In response to trends exhibited by the 2014 Builder's Choice award recipients, Builder Magazine observed "Community is crucial, sustainability is assumed, adaptive reuse is increasingly inventive, and density is being accomplished in defter and more beautiful ways than ever before."
Emblematic of these trends, the eco-community Concord Riverwalk, took home the national 2014 Builder's Choice awards program's top honor, "Project of the Year." This is the second national award Concord Riverwalk has received. In February 2014, the project was honored as "Community of the Year" by the National Association of Home Builders. The project was developed by NOW Communities and designed by Providence-based Union Studio Architecture & Community Design.
Concord Riverwalk is a compact "pocket neighborhood" of 13 Net Zero possible homes, designed with details and systems that enable energy-conscious residents to have all of their daily energy needs met by renewable, on-site solar collection. The market-rate for-sale cottages each feature 2 or 3 bedroom layouts and range from 1,340 to 1,760 s/f. The clustered community was designed to preserve 50% of the site as open space - a concept fundamentally appealing to residents looking to reduce their carbon footprint. The community shares a three-season screened pavilion with outdoor fire pit, community gardens, and a nature preserve along the adjacent river.
The jury noted "Few pocket neighborhoods hit their targets as swiftly—or succinctly—as Concord Riverwalk. Our judges elevated it to Project of the Year because it redevelops an empty suburban tract less than a mile from town and public transit, repurposes two existing historic houses, and creates an appealing, pedestrian-friendly community."