Building Synergy in a Deep Green Community
Reprinted with permission by Oak Ridge National Laboratory - ORNL

Nestled in the Tennessee Mountains on the eastern edge of the Cumberland Plateau something is stirring… Something that will become the blueprint for the way the world thinks about environmentally focused community living and environmental stewardship.

Walden Reserve, a heavily wooded 6,000 acre mountainside development 60 miles west of Knoxville, TN, will soon become the world's first "Deep Green" Community. Founded on 12 bedrock principles of environmental stewardship, the community will serve as a magnet to the scientific community, homeowners and all others who are interested in conserving our resources and improving our environment for the next generation.

Sit down for a chat with Tom Bray, President and CEO of Walden Reserve, LLC and he will tell you that even after having a very successful career as a wealth investment manager, he felt his footprint on this earth remained elusive. "When I first started thinking about this idea, I had the opportunity to speak to Dr. Jack Sheaffer who is the author of the Clean Water Act. When I told him about the idea for this "deep green" community he said, 'Are you serious? This has never been done before. Every scientist will want to be involved. If you are really serious about doing this and doing it right, it will be the most important thing you will do in your lifetime.' Now that really got to me," Bray said.

The Kansas City based developers of Walden Reserve are creating a community where "best available technology" can be brought to bear on every facet of community living from "green" power generation to innovative wastewater treatment to ultra efficient housing - all without sacrificing the natural beauty of the property. The proactive partnerships will be unique in that it will provide ORNL and its industry partners the opportunity to field test, in a 7-mile long "green laboratory," cutting-edge, environmentally focused technology in a true commercial marketplace. This will help ensure that Walden Reserve will always be able to maintain its pledge to its homeowners and the world that it will implement the best technology available in its environmentally focused community.

The partnership will also enable collaboration in seeking Federal research and developmental funding to further extend the impact of new technology to the ultimate goal of commercialization, manufacturing and implementation for a cleaner world.

The build out is planned in 6 phases of more than 7,000 homes and commercial properties over 25 years. The first phase of development will include approximately 1,500 homes and will take 6 years for full development. Phase I will begin in the fall of 2007 with infrastructure development and the construction of the property's first Zero Energy Home (ZEH). This ZEH will be a collaborative effort between ORNL, Whirlpool Corporation and other leading industry partners that is designed to establish critical benchmarks for energy efficiency levels to be implemented in all subsequent construction on the property.

Typically, one plus one plus one leads to familiar ground. In the case of Walden Reserve, synergy is being leveraged among growing partnerships on a much greater scale to design, plan and build the "greenest of green" community development in the world. This dynamic partnership challenges even the most ambitious green developer to the next level of environmental responsibility. Walden Reserve and its corporate and scientific partners are dedicated to preserving our natural resources and creating a community that reflects that dedication.

Our mission is to become the template for successful "Deep Green Community" development around the world.
info@waldenreserve.com