Last June we announced the zHome community designed by David Vandervort Architects, a target zero-energy community in Washington that is one of many springing up across the country, changing the way communities are planned and developed. Since World War II spawned the era of suburban living, the Levittown model has been the trajectory along which so many communities across the country have gone. Now with sustainability and ecologically conscious design being at the forefront of many architects’ practices, it makes perfect sense for whole communities to take the leap as well. But what does that mean for the lifestyles of its residents? And does this make an exclusive neighborhood where only some are willing or able to comply. Follow us after the break for more.
zHome is built in a transit-oriented development east of Seattle in the suburban area of Issaquah Highlands,Washington. The architects of David Vandervort Architects (DVA) were concerned with preserving the urban nature of the community as it already existed; but in addition to the amenities afforded by compact urban living, they were interested in adding privacy and residential community ties that many people associate with suburban developments. The architects prioritized the functional aspects of the development with the goal of making it an efficient and sustainable community – compact and integrated with technology that could provide the development with clean and renewable energy from heat pumps and photovoltaic panels, while also supplementing energy conservation with passive design.
