Wilsonville & Portland Oregon Townhomes & Condos » Green Building

Villebois – Affordable Single Family New Homes For Sale

agreen — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 20:38:12 +0000

CLICK HERE TO ENLARGE FLOOR PLAN

Affordable Single Family Homes in Villebois

The new Les Bois Row Homes are the very first detached homes to grace the award-winning Villebois Village Center in Wilsonville, Oregon. These new single-family row homes offer homebuyers their choice of two distinct floor plans – The Alesia and The Montraux.

The Alesia is priced at $299,900 and features two bedrooms and a third bedroom/loft option. Priced at $349,900, The Montraux offers buyers three bedrooms as well as a lofted space.

In addition to bestowing residents with an upscale lifestyle at an affordable price, the Les Bois Row Homes feature a broad array of distinctive amenities. Not to mention, each of the detached homes comes with its own garage, private patio and low maintenance yard.

Standard Features – Les Bois Collection

EXTERIORS
• 2-car rear entry garages including two automatic openers plus keyless entry
• Covered porches and entryways
• Exceptional curb appeal
• Private patios & yards
• Hardi-Plank lap siding with 50-year warranty
• Premium Composition Roof with 40-year warranty

INTERIORS
• Sculptured architectural detailing throughout with volume ceilings
• 5-1/4″ base board with traditional door case trim. MDF windowsills with apron molding
• Designer-selected recessed accent lighting
• Gas fireplace with painted mantel & tile surround
• Tile floor in entry
• Concealed fire sprinklers throughout homes
• Full security system
• Pre-wired for surround sound
• Professionally designed Melamine master closet organizer package
• Melamine closet organizers in second and third bedrooms
• Option to build with residential elevator

IN THE KITCHEN
• Kohler Forte polished chrome faucet with pullout sprayhead & lever handle
• Sterling by Kohler stainless steel sink
• Tile counters with self edge and 6” tile backsplash with full height at stove top
• Recessed panel Quality Cabinets®
• Recessed can lighting
• Under cabinet lighting
• Marmoleum floors

GE® HOME ESSENTIALS APPLIANCES
• GE® 30” Profile stainless steel gas range
• GE® Profile built-in stainless steel dishwasher
• GE® Profile Spacemaker stainless steel microwave oven
• GE® Profile Energy Star stainless steel side by side 25.5 cu.ft. refrigerator
• GE® King-Size capacity washer with stainless steel drum
• GE® Super capacity gas dryer with stainless steel drum

QUALITY CONSTRUCTION AND ENERGY-SAVING FEATURES
• Meets Earth Advantage® Platinum requirements for energy efficiency, indoor air quality, environmental responsibility & resource efficiency
• Concrete foundation with visqueen vapor barrier and perimeter insulation
• Engineered web floor systems & roof truss systems throughout
• High efficiency 90+% gas furnace
• Milgard Montecito vinyl dual-glazed windows with limited lifetime warranty
• R-21 insulation in exterior walls
• R-49 insulation blown in all attic & ceiling areas
• Air conditioning
• GE Heat Pump Energy Saving Water Heater

IN THE BATH
• Kohler Devonshire faucets
• Full vanity mirrors with designer lighting

Master Bathroom
• Kohler Serif vanity sinks with dual vanity
• Kohler Serif toilet with elongated front
• Tile countertop with self edge and 6″ tile backsplash
• Compartmentalized water closets
• Tile shower with fiberglass pan
• Clear glass shower enclosure
• Soaking tub with tile surround
• Tile floor

Second Bath
• Kohler Archer vanity sink
• Sterling by Kohler Riverton Toilet with elongated front
• Kohler fiberglass tub/shower
• Tile countertop with self edge and tile backsplash
• Marmoleum floor

Powder Room
• Kohler Sarif lavatory
• Kohler Sarif toilet with elongated seat
• Tile floor

To learn more about new homes for sale in Villebois or Wilsonville, Oregon, please visit Costa Pacific Homes New Homes for Sale. You may also speak with Costa Pacific Homes New Home Specialist Andy Green by calling 866.580.2836 or emailing Blog@CostaPacific.com.

Villebois – Rainwater Management Plan Part Trois (French for Three)

agreen — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 03:27:37 +0000

Design and Mechanics

Funding

The Villebois Rainwater Management Program (RMP) contains funding supported by two grants. Collectively, the grant money and private resources make this a $1.1 Million Project. Portions of this project include designing and implementing innovative rainwater management techniques, testing and monitoring these techniques, and education. Overall, the federal money that has been granted allows Villebois to go beyond a system that is sustainable and aesthetically beneficial to the surrounding community.

