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
| Jul 2, 2014
First Look: Qatar World Cup stadium design references nomadic heritage
Organizers of the Qatar 2022 World Cup, the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, recently unveiled designs for the second stadium.
| Jul 2, 2014
SHoP designs what would be Brooklyn's tallest building
JDS Development partners with SHoP to construct a 70-story building at 775-feet tall, unprecedented for downtown Brooklyn.
| Jul 2, 2014
The doctor is in the firehouse: New clinic to be built in California fire station
Designed by WRNS Studio, the Firehouse Clinic will encourage local residents with limited healthcare access to consider them as an alternative to the emergency room, especially for preventive care.
| Jul 2, 2014
Emerging trends in commercial flooring
Rectangular tiles, digital graphic applications, the resurgence of terrazzo, and product transparency headline today’s commercial flooring trends.
| Jul 2, 2014
Grimshaw's 'kit of parts' design scheme selected for Qatar sports facilities program
The series of projects, called the Al Farjan Recreational Sports Facilities, have been designed in such a way that the same basic design can be adapted to the specific requirements of each site.
| Jul 1, 2014
Peter Zumthor's LA art museum plan modified with bridge-like section across main thoroughfare
After his design drew concerns about potential damage to LA's La Brea Tar Pits, Peter Zumthor has dramatically revised his concept for the Los Angeles Museum of Art.
| Jul 1, 2014
China's wild circular skyscraper opens in Guangzhou [slideshow]
The 33-story Guanghzou Circle takes the shape of a giant ribbon spool, with the floor space housed in a series of boxes suspended between two massive "wheels."
| Jul 1, 2014
Hyper-speed rendering: How Gensler turns BIM models into beauty shots in seconds
In search of a fast rendering solution, Gensler looked to the gaming and moviemaking industries for the next breakthrough tool: Octane Render.
| Jul 1, 2014
Sochi's 'kinetic façade' may steal the show at the Winter Olympics
The temporary pavilion for Russian telecom operator MegaFon will be wrapped with a massive digital "pin screen" that will morph into the shape of any face.
| Jul 1, 2014
7 ways to cut waste in BIM implementation
Process mapping, split models, and streamlined coordination meetings are among the timesaving techniques AEC firms are employing to improve BIM/VDC workflows.
