Just like most things, the more challenging the problem, the more creative the solution. Well, this is certainly true for the Hillside Ave units. The big onsite challenge is grade change. Our solution, not only solved the problem but came with a whole range of benefits.
Read MoreSuppose you have ever noticed the pond at March's Hill or Federal and Water St intersection after a significant rain event. In that case, as we have in the Hillside offices, you may have thought to yourself, "Wow, that water is coming fast, and this space just can't handle it." With the ever-increasing frequency of these rain events in the future, we are working deliberately to design a system that will be able to withstand the influx of rain with ease.
Read MoreThere are a variety of materials that we use during the construction of Hillside that are re-used from local sources. The most evident materials onsite are granite and concrete from the 95 bridge just a few miles away. From retaining walls to roadbase and drainage material, these rocks are certainly living a new life! But just how is it done?
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We had a visit from the YWCA Affordable Housing Committee! The YWCA will be managing the affordable housing portion of the project. Our plans include a 10 room SRO (single room occupancy) home located on the Southwest corner of the site.
Global numbers range for the greenhouse gas emissions caused by agriculture from 9% to 24%. Wherever the true number lies, the reality is that there is quite a lot of work to be done and endless opportunities to create more sustainable models of food production and consumption. This is why food is integral to Hillside and our mission to develop sustainable housing.
Read MoreOne of the most significant drawbacks for small homes is the lack of easily accessible storage, especially for large outdoor recreation equipment like bikes, kayaks, skis, or surfboards. For this reason, we have created space in the Barn for residents to store large and small objects. The shared tools and workshop is the other space we are excited about.
Read MoreThe traditional methodology of landscape water management has been to move it as quickly and effectively offsite as fast as possible. Not only has this negatively impacted our water quality but we are now realizing that clean consistent water supplies might just become a thing of the past. Our motto for water is to slow it, spread it, and sink it. This means that we want to keep as much water on site as possible - in the form of moist soils, organic matter, or underground cisterns.
Read MoreThe standard functions of walls are intended to create structure, define space, and hold a load. Our walls at Hillside go far beyond what is traditionally expected of residential walls and creates a system that is more efficient, more sustainable, and pretty darn cool.
Read MoreThe community wide CSA (community supported agriculture) share will be set up weekly at the Common House for residents to collect, trade recipes, and maybe even share a meal in the commercial kitchen! There are unlimited possibilities for this space such as community classes, craft nights, or summer cook outs.
Read MoreLike most things on the Hillside site, the solar parking canopy has many functions. From capturing solar energy to powering homes and electric vehicles, rainwater collection, and protecting vehicles - the parking canopy has us swooning. It will also be one of the first pieces of the site to be erected and used to power construction equipment.
Read MoreWe could recycle the concrete for our multiple retaining wall systems, just miles from its origin. So far, we have recycled approximately 500 blocks weighing anywhere from 2,500 lbs to 32,000 lbs (three times the size of an elephant)! Along with the blocks, we are also recovering over 6,000 cubic yards of recycled concrete aggregate from the piers we will use as a road base.
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