Rainwater Methods

Utilizing a variety of innovative approaches to rainwater management will help the environment and will also enhance the aesthetic value of the community. For these reasons, a variety of different methods will be used to manage rainwater within Villebois. These methods include mitigation ponds, porous pavers and pavement, bio-retention cells, and experimental parcels of green roofing.

Ponds:

A large portion of the rainwater from the Village Center will be managed through a series of ponds along the 20-acre Villebois Greenway. These year-round ponds are engineered to hold and release rainwater at a natural rate to remove pollutants, thereby improving water quality. This system is able to hold and filter rainwater from the Village Center and neighborhoods within Villebois.

How it works:

Rainwater from surfaces such as streets, roofs, and sidewalks is first directed into a bio-swale, a natural area designed to receive and disperse rainwater. It is here where soil and

plants cleanse the rainwater. As more rainwater is directed toward the swale, the bio-swale overflows and rainwater is allowed to flow into the neighboring pond system. It is then directed across the pond and into an area called an infiltration bed where it is allowed to seep into the soil at its natural rate and quality.

Pavers:

The next largest portion of rainwater will be managed through sets of porous pavers. Pavers are considered alternatives to conventional pavement. They work just as well as pavement, but are able to filter large portions of water through unique openings where water is allowed to penetrate soil. Porous pavers are environmentally superior to pavement by allowing water to enter the soil naturally and they reflect sunlight allowing the surface to stay cooler during the summer months. In addition, pavers add an attractive look that cannot be achieved though conventional pavement.

Bio-retention cells (example – planter boxes):

This component is a method that keeps runoff in the soil allowing plants to remove pollutants from contaminated rainwater. This is similar to other methods that use plants and soils as a way to treat water runoff from pavement and roofs.

Porous pavement:

Concrete and asphalt that contain “pores” allow rainwater to pass through small openings in the surface. This allows runoff to soak into a rainwater treatment area below the surface where it is treated for water quality and quantity.

Experimental parcels of green roof:

Green roofs (also known as eco-roofs) help lower the amount of runoff from rooftops. Tar and roof shingles are replaced with soil and plants. Instead of rainwater rushing off of the roof, green roofs allow water to soak into the soil atop the roof as it would in a natural setting. Plants and shrubs are a key component of this method to help hold and clean the rainwater. Green roofs also allow buildings to remain cooler in the summer months by using soil and plants, which act like buffers between the hot summer sun and the building below.

To learn more about the Villebois or its sustainable development and building practices in Wilsonville, Oregon, please visit ChangeHowYouLive.com. You may also speak with Costa Pacific Homes New Home Specialist Andy Green by calling 866.580.2836 or emailing Blog@CostaPacific.com.

Villebois – Affordable Single Family Homes For Sale

agreen — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 23:19:24 +0000

CLICK ON FLOOR PLAN TO ENLARGE

The Alesia is priced at $299,900 and features two bedrooms and a third bedroom/loft option. Priced at $349,900, The Montraux offers buyers three bedrooms as well as a lofted space.

Standard Features – Les Bois

IN THE BATH
• Kohler Devonshire faucets
• Full vanity mirrors with designer lighting

Powder Room
• Kohler Sarif lavatory
• Kohler Sarif toilet with elongated seat
• Tile floor

What sustainability means in Villebois, Wilsonville – Oregon

agreen — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 06:34:58 +0000

Villebois: A Sustainable Neighborhood

Sustainability is a term most often used to describe environmental conservation and protection. Sustainability at Villebois, however, has a larger meaning: to create a community that is sustainable socially and economically, as well as environmentally. This kind of far-reaching sustainability creates true community; neighborhoods that are safe because neighbors know and look out for one another; streets built for pedestrians as well as for drivers; thriving local businesses that reflect and meet the community’s interests and needs and a wide variety of green spaces that encourage outdoor activity and social interaction, while protecting natural habitats.

Social Sustainability

According to annual statistics gathered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only 30 to 40 percent of Americans engage in regular, sustained exercise, while an additional 30 percent are completely inactive. Villebois’ design encourages physical activity with numerous green spaces, bicycle paths, and pedestrian trails throughout the community. In addition, the Village Center shops and restaurants are within a comfortable walking distance of each neighborhood.

“Green streets” encourage walking and biking while managing rainwater.

Every aspect of the Villebois’ pedestrian-friendly design encourages community-building, from front porches and rear access garages to wide sidewalks that separate pedestrians from traffic.

A lively Village Center will provide residents with opportunities for passive and active recreation, from enjoying a latte and reading a book in the plaza to playing a game of bocce ball in a nearby park.

