from building materials. Nawawi’s work will help TNDC to improve health outcomes for over 5000 residents and reduce the impact on the environment through the procurement of healthy and low-carbon materials. 

Additionally, Nawawi’s deliverables on embodied carbon will help TNDC set a formal goal on a portfolio-wide embodied carbon reduction target. Despite being resource-constrained as a non-profit developer, TNDC is deeply invested in sustainability and serves as a local and national model for green development in affordable housing.