Sustainability within the Wildwood community ensures the social, economic, and environmental systems will meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations. Our goal is to maintain and enhance the quality of life, integrate harmoniously within the existing physical environment and natural ecosystems while promoting social equity for generations to come.
When we open up past homes for tours, the question we hear time and time again is — why doesn’t everyone build this way? Building homes to our level of efficiency pays for itself from the first month of occupancy. The health of our homes make people feel better. The maintenance and replacement costs because of poor construction is eliminated. Our longer warranty ensures you will not have moisture issues — and these are just some of the homeowner benefits. There are also environmental and social benefits.
energy conservation
Wildwood is the first community of its type. It starts with homes that have been designed with conservation of energy as the initial and critical first step. This ensures low load homes that are energy efficient and resilient. This conservation first approach following Passive House design principles and loads approved by Passive House Institute United States (PHIUS) allows us to layer in technology components that then take energy as close to Net Zero Energy as makes sense because Wildwood also layers in a Sonnen Batterie battery storage system.
The homes are still tied to the local utility grid, but are designed in such a manner that they will not use any peak power from anywhere outside of the battery storage system, all or most of all which comes from the solar panels onsite. This gives Wildwood independence from peak power which is the dirtiest form of electricity. This gives the homeowners in the Wildwood Community the ability to not use this dirty form of energy.
There are times where the solar panels will produce more power than the home is consuming at that time and more than the batteries can additionally handle. During those times, Wildwood can export its energy to the grid and become a virtual power plant to the wider Marengo community. This also gives the utility company, ComEd, the ability to utilize the battery storage within Wildwood to stabilize frequencies, further reduce peak power usage from neighboring homes, and charge a car with clean electric energy.
green building
Green building uses a whole house approach to build homes that are more environmentally sustainable. Building science has a key role because it provides an understanding of the “whole house” that goes beyond seeing a home as just a summation of its individual parts. It is the interaction of all the parts of a home; its systems and equipment, its occupants, and structure that defines a “whole house.”
Save Money. Building a green home to our level is immediately advantageous to your monthly bottom line. Our homes are cash flow positive for our clients from the very first month of operation. This is due to utility costs that are reduced by at least 65% over a code built home. Beyond this there are lower maintenance cost, water utility cost, mortgage rates, and have some tax credit advantages.
Health is the most important things to us and our families. We build homes that are highly modeled to ensure all risk of moisture in all physical forms are exponentially decreased. We also use non-toxic materials that ensure healthier indoor air quality, and our balanced / distributed fresh air ventilation system provides clean fresh air where you need it and removes stale air. This is done while transferring over 85% of the energy.
More Comfort. With the elimination of drafts and thermal bridges, our homes have more consistent temperatures throughout, and the surfaces in the home will be more of a consistent temperature. This means you will be amazingly comfortable in our homes.
We use the highest level and research in building science to be sure our homes have durability management plans, and pay attention to the physics behind how the building works. This ensures our homes will last centuries instead of the couple decades a code built home is good for.
More Value. Higher quality homes that are recognized by a third party to be built as such have been proven to be appraised at higher values.
Less maintenance. Part durability, part material s selection; our homes require less maintenance. This saves you money, and allows you to enjoy your home… not work on it.
microgrid community
Wildwood of Marengo is one of the first handful of projects in the country that is diving into the future of energy. This community is designed and built with a conservation first approach, in that the homes are built to reduce energy demand by 70-80%. We couple that with state of the art solar panels and battery storage systems that allow homes within the community to pool and share energy. This is a standard feature of Wildwood, that not only benefits the neighborhood, but also the greater environment.
The technology at Wildwood allows the power company to access those batteries to stabilize the frequency of the grid when needed, or reduce peak power demand, which produces the dirtiest energy. The result is homes that owners can be proud contribute to their bottom line with no energy bills, but also contribute to the environment and the city of Marengo.
health
Our design build team has taken a holistic approach when it comes to their homes. Energy efficiency and or independence is just one facet. The one we hold nearest and dear is the effect we have on our owners and occupants. The average American spends about 90% of their time indoors, and plenty of research has been collected and complied linking the effects our building have on us. Firstly, the way Wildwood is designed, and amenities within, advocate and motivate us to go outdoors and enjoy an active lifestyle and nature itself.
Aside from that, the homes are designed and built in such a way that positively impacts the health of its occupants – the question is at what level are you ready to perform?
The homes in Wildwood pay close attention to what materials go into them. Source control is the guiding philosophy that allows us to create an environment conducive to life. Close attention is paid to what chemicals are in the products within each home. Our goal is to maintain top performance standards with regards to health and wellness.
building science
In anything, a products quality is derived from following the fundamental rules of science. Building, and more importantly, your home is no different. It is critical for a building to follow the fundamentals of natural sciences: physics, biology, and chemistry.
Without following the Laws of Physics, a home has no chance to be healthy or quality. Moisture flow and vapor flow are among the most critical elements of quality. After all, a home with condensation and rot, is not healthy. That is the major reason the Wildwood has homes Certfied by Passive House Institute United States (PHIUS). Beyond, being an energy certification, Passive House certified homes are certified to be designed, built, and tested to ensure moisture does not negatively affect a building. This means Passive House gives you the foundation and launching pad needed ton create a healthy living environment.
Biology is also a key element in the natural world and your homes. Wildwood gives you the opportunity to connect back with the natural environment, and creates an inviting atmosphere that blends the line between indoor and outdoor living. Baubiologie (building biology) and biophilic design principles enhance the health and wellness of our homes. Biology also follows up on the physics to ensure that the wrong biology isn’t living in your home. The microbiome of your living environment is important, and is optimized in Wildwood.
Chemistry is also a key contributor to a home’s health. Strict and deep materials research went into the building materials palette offered within Wildwood, ensuring that the products used in your home are low emitting and contribute to the best indoor air quality. This is proven through third party lab testing before you move in, and continuously monitored by you via your in-home dashboard, to ensure you activities also assist in keeping your healthy home just that…healthy.
ecology
Ecology – the relations of organisms to one another and to their physical surroundings.
Wildwood is a diverse ecological development made up of Oak Woodlands, Savannas, Prairies and Wetlands within a sustainable living community. The hope is to encourage and embrace all of the inhabitance of the Wildwood Community in these surrounding ecosystems. The relationships between plants and animals within these plant communities are based on healthy habitats that support clean water, air, and soil wellness. Native plants sequester carbon; build soils that put water back into our aquifers and supports native insects, birds, fish, reptiles, as well as mammals – including us!