New LEED-certified, residential apartment building planned for Oak Hammock at the University of Florida

Press release from Oak Hammock at the University of Florida

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Oak Hammock plans to add to its current 136-acre campus a new, LEED-certified, residential apartment building called The Canopy, which will include 56 new units.

Oak Hammock residents and the project team are committed to creating a sustainable, high-quality living environment that aligns with the values of Oak Hammock and the needs of its residents.

LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is the most widely used green building certification system in the world. It ensures a building is designed and constructed to optimize energy use, reduce environmental impact, and enhance occupant health.

LEED certification isn’t just an environmental commitment—it’s a strategic investment. It reduces operational costs, enhances resident well-being, and strengthens the community’s market position.

Members of the City of Gainesville Development Review Board heard details about the plans to build at Oak Hammock on Tuesday, February 25, at City Hall. The project was approved.

For this new residential project and current facility renovation, Oak Hammock has amassed experts in the areas of senior living, including architects, engineers, builders, landscape architects, interior designers, acousticians, and LEED experts, to name a few.

The project team has engaged Bahar Armaghani, a distinguished leader in LEED and WELL Building Standards certifications. She serves as director and instructional associate professor of the Sustainability and Built Environment Program at the University of Florida’s College of Design, Construction, and Planning and is the director of the Green Building Learning Collaborative, an industry-academic advisory board.

Armaghani’s leadership at UF has included overseeing the LEED certification of more than 135 projects, including 13 LEED Platinum buildings, one of which was the first LEED Platinum project in Florida.

According to Armaghani, only three other continuing care retirement communities in the state of Florida have received LEED certifications, and none since 2010. Oak Hammock’s project will be the first of its kind in Florida in the last 15 years.

Oak Hammock is an interactive Life Plan Community for motivated individuals looking to enrich their lifestyle. Most people who live here are independent, healthy, and vibrant. Our programs are designed to include all aspects of the residents’ well-being: physical, emotional, social, intellectual, environmental, vocational, and spiritual. Our association with the University of Florida means residents have endless opportunities to learn, engage, and participate in intellectually stimulating classes, events, and programs. Our residents benefit from our non-profit status, too, since we are always reinvesting in the community we’ve come to love.