I haven’t mentioned that zHome is being built in conjunction with the YWCA Family Village.  The Family Village is an incredible project – it is a 150 unit affordable housing project being built by the YWCA of Seattle – King County – Snohomish County.  It is aimed at families earning an income ranging from 30-60% of median income.  The two projects have been planned for a number of years on parallel tracks, and it turns out they will be complete at almost the same time.  The two projects have been designed in conjunction with each other, to provide on integrated, sustainable center.  The Family Village is incorporating a number of green features which I’ll cover in a later post.   

Aerial photo of YWCA Family Village and zHome, 7/14/10

This aerial photo shows both projects – zHome is the area in the upper right hand side of the construction.  You can also see the Issaquah Highlands Park and Ride (in the lower section of the photo), which will be connected to the Family Village with a dedicated pedestrian bridge.

Social sustainability has been an important part of zHome, and the social and physical integration of the Family Village and zHome is a critical component.  They are physically linked and connected through urban design, and share a comm0n pedestrian/vehicular plaza.  After both projects are complete, they will be linked by a common stewardship center for sustainability education (more on that later, too).