Habitat for Humanity
Habitat for Humanity, a renowned international housing organization, secured a 15-acre site in the west suburbs of Chicago for the purpose of creating a highly sustainable & energy efficient neighborhood. They partnered with The Southern Companies, a national energy company, to develop a repeatable product solution & strategy to roll out across the country & make a positive social impact.
the challenge.
Assist Habitat for Humanity to transition from building one-off homes on infill lots, to creating a master planned development focused on neighborly living & energy efficiency. As a non-profit development, there was a particular focus on building & maintenance costs.
the solution.
Integrated product design and placemaking were critical to extracting the greatest value out of the project for the customer. The desire to establish a strong connection between the homes on either side of the existing street led to incorporating a cottage-court concept, whereby a common area, faced with front porches, becomes the heart of the community.