The Villages at Hospital Hill II, developed and managed by The Community Builders, Inc. (TCB) won the 2014 Rental Housing Association's (RHA) Community of Excellence Award in the Green/Sustainable Category.
A thriving community surrounded by scenic walking trails along the Mill River with access to bicycle trails, the mixed-income community of 40 townhomes and apartments is Energy Star compliant. The $19 million development is outfitted with solar photo-voltaic panels converting sunlight to energy and storm water recharging, a cost-effective, innovative method for managing aquifers. The Villages at Hospital Hill II was also constructed using environmentally-friendly building materials.
"TCB has taken significant steps towards reducing long-term energy costs at The Villages at Hospital Hill II. We are honored to win this prestigious award from the RHA." said William Bransky, TCB director of field operations.
Each apartment comes fully equipped with energy efficient kitchens, washers and dryers and wall air conditioners. The buildings are built with energy saving technology, and incandescent light bulbs have been swapped out for compact fluorescent bulbs which use nearly 60% less energy and last up to ten times longer. Additionally, state-of-the-art outdoor lighting was installed for reduced light pollution.
To continue saving energy despite the change in season, staff members at The Villages at Hospital Hill II encourage residents to turn down their thermostats by two degrees in the winter and raise it two degrees in the summer in an effort to save 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide each year.
"TCB is committed to adopting energy efficient standards in more of our communities. We are excited about reducing our collective carbon footprint to help the environment." said Dawn Vadnais, TCB area manager.

TCB operates a portfolio of 10,000 apartments across 14 states and Washington, D.C., totaling 7.6 million s/f of real estate. The organization will use several energy savings pathways to achieve a 20% reduction in energy intensity by 2020, including improved operations and maintenance, resident engagement, appliance and equipment upgrades, multiple approaches to whole building retrofits and the use of renewable.
TCB is one of America's leading nonprofit real estate developers and owners. Their mission is to build and sustain strong communities where people of all incomes can achieve their full potential.
They realize our mission by developing, financing and operating high-quality housing and implementing neighborhood self-help initiatives to drive economic opportunity for our residents. Since 1964, we have constructed or preserved over 320 affordable and mixed-income housing developments and secured over $2.5 billion in project financing from public and private sources. Today, we own or manage more than 10,000 apartments in 14 states and Washington, D.C. We are headquartered in Boston with regional hubs in Chicago and Washington.