Concord Riverwalk
Providence, RI – Presented at the International Builder’s Show in Las Vegas, Nevada on February 5th, the National Association of Home Builders’ Best in American LivingAwards “spotlight the most creative and innovative builders, remodelers, architects, developers, land planners and interior designers in the nation.”
The eco-community Concord Riverwalk, located in West Concord, MA, took home one of the national awards program’s top honors, “Community of the Year,” as well as a Platinum Award in the “Green Community” category.
Concord Riverwalk is a compact “pocket neighborhood” of 13 Net Zero possible homes, designed with details and systems that enable energy-conscious residents to have all of their daily energy needs met by renewable, on-site solar collection. The market-rate for-sale cottages each feature 2 or 3 bedroom layouts and range from 1,340 to 1,760 sf. The clustered community was designed to preserve 50% of the site as open space – a concept fundamentally appealing to residents looking to reduce their carbon footprint. The community shares a three-season screened pavilion with outdoor fire pit, community gardens, and a nature preserve along the adjacent river.
“This award represents an important shift in the attitude towards sustainable living,” notes Donald Powers from Union Studio Architecture & Community Design, the project’s architect. “The NAHB is one of the largest and most significant organizations in the building industry; they keep squarely on the pulse of what American home buyers demand. For Riverwalk to be designated as their ‘Community of the Year’ suggests sustainable neighborhoods are no longer a fringe movement. Buyers want these types of neighborhoods.”
The developer of Concord Riverwalk, Dan Gainsboro of NOW Communities, adds “To be recognized by the National Home Builders Association represents the culmination of a four year endeavor achieved by a wonderfully talented team committed to designing and creating a model for future housing based on the principles of community, efficiency, simplicity, value and beauty.”
NOW Communities and Union Studio are currently partnering with Ajax Partners on the design of a new sustainable neighborhood with approximately 120 homes at the decommissioned Fort Devens army base in Devens, MA.
