Our in-house architecture team is on a mission to redefine the way we approach design. In an industry saturated with digital models and blueprints, we believe that there's no substitute for experiencing a project firsthand. Andrew Tsuei and Kyle Kutz, two of our in-house architecture team members, weighed in on the insights gained from the design team’s regular field trips to construction sites.

 “These trips are key because you can’t understand a project just from a digital model,” said Andrew, Architectural Designer at Green Canopy NODE. This sentiment underlines our core philosophy – that to truly comprehend a design, the designer must go beyond the confines of a screen. Is that room too tight? How does the ceiling height affect the overall feel? How will users navigate through the space? These are questions that can only be answered by immersing yourself in the project as its user.

Site visits provide insights that extend beyond theory, allowing the design team to understand the project in the context of its surroundings. "You get to feel the materials of neighboring buildings, see what the neighbors are like, eat fruit off the bushes," said Andrew.  Inside the home, the team discusses the full process of building a home – from air sealing details to lighting layouts.

In addition to these real-life insights, our team takes a holistic approach to these visits, engaging other members of Green Canopy NODE’s integrated team such as sales and construction team members. What truly sets the Green Canopy NODE architecture team approach apart, emphasized by Kyle, Architect and Senior Design Project Manager, is this integration. For example, "being part of an integrated team with the construction managers allows for more open and honest conversations. We can see what they’re seeing, and they can see what we’re seeing. Egos are set aside, and everyone shares a common goal: build better housing,” Kyle said.

This seamless integration and collaboration not only enhance our projects but also addresses a critical industry challenge. Design changes are a major cause of cost overruns and project delays, often due to communication issues. However, by increasing communication among all stakeholders in a project, we are better equipped to deliver projects on time and on budget.

Ready to explore the possibilities of designing and building with us? Contact our team to bring your vision to life. Learn more about our integrated development services.

Designed by Schemata Workshop and built by Green Canopy NODE, Sunnyside Village Cohousing is a multigenerational community intended to foster neighborly connection, sustainability, and healthy living.

The Sunnyside Village Cohousing team celebrates groundbreaking

Green Canopy NODE’s Sam Lai, Chief Development Officer and Justin Hooks, Vice President of Construction

SEATTLE, Washington (October 3, 2023) - Sunnyside Village Cohousing, Schemata Workshop, and Green Canopy NODE alongside community members and stakeholders celebrated the groundbreaking of Sunnyside Village this summer . This event marks a significant milestone in the journey towards creating a vibrant and sustainable intentional community located in Marysville, Washington.

Sunnyside Village Cohousing is dedicated to sustainability, intergenerational living, and organic gardening - fostering a more connected way of life. The community, designed by Schemata Workshop and built by Green Canopy NODE, will comprise four-star Built Green cottages, a shared common house, and organic community gardens. Sunnyside Village is currently accepting reservations for homes with a limited number of homes remaining available.

“After many years of effort and planning, it is exciting to see our dream becoming a reality. It is fulfilling our desire to live in a community where no one feels isolated or lonely, where people are friendly and neighborly with each other, and where parents have support for raising their children,” said Jennie Lindberg, co-founder of Sunnyside Village. “We love the skill, caring, attention to detail and professionalism of our team, Green Canopy NODE and Schemata Workshop.”

Embracing Connection Through Design

Sunnyside Village Cohousing is not just a residential development; it's a blueprint for a more connected way of life, thoughtfully intended to combat postmodern loneliness. Designed by architectural firm Schemata Workshop, Sunnyside Village has been meticulously planned to cultivate neighborly connections and nurture an affinity for nature.

Sunnyside Village will offer 32 independent cottages, complemented conveniently located clustered parking designed to minimize the project's ecological footprint. At its heart lies a common house, housing home offices, a children's playroom, and a communal kitchen, among other amenities. What sets Sunnyside Village apart is its extensive outdoor green spaces, featuring a community garden, orchard, and berry patch. These spaces are envisioned as hubs for forging connections and fostering social capital, with harvested organic produce contributing to weekly communal meals shared by residents.

