What
is Green Building?
We are all familiar with the term green building but we all have different
understandings of what the term actually means. To some of us we
might feel that it means the outside of the building, to some it might
mean the types of flooring, and to others it might mean every component
in the building. There are 100's of organizations that provide a
certification process for green building with various guidelines that need
to be followed in order to qualify in their programs. However green
building is a mixture of these ideas and is defined by Wikipedia as "an
outcome of a design which focuses on increasing the efficiency of
resource use - energy, water, and materials - while reducing building
impacts on human health and the environment during the buildings
lifecycle, through better siting, design, construction, operation,
maintenance, and removal."
We are all familiar with the term green building but we all have different
understandings of what the term actually means. To some of us we
might feel that it means the outside of the building, to some it might
mean the types of flooring, and to others it might mean every component
in the building. There are 100's of organizations that provide a
certification process for green building with various guidelines that need
to be followed in order to qualify in their programs. However green
building is a mixture of these ideas and is defined by Wikipedia as "an
outcome of a design which focuses on increasing the efficiency of
resource use - energy, water, and materials - while reducing building
impacts on human health and the environment during the buildings
lifecycle, through better siting, design, construction, operation,
maintenance, and removal."
Codes
And Regulations...
The building departments that approve our plans and inspect our
townhomes across the nation are constantly adopting more
stringent building codes to promote sustainable living and green
building initiative's. Our organization makes every effort to take
the proposed changes and incorporate the changes into our
designs as soon as they become available. We also hire
energy consultants at the beginning of the design process to
review our window selections, HVAC system, insulation, duct
sizing, and much more to assist in designing our homes more
energy efficient.
Site And Water...
Energy Efficiency...
Health And Indoor Air Quality...
Materials Efficiency...
The building departments that approve our plans and inspect our
townhomes across the nation are constantly adopting more
stringent building codes to promote sustainable living and green
building initiative's. Our organization makes every effort to take
the proposed changes and incorporate the changes into our
designs as soon as they become available. We also hire
energy consultants at the beginning of the design process to
review our window selections, HVAC system, insulation, duct
sizing, and much more to assist in designing our homes more
energy efficient.
Site And Water...
- Retain as many
native trees onsite as possible
- Implement tree mitigation
plan to replace caliper inches of
trees that had to be removed for development
- We only build on
infill sites which allows us to take
advantage of existing infrastructure
- Meet and exceed
the Storm Water Pollution Prevention
Plan requirements
- Engineer our
plans to have a balanced cut and fill site to
the extent the site allows
- Installation of
artificial turf in cities with little rainfall
- Built in
locations near transit stops and other community
facilities
- Use of washout
pits for concrete trucks, paint, and other
chemicals that would be hazardous to the soil
Energy Efficiency...
- Low E double pane windows
- Programmable thermostats
- Zoned damper system (Only heat
and cool the floor your
on)
- R-30 insulation in roof cavities
- Duct work and air handler sealed with mastic
- Insulated garage walls and garage doors
- Bath and kitchen
plumbing fixtures use less gallons per
minute than code requires
- Galvalume metal
panels reflect the suns rays providing
energy savings of up to 8%
- Ceiling fan
prewires in bedrooms and living room lower
the temperature in the rooms and allows your HVAC unit
to run less
- Natural light
due to number of windows and skylight
allows the homeowner to not have to turn the lights on at
any point in the day
- Exterior lights
on photo cells to eliminate waste during
the day
- Attic
ventilation which exceeds building code
requirements
Health And Indoor Air Quality...
- Non-toxic
cleaners used throughout the construction
process - toxic cleaners used only when needed
- Ventilate homes
after paint and sealers are applied
- Limit the use of
carpet to less than 25% of the home
where traffic is minimized in the third floor bedroom
- We provide
stained concrete and wood floors on the first
and second floors which is easier to maintain and does
not retain the dirt like carpet does
- We use water
based paints which releases less toxins
than oil based paints
- Application of low VOC paints in all of our homes
- Operable windows
placed throughout house to provide
cross ventilation
- We do not use
any unvented heaters during the
construction of the lofts
- We install formaldehyde free insulation
Materials Efficiency...
- Practicing waste prevention plans
- Recycle small lumber waste into blocking for future
projects
- Not only are the
building materials on the exterior of the
building energy efficient they also provide for less
maintenance in the future. Each of the lofts come with a
20 year warranty protecting against rusting, chipping, and
fading thereby increasing the lifespan of the materials
and reducing the amount of materials that will be needed
to maintain the building in the future.
- We use locally
made products when available
- The exterior
sheet metal is 100% recyclable which
allows
the exteriors to meet the standards of green
deconstruction
- The metal is
made from recycled materials
- Sheet metal is
durable and provides a low maintanence
exterior
Urban
Lofts Townhomes
Building a Greener Future!
Building a Greener Future!
| They don't only
look Green, They are Green! |
Actions
You Can Take For A Healthier Home...
Resource Conscious Decisions...
- Regularly
maintain your heating and ventilation system
- Replace your
filters every 30 to 60 days
- Wipe your feet
on entry doormats before entering your
home
- Keep pets out of
your bedroom
- Do not allow
people to smoke inside your home
- Clean your house
with low or non toxic products
- Do not use
harmful pesticides in your yard
Resource Conscious Decisions...
- Use energy savings
compact florescent light bulbs
- Set your air
conditioner a few degrees higher in the
summer and your heater a few degrees cooler in the
winter when you leave home
- Replace HVAC
filters on a regular
basis so your system
does not work so hard and burn extra energy
- Leave your fans
running during the hotter months which
will make your home feel a few degrees cooler
- Set your
irrigation system with the season so you do not
waste water in cooler months
- Have window
coverings installed to block out the sun in
the summer months
- Recycle
household products such as aluminum cans,
plastic bottles, and newspapers
- Purchase
eco-friendly products
- Use drought
friendly plants and vegetation
- Program the
programmable thermostats to fit your
lifestyle so you do not waste energy while you are not
home
- Use power strips
in your office for all electronic products
so that once the power strip is turned off none of the
adapters will continue to use electricity
- Walk or ride
your bicycle versus driving your car
Have
You Ever Seen This...
Turn
Into This...
Waste
Prevention Plan and Recycling Program...
The pictures above show what happens when no waste prevention
plan is in place and the outcome when a plan gets implemented.
Our framing contractor in Las Vegas decided that it was time to
start recycling small pieces of lumber that is usually just thrown
into the trash. All of the employees were educated on the program
and they were told to keep any 2 x 4 and 2 x 6 over 10" in length.
This lumber is transported back to their new recycling yard and cut
into common lengths between 5" and 36". After being cut,
stacked, and banned together the pallet is marked with the length
of the blocks and sent out to the next jobsite to be used for
window and door header blocks, blocking between studs, and also
used in the construction of window sills where shorter studs are
required.
The pictures above show what happens when no waste prevention
plan is in place and the outcome when a plan gets implemented.
Our framing contractor in Las Vegas decided that it was time to
start recycling small pieces of lumber that is usually just thrown
into the trash. All of the employees were educated on the program
and they were told to keep any 2 x 4 and 2 x 6 over 10" in length.
This lumber is transported back to their new recycling yard and cut
into common lengths between 5" and 36". After being cut,
stacked, and banned together the pallet is marked with the length
of the blocks and sent out to the next jobsite to be used for
window and door header blocks, blocking between studs, and also
used in the construction of window sills where shorter studs are
required.