ATLANTA, Sept. 8, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Enso-Atlanta, a 325-unit multi-family complex in Grant Park, has received Gold LEED certification. It’s the first apartment community in the Southeast to earn this distinction for environmental sustainability. Enso achieved 40 credits, exceeding the Gold threshold of 39 by a point.

“We wanted to create a sustainable community in the heart of Atlanta, and challenged ourselves to go the extra mile during every phase of planning and construction,” said Colin Cavill, co-founder of Capital 33, the developer of Enso.

Enso, which broke ground in March 2009 and officially opened in June, will be 93 percent occupied by the end of September. “We’re proud to offer renters in Atlanta the ability to live a green lifestyle,” added Cavill.

During Enso’s construction, 85 percent of building materials were recycled and 92 percent came from within 500 miles of the site. “Our goal was to keep this project local and make the most of the resources at our fingertips,” said Cavill.

Enso’s eco-friendly features include:

• Cistern for rainwater harvesting that holds over 76,000 gallons, the equivalent of five standard-sized swimming pools; 84 percent of rainwater that falls on property is collected.
• Over one acre of landscaping indigenous to the area, which reduces water consumption by nearly 51 percent
• Water-efficient plumbing, which saves each resident 40,000 gallons annually and reduces overall consumption by about 22 percent (total savings equate to over 1 million gallons annually)
• Zero use of volatile organic compound (VOC) paints and carpeting
• No ozone-depleting appliance refrigerants
• High-efficiency air conditioning, which reduces consumption by 14 percent

www.ensoatl.com

SOURCE Enso-Atlanta