“Cohousing is different from other types of housing, not by the physical form, but rather by the intentionality of the residents to live collaboratively and interdependently,” said Grace Kim, Principal Architect at Schemata Workshop. “Many of us learned through the pandemic that complete independence was isolating and lonely. Cohousing offers resilient neighborhoods where people are more socially connected- resulting in longer lives for those who chose this housing option.”

Partnerships for Sustainability

The shared commitment to sustainability and a deeper sense of community unites Schemata Workshop, Sunnyside Village Cohousing, and Green Canopy NODE in this transformative project. The collective partnership signifies an effort to make better decisions for the community and the planet.

“It’s been a pleasure working shoulder to shoulder with the brilliant people at Sunnyside community and Schemata Workshop in such an inspirational project. Our aggressive social, environmental, and financial goals would not have come to fruition without deep trust and healthy communication facilitated by Karen Gimnig, our process consultant.”

Green Canopy NODE brings its depth of consulting expertise to the development, contributing to conceptual design, risk analysis, and facilitating the community in realizing its vision, in addition to general contracting services to bring the project to life.

Integrated Development Solutions

Green Canopy NODE offers comprehensive development solutions, supporting developer clients engaged in multi-unit residential projects at every stage of the development journey. From pre-development to architecture, construction management, and consulting, Green Canopy NODE is committed to building sustainable homes faster to meet clients’ financial, social, and environmental goals.

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About Sunnyside Village Cohousing: Sunnyside Village is a cohousing community with a strong focus on its organic garden. Residents will live in 32 cottages and share ownership in a Common House for community activities and some shared meals. Members own their home and the lot it is built on. As a forming community, their mission is to create a cohousing community of diverse people who share vision and values – solidarity, sustainability, and democracy.

About Schemata Workshop: Schemata Workshop is an architecture and urban design practice that empowers people and their communities. The firm values community, equity, and sustainability. Their team approaches each project with the goal of creating resilient communities. They design with integrity, believing in honest, expressive use of materials, and always preferring local resources and production.

About Green Canopy NODE: Green Canopy NODE is a mission-driven construction technology, real estate development, and fund management company. Over its history, it has sought to embrace the innovation required to change the current paradigm of housing development and deliver on its commitment to help regenerate communities and environments. The company works with its clients and investors to develop high-performing, deep green, all-electric, and healthy housing.

For more information about SVC please contact:
jennie@sunnysidevillagecohousing.com

For information about developing similar communities, contact:
developmentservices@greencanopynode.com

We are pleased to share our 2022 Impact Report!

I deeply believe that as a society we are going to make the transition to a resilient future. That said, the path to get there may not be smooth or pretty. However, if the pandemic has taught us anything, it is that when faced with crisis, we can adapt and rise to the occasion.

At Green Canopy NODE, we stand at the forefront of this movement, fully aware of the magnitude of the problem and the immense potential for positive change. Through our commitment to building carbon-negative, healthy homes, we strive to regenerate communities and environments, demonstrating that housing can be a catalyst for transformation.

We are a deeply committed community of teammates, board members, shareholders, impact investors, institutional investors, homeowners, landowners, developers, affordable housing groups, architects, real estate agents, and sub-contractors.

Together we are building the future of housing!

I invite you to join us on this journey. Please feel free to start by sharing with me your insights and reflections on this report.

 With deep gratitude,

Susan Fairchild
Chief Marketing & Impact Officer

Trillium at Grow Community on Bainbridge Island is blossoming under the spring sun! Designed by Jonathan Davis and built by Green Canopy NODE, the final phase of the community is coming along quickly – continue reading for the latest updates. 

An Overview of Trillium 

Trillium follows the development's naming tradition of referencing treasured plants. The neighborhood features 14 townhomes, including six three-bedroom and eight two-bedroom homes, situated along a shared garden path. All homes have roof decks, as well as ground level patios.

Lot reservations will be available in June, and presales will begin later in September – contact Anne Reichard of Compass to learn more! 

