LEED-H was chosen as the guideline for the community because it best represented the goals of the developers. Photo by Visko Hatfield.

The story of Pringle Creek Community, a 32-acre mixed-use development in Salem, Ore., begins with the State of Oregon deciding to close down its 275-acre “home” for developmentally disabled children. The state then put the property, located just three miles from downtown Salem, up for sale. That got some people thinking about the ideal use for the property. Eventually, a group calling itself Sustainable Fairview Associates formed and bought the property with plans to create a development based on a commitment to sustainability coupled with New Urbanist planning concepts.

Hopes are still high for the other 240-plus acres, but the excitement belongs to Pringle Creek Community, a 32-acre portion of the original site that was sold to developer Sustainable Development, Inc. Based on an elegant masterplan created by James Meyer of Opsis Architecture in Portland, who happens to have grown up just a stone’s throw away, the project is getting lots of attention. A highlight came when it won the inaugural (2007) Green Development of the Year Award of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).

The cottage-style home, like the one pictured, is but one of the custom styles residents can choose for their new home. Provided by Sustainable Development, Inc.

Developing the Infrastructure

The plan for this green neighborhood started with the question of whether any of the seven pre-existing buildings on the land could be reused. The answer was yes — four. These four buildings are in the process of being retrofitted to become the community and commercial spaces that will make up the Village Center. The other three buildings were deconstructed with a 97.3 percent recycle rate.

“There is something special about starting to make plans for a piece of property with buildings already on it,” says Meyer. “It’s this tremendous opportunity to save money, save time, work and natural resources by imagining how they can become key elements of a dynamic community.”

Pringle Creek Community’s infrastructure features “green streets” that include the largest residential application of porous asphalt in North America. Because the rainwater filters through, the streets don’t need curbs. These streets are narrow, which slows cars and encourages bike and pedestrian activity. Alongside the streets are gravel verges and numerous small “blue-green“ vegetated bio-swales. The entire development achieves 90 percent stormwater infiltration. In the Willamette Valley, that’s a lot of water.

Thirty-five percent of the site is dedicated to community open space (parks, trail system, community gardens) and natural green space (creek, wetlands, existing trees). Eighty percent of the existing tree canopy has been preserved. Stream and riparian habitat has been preserved and enhanced for the native trout and salmon and more than 50 species of birds.

Setting a Standard

The Pringle Creek developers, Sustainable Development, Inc. (SDI), chose the LEED for Homes (LEED-H) program because, according to SDI president Don Myers, “It is the most comprehensive third-party review process that ensures high construction standards, durability and the best living environments.” But at the time that LEED was taking applicants for its LEED for Neighborhood Development (LEED-ND) pilot program, Pringle Creek chose not to apply — the project team was enmeshed in the engineering and construction of porous asphalt and concrete roads, the stormwater runoff and bioswale system, and the geothermal heating and cooling system that makes use of a preexisting well. “Once the ND pilot program is complete and LEED-ND is established, we’ll be taking a serious look at it and most likely apply,” says Don Myers, president of Sustainable Development Inc.

The Learning Home serves as the introduction to the sustainable opportunities within the community. Provided by Sustainable Development, Inc.

Although the guidelines for the custom designs of residences are very flexible, Pringle Creek Community made a market-driven decision to set LEED Silver as the minimum requirement for the homes that people will be building. The developer’s experience so far is that people are electing to upgrade to LEED Gold, making use of geothermal systems or adding other features such as solar hot water and photovoltaic installations. Each of the 139 homesites has been evaluated for solar capacity (both thermal and photovoltaic) and designed to benefit from natural light and prevailing breezes. All lumber used in all buildings will be locally sourced Forest Stewardship Council certified. Seventy homes will benefit from an innovative geothermal heating and cooling system that is 300 percent efficient.

SDI went all out for the first house completed at the development, known as the Learning Home. It was the first house in the Pacific Northwest to earn LEED Platinum certification and just the sixth in the country. It earned 103 points, which was, as of June 2007, a record. The house also won a silver EnergyValue Housing Award in the Custom home category at the February 2008 ceremony in Orlando.