Economic Sustainability

Villebois will increase Wilsonville’s population by an estimated 7,000 residents. Currently, there are 10,000 more jobs in the city than workers. The Villebois community will help the jobs to housing imbalance.

Villebois’ Village Center serves the dual purpose of providing residents with convenient access to basic needs — whether a quart of milk or a cup of coffee — and supporting merchants to help grow the local economy.

Environmental Sustainability

Villebois contains extensive areas of wetlands and wildlife habitat, mostly associated with the Coffee Lake Creek wetlands and floodplain. In addition, a large number of mature trees are being preserved and act as a primary amenity for the community.

A state-of-the-art Rainwater Management System will improve water quality and quantity control more than a conventional stormwater system.

Villebois – Rainwater Management Plan Part Deux (French for Two)

agreen — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 21:21:37 +0000

The Benefits

Community:

The Rainwater Management Program is a significant component to developing a community that is environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable. The visible rainwater features, such as ponds, porous pavers and bio-retention cells, incorporate a natural system into an urban setting at Villebois. These visible rainwater features allow for a greater understanding and appreciation of our natural resource. Overall, this Program fosters relationships between residents and the community, while linking the community with the environment.

Environment:

Pervious Pavers in Villebois

The goal is to mimic the natural condition to benefit the environment in a number of ways. Instead of entering a system of pipes, rainwater is allowed to enter the soils naturally, thereby utilizing the benefits of the natural soil system. This includes natural filtration, which allows soils to cleanse the rainwater before reaching rivers and streams. It also regulates the rate by which water enters the watershed. By allowing natural filtration to occur, it ensures that rivers and streams are not overwhelmed with large, polluted quantities of water. At Villebois, planters, ponds, and greenways will allow rainwater to naturally filtrate back into the soils and waterways. Employing these natural systems helps to preserve the habitat and wildlife that live in these nearby watersheds. In addition, the increase in grasses and plants used in this system provide new habitat for birds and squirrels; this would not be possible using conventional methods.

To learn more about the Villebois or its rainwater management program in Wilsonville, Oregon, please visit ChangeHowYouLive.com. You may also speak with Costa Pacific Homes New Home Specialist Andy Green by calling 866.580.2836 or emailing Blog@CostaPacific.com.

Villebois – Rainwater Management Plan Part Un (French for One)

agreen — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 23:28:45 +0000

Villebois, located in Wilsonville, Ore., is a new master-planned community that endeavors to connect its residents to the things that make life fulfilling and exciting. In doing so, the entire design of the community was guided by three tenets: to preserve and promote connectivity, diversity and sustainability. And the community’s innovative and federally funded rainwater management plan (RMP) achieves all three. It effectively connects the community’s residents to the area’s natural features through a diverse range of innovative means, which are described in detail in this and future posts. Most importantly, the RMP manages rainwater in environmentally sustainable ways, helping to restore the land to its natural conditions prior to the development of the community. That’s good news for Villebois’ residents — and great news for the environment.

The Vision:

Our Goal:

To design and build a community of approximately 2500 homes while restoring local and regional watersheds to the “natural condition” before the development of the Villebois community.

Defining Our Goal:

Research shows that 90% of the rainfall events in Wilsonville consists of a half inch of rain in a 24-hour period of time. The Villebois Rainwater Management Plan would manage the half-inch of rainfall through natural, on-site processes.

Background:

What is the Natural Condition?

In a natural setting, rainwater falls onto the ground and soaks into the soil. It is then carried through the soil via natural processes to local rivers and streams. While acting as a vessel to transport the rainwater, the soil and plants also rid the water of pollutants.

How does our Rainwater Management Plan differ from the Conventional Method?

Normally, rainwater that lands on roofs, sidewalks, and streets runs immediately into a system of pipes, which quickly carry the water into local rivers and streams. Thus, rainwater reaches these bodies of water in a much larger quantity than before development occurs. Water that would normally take days to reach rivers and streams is now carried through pipes at a vastly quicker rate. This alters the amount of water in the system and thereby interferes with habitat and wildlife.

In addition to quantity, water quality is adversely affected as well. Rainwater collects pollutants from streets and sidewalks, and carries this pollution to the watershed. Overall, this conventional system can be detrimental to the environment, and Costa Pacific Communities has designed an alternative system that will help to prevent environmental damage at Villebois.

In the Villebois Rainwater Management Plan sustainable techniques such as green roofs, porous pavement and pavers, bio-swales, and bio-retention cells were planned as part of the design to capture rainwater. Once captured, the rainwater is filtered through enriched soils and cleansed through natural processes. The rainwater has now not only been cleaned, but is allowed to reach the watershed at its natural rate via its natural soil system. In effect, the quality and quantity of water leaving the new community has left in the same manner as it did before human interference.

