Green Building-A Developer Gets It Right : Houston Indymedia

Applying the past to the future is a hard habit to break. The Allen House Apartments/Regent Square Development is a perfect example.The development is located at the intersection of W.Dallas and Dunlavy in the Montrose area. A bright, shiny, future blinded the Boston owners into reducing the majority of the still functional Allen House apartments into vacant lots. Vacant lots they've remained for the past 2 years. A recent taxpayer funded 10 million dollar kick start has them sputtering again into a phantom future. A bit of reality sidles up as what remains of the original Allen House Apartments now sports a new now leasing sign. The zooty new Regent Square sales office sits back to back with the old Allen House office. Across the street is the weed filled parking lot Regent Squares is trying to sell.

Which brings us back to The Waterhill Homes at the Heights. The Redus Group's adaptability has assured the development's success. The current and from now on, normal, contraction in the economy has allowed Redus to provide a more diverse product to its consumers. Once planned home sites have been reassigned as Nature's Parkway. This large, open space will be available for community gardens, both cultivated and natural, think edible weeds. Small animal husbandry, such as goats, chickens and rats could also be sustained. Compost houses flank the development to show clientele how their homes will indeed return to their natural state a lá the second law of thermodynamics, or something like that. Between the back row of Compost Homes are the E-condos. These models reflect real world living as they do not have plumbing or electricity. As America becomes more 3rd World, the jobless and under employed will be satisfied with just a roof over their heads. High income housing is available for those who want to live in the here and now. These units have all the amenities and enable Redus to finance the entire project making everyone involved a winner. A garden, several rainwater catchments and a well regulated militia will make Waterhill Homes in the Heights the ideal place for the uncertain future.

Plat of Waterhill Homes at The Heights. NOTE this is the Harris County Appraisal District's plat. Hills and water are not indicated.

The future meets the past as a High Income Home sits juxtaposed to a Compost Home.

The corner home was once a Compost Home and resembled the home behind it with warped plywood and a patina of mold. It has now been repurposed with clean sheaths of Tyvek and a moisture enhancing layer of EIFS . (EIFS - a synthetic stucco that holds in moisture to speed the decomposing process so vital in nature).

Visualize City Council fining developer 10 mil for blighting up the place as well as a 10 year lease to community gardeners until the economy "recovers".
(To read more about Regent Square search the following - Regent Square, Allen House, W.Dallas, Dunlavy, 10 million dollars, Houston City Council bailout)