Building Green,
Being Green
Before we design any new community, we study the lot and its surrounding environment. Wait. Back up a second. Before we even buy a lot, we make sure that it offers a convenient location to reduce car travel for our residents. Many of our communities are within walking distance to just about everything might need.
Once we find the perfect lot, we then look for ways to minimize the impact on vegetation, soil and water. We also figure out the best way to design and place the buildings to minimize solar heat gain while maximizing natural light and ventilation.
When we do begin ground work, we complete it quickly and efficiently to limit noise and dust pollution. Our dust abatement measures meet or exceed community standards. We clean our job sites daily. We recycle scrap wood and other materials. We require all our work vehicles to be regularly checked for emissions. We even regularly wash our construction trucks to keep from tracking dirt onto nearby streets.
Forest-friendly features:
Every apartment and home we build is filled with many of the industry’s most efficient and innovative features. For instance, you’ll find:
- Energy Star dishwashers to minimize electrical consumption.
- Energy efficient windows with dual panes and UV-resistant Low E glass.
- Low-flow toilets.
- Efficient heating & air hydronic systems that exceed the toughest indoor air quality standards.
- Timed sensors to automatically turn off lights.
It’s a Green approach that is more than skin deep. Inside the walls, below the floors, above the ceilings you’ll be surrounded by sustainable and environmentally-friendly materials, including:
- GreenGuard-certified insulation.
Recycled fly ash in concrete, which eliminates power plant waste, while improving strength. - Engineered lumber (in place of solid, sawed lumber) for more efficient use of resources, as well as better strength and stability.
- Fiber-cement alternative siding materials.
- Finger-jointed and/or recycled-content trim materials, which are a more efficient use of timber resources.
- Carpet featuring recycled fibers, which reduces landfill and oil consumption.
- Floor joists that are not only at the top of the quality scale, but are also known for their efficient use of sustainable timber resources, and are low emitting.
