Story

The goal of the Green House® Model is to de-institutionalize long-term care by eliminating large nursing facilities and creating habilitative, social settings. Porter Hills embraced this nationwide movement toward a new way of caring for our seniors. Not only that, they wanted to build the projects in an environmentally responsible way and decided early on to follow the LEED® guide lines as well. Overlooking the beautiful wetlands of Porter Hills’ Cook Valley Estates, the Green House® Homes used earth tone colors, natural materials, and native plantings so the buildings fit into the surroundings. The footprint of the developed area was kept to a minimum to preserve open space. The Geothermal wells that provide the heating and cooling were deepened to 400’ so they all could fit under the parking lot. Other LEED® aspects of the project include; enhanced commissioning, 10% recycled content, local sourcing of materials, low emitting materials and all possible credits for occupant comfort and day lighting. Elzinga & Volkers and a great team of subcontractors who were able to divert more than 85% of the construction waste away from the landfills. .