Pine Forest

The metro Atlanta area has evolved into an entertainment capital in the United States, with a multi-billion dollar film production industry that is quickly becoming the next Hollywood. This booming market has driven the demand for housing and is attracting a new generation of jobs in the creative field. This vision has become a goal to create a community with the optimal conditions for homeowners to thrive, a master plan for what was soon to become the greenest community in the United States was drawn up by Oliver.

DESIGN FIT FOR THE RED CARPET

Pinewood Forest is the antithesis of a cookie cutter suburban neighborhood. Taking cues from the natural woodland setting and Pinewood Atlanta Studios across the street, Oliver strived to design a film-worthy community—that could replicate global locales such as the UK, Norway, South of France or Beverly Hills—ready for a close up at a moment’s notice. He envisioned a town with every detail carefully considered, from the European-inspired architecture to maximizing natural lighting within the 1,500-square-foot micro-home floor plans.

According to Oliver, sourcing windows with a diverse color palette, grid patterns and sizes was one of the most essential elements to achieve the varied designs within Pinewood Forest. With a durable extruded aluminum exterior, a warm, traditional wood interior, hundreds of customization and color options, and top-of-the-line energy performance, the Ply Gem MIRA aluminum- clad wood windows fulfilled every demand.

“I was honestly blown away by Ply Gem’s offerings; I had no idea what to expect, but found that MIRA windows offered the best of everything, from styles and dimensions, to quality and price,” said Oliver. “For instance, we love using huge windows with intricate and interesting details, as well as small windows to add character. The selection of color options from Ply Gem was especially noteworthy. We incorporated standard white windows, but also had the option and ability to create unique designs with black, red, navy blue, and dark green window exteriors.”

A GREEN OUTLOOK

The objective of Pinewood Forest is to design a better way to live. With restaurants, shopping, hotels and a wellness center all planned to be located within the community’s town center.

“We wanted to ensure that the design of the neighborhood would encourage people to drive less and walk and bike more,” said Oliver. “We’ve found that walking is not only greener for the environment and healthier personally, but it enhances social interaction and a true feel of a community.”

Oliver and his team first mapped out all the trees and natural land to preserve and built the community design around that. As the first town of its kind to commit to 100 percent geo-thermal energy, Pinewood Forest also relishes in 50 acres of natural forest surroundings, with more than half of the community land designated as green space.

“Aligning with this vision, we also had a lofty goal of creating the greenest community in the country,” said Oliver. “Sourcing products and materials that were recycled, sustainable, and durable was a huge piece to the overall puzzle. In addition to the aesthetics of the Ply Gem window offering, they also fit the bill when it came to energy efficiency and sustainability.”

Environmental responsibility is one of Ply Gem’s core values and therefore plays a significant role in the company’s day-to-day operations and its products – reducing the company’s environmental footprint while building for the future. Ply Gem MIRA aluminum-clad wood windows feature sustainably sourced wood and recycled glass and aluminum. Keeping homes comfortable in the hot Georgia summers and cool winters, the ENERGY STAR certified windows also combine high performance spacer systems, argon and krypton gas fills, and special Low-E glass coatings that reflect infrared light.

THE GRAND FINALE

Set for completion by 2030, with more than 1,300 anticipated homes, Pinewood Forest has already pushed the boundaries of what’s possible in residential community design for all generations, from millennials to Baby Boomers. With a captivating layout, bountiful amenities, beautifully designed homes, and a natural landscape to set it all in, the story of Pinewood Forest is just beginning to unfold.

“We wanted to ensure that Pinewood Forest was truly a community that people and families could settle and grow in,” said Oliver. “We still have a ways to go in completing the neighborhood, but our vision of setting the stage for a community centered around storytelling has been accomplished.”