Foundations were poured in January, and the homes are quickly taking shape as they are framed with panels – providing superior insulation, faster construction times, and sustainability benefits.

Building Faster with Innovative Tech Systems 

We’re excited to share that Green Canopy NODE’s patent pending Utility Kit was successfully installed into six of the units. Integrating innovative tech systems into the project has helped ensure a faster, more efficient build. Using the Utility Kit reduced the normal mechanical, electrical, and plumbing install time by half. Pre-constructed in our off-site factory during the site work phase, the utility walls were ready for installation for the framing phase. With the help of utility subcontractors, connections were made on-site to allow for a smooth and seamless installation process. 

Green Canopy NODE is on a path to revolutionize construction, and these innovative construction technologies are just one example of how we are pushing the envelope of construction industry standards. Over the past dozen years, we’ve continued to advance towards our mission of regenerating communities and environments. Trillium, the new neighborhood at Grow, will be 5 Star Built Green and will join our inventory of Net Zero Energy homes.  

Read more about our partnership with Grow below: 

• Blog: The Final Phase of Grow Community is Underway, Built with Green Canopy NODE's Innovation Ecosystem Model 

• Press Release: Green Canopy & Grow Community Partner to Build Third Phase of Sustainable Neighborhood  

• New York Times: Energy-Efficient Isn’t Enough, So Homes Go ‘Net Zero’  

Developing a residential real estate project is a huge endeavor. With so many tasks, contractors, and workflows to coordinate, it’s easy to overlook the community in which you’re building. However, engaging neighbors in a timely manner makes a significant difference when it comes to the success of residential projects. 

At Green Canopy NODE, we consider ourselves neighbors in the communities we work, especially given our mission to build homes, relationships, and businesses that help regenerate communities and environments. After all, we become part of their homes’ surroundings and impact their day-to-day lives. “Part of the protocol in our own development projects is to have a community meeting to notify neighborhoods even before we start city permits. We typically do this prior to land acquisition as neighbors’ input is a key component of our feasibility due diligence,” explains Justin Hooks, VP of Construction at Green Canopy NODE.  

Recently, our team hosted a meeting with Grow Community on Bainbridge Island, with the goal of continuing dialogue about the construction of the project’s final phase.  “It was great to see so many neighbors turn out. They had a variety of concerns about the new construction and how it would affect their day-to-day life at Grow.  The Green Canopy NODE team, Jeff Bouma – the landscape architect —, and I, answered a range of questions from what the homes will look like, how parking is being managed to how the landscaping would blend in with what is there now,” shares Jonathan Davis, Architect at Davis Studio Architecture + Design and Grow Community resident. 

Community relations are rewarding – we want to share our takeaways to develop strong relationships and ensure the success of your project.

1. Be proactive about communicating – Don’t let neighbors wake up one day with unexpected construction sounds and dust. This will harm the project’s ability to organically become part of the community and your company’s reputation for future business – real estate is significantly about relationships! 

2. Listen – Neighbors’ concerns vary from construction timelines and working hours to path accessibility. Most of these questions can be addressed by supplying an FAQ with project information. Neighbors can also flag things you should be planning for but overlooked.  

3. All petitions are worth considering – Some requests may not be possible to deliver, given the project’s budget and timeline, but in others, you may find opportunities.  For example, neighbors asked how we could contribute to the care and expansion of community areas. Our team found an alternative: instead of discarding the construction waste from leveling the project’s land, we will repurpose this soil to improve the center park, a community hallmark where residents enjoy summer concerts and other activities. This was an opportunity to implement a circular economy approach that benefits neighbors and aligns with our sustainability goals. 

4. Leave the door open – A great deal of maintaining relationships is an ongoing effort to manage expectations and communicate throughout the project. As construction moves forward, neighbors will have new questions. Be mindful to establish how these can be shared with the team, for example through resident portals, emails, or future community meetings.  

