There’s a new three-story modular home on the market in Garfield.The property at 237 N. Aiken Ave. is a Picket Fence home – a framework for builders to construct housing with health and wellness amenities that is within consumers’ financial means. The three-story home includes a 2,007-square-foot townhome and a 660-square-foot ground-level studio accessory dwelling unit (ADU). It is listed for $899,000. The Picket Fence home was designed by DAHLIN Architecture, based in Raleigh, with three sustainability goals: high-performance, 90% less waste generation and reduced carbon emissions when compared to a traditional build. The design was inspired by the Zero Energy Ready Home program. It was manufactured by Structural Modular Innovations in Strattanville, Pa. The home was constructed with wellness and sustainability in mind.ActivePure air purification technology reduces the townhome’s particulate matter and residual VOCs by 74%. Modular construction, focused on reducing, reusing and recycling building materials, created just 0.5 pounds of waste per square foot (a site-built home generates about 4.4 pounds). The home build process generated 58% fewer carbon emissions through strategically sourced materials, including LP Building Solutions engineered wood products, and Wellborn Cabinets, improved energy efficiency, plus a quicker building timeline.Health and wellness, including maximizing natural light and improving air quality, are top motivators for homebuyers. Photo courtesy of PREP Solutions.The Picket Fence idea was inspired by data from the America at Home Study, a study conducted during the pandemic to understand homebuyers’ key purchase motivators. The study found health and wellness, including maximizing natural light and improving air quality, as top motivators.“People want these things, they don’t want to have to think about them,” says Dennis Steigerwalt, president of the Housing Innovation Alliance, development partner for the project. “Is this a place where I feel satisfied from a financial perspective? Emotionally, how do I feel when I’m engaged in the space? Physically, (how are the) air quality and types of materials?”The North Aiken Avenue home features natural light and open layouts with efficient and flexible living spaces.“One of the things we’re challenged with is how a home is evaluated,” says Ryan White, director of design at DAHLIN Architecture. “Values of homes are estimated with bed, bath and square footage. There is value in a home with livability if it’s designed for how someone truly is meant to use the space. Thoughtful design can help make a shift in the industry of how homes are evaluated.”The townhome and ADU were designed for a buyer profiled as the “Trailblazer,” — someone in their early to mid-30s, with a combined household income of $100,000-$120,000, according to Steigerwalt. The entire home could be purchased with the owner living in one of the units and renting the other. “You’ve heard of, dual income, no kids,” Steigerwalt adds. “They’ve added this concept called the DINKWAD, dual income, no kids, with a dog. These folks have one or two dogs, like their outdoor space and travel a lot.”The private front entrance to the ADU. Photo courtesy of PREP Solutions.“What we are looking at is how do you create a scenario where someone can get into these particular markets where they might be priced out of Lawrenceville or Highland Park and give them an opportunity to get into a neighborhood that’s just as well-located.”The median house price in Garfield last month was $265,000, according to Redfin, and the median household income in the City of Pittsburgh is $66,219. Affordable modular homes priced at $205,000 were constructed in Garfield earlier this year by City of Bridges Land Trust. There are more than 20,000 vacant properties in the City of Pittsburgh.“There are key distinctions that make direct comparisons difficult,” Steigerwalt adds. “The Picket Fence includes two homes in one structure, naturally raising the baseline value. It’s also newly built with advanced systems that prioritize both occupant and environmental health. While building to today’s stricter regulations and our team’s sustainability goals can mean investing more up front, The Picket Fence actually offers significantly lower long-term expenses through reduced utility bills, less frequent maintenance and lower insurance rates.” In 2020, the Bloomfield-Garfield Corporation worked with the Urban Redevelopment Authority and Pittsburgh startup Module to bring four homes to Black Street in Garfield. The four-unit build included one market-rate house, one affordable home and one duplex. 5456 Black St. sold in 2020 for $183,794.“These vacant lots had an opportunity to reactivate that particular area,” Steigerwalt adds.The Picket Fence is a concept that could be mimicked at different price points in other cities. “This is about delivering across a national spectrum of household incomes,” Steigerwalt says.The post Picket Fence ‘wellness’ home for sale in Garfield appeared first on NEXTpittsburgh.