Located in Littleton, Colo., Alta Aspen Grove
is a luxury transit-oriented, eco-friendly
apartment community. By Carina Calhoun
Photography By McCory James Photography
A multifamily developer with a
core commitment to meeting
and exceeding green building
expectations within their
communities, Wood Partners
presents Alta Aspen Grove as an
example of a prime location with an eco-friendly
investment. The 280 market-rate units of this
community bring luxury-style living to Littleton,
Colo. As the first stick frame construction to be
built and certified under the Leadership in Energy
and Environmental Design (LEED) for Homes in
Colorado program from the U.S. Green Building
Council (USGBC), the multifamily neighborhood
embraces the surroundings and proves to be a
high-performance property.
The project was a 17-month construction
process with CSI Construction as the general
contractor that was completed in June 2011. Alta
Aspen Grove offers one-, two- and three-bedroom
apartment units ranging in size from 704 to
1,457 square feet that feature modern cabinetry,
energy-efficient appliances and open floor plans.
The Littleton light rail station is adjacent to the
community and it is bordered by the 600-acre
South Platte Park and Carson Nature Center.
Alta Aspen Grove consists of 17 two- and
three-story buildings in a gated community that
includes a clubhouse with a high-end fitness
center, full kitchen with large entertainment
area, media center and an upbeat cyber café.
The outdoor area also offers such amenities as a
resort-style pool and jacuzzi. Other areas of the
park contain picnic tables with nearby barbeque
pits as well as making it more accessible for
residents to be able to wash their cars onsite.
Alongside a car-washing area, there is even a
year-round, designated dog-washing area, as
well as a dog park on the property.
The garden-style community takes full
advantage of its natural surroundings with
large balconies, patios and windows that
offer mountain views from the majority of its
units. Abundant natural lighting and a special
ventilation system add to the property’s ecofriendly
design. Every unit features master
bedroom walk-in closets, plank flooring, crown
molding and upgraded appliances with slab
granite found in the kitchens and bathrooms.
The greater part of the units comprises spacious
island kitchens and about half include two-sided
fireplaces that cover the living and dining areas.
Potential residents include empty-nesters, young
professionals, families and students.
Obtaining LEED certification is a rigorous
process that involves a commitment to
sustainable building from design through
construction and as-built performance tests.
During the construction process, each LEED
strategy and measure was verified by a qualified
third-party green rater. “Wood Partners has
been focused on building green almost since
its inception in 1997,” Tim McEntee, director
of Wood Partners, said. He continued, “We
have pursued and attained LEED certification
for several of our high-rise developments, but
Alta Aspen Grove will be our first wood-frame
construction community to be LEED certified.”
McEntee explained the process to take on
LEED by stating, “LEED starts really early on
as your overall design, landscaping, mechanical
and plumbing design — it’s the nuts and bolts.
We evolved into it from being Energy Star and we
thought we could grow into LEED, and when we
knew we could attain it, we persued it.”
“The additional capital investment — which
was over $2,500 per unit — was supported by
our equity partner upfront and the Department
of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) also
was very excited about the upgrade,” stated
McEntee. He continued, “We feel this type of
product advancement will be the standard in
years to come and will give us a competitive
advantage today, in addition to being
environmentally more friendly and in line with
our companies goal of attaining at a minimum
Energy Star on all new developments.”
Water and energy-efficiency and indoor air
quality are important components of LEED
certification, and performance testing was
conducted throughout the construction process.
“Water-efficiency is very important and will be
even more so in the future. Your water footprint
is going to be the next thing everyone is talking
about,” said James Brauer, managing director for
U.S. Eco Logic, which managed the LEED process
for Alta Aspen Grove. Brauer added, “A lot of
attention was paid to faucets and shower heads.”
Alta Aspen Grove residents will live in smart
and sustainable luxury. Some of the other
energy-efficiencies achieved at Alta Aspen Grove
include: Energy Star-qualified appliances and
windows that conform to a very specific threshold
on energy-efficiency; the amount of fresh air
being introduced to each unit is controlled to
assist in improving indoor air quality; each unit
has a carbon monoxide detector and fireplaces
featuring sealed glass doors to isolate combustion
fumes; bathroom fans are Energy Star-qualified
and are activated by motion sensors; high-level
furnace filters reduce dust and other potentially
contaminating particles; compact fluorescent
light bulbs, programmable thermostats and
high-efficiency water heaters contribute to the
units’ energy-efficiency; design and construction
details help limit the transfer of fumes from the
garage into the living spaces, and all ductwork
is sealed and kept clean during construction and
a whole-unit air flush takes place to expel all
construction fumes prior to occupancy.
“Alta Aspen Grove is a solid example of
leadership in our all-important apartment sector,”
said Nate Kredich, vice president, residential
market development for the U.S. Green Building
Council, which certifies LEED buildings. “While
many developers are choosing traditional, lowcost
building methods, Wood Partners chose to
build Alta Aspen Grove so its residents could enjoy
all of the benefits — lower utility bills, a healthy
indoor environment, access to local transit and
services — of living in a green home. What’s more,
Alta Aspen Grove will educate countless future
and prospective residents on how we can live our
lives more sustainably,” Kredich added.
“[The community] is a new highlight in our
portfolio. Renters will find its environmentallyfriendly
design and amenities on par with the
excellence in reputation that we’re known
for nationwide,” said Ryan L. Dearborn, chief
executive officer of Wood Partners, which also
developed Glass House Denver in Riverfront
Park. “The Denver market is one of the strongest
in the country and this choice property represents
a great strategic fit for Wood Partners.”
Through quality construction, responsible land
development and intelligent design, Alta Aspen
Grove reflects the aesthetic and social fabric of
the surrounding area and provides a luxurious
living experience with eco-friendly features.
“Wood Partners is very green-oriented and we
believe this is a very strong draw in Denver and
especially in the city of Littleton,” said McEntee.
“Environmental sensitivity along with luxury is
part of the ethos of our community and people
have come to expect it.”
Carina Calhoun is an editor at Builder and Developer.
She may be contacted at ccalhoun1@penpubinc.com.
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