In essence, our greatest takeaway from this experience is that investing time and effort in developing community relations is a great way to create excitement about construction, learn from one another by active listening and build trust. During the Grow Community meeting, “neighbors had some tough questions” shared Green Canopy NODE’s Marketing Manager Emily Butterfield, “but the team addressed them, and it was clear that they appreciated and valued that we took the time and effort to ‘show up’,” she adds.  

Contact us if you’d like help in developing your multi-unit real estate project!

Follow us to keep updated on our projects and learn more about our impact.

For Immediate Release

SEATTLE, Washington (August 25, 2022) – Amidst humanity’s magnified sensitivity to the pitfalls of social isolation, cohousing residential projects are gaining momentum as an answer to postmodern loneliness. Located between Marysville and Lake Stevens, a new kind of intentional community is making progress: Sunnyside Village Cohousing. Green Canopy NODE is proud to join architecture firm Schemata Workshop to help Sunnyside Village Cohousing develop the 4.75 acre project.

“Loneliness can be the result of the built environment” explains Grace Kim, Principal Architect at Schemata Workshop. “It is intentionality that sets cohousing apart from other types of housing models,” she adds. Sunnyside Village spaces are curated to foster neighbors’ easy interactions outside private homes, bringing people together through collaboration and the love of nature.

More than just a home, Sunnyside Village will be a community for life.  The project has 32 independent cottages – ranging from 1,000 to 1,200 square feet - and 64 centralized parking spaces to avoid car congestion disrupting the harmony with nature. The shared areas comprise a 3,350sf common house with home office spaces, a kids’ room, and a kitchen, to name a few. The community’s hallmark is the vastness of outdoor green spaces – community garden, orchard, and berry patch - to facilitate meaningful connection and build social capital. The harvested organic produce is expected to contribute to the three weekly community meals that residents will prepare and share together.

While Sunnyside Village Cohousing is currently in the pre-development phase, future residents already share their excitement about living there, as an “antidote to the isolation of modern life” and for its powerful “sense of transitioning, to a different place, at a different pace.” This intentional community expects to transcend traditional cohousing and make decisions together aligned through their shared love for the natural environment.

Similarly, the ethos of green building is the baseline for bringing Schemata Workshop, Sunnyside Village Cohousing, and Green Canopy NODE together – to make better decisions for the community and the planet. Green Canopy NODE is bringing its consulting expertise to the project, contributing to the conceptual design, risk analysis, and, most importantly, helping the community achieve its goals.

Ultimately, cohousing is about finding a more connected way of living – people with people and people with the planet. Green Canopy NODE shares this mission to help regenerate communities and environments. The company offers its development services in support of purposeful developer clients of multi-unit residential projects at any stage – pre-development, architecture, construction management, and consulting.

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About Green Canopy NODE: Green Canopy NODE is a mission-driven construction technology, real estate development, and fund management company. Over its history, it has sought to embrace the innovation required to change the current paradigm of housing development and deliver on its commitment to help regenerate communities and environments. The company works with its clients and investors to develop high-performing, deep green, all-electric, and healthy housing.  Green Canopy NODE is also an experienced fund manager. The firm has successfully managed four real estate funds for a total of $70+ million AUM, and over 200 investor accounts. Financial and impact returns have been aligned to investor expectations.

About Schemata Workshop: Schemata Workshop is an architecture and urban design practice that empowers people and their communities. The firm designs with integrity, believing in honest, expressive use of materials, and always preferring local sources and production. The team approaches each project with a design philosophy geared towards creating environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable architecture that enhances the resiliency of communities.

About Sunnyside Village Cohousing: Sunnyside Village is a cohousing community with a strong focus on its organic garden. Residents will live in 32 (1000-1200 sf) cottages and share ownership in a (3000 sf) Common House for community activities and some shared meals. Members own their home and the lot it is built on. As a forming community, their mission is to create a cohousing community of diverse people who share vision and values – solidarity, sustainability, and democracy.