Legend Homes to Exit Bankruptcy in the Spring

agreen — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 18:20:27 +0000

Legend Homes, Portland Oregon

Our building partner in the Villebois community, Legend Homes, looks forward to the spring as they plan to emerge from Bankruptcy. It looks like their new philosophy of building more efficient, green homes will fit in nicely in Villebois.

When Costa Pacific Communities created the master plan for the Villebois neighborhood they made a conscious effort to incorporate green building and development practices. Did you know that when they created the CC&R’s they made it mandatory that each and every home would be built to Earth Advantage guidelines? I do not know of another developer that require that in a 500+ acre master planned community. Taking it a step further they wanted to create a transit oriented development to help to improve the air quality in the region and give residents an alternative mode of transportation. Throw in a cutting edge rainwater management system that the EPA is studying as a model for the rest of the nation and you have one of the most progressive communities in the nation. Oh yeah, did I mention that we recently were named the Community of the Year throughout the nation by the National Association of Home builders.

Come and visit Vileebois for yourself and take a tour of this exceptional community for yourself and find out why people LOVE to LIVE here.

To learn more about the Villebois community in Wilsonville, Oregon, please visit ChangeHowYouLive.com. You may also speak with Costa Pacific Homes New Home Specialist Andy Green by calling 866.580.2836 or emailing Blog@CostaPacific.com.

Buy Homes Now and Take Advantage of Buyer Tax Credit Before It’s Too Late!

agreen — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 23:32:48 +0000

Carvahlo Condominiums - Villebois in Wilsonville, Oregon

As we approach a New Year, it is important to remember all of the benefits of purchasing real estate and new homes for sale in today’s marketplace.

Don’t forget that the $8,000 homebuyer tax credit for first-time buyers has been extended through April 30, 2010. Not to mention, the tax credit now offers $6,500 for owners of existing homes who are buying a new principal residence and have lived in their home for five consecutive years out of the last eight. Buyers have until the end of June to close.

In other news, the income eligibility limits for the tax credit – now for both groups of buyers – has increased from $75,000 to $125,000 for individuals and from $150,000 to $225,000 for married couples.

Don’t miss your opportunity to purchase the home of your dreams at the price of your dreams!

And where else can you find the home of your dreams than the award-winning Villebois neighborhood in Wilsonville, Oregon!? Take your pick of the broad array of single-family homes, row homes and condominiums available in Villebois. The community offers sustainably built, affordable homes perfect for any lifestyle.

For more information about the new tax credit, visit www.FederalHousingTaxCredit.com.

Reduce Your Carbon Footprint This New Year

agreen — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 23:26:42 +0000

For the eco-conscious commuter—or those who just like a little time to read the paper—the award-winning Villebois neighborhood in Wilsonville, Oregon is connected to nearby communities and the bustle of downtown Portland, Oregon through the Westside Express Service (WES) commuter rail.

Villebois, developed by Costa Pacific Communities, is within walking distance of the Wilsonville WES Station, which has 400 park-and-ride spaces and 48 bike lockers. This easy access fosters a pedestrian- and bike-friendly atmosphere within the transit-oriented community.

Not to mention, if you purchase a new Wilsonville home for sale in Villebois, you not only avoid rush-hour traffic but you will also feel good knowing you’re reducing your carbon footprint by spending less time on the road. Click here to learn more about what to do with your “WES Time”.

Built on a foundation of sustainability—from its transit-orientation to its green homes— Villebois will change how you live.

To learn more about the transit-oriented Villebois neighborhood, call Costa Pacific today at 866.580.2836 or email Blog@CostaPacific.com. You may also visit www.ChangeHowYouLive.com.

Find Your Next Home in the Wilsonville, Oregon’s Villebois Neighorhood

agreen — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 21:16:10 +0000

Offering the most diverse blend of new construction home designs in the Portland, Oregon real estate market, the award-winning Villebois neighborhood in Wilsonville has something for everyone.

Find all of the new homes for sale in the Villebois community by visiting homes.villebois.com.

Here are just a few of the Wilsonville new homes on the market:

http://www.postlets.com/res/2343140

http://www.postlets.com/res/2035098

http://www.postlets.com/res/2035029

http://www.postlets.com/res/2034851

http://www.postlets.com/res/2343478

http://www.postlets.com/res/2343347

For more information about the new homes for sale in the Villebois community, call 866.580.2836 or email Blog@CostaPacific.com. You may also visit www.ChangeHowYouLive.com.