RICHMOND, VA (April 22, 2013) – Baskervill is excited to announce that Somanath Senior Apartments was awarded a Sustainable Leadership Award for best Multifamily New Construction of the Year by EarthCraft Virginia. Celebrating the best in sustainable, affordable, and energy-efficient homes, the Sustainable Leadership Awards honor builders and projects that are leading the way in high-performance home building.

"It's great that this project was recognized as a model for multifamily projects," said Mark Larson, AIA, principal architect for the project. "This project demonstrates that sustainable design can be incorporated into any development, and we couldn't be happier with the community-wide support and acceptance."

Baskervill worked with the Better Housing Coalition on the second phase of a larger redevelopment initiative to revitalize Beckstoffer's Mill in Richmond's historic Church Hill neighborhood. The project includes two senior apartment buildings that are EarthCraft-certified: one that is three stories with 32 units and a one-story that has seven units. While both buildings are universally designed, the one-story building is also net-zero energy, fully accessible, and is approved by the Virginia Department of Historic Resources because of its location on a historic property.

The net-zero energy building features 98 photovoltaic solar panels and six hot water panels on its roof, which are designed to supply enough electricity and hot water so residents have little or no power costs over the course of a year. In addition, the three-story building's common spaces are all powered by solar energy. Other features of the two apartment buildings include EnergyStar appliances, low-flow toilets, and high-performance double-glazed windows.

About Baskervill Sustainability
Baskervill has a long-standing commitment to sustainability, efficiency, and longevity, working with clients to achieve their facility goals. Baskervill has completed many LEED projects, ranging from platinum to certified. Our clients include large corporations looking for energy-efficient buildings with a long lifespan to small businesses seeking sustainability in a cutting edge design. With nearly 20 LEED APs and a Certified Energy Manager on staff, our sustainability professionals are prepared to collaborate and offer their expertise on any project.

About Baskervill
Baskervill, a national, award-winning, full-service architectural, engineering, interior design firm, delivers world-class services to a diverse client base, ranging from hospitality, government, education, corporate, healthcare, advanced technologies, retail, financial, community, multifamily housing, and transportation technologies, including Fortune 500 companies from its offices in Richmond and Vienna, Virginia. Founded in 1897, Baskervill offers a rich history of ingenuity, integrity and technical expertise that has made them a premiere service provider across the country. To learn more about Baskervill or to see a project portfolio, visit www.baskervill.com.

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Media Contact:
Tracey Gould
Director of Marketing & PR
Baskervill
804.343.1010 x3155
tgould@baskervill.com