MDA won silver in the “2008 Energy Value Housing Award,” awarded by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), for Nevada City Cohousing.

The Cohousing Company have an unwavering commitment to sustainability within a budget.

Featured Projects:

• Broad Street Commons, Nevada City, California

• Cotati Cohousing, Cotati, California

• Pleasant Hill Cohousing, Pleasant Hill, California

• Sonora Cohousing Community, Tucson, Arizona

• World Bank Children’s Center, Washington D.C.

These are examples of typical features included in their projects:

• Urban infill sites located near mass transit

• Sustainably harvested framing lumber

• Sustainable flooring materials: bamboo plank, linoleum and wool carpet

• Pre-engineered wood ceiling and roof trusses, and siding panels

• Advanced framing techniques minimize use of lumber

• Passive solar orientation and shading

• Slab on grade foundations and gypcrete flooring systems provide thermal mass

• Radiant flooring heating systems

• Low water and energy use appliances and fixtures

• Compact fluorescent fixtures

• Fly ash in concrete

• High R-value insulation at slab perimeter, in walls and attics

• Wet blown recycled cellulose insulation

• 5/8” gypsum board

• Low-E2 windows

• Pervious pathways and paving

• Tectum recycled acoustic panels

• Photoelectric smoke detectors

• Low VOC adhesives, sealants and paints

• Active solar heating

• Responsible water use

• Passive cooling

• Waste stream management

• Permaculture landscape principles

• But most importantly a well functioning community – with a functioning community you can achieve any goal

Grey Water Use at Quayside Cohousing

Brian shows us the grey water system in his housing complex. Shower, sink and bathtub water is collected, cleaned and reused to flush toilets in 19 units. We see a variety tanks, each one a part of the unique water filtration process. By Michael Levenston (City Farmer TV).