WATERVLIET Shaker Pointe at Carondelet, a nonprofit independent senior living community, announced last week that its 56-apartment building, Spirit Tree, earned platinum Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.
With this recognition, every structure in Shaker Pointe’s community has reached gold or platinum certification, and remains the only community in the Capital District with this distinction. Each building, including the 75,000 square-foot Spirit Tree residence, earned a “Five Stars Plus” home energy rating certificate through Steven Winter Design in Norwalk, Conn.
“We’re very, very proud of Shaker Pointe and our community,” said Sister Lauren Vandermark, executive team member at Shaker Pointe. “The recognition from the U.S. Green Building Council is an honor, and we’re proud that our architecture and construction partners went above and beyond to meet these standards.”
LEED certification for Shaker Pointe required meticulous attention to detail to ensure all materials for the buildings and residences were eco-friendly. Sister Kay Ryan, executive team member at Shaker Pointe, explained “It was important to [the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet], from choosing the material and everything, that the design was as environmentally-safe as possible.”
Inspections to ensure standards are met for the certification were performed throughout construction and post-completion. Although extra steps are required, this commitment to green construction reduces negative environmental impacts and improves the health and well being of all occupants. “One of the things that we committed ourselves to from the very beginning was to build to the LEED requirements,” said Vendermark. “It increased the time of the building, but
