OUR MISSION
Be Makers
Of Community
FOUNDATION
Our Mission, Vision and values
Mission
We are the makers of community, where all stakeholders achieve and create with each other wellbeing, civic connection, harmony with nature, and strong positive financial outcomes. Our properties are designed, maintained and operated to achieve our mission.
Vision
Parkera designs, constructs and operates exceptional climate-resilient nature-centric apartment communities that are ecologically restorative, attract and retain Impact Renters, and generate lasting triple-bottom-line results.
Values: The Four Pillars
Biophilia – humanity’s innate love for and connection to the natural world – is embedded deep in our DNA. Formed by eons of exposure to the natural world, it informs what our brains, bodies, and emotions instinctively respond to. We love the inviting warmth of wood, the singing conversations of birds, the dancing patter of rain, the quilted silence of snow. We feel the strength of stone, and draw on the peace and wisdom of trees. Parkera consciously weaves these elements into the communities we create – homes that connect and inspire.
Nature
DESIGN
Sustainability
ETHOS
nature
In nature, an ecosystem’s diversity makes it stronger, more cohesive, and more resilient - which is what we envision for our communities.
Each of our sites is unique. Each has its own native plant communities, microclimates, and topography. By paying close attention to each development’s specific local, natural context, our aim is to create thriving ecosystems at all of our locations. Our commitment to biophilia and respect for the natural environment also extends to Parkera’s interiors, where we focus on sunlight, organic materials, and healthy air flow. Connection to nature, essential to our wellbeing and even survival, is a must have not a nice to have. We intuitively know this. Parkera recognizes that science has finally caught up with this intuition; there are numerous evidence-based studies and metrics reinforcing the positive benefits that nature has on human wellbeing. Parkera is now purposefully incorporating this research into our one-of-a-kind developments.
Design
The four elements – earth, air, fire, and water – figure prominently into our designs
Unlike those that impose their standard building and site designs on all locations with equal vigor, each Parkera property uses the natural amenities inherent to its location to make it one-of-a-kind. Integration of the four elements – earth, air, fire, and water – figures prominently.
- We shape the land into paths and small hills, planting native species and cultivating local ecosystems – both flora and fauna. We draw heating and cooling from the earth via geothermal energy.
- Abundant and operable windows connect residents to the outdoors, offering daylight, fresh air, and the music of birdsong. Vine-wrapped trellises paired with balconies and thoughtfully placed trees provide cleaner air and afford residents the exhilarating sensation of living in a treehouse.
- We study sun and shade patterns to enhance both indoor and outdoor experiences, and draw power from the sun both through solar photovoltaic systems and passive solar design.
- We harvest water from our roofs, store it onsite in ponds, aid its percolation back to the water table – and provide amenities for soaking and refreshing.
SUSTANABILITY
Committed to building and supporting community, Parkera instinctively seeks nature for spiritual, mental, and physical nourishment.
From beginning to end, Parkera is committed to building and supporting community. We instinctively seek nature for spiritual, mental, and physical nourishment throughout our lives. Yet we also need genuine, supportive interpersonal connections to strengthen our daily existence. Parkera is dedicated to working closely within the communities we create, and with the existing communities we join, to ensure that our developments are welcome and, indeed, sought after. We believe in creating indoor and outdoor spaces that invite the community in to experience the healing power of art, music, community celebrations, civic meetings, ecology, and more.
Within our communities, Parkera will empower residents to identify and manifest activities and efforts that engage their neighbors – both within Parkera and across the wider community. Parkera commits to providing the staff and the physical space necessary to co-create these goals. Our sincere hope is for all residents and employees of Parkera’s communities to feel proud of – and committed to – their shared home.
Thoughtful site consideration – understanding ‘genius loci’, the spirit of a place – is the first step in building a successful community. Parkera strives to select sites in healthy watersheds and use fresh water for people, not landscapes. Parkera strives to foster spiritual, mental and physical nourishment in each build environment.
