Grace H. Kim, J.D. Lindeberg
Daybreak Cohousing in Seattle was built with a strong commitment to sustainable design. However, the budget realities of construction often cause communities to value engineer out many of the sustainability strategies. So how does a community to balance their shared values and a limited construction budget? Daybreak’s journey from sustainability workshop to final construction offers ideas for low- or no-cost passive strategies, and lessons on how to make the most of more expensive active technologies.
Ann Arbor Cohousing offers a similar story in which the inherent values of cohousing community development—smaller footprint, shared resources, attention to public transit access, healthy house materials, natural landscapes, efficient appliances and fixtures—made them an ideal candidate for achieving both Energy Star status and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. With little extra effort, the recognition conferred by these programs can translate into environmental, marketing and financial benefits.
Grace Kim is a co-founding principal of the architectural studio of Schemata Workshop and has been in practice for 14 years. She has worked for internationally known firms such as Skidmore Owings & Merrill in Chicago as well as regionally respected firms like Bumgarder Architects in Seattle. Her practice focuses on projects that reinforce community, enrich the pedestrian experience and create vibrant places to live. She firmly believes in mixed use neighborhoods that support a diversity of age groups and income levels.
JD Lindeberg, PE, LEED AP, is the managing partner of Cohousing Development Company which has developed over 140 units of cohousing in the area around Ann Arbor, Michigan. JD is CFO and principal of Resource Recycling Systems, one of the continent’s largest recycling and resource management consultancies. He is the lead developer of an eco-resort in Baja, Mexico. He is an engineer and economist trained at Dartmouth College, Stanford University and Princeton University. He lives in Ann Arbor with his family in an old house that constantly needs remodeling.
Presentation: Daybreak Case Study