It continues to thrive utilizing renewable energies such as wind and solar and has developed its own technologies in water purification and hydroponic agriculture. This 15-household rural cohousing community will utilize sustainable building practices and cluster development to preserve existing farmland and a tree farm. Sustainable farming will be used to grow community food and operate an organic garden on the CSA model. Among the advanced technologies being used are advanced framing systems, solar control glazing for windows, photovoltaic solar panel arrays, innovative space heating systems, gas air conditioning, mechanical ventilation. The development is built on a reused industrial site adjoining a wildlife refuge on a marsh.
Buildings feature salvaged wood, certified lumber and recycled paint.
The homes are built as duplexes, in a configuration that maximizes open land and concentrates living quarters near community areas. The size, shape, orientation and construction of the homes emphasize energy and resource efficiency while the community design favors pedestrians over automobiles. The project incorporates sustainability in many aspects of design, construction and materials and demonstrates how individual homes can be designed strategically to create a sense of community. Government Developments GSA Center for Urban Development Profiles success stories of government building revitalizations in communities across the country. The U.S. Air Force Center for Environmental Excellence Sustainable Development web page offers case studies of sustainable federal development including an EPA campus, squadron facility, and family housing.