Water – a building block of life – will be treated thoughtfully within a Parkera community. Water waste is substantially reduced by conscious and effective reuse, infiltration, and management – such as irrigating plants on site with rainwater, avoiding sensitive ecosystems, and selecting native plants whose water consumption is minimal once established.
Choosing the right building systems is a critical decision that shapes how Parkera communities minimize resource consumption and restore a site’s optimum ecology. Our building systems are designed to substantially reduce their energy and carbon footprints over peer developments. Writ large, projects are designed to the highest quality standards with a focus on climate resiliency, physical comfort , and ease of maintenance, while protecting the health and wellbeing of the people, plants and animals that live within and around the Parkera community.
Alternative sources of heating and cooling such as geothermal and solar power systems are evaluated and deployed as solutions that significantly reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and are in harmony with a healthy environment. When off-site utilities are warranted, special attention shall be given to utility providers that commit to net zero carbon initiatives completed within the building’s expected lifetime. Our favorite thermal comfort technology, though, is simple and time-tested: insulation. It takes less energy to heat and cool a building that doesn’t leak. There are a variety of ways we are treating and retaining water on site, and that includes reuse.
Parkera follows the Living Building Challenge (LBC) framework for selecting building components, which requires the use of environmentally responsible materials, a reduced carbon footprint, an avoidance of hazardous materials, socially responsible sourcing, and a focus on net positive waste. As LBC says, the idea is ‘to help create a materials economy that is non-toxic, ecologically restorative, and transparent.’
You should expect the place you call home to be free of toxins, which is why Parkera communities respect the LBC’s ‘Red List’ of materials that may not be used in construction. Additionally, Parkera supports the sustainable harvesting and extraction of materials used in the construction of our communities. We focus on materials that can be sourced locally, to support local businesses and reduce the carbon impacts of transporting goods.
Lastly, we’ve been around long enough to witness the substantial waste that occurs in the construction process. We believe there is a better way forward, one that reduces waste from the outset, and reuses – or, at least, recycles – those materials in a creative way. Strategies to attain these results are written into all of our construction contracts.
We have thoughtfully reviewed the myriad different ‘rating systems’ for sustainable development that currently exist. Candidate systems include LEED, WELL, Fitwell, Passive House, and the Living Building Challenge (LBC), among others. We will always deploy whichever system(s) are most appropriate in meeting the unique goals and site context of each project. Parkera wants to build the best buildings possible, not simply commit to one particular system for our entire portfolio.
Measurable and certifiable 3rd party results are important to document the success of our projects. We are committed to outcomes. At our inaugural project, Parkera Plymouth, we have decided to focus on the LBC system. LBC’s comprehensive focus on regenerative approaches to energy, waste, water, materials, ecology, and human connections all support the biophilic elements that are key drivers for Parkera. However, future projects may prioritize the Passive House strategy instead (a science-driven approach to less-mechanized building systems) or a combination or hybrid of several systems. Our ultimate goal is performance, not PR.
ETHOS
In nature, an ecosystem’s diversity makes it stronger, more cohesive, and more resilient, which is what we envision for our communities.
From beginning to end, Parkera is committed to building and supporting community. We instinctively seek nature for spiritual, mental, and physical nourishment throughout our lives. Yet we also need genuine, supportive interpersonal connections to strengthen our daily existence. Parkera is dedicated to working closely within the communities we create, and with the existing communities we join, to ensure that our developments are welcome and, indeed, sought after. We believe in creating indoor and outdoor spaces that invite the community in to experience the healing power of art, music, community celebrations, civic meetings, ecology, and more.
Within our communities, Parkera will empower residents to identify and manifest activities and efforts that engage their neighbors – both within Parkera and across the wider community. Parkera commits to providing the staff and the physical space necessary to co-create these goals. Our sincere hope is for all residents and employees of Parkera’s communities to feel proud of – and committed to – their shared home.
