From windows that are a cinch to crank open, to extra-wide garages so car doors can swing wide for better access, to walkways with gentle slopes and no curbs for mobility whether on foot or in a wheelchair, the 48 new cottages designed by Bernardon Haber Holloway Architects for Kendal~Crosslands Communities have set a new benchmark in residential architecture for this leader in communities and services for older adults.
Attention was paid to sustainability in Bernardon Haber Holloway’s design of both the buildings and the site. For example, stormwater is percolated back into the ground to recharge the aquifer, and the landscaping is drought-tolerant native plant varieties. The houses have geothermal heating and air conditioning systems which use the earth as a heat source in winter and a heat sink in summer. The cottages are registered with the U.S. Green Building Council with the goals of Gold (for the 38 single-story cottages) and Silver (for the 10 cottages with basements) certifications under USGBC's Kendal Cottages LEED program. The LEED Green Building Rating System is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings.
Design choices also deliberately create a healthful environment, both indoors and out. For example, carpets, paints and flooring materials that emit very low quantities of noxious gases were selected. Physical activity is encouraged by seamless, stepless pathways to the community’s activities center.
The cottages are sited in the rolling terrain so that each one has natural vistas rather than views of adjacent houses, while their overall arrangement has the comfortable feel of a neighborhood.
Five different floor plans range from 1,250 square feet to 3,775 square feet for those with walk-out basements. All have a three-season room, an open-plan kitchen, nine- and ten-foot ceilings, and a garage. Additional sustainability features include high- efficiency appliances, lighting, windows and water heating, and plumbing fixtures that achieve 25 to 30 percent water savings beyond U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requirements. +
Related Stories
| Oct 14, 2013
The next level of Lean process for healthcare
Most hospitals have begun the Lean process improvement stage to eliminate waste, reduce travel distances, and minimize inventory, with varying levels of success. Here are three keys to creating a prosperous Lean program.
| Oct 10, 2013
Behind the scenes at the U40 Summit: See the $5,000 U40 Vision competition in progress [slideshow]
Sixty-five up-and-coming AEC leaders are battling for $5,000 in prizes today at BD+C's Under 40 Leadership Summit in San Francisco.
| Oct 10, 2013
Carnegie Mellon study looks at impact of dashboards on energy consumption
A recent study by Carnegie Mellon took a look at the impact of providing feedback in an energy dashboard form to workers and studying how it impacted overall energy consumption.
| Oct 10, 2013
Arthur Gensler to architects: Don't give away your ideas
M. Arthur Gensler, Jr., FAIA, FIIDA, RIBA, founder of the world’s largest architecture firm, Gensler, offered important advice to more than 65 young AEC stars attending BD+C's Under 40 Leadership Summit in San Francisco, which kicked off last night at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco.
| Oct 10, 2013
Arthur Gensler to architects: Don't give away your ideas
The founder of Gensler advises dozens of up-and-coming AEC professionals at BD+C's Under 40 Leadership Summit in San Francisco.
| Oct 9, 2013
From power plant to office: Ambler Boiler House conversion
The shell of a 19th-century industrial plant is converted into three levels of modern office space.
| Oct 9, 2013
SOM gets second crack at iconic modernist structure in New York
More than 50 years after SOM completed the Manufacturers Hanover Trust building, the firm is asked to restore and modernize the space.
| Oct 8, 2013
Toronto Maple Leafs arena converted to university recreation facility
Using steel reinforcement and massive box trusses, a Building Team methodically inserts four new floors in the landmark arena while preserving and restoring its historic exterior.
| Oct 7, 2013
Nation's first glass curtain wall exterior restored in San Francisco
The Hallidie Building's glass-and-steel skin is generally recognized as the forerunner of today’s curtain wall facilities.
| Oct 7, 2013
10 award-winning metal building projects
The FDNY Fireboat Firehouse in New York and the Cirrus Logic Building in Austin, Texas, are among nine projects named winners of the 2013 Chairman’s Award by the Metal Construction Association for outstanding design and construction.
