Green senior housing growing in America's age wave

Green, sustainable building practices aren't just for celebrities and high-end homes; senior housing is going green too.

Green, or environmentally friendly, senior housing is developed using energy-saving construction practices. Green housing and neighborhoods can profoundly affect health outcomes ranging from asthma to longevity, according to the American Society on Aging.

While green senior housing development is still new, it's beginning to become more popular. Such housing opened recently in Lakewood, Colo., Fitchburg, Mass., and Tucson, Ariz. Senior housing developers must be creative to gain Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification by the U.S. Green Building Council, as highlighted by a new green senior housing community in Bemidji, Minn.

WoodsEdge, of North Country Health Services in Bemidji was developed by Ecumen, an innovative senior housing and services provider. WoodsEdge, which includes 80 apartments (with supportive services available) and 27 memory care apartments, is currently being reviewed by the U.S. Green Building Council for LEED Certification. It could become Minnesota's first LEED-certified senior housing community.

In its pursuit of LEED certification, Ecumen went first for predictable LEED credits, such as stormwater design and low-emitting materials. Then it had to get more creative, subsequently providing lessons for others pursuing green senior housing.

For example, with more than 100 residential units it would seem advantageous to install dual-flush toilets for water conservation. Consumer familiarity of newer flushing choices isn't always high, so a more successful conservation strategy was to install low-flow toilets with only one flush option.

At WoodsEdge, there wasn't ample opportunity to include windows or skylights in most common spaces, with most exterior walls used for living units. To achieve the daylight percentage required by LEED, builders installed oversized, double-paned windows in the residential units.

The project is anticipated to achieve materials and resources credits through locally sourced materials and human resources, recycled content use and construction waste management.

Finally, in addition to achieving upwards of an estimated 30 LEED points for design and construction phases, planners incorporated sustainability throughout the interior design of the buildings. Interior designers created one-of-a-kind furniture pieces using materials from farming, recreational and domestic settings, creating a green feature and stirring conversation pieces that evoke local memories.

Look for more developers to begin developing senior housing to green standards.

Courtesy of ARAcontent