Gables Old Town North LEED AE

Interior Environments The qualities of a home impact how we feel. A comfortable and quiet respite with good air quality, and an environment conducive to sleeping support a healthy lifestyle. The air we breathe is one of the most important contributors to wellness. Gables Old Town North is a 100% smoke free community eliminating exposure to second hand smoke. All homes have a fresh air circulation system which automatically brings in fresh air at regular intervals. The apartment homes and ductwork are sealed tight to control pollutants and improve comfort.

Interior materials impact air quality. Homes were painted with low VOC paint. They have luxury vinyl plank, hard surface flooring certified by FloorScore, an indoor air quality certification for flooring.

Building operations manage air quality onsite with practices focused on managing moisture and green cleaning procedures.

Residents will sleep soundly in their quiet homes with a building that’s designed and constructed to control exterior and interior noise. Light is controlled by black-out shades in the bedrooms, yet during the day, beautiful daylight enters each home through expansive energy efficient windows.

Natural Resource Use Residents will have a high quality living experience in premier apartment homes that are healthy, comfortable and efficient, while using natural resources responsibly. LEED-certified homes are built and tested to be energy efficient ensuring comfort with minimal energy use. LEED homes are more efficient than homes built to code standards, based on average HERS ratings.1 The Home Energy Rating System (HERS) is the industry standard by which a home’s energy efficiency is measured. It’s the nationally recognized standard for inspecting and calculating a home’s energy performance, per the RESNET HERS Index.

The systems in these homes include LED lighting, ENERGY STAR® dishwashers, refrigerators and washers, programmable thermostats, high efficiency HVAC systems and hot water heaters, and high performance low-e glass windows. The building maintains cooler temperatures with a “cool roof,” a white or light colored roof membrane with a high solar reflectance index (SRI) which benefit the homes inside. This roofing type also positively impacts the local community by helping to reduce heat island effect. This is caused by dark roofs and paved surfaces which absorb the sun’s heat during the day making the air temperature in urban areas warmer than surrounding suburban and rural areas.

Like fossil fuels used to generate energy, water is another precious resource. Homes have WaterSense labeled plumbing fixtures and will use 20% less water than a typical fixture and offer an equal to or more enjoyable experience than standard types. In addition to saving water, high performing fixtures using hot water like showerheads, bathroom faucets and dishwashers (uses less than 6 gallons per cycle) also save energy because the hot water heater is not working as hard.

Water efficiency and conservation strategies are designed in the landscaping and irrigation system.

Ninety percent of the plants used are drought tolerant and require less water. Invasive species were not used throughout the community. Grass areas on the grounds are limited to reduce watering and fertilizer needs. Drip irrigation is used to water most of the planting beds, it is more efficient than spray heads. Controllers and moisture sensors manage water use by watering only when needed. Rainwater is harvested in a 14,900 gallon onsite cistern to reduce the use of potable water for irrigation.

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