Whole Foods Mixed Use Market Rate Housing Certify LEED Silver in Minneapolis
Ryan Companies and The Excelsior Group collaborated to bring this 579,706-square-foot mixed-use project to downtown Minneapolis. The project – called 222 Hennepin – will contain 286 luxury apartments and will be anchored by the first Whole Foods Market in downtown Minneapolis.
Ryan Companies co-developed the project with The Excelsior Group, specialists in multifamily real estate. Ryan is also the architect-of-record and builder for the project, which will occupy a full city block at the corner of Hennepin and Washington Avenues. The corner is one of the most prominent downtown, and development challenges had kept it vacant for more than five years.
A 40,000 -square-foot Whole Foods Market occupies the ground floor of the project. Luxury apartments, featuring dramatic views of the downtown skyline and Mississippi River, occupy the second through sixth floors. Ryan Design worked with Humphreys & Partners Architects on the conceptual design of the project, which focused on balancing the housing needs of sophisticated, discerning apartment residents with the commercial needs of a top-tier urban grocery store.
Project amenities include a fourth-floor terrace with an outdoor pool, bocce ball area, fire pit, dog walk, enclosed party room, cyber cafe and state-of-the-art fitness center. The terrace itself affords spectacular views of the downtown Minneapolis skyline. The construction of the project prioritizes sustainable building practices by incorporating an existing 300-stall parking structure, effectively wrapping the new project around the existing improvements and re-using them.
In working toward LEED Silver Certification for mid-rise residential, the team
incorporated a variety of sustainable and energy-saving elements into the new building. Some of these features include:
- The downtown location encourages the use of public transportation as well as bike and foot traffic, which reduces emissions. In addition, the compact, amenity-rich site promotes community living.
- The existing 300-stall parking structure remained in place, which saved in excess of 20 million pounds of concrete and over 1 million pounds of steel rebar that would have been used to replace it.
- Saving the existing parking structure drastically reduced the demolition waste that would have been generated.
- Cleaning up, reinvesting and redeveloping an urban brownfield site of contaminates protects the environment and reduces blight.
- The building is 100% smoke-free and extra measures have been taken to seal the units to reduce air leakage which will lower the risks of indoor air pollutants.
- The use of high efficiency water faucets, showers and toilets reduce water demand.
- The off-site fabrication of the interior roof, walls and floors minimized the waste created on-site. In addition, approximately 65% of the construction waste was diverted from landfills through recycling programs.
- The use of low maintenance, non-invasive native plants, which will thrive in an urban environment, will reduce irrigation needs.
Click here to learn more about Ryan’s sustainability efforts.
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Awards
- National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) 2013 Best In American Living Awards (BALA), Silver Award for On the Boards, Multifamily
- Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal 2013 Best in Real Estate, Best Overall and Best Mixed-use Urban Awards
- Pacific Coast Builders Conference (PCBC) 2013 Golden Nugget Award, Best On-the Boards Mixed Use Project
– http://www.ryancompanies.com/projects/222-hennepin/
Minneapolis Market Rate Midrise 7west is LEED Certified
Sustainable architecture is nothing if it’s not deeply rooted in the surrounding community. Whether it’s sculpture by a local artist or an intimate concert at the Cedar Cultural Center, 7west (1800 Washington) celebrates the satisfying connections that come from Seven Corners living. For residents, LEED is a seal of quality, providing peace of mind that they are living in a home designed to deliver fresh air indoors and improved water and energy efficiency.
The 7west building has several green features that its renters find attractive. Each floor has recycling and organic composting available for the tenants. Green roofs and terraces provide relaxing greenspace, while a white membrane roof provides additional energy efficiency.
The building also features a passive solar design and high efficiency lighting. Tenants are encouraged to utilize alternative transportation with convenient onsite bike storage set in an easily walkable community. The apartments are located within a half mile of public transit services which provide at least 60 rides per week day. However, those that do drive vehicles regularly are provided garage space with continuous exhaust to minimize pollutants that could leak into the residence and affect the indoor air quality. Inside the apartments Low-VOC paints hardwood flooring, and sustainable cabinetry provide for a healthy, natural, and sensible interior environment.
The Buildings landscaping was created with 100% drought tolerant plants. Rain barrels provide the irrigation needed to water the green roof and plants. As a former brownfield this lot has come a long way. Additional LEED points were awarded to the project for its density of 100.9 units per acre.
That’s just the start. Sunny gathering spaces, private study nooks, yoga and fitness studios, and common areas with billiards, fire pits, and entertainment centers recognize that many residents need a respite from the stress of daily life. Innovative Chinese Feng shui design creates a positive atmosphere. The LEED verification team included Jimmie Sparks, Rick Cobbs, and Jason LaFleur of Eco Achievers.
Download and Share the 1800 Washington Project Profile – PDF
LEED Midrise earns LEED Platinum
This 4-story affordable housing development leveraged the development team’s quality building practices already in place, and with only minor modifications, allowed the team to earn LEED Platinum certification.
Commons at Buckingham - a LEED Platinum Midrise project in Columbus, OH
In order to achieve the level of LEED platinum, fixture specifications were changed, and a complete building exhaust and return air system was added. Commons at Buckingham is a very special effort, by providing housing for 100 formerly homeless persons, 10 of which are U.S. Veterans.
The Commons at Buckingham is 100 units on a 0.6 acre site. Ruscilli Construction Company through great effort were able to construct this building on a very small site, and were able to achieve a rate of 88% for all construction waste to be recycled. Additionally, Ruscilli and their sub-contractors were able to donate many tons of ‘waste’ to a local community college for use in their construction trades training program.
PROJECT BASICS
LEED FactsProject Type: Affordable
Conditioned Space: 60,791 sq ft
Units: 100
Buildings: 1
Lot Type: Infill
Construction Type: New Construction
KEYS TO SUCCESS
Roof Insulation Value: 38
Windows: Alum.NexGen
Lighting: LED
HVAC Type:PTAC/RooftopReturn
The Density of this project is what makes the project truly sustainable, 100 units on .6 acres.
THE LEED FOR HOMES DIFFERENCE
Construction Waste Management Plan: YES!
On-Site Performance Tests: YES!
Custom Durability Planning Checklist: YES!
Third-Party Verified Documentation: YES!
About the Project Team
Developer – National Church Residences
General Contractor – Ruscilli Construction Company
Architect – Berardi + Partners, Inc.
Engineers – Jezernac – Geers and Assoc. Kliengers and Assoc. Prater Engineering
Landscape Architect – The Edge Group
Green Rater – Sol Development
