About ECO Modern Flats

Location: Fayetteville, Arkansas
Developer: Specialized Real Estate Group
Designer: Modus Studio
Size: 126,114 square feet

ECO Modern Flats is a gut rehabilitation of a 96-unit, market-rate apartment complex originally built between 1968 and 1972. Each of the four buildings consists of three floors of eight one-bedroom apartments, each measuring approximately 600 square feet. The community sits on a sloping site in central Fayetteville, Arkansas. Without altering the building footprint, the renovation created light-filled, livable interiors and public and private outdoor living spaces. New patios and balconies are shaded by a green screen of flowering vines.

Green building strategies − including solar hot water, reflective roofs, and closed-cell insulation − cut utility costs in half. The buildings, plumbing fixtures, and pool were refurbished, saving resources. Units were fully preleased before the renovation was complete, and the community is fully leased two years later, with a waiting list for units. The community is certified LEED Platinum and was the recipient of the 2012 LEED for Homes Award for an Outstanding Multifamily Project.

The renovation has spurred improvements in neighboring properties that promote themselves as being “near ECO Modern Flats.” Neighborhood eateries report an uptick in business, and a small convenience store has opened nearby. This project has challenged conventional thinking about multifamily communities, demonstrating the financial viability of green building strategies and the market for modern design.