The Learning Home, a “cottage style” house (other styles in the development include row homes, live/work studio lofts, single family homes, attached houses and “tall” houses), is currently being monitored for performance by the Oregon Department of Energy. Other features of the house are:

• A small building footprint, with only 1,346 square feet as compared to the typical 2,450-square-foot Oregon home.
• Maximized daylighting and cross-ventilation, reducing the need for artificial lighting, heating and cooling. All windows are high-performance.
• A high level of indoor environmental quality. All paints, sealants, adhesives and materials used inside the Learning Home are low-VOC to reduce the presence of harmful off-gassing and improve the indoor air quality.
• A tight building envelope with rain-screen sided exterior sheathed in a radiant barrier of foil-faced rigid insulation, minimizing heat loss and gain.
• • A system to pre-heat water prior to the water heater consisting of 2-kW photovoltaic panels located on the roof along with a solar hot water vacuum tube system with a 119-gallon hot water tank.
• A 2”x 6” wood stud, 24-inch on center, advanced frame wall that uses less lumber and allows for more dense pack cellulose insulation within the exterior wall cavity.
• All gutters and downspouts at the cottage collect water into a 1,500-gallon underground cistern. Less potable water is used for irrigation during the dry season; during the rainy season, the lag-time of stormwater runoff into the porous street system is increased. 

With the recent rate increase in energy prices, Pringle Creek Community’s energy-efficient features will help stem long-term costs to homeowners. Provided by Sustainable Development, Inc.

Some of the ideas for fostering a sense of community are on display with the Learning Home. The home’s entry, expansive windows and porches were designed to form a strong connection to the street and the neighborhood. The individual lawn area of the lot is small because Pringle Creek Community will instead feature walking trails through green spaces and extensive community gardens (including two large restored greenhouses).

In fact, much of Pringle Creek Community is an “edible landscape.” Residents will be living in a garden. More than 100 cherry, pear, apple and peach trees have been planted, along with more than 200 blueberry bushes, all for community use. All the landscaping and gardens will be entirely organic.

It’s About the People

Fostering a sense of community has been an important element of the planning from the start. More than 700 people attended a pre-construction open house. Focus groups have evaluated potential community amenities and a group of local leaders and likely buyers provided valuable advice.

Thoughtful planning resulted in a careful layout of streets and lots, with the public realm celebrated at every turn. Homes will have porches that look out across narrow green lanes and take in views of linear parks, open spaces, community gardens, sidewalks and trails.

The community that is coming to life here is already sharing its innovations. The retrofitted buildings of the Village Center, soon to contain a mix of gathering places such as a coffee house, wine cellar, and local restaurant, have been used for numerous informational seminars, conferences and workshops. Nearby Willamette University and also the University of Oregon Architecture School have offered classes focused on the project, some held on the property. To assist in facilitating the “living laboratory” aspect of the project, the developers created a 501(c)(3) non-profit Sustainable Living Center. It manages the restored greenhouses, new community gardens, a solar-powered bio-diesel cooperative, a recycling center and community events.

Using Green to get Green

These past few years have been dramatic in real estate. When the bulldozers first rolled onto Pringle Creek Community’s acreage in 2006 (running on biodiesel, by the way), houses in the region were selling fast and prices were rising. Now, although the Willamette Valley is doing significantly better than other parts of the United States, new home sales are substantially slower. But another dramatic change is working to the benefit of Pringle Creek. That is the enormous rise in the price of energy. Oil has doubled in the last year and a half; it has increased sixfold in the last six years.

According to Myers, “I get the feeling there is a real change in homebuyers’ expectations. They see that the energy efficiency features of our houses pay for themselves pretty quickly and that they will have a lot more secure resale value if energy costs keep rising. They are excited about a home that demands less of their time in a neighborhood that is more welcoming and safe.”

Pringle Creek Community is part of the new paradigm of living. Re-emerging community values and new building technologies are coming together to provide buyers with real choices. Robust budget savings and a dynamic sense of community are replacing the suburban home as the American dream of the new century.