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NAVA Names Sarah Stone Vice President of Marketing

Denver-based real estate development and investment firm NAVA Real Estate Development has announced the promotion of Sarah Stone to Vice President of Marketing.

Stone is involved with all aspects of marketing for NAVA’s communities and investments, including the sales success of Lakehouse—a new 12-story, mixed-use, waterfront community in Denver’s vibrant Sloan’s Lake neighborhood and the first residential development in Colorado to earn Precertification under the WELL Building Standard.

Stone has helped to generate global recognition for the company’s sustainable practices and its non-profit, Realwell, which offers comprehensive resources for owners and residents who wish to create their own healthy buildings.

“Sarah has been a key to our success and growth to date, and an integral part of the team,” said Brian Levitt, co-founder and president of NAVA Real Estate Development. “Now as an executive member of the team, she’ll play a vital role in navigating our long-term growth strategies and generating valuable marketing campaigns. We’re fortunate to have her and are looking forward to her future contributions.”

As Vice President of Marketing, Sarah will develop and execute tactical marketing campaigns to promote NAVA and its projects through best-in-class branding, digital strategy, signage, collateral, public relations, events and sponsorships. She will also lead overall sales and leasing efforts for NAVA’s residential projects, assist with new business and deal-sourcing efforts, and more.

Stone had previously been Senior Director of Marketing, a position she’s held since 2017.

Stone most recently led the successful opening of Lakehouse. Now nearly 70% sold, the project has averaged 10 sales per month since the beginning of the year while receiving numerous awards and national recognition.

Just Announced: Award-Winning ChoLon Restaurant Coming to Lakehouse in 2022

Exciting developments at Lakehouse continue with news that ChoLon, an award-winning Denver restaurant, will be the second retail tenant at Lakehouse. In addition to this new outpost, ChoLon Restaurant Concepts will introduce a second restaurant right next door (further details on this concept are forthcoming). Both restaurants plan to open Summer 2022 and will join existing ChoLon’s locations in downtown Denver and Central Park.

“We’re ecstatic to welcome one of Denver’s premier chefs and restaurateurs, and one of the city’s best restaurants to Lakehouse,” said James Levy, acquisitions manager at NAVA Real Estate Development, the developer behind Lakehouse. “Lakehouse and ChoLon have a wonderful synergy, sharing similar values around wellness, using fresh and seasonal ingredients and overall health, so it’s a natural partnership.”

Helmed by Executive Chef Lon Symensma who opened the first ChoLon in 2010, the third ChoLon location at Lakehouse will serve seasonally inspired Pan-Asian cuisine—including its signature dumplings. The restaurant will be designed by award-winning, Denver-based architect firm, Unum Collaborative.

“We admire Lakehouse’s approach to living holistically and celebrating wellness at every turn—from fitness to nutrition and beyond,” says Symensma. “We look forward to being part of that lifestyle and bringing a fresh perspective to Sloan’s Lake’s restaurant landscape.”

Following Lakehouse’s wellness-focused aesthetic, the new restaurant spaces will feature natural materials and greenery throughout and accompany Whole Sol Blend Bar, the first all-organic blend bar to open in the United States, which landed at Lakehouse in 2020.

Interested in learning more about life at Lakehouse? We’re nearly 70% sold out with residences in high demand. We’d love to show you our six model residences and extensive array of wellness-inspired amenities. Contact the Lakehouse team at info@lakehouse17.com to schedule a private tour. We look forward to seeing you soon.

Read the original post at lakehouse17.com >>

NAVA Named in B Lab’s Best for the World™ 2021 Distinction List

Each year, the most positively impactful B Corps around the world are selected for distinction by B Lab, a nonprofit network dedicated to building an inclusive, equitable and regenerative global economy. B Lab has recently announced their 2021 list for their annual Best for the World™ distinction, recognizing B Corps generating the greatest impact through their stakeholder-driven businesses. This year, NAVA has made it onto the Best for the World™ distinction list for the third time in a row in the “Best for Environment” category.

In B Lab’s most recent impact assessment, NAVA is among the top 5 percent of companies of its size leading the way towards a more sustainable future by prioritizing its footprint upon the air, climate, water, land and biodiversity in its business practices. These contemporary B Corps in this category uphold the planet as a vital stakeholder in their business practices, and tackle environmental issues through thoughtful implementation of facilities, materials, emissions, resource and energy use, distribution channels and the environmental impact of their supply chain.

NAVA Real Estate Development started out with the mission “to make something beautiful,” and has not left out the goal of a beautified environment along the way. Recognized for the team’s dedication to sustainable material sourcing and energy use, community outreach and top-tier certifications in particular, NAVA has demonstrated its capability to not only to be the best in the world, but the best for the world, as they lead in transforming the global economy to provide holistic benefits. See the whole breakdown here.

