Efficiency and responsibility just makes sense

One part of Milhaus’s work that may go unseen is our commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility. Our projects are usually built to LEED standards, whether or not we seek their certification. But being “green” and “eco-friendly” goes far beyond the materials and fixtures incorporated in the building. Instead, we understand the sustainability value that responsible urban infill development has on encouraging ideas like “smart growth and “walkability.” Mixed-use projects create not just buildings, but help facilitate the social, economical, and physical enhancement of neighborhoods.

One project that recently caught my attention was Onion Flat’s The Ridge in Philadelphia, an example of innovation and thinking beyond the status quo. The project is a partnership with the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority to redevelop a vacant site into a mixed-use development that is expected to be the nation’s largest “Passive House,” or a net-zero building. The project will generate all of its power from a 200 kilowatt hour solar panel system and will include a completely permeable, green roof covered site. The project will be feature a new cutting edge prefabrication system developed by BLOX, cutting a significant amount of time needed for construction.

You may be asking yourself, how can such an unprecedented project happen in today’s market? Or, how is it possible for a developer to be so committed to sustainability when they are supposed to be worried about the bottom line? Tim McDonald, Principal at Onion Flats, says, “We think this way because most developers won’t. For us, it’s really common sense stuff. We want to show that it’s not only possible but also much easier to take on larger projects without losing quality (environmentally friendly) design.”

Milhaus agrees. We “Think Mixed Use” because it’s just how we do things. It’s a proven success story, and we want to have our own chapter in it. Look for more good stuff like this to come.