For more information, please contact:
Susan Fairchild
Chief Marketing Officer
susan@greencanopynode.com

The Spring season begins a beautiful process of birth and renewal. What once was dormant, begins to awake, slowly unfurl, and reveal its true purpose. To be called to purpose with such intention is not to be taken lightly.

Amidst the ongoing strain of the pandemic and global crises, Green Canopy & NODE took the concept of purpose further. Rather than tackle the challenges of the construction industry separate from each other, we recognized that we could accelerate transformation of the construction industry towards greater sustainability, health, and affordability together. Today, Green Canopy NODE is a collective of investors, innovators, changemakers, makers-at-heart, and people living their lives aligned to purpose. Our shared vision is to provide more healthy and sustainable housing for people of all income levels across the nation.

I am grateful to not be alone in this work. At Green Canopy NODE we come together in a coordinated effort to do more than one person could on their own. I am blessed with a deeply committed community of teammates, board members, shareholders, impact investors, institutional investors, homeowners, landowners, developers, affordable housing groups, architects, real estate agents, and sub-contractors; all playing an important role in achieving our collective mission and vision.

I welcome you to engage with us on this journey! Please feel free to start by sharing with me your insights and reflections on this report.

With deep gratitude,
Susan Fairchild, Chief Marketing and Impact Officer
Green Canopy NODE

Together, we can build the future of housing - Our partnership with Grow Community was featured in the New York Times in the article Energy-Efficient Isn’t Enough, So Homes Go ‘Net Zero’ as a project incorporating all-electric, Net Zero Ready technology. Read more about our Bainbridge Island partnership here.

SEATTLE, Washington (May 6, 2021) - Green Canopy and Habitat for Humanity Seattle – King County (Habitat) are pleased to announce a partnership to design a 17-unit affordable multifamily housing development in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle. The 4-star Built Green project, located near Cal Anderson Park, features one- and two-bedroom units to be sold to households making at or below 80 percent area median income. The collaboration will bridge affordability and sustainability and fill a gap in the housing market for low-income individuals, couples, and smaller families.

Combining a land trust model with permanent affordability requirements, Habitat lowers barriers to homeownership. Habitat’s homeownership model creates opportunities for those who may not otherwise have access to owning a home and enables them to build equity and obtain security and stability. In Seattle, population growth, low inventory and market price appreciations have prevented first-time homebuyers from being able to afford to live within the urban center and create wealth through equity in ownership.

“We have identified a significant gap in the housing market for those who can’t afford to build equity in the city that they live and work in,” said Patrick Sullivan, Director of Real Estate Development at Habitat. “Typically, affordable housing options are located outside of city centers and further from jobs and other amenities. We are excited to offer these homes to hard-working and deserving people who would otherwise be priced out of the area.”

Through this partnership, Green Canopy and Habitat for Humanity serve as a model for aligning for-profit and nonprofit organizations to develop market-rate land, while accelerating access to affordable, sustainable homes.

“We believe the partnership between Habitat and Green Canopy will set a new standard for homebuilding,” said Brett D’Antonio, CEO of Habitat for Humanity Seattle-King County. “Through private non-profit partnerships we are able to deliver more affordable housing units than we could alone.”

Known for its innovative, highly energy efficient urban infill homes in Seattle and Portland, Green Canopy specializes in unparalleled cost control and project management without compromising on sustainability.

“It is oftentimes a trade-off between sustainable or affordable when it comes to housing,” said Sam Lai, Green Canopy’s cofounder. “We are passionate about unlocking the potential impact of combining our expertise in green building and cost control with Habitat’s expertise in offering homes at a price point that increases accessibility.”

Green Canopy’s stringent green building standards result in homes that are not only better for the environment, but also better for residents’ health. Homeowner’s indoor air quality is improved by using all-electric appliances, low volatile organic compounds (VOCs) products and materials, and through systems like the Energy Recovery Ventilators (ERVs), which bring fresh, filtered air into the homes. Furthermore, the end product simply costs less to operate on a monthly basis than a comparable code-built home.

