Sustainability demands a triple bottom line: positive outcomes for society, the environment, and profit — People, Planet, and Prosperity. Like every business, we regularly report financial performance: the following annual report provides a more holistic view of Eco Modern Flats’ performance in 2018, adding in the measures of People and Planet. Last year, we shared lessons with community groups, brought neighbors together, and used natural resources wisely.
Meet Stephanie and Robin Lenogue. Stephanie is a sustainability and economic development specialist hailing from Houston and Robin’s a French engineer and astronomer. They’ve made their home at ECO since June, 2014.
What made you choose ECO?
The proximity to work and downtown, the LEED certification, and the simplicity of design.
Saturday, April 12th, from 2-4 p.m., Eco hosts an Open House in celebration of sunny days ahead!
Like free food and live music? Tour the property while enjoying food from Nomad’s Natural Plate and the musical stylings of The Warren Dietzel Orchestra!
Attention Pet Owners! Solgave Animal Solutions will be at Eco’s Open House offering new client specials for services including pet walking, pet sitting, and behavior modification workshops!
Don’t miss out on a photo op with Rooty the Recycling Pig! When it comes to recycling, Rooty is your guy! Ahem…pig! He will show how fun and easy recycling can be!
Something is happening on the sloping areas on the eastern and western edges of the property. With the help of native plant expert Joe Woolbright of Ozark Ecological Restorations, we are working to establish native prairie plants in these areas. This process takes several years, but will result in a beautiful tapestry of color and texture, similar to Baker Prairie near Harrison, pictured above (photo by Bill Holiman).
Joe was kind enough to answer a few of our questions about native prairie plants.
The second installment in our Inhabitants series is Amanda Smith, a textile designer who loves ECO for its modern lines and commitment to sustainability.
How long have you lived at ECO? One year and 2 months
What made you choose ECO? I was familiar with the project because my brother in law is a partner at Modus Studio, the architecture firm that designed Eco. As soon as my previous living situation came to an end, I knew Eco would be the only apartment I would consider living in. Being in the design field and having an overall love and appreciation for a contemporary aesthetic, it was a no-brainer.
What’s your favorite thing about living at ECO?
My private roof deck and the pool. I love them equally, I can’t choose!
What would you tell someone who’s considering moving to Eco Modern Flats?
If you want to keep it simple, Eco is your place.
Has ECO influenced your knowledge of sustainability? How has it changed the way you live?
I was pretty knowledgeable about sustainability before I moved into Eco- that’s one of the reasons I chose to live here. I also love the recycling program. I make sure something isn’t recyclable before I throw it in the regular garbage, because we’re able to recycle most materials here.
Do you know your WalkScore? WalkScore is a great tool for quantifying just how connected a place is—and how easy it is to accomplish daily tasks without driving. Our city, Fayetteville, has an overall WalkScore of 27 - Car Dependent. In contrast, ECO clocks in at 85! You can walk to the post office, numerous great restaurants, lots of workplaces, and of course, the University of Arkansas.
More and more people are realizing just how important walkability is to overall quality of life, and WalkScore is a handy way to measure walkability. What is your WalkScore?
Who better to tell the story of living at ECO than the people who live here? Kicking off our new series is Molly Meredith, who has lived here from the start. Molly is a Certified Laser Technician & Licensed Aesthetician. She lives at ECO with her canine companions, Mackenzie Jo, a short haired Chihuahua and Taber, a long haired Chihuahua.
How long have you lived here?
Two and a half years
What made you choose ECO?
It was the whole package: the LEED certification, community garden, outdoor space, salt water pool. I toured a model flat on Valentines day 2011 and fell in love- the functional design of a small space, the minimalist Scandinavian-style aesthetic.
What’s your favorite thing about living at here?
The community garden. I’m an avid cook & wannabe gardener, so it’s perfect. I utilize the garden pretty much year round. My outdoor space, especially the rooftop, is a close second.
The renovation of ECO Modern Flats was not just a transformation of the buildings, but also an examination and reinvention of each system, including waste. At the time of the renovation, our city did not offer a recycling program for multifamily properties, so we designed our recycling program from scratch. Along with our collaborators at modus studio, we designed and built these recycling stations, and we worked with the City of Fayetteville to put together a plan to deliver recyclables to their facility in South Fayetteville.
Last month, ECO Modern Flats hosted 41 green industry professionals as part of the Blue Pathways workshop on Low Impact Design (LID) installation and maintenance. Tim Copeland, the groundskeeper at ECO, provided a tour and discussed best practices in stormwater management in use on site, including stormwater cisterns and a rain garden. The Blue Pathways program provides training to landscape architects, engineers, project managers, park planners, trail coordinators, irrigation specialists and contractors in Northwest Arkansas.
With all the water and energy-saving upgrades, we knew that we would be saving natural resources, but we could only estimate the savings. Now that ECO has been up and running for over a year, we are able to crunch some numbers. One of the simplest comparisons is water use, and we’re thrilled with the results.
