Sustainability

Built for the long term, with eco-friendly building techniques and an inherent appreciation for the surrounding environment.

"There are three heads to sustainability, including environmental, economic, and social sustainability. You need all three for a community to work long term." - Rudy Kadlub

The population is growing, natural resources are diminishing and available space is shrinking. Sustainability has moved to the forefront of social consciousness. Costa is there, creating sustainable communities in several ways. In the terms most people think first, we develop environmentally sustainable communities. Costa Pacific integrates and preserves the natural environment by retaining green areas, landscaping with native species, installing state of the art bioretention cells and stormwater runoff devices like permeable pavers and rooftop gardens. Our demolition of existing buildings involves recycling of as much material as possible. We have gone to great lengths to save existing trees and incorporate them into such places as the central piazza and surrounding parks. Our interiors use environmentally friendly materials and energy efficient appliances.

We use careful planning to maximize the number of residences that front green spaces and innovative architecture to maximize density (keeping costs down, increasing tax revenue per unit area, and preserving green space) while still providing comfortable residences with ample privacy. We have used sideyards with easements, rear parking, and an absence of cul-de-sacs to maintain density, increase neighborhood connectivity and preserve privacy.

For a community to endure, it must also be financially sustainable. It has to create enough value that people will invest in the local businesses and homes, giving the area a sufficient tax base to support local schools and infrastructure. Costa helps make this happen with the quality of the products we turn out. As an example, homes at Orenco Station have sold at above market prices and many of the first retail tenants in 1998 are still operating.

There is another part of sustainability, and that is the social factor. In order for a community to thrive people must interact, meet and greet new acquaintances and old friends at the local coffee shops, parks, and plazas. For a community to have a local character and endure, people must know their neighbors and feel a sense of place where they live so they take pride in their neighborhoods. While this social factor is not something that can be built, the master planning helps give it the opportunity to surface.