LEED-certified housing hub pops up in Northside

Early last fall, Potterhill Homes announced its newest housing endeavor, a community in Northside called Northwind.  Now, just nine months later, and a month since the ribbon-cutting on the community, over one-third of the Northwind lots have been sold. And each is LEED certified, adding a dense cluster of modern, progressive planning to a historic neighborhood that has enjoyed a reputation for beautifully timeless housing stock.

The Northwind models were touted for offering options including solar and geothermal energy systems, and, according to Potterhills' Northwind representative Vicki Painter, every buyer has taken advantage of those opportunities.  "All of them have opted to go LEED certified," she says. "[These homes] were built to LEED standards so, for 1500 to fill out the paperwork you save 30,000."

Beyond the savings, Potterhill president Carolyn Rolfes suggests that the people interested in Northwind are just involved, forward-thinking people, period. "It's such a mix. And it's people who are excited to move back to the city."

While Northwind means adding fresh blood and a new wrinkle to Northside, Rolfes says that being mindful of the existing neighborhood is always part of the Potterhill mission. "That's always our goal: to try to complement what's already there," she explains. "We've always tried to mimic the older architecture."  Painter points to design elements in the Northwind units such as big front porches, as an effort to connect back to the feel of the rest of the area. "We have that craftsman look," she says. "So we blend in well."

If the idea of a multi-lot development might seem out of place alongside the stately older homes that have been Northside's architectural calling card, it bears noting that the community's location between Kirby and Hamilton Avenues sits slightly adjacent to Northside's historic core to the south.  And the homes -- which range in price from $150,000 to just over $170,000 -- are small enough to fit comfortably into an urban neighborhood.

Moreover, there is no denying that Northwind is meeting an obvious demand, with nine of twenty-five lots selling within weeks of the June 15th ribbon-cutting. "People want to live in Northside," Painter says. "We've never had an opening w/ such impact."

Writer: Jeremy Mosher
Photography by Jeremy Mosher