LivingHomes, the expert developer of modern, sustainable prefab, strikes again with a new collaborative relationship with award-winning architecture firm KieranTimberlake Associates, designer of the incredible Loblolly House.  The duo of KieranTimberlake and LivingHomes puts incredible background knowledge of prefabrication to use, which should enable LivingHomes to build faster, cheaper, and more green homes and townhouses.  LivingHomes shoots for a minimum of LEED for Homes Silver on all projects and is guided by the Z6 philosophy: zero energy, water, indoor emissions, waste, carbon, and ignorance.  Together with KieranTimberlake, LivingHomes has announced the development of the following:

• LivingHomes Building System (“LBS”),
• Expandable Single Family Residence, and
• New LivingHomes Townhouse. 

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That’s right, these LEED certified homes in Sacramento are saving some serious cashish on energy bills.  Roughly up to 75% on energy bills, that is, when the full power of the geothermal heating and cooling system is paired with the solar setup.  Not bad.  The project is called 9onF — it’s a nine-home community with three-level units ranging in size from 1,300 – 1,550 sf.  Prices start at roughly $495,000, and depending on which unit you buy, the home will vary slightly with the others.  For example, three units have solar panels, three have the option for solar, and the last three have too much shade (which is not necessarily a bad thing).  Also, the homes are maxed out with non-toxic finishes to provide a healthy indoor air quality, and being LEED certified and all, a home in 9onF is certain to have all sorts of green goodies.  I’d like to post some real pics if anyone out there has any … 

++Eco Houses Hailed in Downtown Sacramento [sacbee]

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Concourse E broke ground on two super green projects last December in Atlanta that intend to move beyond LEED and into a greener realm of living.  Committed to the Architecture 2030 Challenge, Concourse E homes will consume roughly 60-90% less energy than comparable sized conventional homes.  Concourse E owner Jeff Demetriou instilled the company with the idea that a modern home is not truly modern unless it takes the environment into account.  Hence, Concourse E uses its own green building classification system called Greensphere.  The company rating system has three levels, 1-3, with 3 being the best.  Both of the projects you see below have descriptions from the website and are Greensphere 3 rated projects. 

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The Vento Residences has earned North America’s first LEED Platinum* certification for a multi-family residential project.  Located in Calgary, Alberta and built for a price of $8 million, this multi-use urban infill project has 20 two-story townhouse suites that are situated above retail space.  Interestingly, the development was coming online at the same time as several other developments in the area and sold out quickly at a slight premium in price (compared to the competition).  Purchasers identified with the dark green units and bought them up in a heartbeat.

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Previously we wrote about High Street Philadelphia, which is a super-green, mixed use community being developed by home(scale).  They sent me some new renderings pictured above and below, and the hope is that they’ll be able to see this project to a reality.  High Street is aiming for LEED Platinum certification, the highest designation bestowed by the USGBC, and will feature 51 carbon-neutral residential units, 3 commercial units, a cafe and organic grocery, and underground parking. 

Units will feature high design and contemporary materials from such brands as Duravit, Hansgroghe, Schiffini, and Fisher Paykel.  They will be offered at affordable prices, or "work-force pricing," too.   It’s going to be an excellent, net-zero energy development with courtyards, photovoltaic power, solar hot water, LED lighting, efficient systems, green roofs, bio-mass filtration, and access to the Philly CarShare program. 

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