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House Feature
The Rose Minneapolis - Affordable and Sustainable
In the summer of 2015, two affordable-housing developers in Minneapolis, Aeon and Hope Community, completed a four-level multi-family housing project designed to meet the standards of the Living Building Challenge. The LBC is often referred to as "LEED on steroids" and "the world's most rigorous proven performance standard." Its focus is on "regenerative buildings" that are self-sufficient, operate within the resource limits on-site, and positively connect occupants with nature, natural resources, food, and community.
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By Camille LeFevre, Home Feature Editor
Feb 26, 2025 · 6 min read
At the time, Aeon, the lead developer, was determined to demonstrate that The Rose, a 90-unit apartment building, could be affordable, sustainable, net-zero-ready, and constructed on a super-tight budget. At the time of completion, said Gina Ciganik, then Aeon's vice president of housing development (she's currently CEO of the Healthy Building Network in Minneapolis-St. Paul), "We'd do it again. You have to adapt it to your own value system, but we think it's a great framework."
Some houses have been built to meet the LBC. According to Ciganik, when the Rose was constructed, no other affordable, multi-family housing projects had been built to LBC standards. (More than half of The Rose's 90 units are affordable housing.) Yet, Aeon wasn't new to sustainability. Prior multi-family housing projects had received LEED Platinum and Gold certifications.
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What Lessons Learned Did The Rose Provide?
Simplify Heating and Cooling in the Future
In retrospect, Arthur says, a simpler HVAC system would have helped residents modify their heating and cooling preferences with greater energy efficiency. "The system is highly computerized and is more complicated than it needs to be," he says. "In future projects, we're learning more toward a Passive House and getting the envelope right instead of going with fancy computerized system." In the meantime, Aeon has installed utility meters in the units, so residents pay for the utilities they use and see the benefits of sustainable habits.
Focus on Indoor Air Quality Was Well Worth It
Among the strategies The Rose got right, Arthur says, are the building envelope and the team's focus on healthy materials, finishes, and furnishings that contribute to healthy indoor air. "Materials used in traditional construction often have negative impacts on resident health, and there is inequity in the use of healthy building practices," Arthur says. "Healthy indoor-air quality practices are often inaccessible for low-income people and affordable housing providers. We have helped make these practices more accessible by researching and expanding the list of sustainable, healthy building materials."
The Project Benefited the Multi-Family Development Industry
Research completed during the construction of The Rose has influenced the practices of the Healthy Building Network, Green Communities Minnesota Overlay, and MSR. "We've shared our lessons learned in the United States and internationally to make sustainability a common practice in affordable housing," Arthur says.
We have helped educate our funders on the impact of innovation in affordable housing and have proven outcomes to support future investment. This has paved the way for more developers to push for innovative sustainability practices. The healthy living strategies, equity lens, and sustainable strategies used in The Rose have also leveled the playing field for all populations.
Home Feature Editor
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Article by
Camille LeFevre
Camille LeFevre is an architecture and design writer based in the Twin Cities.
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