Ingleside at King Farm goes GREEN!

Nowadays, it seems like every time you open the newspaper or magazine or click on the TV you can’t avoid the phrase “going green.” It is quickly becoming cliché as this green machine seems unstoppable. Well, it is indeed unstoppable! Going green is no longer a fad. It is an inevitable way of human life. Although there will be continued scientific and political debate over specific issues, “going green” is an environmental, ethical and human necessity, that requires immediate action. This is why Ingleside at King Farm is focusing its efforts to achieve the most prestigious accreditation for new construction in America: LEED Certification. Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) has quickly risen to the forefront of the building industry domestically and throughout the world. Developed by the United States Green Building Council, the LEED rating system is helping create the most health conscious and environmentally sound buildings for generations to come.

What exactly is LEED and why strive for certification? LEED is a guideline and rating system comprised of six core categories of sustainable design and construction: Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy & Atmosphere, Materials & Resources, Indoor Environmental Quality and Innovation in Design. The LEED reference guide outlines stringent and specific standards related to each category that must be met to receive a given rating of efficiency. We found LEED to be a perfect complement to our idea of what a 21st century Continuing Care Retirement Community should be. This era will help prove that making the right ecological choices, as Ingleside will do, will improve the environment, but also the social relationships, personal health and community connectivity of retired persons.

The question remains, “What will this mean, practically?” Here is a taste of some of the measures being taken: We are offsetting our electricity consumption through wind power, using low volatile organic compounds (VOC) paints, carpets, and finishes, implementing additional testing and continuous verification of the building’s equipment and energy efficiency, maximizing green open space, and restoring native vegetation to promote “biodiversity” (translation: attracting beautiful new flora and fauna that may have been absent for decades!) These are just a few of the initiatives that will promote environmental sustainability in our community, while increasing the level of comfort and quality of life for our residents and future generations.

We have heard from many enthusiastic residents and we continue to be motivated by your participation. Ingleside at King Farm makes a personal oath to keep exploring new ways to improve the quality of life for all the residents in the community, and we pledge that our green efforts will help pave the way to a brighter future for the most important people in your life. Together we can work to ensure that your friends, families, children and grandchildren, and all your loved ones in generations to come, will remember what you are doing for them.

Be sure to tell your friends of this exciting movement, and opportunity to become a part of the emerging King Farm Environmental Committee. We invite you to join us in this movement and encourage your inspiration!

Kindly,
Robert Bell Jr., LEED AP