In designing The Cobb as apartments, Unico Properties, Inc sought to "design a building that would provide sustainable benefits to residents, the community and the world around it."
Unico began with one of the city’s most beautiful buildings, The Cobb, built in 1910, which they renovated with careful preservation of historic elements including the façade’s hand-laid brickwork and the original art deco style elevators.
The sustainable attributes of The Cobb include:
- Meets 28 pre-defined criteria, achieving a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified Green Building rating from the U.S. Green Building Council.
- Preserves a historic building.
- Encourages synergy of existing resources.
- Cleaner indoor air, through the use of a heat system that limits the spread of allergens, and low VOC carpets, adhesives, sealants, paint and composite wood.
- Waste reduction through a recycling program for residents, as well as the reuse of many items during construction, and recycling 95 percent of construction waste.
- Environmentally friendly outdoor gardens, with plantings designed to provide habitat for birds and butterflies.
- Garden space converted from rooftops, which will reduce water runoff by 38%
- Reduced water usage by 30 percent and sewage by 40 percent through dual flush toilets, lavatory fixtures and Energy Star appliances.
- Noise reduction and better air quality through its air conditioning system.
- Use of recycled products in construction including metals, wallboard, insulation, concrete and acoustical ceiling tile.