This year’s list also holds a special meaning following the COVID-19 pandemic, as the world has witnessed how entities like B Corps step up to both serve and lead their communities in a global crisis. It’s a testament to how stakeholder-driven ethos provides for workers, prioritizes the environment and serves communities around the globe through unprecedented conditions. Rather than sitting around and awaiting the new normal, B Corps have already begun constructing it with bold action and planet-friendly practices.

“Best for the World is a special program for the B Corp community, and we’re thrilled to resume it after pausing the program in 2020 due to COVID-19,” remarks Juan Pablo Larenas, Executive Director of B Lab Global. “This year’s Best for the World companies are operating at the very top of their class, excelling in creating positive impact for their stakeholders, including their workers, communities, customers, and the environment…Together we’re marching toward our collective vision of an inclusive, equitable, and regenerative economic system for all people and the planet.”

It is an honor for NAVA to be distinguished as a leader in this larger movement that’s not just competing to be the best in the world, but for the world, and the team will continue to weave mindfulness into their initiatives and practices.

Is Urban Farming the Next Big Condo Trend?

udy Weingarten doesn’t live in a rural cottage, but in a newly opened condo at Lakehouse in Denver. Aside from the perks you might expect from a development like this—70-foot lap pool, yoga studio, elegant residents’ lounge—Lakehouse is home to a 3,000-square-foot urban farm, from which residents can pluck herbs and lettuce for dinner.

“I love looking out my window at the garden, contemplating what vegetable I am going to have with my dinner tonight,” Weingarten says. “I enjoy trying new recipes based on what is harvested at the time, as well as having fresh-cut flowers throughout the summer!”

The Condo with Its Own Urban Farm

Flourishing with green beans, poblano, oregano, carrots, and eggplant, Lakehouse’s raised vegetable and herb beds are overseen by Agriburbia. The company describes itself as “an innovative and growing design movement that integrates aspects of agrarianism with land development.” While Agriburbia oversees planting, irrigation, and harvesting, residents can weigh in on what gets planted—and are encouraged to chip in with the farming too.

NAVA’s Lakehouse Named “Innovative Development of the Year” at NAIOP Colorado’s Annual Awards of Achievement

NAVA Real Estate Development has experienced impressive strides this year with Lakehouse — its wellness-minded condominium development in Denver’s Sloan’s Lake neighborhood — recently named “Innovative Development of the Year” at NAIOP Colorado’s 34th Annual Awards of Achievement. Recognizing the “Best of the Best” in Colorado’s real estate industry, the event is hosted by the Colorado chapter of NAIOP, the leading organization for developers, owners and investors of office, industrial, retail and mixed-use real estate. The award was presented to NAVA for envisioning Lakehouse as a completely new way of living where wellness is integrated into every element of the resident experience.

The “Innovative Development of the Year” is selected based on achievements in architecture, financial feasibility, enhancement to the neighborhood, innovative techniques and sustainability, contribution to the real estate industry and contribution to the general community. Brian Levitt, President and Co-Founder of NAVA, spoke as part of the virtual ceremony: “Lakehouse is innovative because it really embraces its surroundings. The building’s immediate environment informs its architecture and amenity decisions.”

Since NAVA was founded in 2013, the team has been pursuing projects that create dual financial and social value. Taking on a mission of “place making,” NAVA’s goal is to create sustainable environments that are both beautiful and healthy. In the playing field of real estate development, the team’s science-based sensibility and social transparency is a refreshing take on building. Our very own award-winning complex of Lakehouse sits on the south shore of Sloan’s Lake, and is Colorado’s first approved project to be awarded WELL Precertification under the WELL Building Standard™, a progressive approach to curate built environments that optimize resident wellness.

“Applying the WELL Building Standard to Lakehouse was instrumental in guiding

development decisions throughout design and construction,” states Brian Levitt. “Even before the global pandemic raised awareness for the impact of the places we live on our health and well-being, the approach to designing and building Lakehouse’s proved prescient and essential.”

NAVA’s Lakehouse meticulously builds out environments that consider personal health and well-being. Expansive terraces and private patios provide an open transition into the outdoors, while MERV-13 air filtration throughout the building helps reduce airborne contaminants indoors. Biophilic landscaping not only beautifies the space, but cleanses the atmosphere and nourishes the building, with an open-air meditation garden and onsite urban farm that grows fresh organic vegetables and herbs.

With regards to fitness, Lakehouse houses an outdoor lap pool, and a wellness center featuring a fitness lab, dry sauna and yoga & meditation studio. Light is maximized as a result of the building’s 55% glass composition, and each residence features blackout shades for restful sleep as well.

As a Certified B Corporation with a commitment to creating high-quality, environmentally-progressive projects in Colorado, NAVA is thrilled to continue innovating at this sophisticated level. The entire team at NAVA Real Estate Development and Lakehouse is honored to be awarded as Innovative Development of the Year. “It has been a community-facing endeavor from the beginning, and this building is the product of an amazing team,” remarked Levitt.

View NAVA’s portion of the virtual presentation here.

See the full list of honorees here.

