Wareham Development In the News

San Antonio, TX (May 3, 2007) -- Living Architecture’s latest community housing project, Pine Ridge Town-homes, has received a National award from the American Institute of Architects as part of the AIA's “Show You’re Green” program for excellence in green affordable housing.

Pine Ridge is a master planned community housing project in Ketchum Idaho. This urban infill project, on the site of an old hotel, contains a mix of market-rate units and community-housing deed restricted units. With the completion of Pine Ridge, Living Architecture continues to lead the way in creating eco-conscious, high quality, affordable housing projects that are seamlessly integrated into an existing community fabric.

The design of Pine Ridge incorporates passive solar design with each of the buildings oriented to get daylight and heat from the sun year round. The buildings were broken up and designed to allow for sun and view corridors between the units, connecting each residence with the natural environment. The core of the community is a large central green space which includes a community pavilion, a child play area and a sitting area. Extensive walking paths throughout the project connect the residences to a countywide bike path and bus transit system making it easy to use alternative modes of transportation.

Walking paths connect private entries Central community courtyard

The residences at Pine Ridge are eco-conscious in their design and constructed with healthy and environmentally sensitive materials, which include: high efficiency radiant heat systems, slab on grade foundations, superior insulation in the walls and the attics, natural and non-toxic paints, stains, adhesives and cabinets, abundant day-lighting throughout the units including sun tubes to bring in daylight, Energy Star appliances and electromagnetic field mitigation that provides a switch to shut off all electric current in the sleeping areas.

The AIA applauded Pine Ridge noting that it stood out from other entries for, "its careful consideration of both sustainable practices as well as for the excellence of its design. It will stand as an example to others of how to design and produce beautiful as well as sustainable housing”.

“Everyone thinks that building green is automatically more expensive,’ said Living Architecture’s president, Dale Bates “What we’ve proved here is with an integrated design approach and good design, that isn’t the case.”

The developers of Pine Ridge, a joint venture of Wareham Development and Van Acker Construction, are also excited about the project. "It's a major ongoing priority in Blaine County to create more affordable housing, but as you might imagine it's hard to pencil it out, " said Wareham Development founder, Rich Robbins. " Living Architecture’s design was not only beautiful, it was financially feasible”.

Pine Ridge will be featured in the 2007 Gallery of Green Housing on the
Affordable Housing Design Advisor magazine.www.designadvisor.org
For questions contact Eiron Schofield, eiron@livarch.com

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