Veridian at County Farm is situated just southeast of downtown Ann Arbor at the edge of County Farm Park, which has 130 acres of woods, lined trails, gardens, and playgrounds. The neighborhood plan won a municipal Request for Proposal (RFP) in 2016 with significant support from local leaders and neighbors. It will be all-electric, powered entirely by solar and geothermal energy, with no onsite combustion.
THRIVE, an Ann Arbor building, design, and development firm dedicated to environmental sustainability, is responsible for the neighborhood vision and the market-rate housing, which will include detached houses, attached townhouses, one- and two-bedroom walk-ups, and micro-unit flats. A pre-Civil War barn on the site will become a multi-functional gathering space and mixed-use Farm Stop. It will feature a full-service grocery stocked with year-round produce and goods from local farmers.
The neighborhood follows the principles of the International Living Future’s Living Community Challenge and includes:
- 105% of the neighborhood’s energy demands are produced by onsite solar and geothermal, with a battery backup to each home.
- Walkable and pedestrian-scaled infrastructure.
- Front porches opening out to green spaces that incorporate biophilic public art.
- Native landscaping that revives ecosystem health and treats stormwater, 30% of which will be dedicated to food production.
- Building materials that are selected based on durability, reduced reliance on toxic chemicals, and lower embodied carbon.
