At Treehouse Village, our commitment to the planet goes far beyond building energy efficiency into our homes.
Low-Impact Development
We’ve been committed to low-impact development at every stage from land development to lifestyle:
- A reduced physical footprint, disturbing only a fraction of our property to preserve 11 acres of century+ secondary forest
- Passive House design standard for all 30 condos, including highly efficient building envelopes which help minimize energy needs
- Multiple homes per building, with stacked units and shared walls to reduce building materials and heating/cooling demand
- Low-impact stormwater management through bioswales and water-retaining landscape features
- Intentional project management — hiring locally where possible, as well as reducing construction waste and using all fill on site rather than trucking it elsewhere
- Buildings designed with health in mind, prioritizing excellent indoor air quality and use of construction materials with low toxicity
- Shared amenities such as meeting spaces, guest rooms, play areas, and a fitness studio to reduce the size of our homes
Environmentally Friendly Practices
- Solar panels on the rooftops of all buildings, generating a large percentage of our electrical needs (estimated 93% in 2025) — with the goal to ultimately reach net zero
- An EV-powered car share program plus 5 personally-owned EVs, with 11 Level-2 EV chargers on site
- Ample bike parking and storage, as well as tools and support for repairs
- Shared outdoor clothes lines
- Shared laundry facilities available in the Common House
- Shared tools, appliances, and yard/gardening equipment
- Composting & community food gardens, reducing food waste and packaging
- A large kitchen (280 sq.ft.) and dining hall in the Common House, giving residents the opportunity to share meals
- A 950-sq.ft. workshop and a community of skilled residents who can help fix a wobbly chair or broken toaster
Social Sustainability
- The use of Sociocracy, a consent-based governance system, giving everyone an equal voice and dispersing power throughout the organization
- The learning and practice of Nonviolent Communication, also known as Compassionate Communication
- The intentional selection of Bridgewater as our location, due to the town’s progressive vision and award-winning work as a sustainable municipality
- The intentional incorporation of a high level of accessibility and visitability into our designs
Economic Stability
- We bank with a locally owned and managed credit union
- Our development company was owned by us, its residents — we did not pay an outside developer
- We continue to hire local professionals and purchase local materials wherever possible to keep our money in the local economy