Designing MF with Emphasis on Lifestyle, Community and Flexibility

The way we view our homes has changed, perhaps forever. The things we value, the spaces we love and the parts we wish we could change all look different after months spent mostly in the confines of our home.

What this will mean for home design is the big question. Beyond surface-level changes, we are likely in store for some fundamental shifts and an acceleration of certain trends we were seeing pre-pandemic, particularly in multifamily.

In our work helping builders and developers design, merchandise and market multifamily communities across the nation, we are already seeing some of these shifts beginning to play out.

• Lifestyle vs. demographic-driven design. First, we anticipate a movement toward designing for more diverse, connected communities driven by a combination of the pandemic and the social upheaval we are experiencing as a country, which have both revealed the disadvantages of siloed living.

Whole Sol Opens Flagship Location at Sloan’s Lake

With COVID-19 cases on the rise and winter right around the corner, fueling up with whole, nutritious foods — along with adequate sleep, exercise and stress management — is one of the best ways to support your immune system today. But, finding a healthy, delicious, affordable and quick place to eat can be hard and that’s why husband and wife duo Phil Dumontet and Alexa Squillaro decided to open Whole Sol’s flagship location at the new Lakehouse residences at Sloan’s Lake.

Dumontet and Squillaro opened the first Whole Sol location in LoDo after moving to Colorado from New York in 2017. They now have storefronts in Boulder and Sloan’s Lake as well as a RiNo location and a second Boulder location opening later this year. Prior to opening Whole Sol, Dumontet owned a food delivery app in the Northeast called Dashed. In 2007 it was one of the first food delivery apps in the market and was eventually acquired by Grubhub in 2017. He and Squillaro worked together at Dashed and they were both drawn to Colorado because of the active lifestyle and fitness of the state. The two completed a triathlon at Boulder Reservoir and decided to move here to start their next venture shortly after. During their training, they were fueled by smoothies, grain bowls and healthy snacks but couldn’t find a restaurant that offered all of those things.

Lakehouse: An Innovative, Performance-Based Model for Healthy Living

What does it mean to make our homes healthier? Around the country, people have started to recognize that the design of the places we live is a key tool in preserving our mental and physical health. According to the Global Wellness Institute, consumer demand for wellness in real estate is on the rise globally, with more than 1 million potential buyers searching for homes each year that will help them achieve their own personal health and wellness goals.

Unfortunately, limited inventory has made it difficult for buyers to act while many developers have remained on the sidelines, citing a major impact on construction costs, limited evidence and added challenges to the design process.

The reality is, with a disciplined approach and the right building team, the cost of designing spaces and places that actively support human health and well-being does not have to increase development costs excessively. In fact, developers that looks to certification programs like the WELL Building Standard can design a space that can provide long-term gains for both investors, communities and residents alike that far exceed its cost in terms of time and investment.

Start living healthier right now, as Lakehouse shows homes ready-to-go with lake views, wellness oriented amenities

Today begins a month-long grand opening for Lakehouse, overlooking Sloan’s Lake, where you’ll also get fresh juice from Whole Sol Blend Bar

At a moment when people are more focused on staying healthy than ever before, you can take a socially-distanced tour today of a new community that’s entirely devoted to wellness, in a setting where you’re going to want to be enjoying the outdoors.

Today begins a month-long grand opening for Lakehouse and its residences overlooking Denver’s Sloan’s Lake, with some exceptional views of the water, city, and mountains. Along with a tour, you’ll also get fresh juice from Whole Sol Blend Bar, moving into Lakehouse this fall.

Lakehouse’s health-oriented amenities were completed just as the virus crisis hit its peak, but early residents are moving in and getting into the swing of the lifestyle—including a group that turned out for a lakeside boating tutorial by Confluence Kayaks; others for a Tuesday sunset yoga class; and cyclists for a complimentary bike tune-up at Lakehouse’s Sports Workshop.

You’ll see all of that, along with the wellness center and an urban farm that’s growing chives, thyme, zucchini, radishes, swiss chard and other salad greens (Lakehouse has a chef on hand with recipes and cooking demos on how to put that greenery to good use).

A Developer’s Forward-Thinking View on Wellness in Multifamily

NAVA Real Estate Development’s Brian Levitt makes the case for healthy communities at a time when safety and well-being is top of mind, citing one of his projects in Denver as an example.

Stay-at-home orders issued by local and state authorities to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus have revealed the vital role of homes in everyone’s lives. People are increasingly recognizing that the design of a space is a key tool in preserving spiritual and physical health. Although developers have long taken steps in the right direction, the pandemic has accelerated conversations about mental wellness and well-being.

NAVA Real Estate Development Co-Founder & President Brian Levitt has seen the evolution of sustainability standards, having worked on 18 LEED-certified buildings throughout his career. The developer’s Lakehouse project on the south shore of Sloan’s Lake in Denver is a space enabling residents to make more conscious choices while engaging with the local community. With health a top priority for everyone nowadays, Levitt talks about the future of wellness in the post-COVID-19 era of real estate and explains why the Lakehouse community can serve as a best-practice example.