By Bob Hankin
Over the past several years, sustainability and energy efficiency have been key differentiators and quality indicators within the multifamily housing industry. However, the seniors housing industry has been slower to adopt these priorities — despite the benefits for residents’ health and wallets (which is particularly important for seniors living on a fixed income).
From smart building technology to building design techniques, innovations in environmentally conscious development have the potential to transform the senior living experience, while also reducing long-term costs for developers and ensuring a better tomorrow for the next generation.
Included here are five key innovations shaping the future of green senior living:
Harnessing Earth’s Energy — Efficient & Eco-Friendly Temperature Control
Innovation in geothermal heating and cooling is a game changer for senior living communities. Utilizing the unchanging underground temperature, geothermal heat pumps mitigate temperature extremes and provide an environmentally friendly, efficient and affordable alternative to standard oil-fueled systems.
During the winter, heat is extracted from the ground and dispersed indoors; in the summer, the process is reversed, and heat is removed from the building and stored underground. The benefits are numerous. The systems are easy-to-operate, quiet, durable and have low maintenance costs. Plus, they do not burn fossil fuels on site, eliminating carbon monoxide risks and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
In our experience, senior residents in particular value the consistent temperatures. Avoiding the fluctuations typical of conventional HVAC systems results in comfortable year-round living conditions and stable utility bills.
Going for Gold: LEED Certification Excellence
As one of the most widely used green building rating systems, LEED (leadership in energy and environmental design) sets the standard for healthy, highly efficient and cost-effective development practices. While achieving LEED certification has become somewhat commonplace in subsidized age-restricted housing, market-rate senior developers are increasingly embracing these rigorous specifications.
Principles of LEED criteria focus on energy use, water conservation, indoor environmental quality and material selection, with the objective of delivering environmental and quality of life benefits.
One prime example of LEED’s application to seniors housing is the Bernard Hankin Building, which achieved LEED Platinum v2008. The project features robust sustainability measures, including management of water use and air infiltration, insulated windows, drought-resistant landscaping and a photovoltaic solar system that offsets common area utility costs. These features create a resilient and comfortable living environment, while simultaneously reducing residents’ energy expenses to an average of $40 per month.
Hankin Group’s luxury 55+ community, Meridian at Eagleview, is also LEED Gold certified and ultra-efficient. The building features compact fluorescent and LED lighting, Low-E glass thermally efficient windows, ENERGY STAR stainless steel appliances and Green Label Plus-rated carpet. (Green Label Plus is the highest standard for indoor air quality within the carpet industry.)
Beyond enhancing the resident living experience, meeting LEED criteria yields significant business advantages for developers and owners. Certified properties typically command higher values due to superior construction quality, increased resiliency and lower operational expenditure.
Providing Superior Indoor Air Quality Through Advanced Filtration
Superior indoor air quality (IAQ) has emerged as a critical component of sustainable seniors housing communities, especially following the COVID-19 pandemic. Advanced filtration, ventilation and air purification systems can help improve resident health, outcomes and overall well-being.
For example, Hankin frequently utilizes air-to-air heat exchangers, which provide a constant supply of fresh, filtered air, while removing excess moisture and harmful pollutants. Induction cooking, which is three times more efficient than gas cooking, is also an eco-friendly swap that removes combustion byproducts from living spaces.
In our recently completed Hamilton Passive House, a high-efficiency HVAC system combined with an energy recovery ventilator ensures fresh air, controls humidity and reduces energy usage. We hope that the building, though not an age-restricted property itself, serves as a model for best-in-class sustainable seniors housing moving forward.
Prioritizing environmentally conscious solutions that improve air quality is particularly impactful in senior communities, where residents may be more likely to experience respiratory conditions or compromised immune systems.
Building Intelligent Properties Through Smart Technology
Advances in smart building technology enable real-time monitoring and adjustments of environmental conditions, providing valuable data to boost building performance.
Smart thermostats, air quality sensors, smart irrigation systems, leak detection sensors and automated lighting controls can all help developers, owners and operators of seniors housing communities reduce environmental impact and optimize resource usage.
Cultivating Connection With Walkable, Lifestyle-Focused Communities
While building design and technology receive significant attention, we believe location represents an equally important sustainability factor that delivers similarly impactful quality-of-life benefits.
Seniors housing developments positioned in walkable communities or town centers, like Meridian at Eagleview, provide residents with easy access to restaurants, shopping and community amenities without requiring vehicle transportation. This walkability not only reduces environmental impact but also promotes resident health, independence and social engagement.
For seniors housing developers and operators, implementing sustainability practices and being open to innovations to improve the resident experience can help create communities that are environmentally responsible, financially sound and exceptionally well-suited to support healthy aging. Developers often cite the initial investment as a deterrent to incorporating sustainability measures, but understanding the long-term return (reduced operating costs, enhanced marketability and resident retention) makes a compelling case to prioritize holistic, and eco-friendly and walkable design in seniors housing communities.
— Robert “Bob” Hankin is president and CEO of Hankin Group, a family-owned, vertically integrated real estate company based in Pennsylvania that designs, develops and manages properties. Hankin is a regular guest lecturer with the Zell-Lurie Real Estate Program at The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.