“Providing all-electric, sustainable, and healthy homes at affordable price points provides a better alternative to the current paradigm of housing,” said Susan Fairchild, Director of Impact at Green Canopy. “Through partnership and collaboration, we believe we can democratize sustainable homes so in time, people at every income level can live in more sustainable and healthy homes.”

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About Green Canopy: Green Canopy is an award-winning urban infill developer and homebuilder specializing in high performing, deep green, all-electric healthy homes. Their mission is to build relationships, businesses, and homes that help regenerate communities and environments. The team at Green Canopy offers development and general contracting services to third party investors, developers, and investment property owners.

About Habitat for Humanity Seattle – King County: Habitat SKC is dedicated to eliminating substandard housing locally and worldwide through constructing, renovating and preserving homes, advocating for fair and just housing policies, and providing training and access to resources to help families improve their shelter conditions. Habitat is founded on the conviction that every man, woman, and child should have a simple, durable place to live in dignity and safety, and that decent shelter in decent communities should be a matter of conscience and action for all.

For more information, please contact:
Susan Fairchild, Green Canopy Director of Impact and Investor Relations
susan@greencanopynode.com

Sam Lai, Green Canopy Cofounder
developmentservices@greencanopynode.com

SEATTLE, Washington (February 3, 2021) - Green Canopy and the Grow Community have announced their partnership to build the third and final phase of the Bainbridge Island development project.

Grow Community was established in 2012 with the goal of creating a sustainable, intergenerational community intended to support the health and longevity of its residents. The development, featuring 119 homes and a community center, is located minutes from the ferry dock in the town center of Bainbridge Island and is designed to be a Net Zero neighborhood with the ability to use solar panels to provide 100% of the energy needed to power each home.

Phase 3 of the Grow Community will bookend the project, with a focus on townhomes that reflect the rest of Grow’s intentional sustainable, healthy, and community-based lifestyle. Jonathan Davis, the architect and resident of Phase 1, will be returning to design the final phase of the Grow Community.

“People move here intentionally because they believe in the vision and the values of the community. It’s amazing to see the connections made here and it has been comforting for residents to know there are others around to support them as needed,” said Davis. “I am honored to finish out the design for the Grow Community. And I’m excited to be able to work with Green Canopy to do so.”

The collaboration from Green Canopy and the Grow Community signifies a dual commitment to building resilient and sustainable communities. Green Canopy is known for building deep green and Net Zero Energy homes ranging from single-family homes to multi-unit projects, and its proprietary project development platform allows for unparalleled cost control and project management.

“What is exciting about this project is the alignment of values – this project aligns with our mission. It’s humbling to be welcomed into the Grow community as a development partner with so much of the way already paved before us” said Sam Lai, Green Canopy’s co-founder.

The Grow Community is the first One Planet neighborhood in the United States. The One Planet framework guides the design of Net Zero Energy neighborhoods as places where people can reduce their overall carbon footprint while living healthier and reducing costs. The program focuses not just on environmental impacts, but also on economic and social sustainability.

“Founding partners John and Ed Ellis have been instrumental in the completion of this project,” said Grow resident and original development team member Marja Williams. “Without them, this community would have never been as successful as it is today.”

“I’m eager to see this project finished in a way that I can be proud of. Much of the work that we’ve done with the Grow Community was meant to inspire others, and I think we’ve been successful in that,” said Ed Ellis.

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About Green Canopy: Green Canopy is an award-winning urban infill developer and homebuilder specializing in high performing, deep green, all-electric healthy homes. Their mission is to build relationships, businesses, and homes that help regenerate communities and environments. The team at Green Canopy offers development and general contracting services to third party investors, developers, and investment property owners.

About Grow Community: Grow Community is an urban One Planet neighborhood on Bainbridge Island, just a 35-minute ferry ride from downtown Seattle. With beautifully designed solar-powered homes, shared community gardens and clean transportation options, Grow allows all generations to enjoy a high-quality and healthy lifestyle.

For more information, please contact:

Susan Fairchild, Green Canopy Director of Impact and Investor Relations