Denver, Colorado (June 13, 2022) — Ascent Living Communities announced today that it has been awarded the prestigious LEED Gold Certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) for its recently opened Hilltop Reserve Senior Living Community. It is the first senior living community in the state of Colorado and, at 324,559 square feet, is the largest senior living community building in the country to achieve the LEED Gold Certification.
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is the most widely used green building rating system in the world and is based on design, construction and operations practices that improve environmental and human health. Hilltop Reserve achieved LEED certification for implementing practical and measurable strategies and solutions in areas including sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.
Built by Catamount Constructors and supported by LEED for Homes Provider EnergyLogic, Hilltop Reserve is located at the intersection of Leetsdale Drive and Holly Street (525 S. Holly Street). Denver’s newest senior living community delivers 124 Independent Living residences, 56 Assisted Living suites and 25 Memory Care suites within a building that features the full scope of LEED building amenities and standards focused on green building materials, water conservation, energy and atmosphere, indoor environmental quality, waste reduction and overall sustainability.
The central location allows easy access to neighborhood retail, services and community resources. The community’s enhanced landscape design in a two-tiered courtyard minimizes turf and maximizes drought tolerance with native plants that earned points in outdoor water use and delivers residents visually-appealing, as well as highly functional and accessible outdoor spaces. Hilltop Reserve is capped with a rooftop of photovoltaic solar panels that generate enough electricity for 60 single-family homes annually.
“We are exceptionally proud to bring the first LEED Gold Certified senior community to our state,” said Ascent Living Communities Founder and Principal Tom Finley. “It’s very rewarding to deliver the urban amenities, refined architecture characteristic of the Hilltop neighborhood and amenities typically associated with luxury living while also focused on sustainability and ensuring that we are doing everything possible to help protect the long-term health of our city and our planet.
“This is an important and significant achievement for our community and for our industry and I hope that we have helped to set the bar high for future developments as well,” added Finley. “We’re honored to receive this recognition and excited for the growing population of seniors that will call our community home in the decades to come.”
To achieve LEED certification, a project earns points by adhering to prerequisites and credits that address carbon, energy, water, waste, transportation, materials, health and indoor environmental quality. Projects go through a verification and review process by GBCI and are awarded points that correspond to a level of LEED certification: Certified (40-49 points), Silver (50-59 points), Gold (60-79 points) and Platinum (80+ points).
“LEED is a transformative tool that ensures a building is designed and operated to achieve high performance, improve human health and protect the environment,” said USGBC President and CEO Peter Templeton. “By prioritizing sustainability, Ascent Living Communities and its Hilltop Reserve community are leading the way in their industry and helping USGBC continue towards our goal of green buildings for everyone within this generation.”
The U.S. Green Building Council is committed to a healthy, resilient and equitable future for all through the development of green buildings, cities and communities. For more than 20 years, USGBC has been advancing green building practices through the development of LEED, the world’s most widely used green building program.
With the support of thousands of members, volunteers and partners, USGBC provides robust green building education courses, a rigorous professional credentialing program, and advocates for effective public policies. It convenes an international network of green building and sustainability leaders through the annual Greenbuild International Conference & Expo, and forward-thinking programs, including the Center for Green Schools. For more information, visit usgbc.org.
Ascent Living Communities is a Colorado-based senior living owner and operator with a focus on the comfort, wellbeing, and desire for independent living and a full life for its residents. ALC’s senior living communities transform high hospitality into warm, inviting places to call home. Its founders’ 40-plus years of combined professional backgrounds serve as a strong foundation from which to build on and improve the lives of seniors and their families by combining their expertise in senior living and personal experience as family members to cultivate senior living communities that instill trust, confidence, and comfort.
For more information about Ascent Living Communities three Denver-area locations: Village at Belmar; Carillon at Belleview Station; or Hilltop Reserve, visit: https://www.ascentlc.com