Unsuspecting Suburban Oregon Home Has LEED Platinum Certification
Pringle Creek is an unsuspecting community located in Salem, Oregon. One of the homes of which boasts a LEED Platinum certification and operates net-zero, the first of its kind in the state. Home attributes include a modern kitchen with ample lighting and an abundance of rooftop solar panels representing the home’s sustainable factors.
The four-bed, three-bath home is priced at $484,000 and totals 2,100 square feet. The floors are made of bamboo and the countertops of recycled paper, further showcasing sustainability. Additionally, community-wide geothermal water is 400% more efficient than gas heaters. The home provides up to $1,900 in utility savings annually.
According to The Cool Down, The community has hidden sustainability gems in unique places. Porous pavement allows stormwater to absorb back into the ground. The houses in the community can be designed uniquely, depending on the owner’s taste. The intent is to avoid cookie-cutter living.
“Every time we move households, we release more carbon,” Pringle Development Director Jonathan Schachter, a three-year resident said. “To us, a healthy, sustainable community is one where neighbors stay in place because they like where they are.”
The description of the idyllic setting might sound familiar, as even billionaires are investing in neighborhoods that provide for better living. Sometimes, as is the case with a “city of the future” in Malaysia, the hype falls short of reality. But Pringle Creek seems to be living up to the billing, joining designers around the country who are incorporating passive building principles into their projects. The goal is to maximize airflow, sunlight, and other natural features.
Mostly anyone can take part in the spirit of this concept, even if they don’t plan on building a new home or moving to a community like Pringle Creek.