Both the 28-unit and 6-flat projects include essentially all of the features discussed on the previous two Interfaith projects, which I will not reiterate here. A detail I’d like to point out is that the six-flats include rough-in for future solar hot water systems, which consists of providing a plumbing riser with the hot water pipes to the roof, and planning future space in the building for a hot water tank. This is a good example of advance planning that can really pay off - installing this piping is of minimal cost during construction but would be very expensive as a retrofit. This allows projects that can’t afford a full solar thermal system today to make it as inexpensive to add in the future as possible.

The 28-unit building includes an energy-efficient and hydraulic-oil-free machine-room-less elevator. This is a very popular technology found in almost every green mid-rise apartment building.

Interfaith’s community partner on Clara’s Village is West Englewood United Organization, a community group seeking to improve the quality of life for families and community residents. WEUO currently operates an emergency shelter and a transitional housing facility for homeless families and a service connector program for residents of public housing. Other project team members include general contractor Linn-Mathes.