EcoSuite: reducing carbon footprints – one step at a time

It’s the end of April and as Spring emerges from the winter thaw, we celebrate Earth Day. By now most of us know that our Earth resident responsibilities go beyond planting a six-inch sapling once a year. We can do more. One of the easiest ways to cut our carbon footprint is to reduce the size of our living space. In the second phase of Artistry, Indianapolis’ first LEED certified mid-rise apartment building, Milhaus will offer 31 EcoSuites, small studio-type apartments designed to give residents the biggest bang for their “green” bucks.

In 2011, the discussion about micro-units generated a big buzz among the development community, especially in high density cities like San Francisco, New York, Chicago and DC. In these gateway markets builders were designing units as small as 250 square feet and people were jumping on those bite-size spaces.

Applying this concept to the Indianapolis market, Milhaus opted for a similar design, one that would maximize space but still afford the amenities that residents want like a washer and dryer and small scale, but normal, kitchen appliances. Greg McHenry, development associate says, “At Milhaus, we’re all about the efficiency of a square foot. We took the micro-unit concept and applied it to design our 300-400 square foot units in the second phase of Artistry.”

“The EcoSuites are an exercise in intelligent and efficient design,” says McHenry. “Each square foot is valuable and needs to be dedicated to things that will really be used.” For example, adding in value items like a built-in desk, dresser and fold out wall bed lessen the need for furniture and improve functionality of the living space. The floor plans are designed with all the amenities of a studio or one bedroom, only on a smaller footprint.

“The unique layout of the EcoSuites,” explains McHenry, “has also opened up flexibility with the unit mix of the building, which allows us to create more two- and three-bedroom apartments, which are in short supply in downtown Indianapolis.”

When it comes to spatial design the EcoSuites capitalize on the idea that less is more. “These are appealing lifestyle choices for a lot of urban residents in the Indianapolis market,” says McHenry. “Less space equals less energy, fewer resources and less to take care of.”

In Indianapolis, renters are already choosing studios over one bedroom units to reduce their overall living expenses. Residents are more conscious about space, cost, and energy consumption. The EcoSuites are a logical offshoot of that demand. “We took the concept and ran with it,” says McHenry, “a lot of creative energy went into the planning of the EcoSuite. We feel it’s the most efficient unit design in the downtown market today.”