While hearing the word “EarthCraft” may conjure up an image in your mind of a globe-shaped vessel ready to soar into outer space, the concept is much more tethered to the Earth than the word implies. In fact, the EarthCraft House program is literally about the Earth: about building green homes that contribute to the protection, not depletion, of our environment.

But, if EarthCraft House were a vehicle, Atlanta would be in the driver’s seat. The greater Atlanta area is brimming with certified homes and communities: to date, more than 2,000 homes have received EarthCraft certification. The area-based home building program is a partnership between Southface—a nonprofit organization devoted to sustainability—and the Greater Atlanta Home Builder’s Association. EarthCraft provides a certification process by which homes can be identified as environmentally responsible. Areas like site planning, energy efficient building envelope and systems (including insulation, windows and heating and cooling equipment), energy efficient lighting and appliances, resource-efficient design, resource-efficient building materials, waste management, indoor air quality and builder operations are taken into consideration when a home is assessed. Certification requires a 150-point total in the areas, with half of the points earned in energy efficiency.

Earning certification is not necessarily an easy task, and neither was choosing which EarthCraft homes to feature this month. However, the staff of New Life Journal has selected four of our favorites, with great green points, to highlight here.

Serenbe
What:
Serenbe, a 900-acre environmentally conscious community, “reminds you of a little European village in the woods,” says founder Steve Nygren. The community includes homes, retail shops, office spaces, restaurants, the Inn at Serenbe, organic farmland, and other unique amenities that help create the community’s live/work atmosphere. There are three interest-focused smaller communities within Serenbe—one devoted to arts, one to agriculture, and one to wellness—that integrate residences and commercial properties. (The agriculture community opened to buyers last month, and the wellness community is slated to open in the near future.) All of the communities are tied together with a pedestrian path, and, according to Steve, one can get around Serenbe by foot in half the time they could in a car. The homes vary in price from around $300,000 to one million dollars.

Where:
Serenbe is located in the Chattahoochee Hill Country (CHC), thirty minutes south of Downtown Atlanta. The CHC consists of 65,000 acres of farmland, forests, tributaries and rivers; 40,000 of these acres have been set aside for sustainable development and conservation.

Going green:
In 1994, Steve and Marie Nygren retired to the country and set up full-time residence in what would become Serenbe. They inherited old farm buildings and the pristine country property. Before any new construction began, the Nygrens put “green” building into practice. “We recycled these buildings,” Steve remarks, further referring to the process as “the recycling of old buildings for new uses.” The old house, built in 1905, is still used today as a horse barn and storage, a 1930’s barn functions as a guesthouse, and the 1942 building serves as Serenbe’s offices and guest services for the Inn.

In 2000, Steve was jogging with his daughter along the property when he heard a bulldozer. He was sure the machine was clearing for residential development; however, he soon found out that the clearing was to expand a neighbor’s small airstrip. “The immediate threat was gone,” Steve says, after finding out major development was not on the way in. “But, we decided that we would acquire more land in that whole process to protect ourselves initially. Then we decided that we needed to set an example of environmental living.”

When the Nygrens decided to expand their home into a community, they wanted green building to be in the forefront. So, they invited a group of identified leaders in environmental issues to Serenbe “to talk about what an environmental community might be.” And, according to Steve, the meeting was successful: many of the concepts put into action today came from that initial start.

Today, all of the homes in the community are EarthCraft certified. Any builder that comes into the community for a project is required to have gone through the EarthCraft program. The Nygrens’ personal town home uses geothermal heating and air-conditioning along with solar hot water. Their home was designed with an internal cupola that allows for natural light to be distributed throughout the entire house, and they also used recycled woods with nontoxic finishes as well as environmentally safe paints.

But what would a green home be without green space? Site planning is a component of the EarthCraft certification process, which Serenbe addresses through their absence of lawns that, in turn, require lawn maintenance. All natural scaping is used at the home sites, including native plants that don’t require fertilizers or pesticides.

In addition to EarthCraft certification, Serenbe’s bakery, the Blue-Eyed Daisy Bakeshop, has received Silver LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification and is the smallest LEED certified commercial building in the country. “If you look at it, you would think the building was built in 1900,” Steve remarks. “Many times when we look at these LEED certified buildings, they have a contemporary edge. We wanted to demonstrate that you could do historic-appearing buildings with the same environmental standards.” Recycled bricks and woods were used throughout the space to keep in line with the EarthCraft approach, but also to keep the historic feel. Steve notes that many new customers at the bakery are confused about the shower in the bathroom. The shower’s not just for show; it’s there so that employees can ride their bikes to work and shower off before meeting with customers.

Beyond building:
Only thirty percent of Serenbe’s land is developed for housing. Seventy percent of the land is preserved, including 25 acres for organic farming, 22 acres for a wildflower meadow, an eight-acre lake, streams, and multiple trail systems. Every home at Serenbe backs up to green space—either a farm, meadow, preserved forest or a pasture with animals grazing. They also implement community-wide recycling and compositing programs and even have a trash and recycling concierge service.

Why we picked it:
The community extends its green focus well beyond the EarthCraft certified residences and employs sustainable practices in a variety of contexts. For more information on Serenbe, visit
www.serenbecommunity.com.

Habitat for Humanity Homes
What:
In 2004, the Atlanta area Habitat for Humanity made the commitment to build 100 percent of their homes to meet EarthCraft standards. Southface members trained Habitat staff in many of the specifics of building a green home.

Where:
To date, Habitat has built 62 homes in the area that have received EarthCraft certification.

Going green:
The EarthCraft House program appealed to Habitat for a variety of reasons: Certified homes offer builders and residents a chance to participate in the protection of our environment, and, in this case, also contribute to the affordability of Habitat homes. EarthCraft standards also align with Habitat’s mission to help educate homeowners about home maintenance and financial management.

The homes boast many green features, including ENERGY STAR® appliances, pressure reduction valves and high-efficiency faucets. During the construction phase, the homes’ walls are manufactured in a warehouse, thus reducing the amount of site waste. Construction materials are also recycled, and recycled materials, in products like carpet, are used to complete the homes. Low-emissivity windows are also a great green feature.

Beyond building:
Upon moving into their new EarthCraft certified home, owners are given a list of the structure’s green features and given all of the information needed in order for them to understand the benefits of their eco-friendly house. They also receive tips on how to keep their efficient home working as efficiently as possible, in order keep their energy bills low at all times.

Why we picked it:
Habitat’s commitment to the EarthCraft program will help provide Atlanta’s residents access to both affordable and environmentally responsible housing—giving them a truly high quality of life. For more information, visit www.atlanta-habitat.org or www.earthcrafthouse.org.

eon at Lindbergh
What:
eon at Lindbergh is an in-the-works environmentally friendly condominium residence slated for completion in mid-2008. The community will feature 352 one- and two-bedroom condos with sixteen floor plan models to choose from. The units will range in size from 700 square feet to 1,100 square feet and will be priced affordably, starting in the $180s.

Where:
eon will become a part of the 47-acre Lindbergh community, which is situated between Buckhead and Midtown. The site for development is just steps away from the Lindbergh MARTA station and many restaurants, shopping and entertainment locations.

Going green:
The Dawson Company, a development firm that specializes in mixed-use and transit-oriented development, is on board for the eon development. They’ve joined forces with the Lane Company for the project. “We have been doing sustainable development for a long time and increasing the level that we’ve taken it to as we’ve gone,” says Bailey Pope, vice president of design and construction for the Dawson Company. “Our entire development practice has been based on creating sustainable development within urban places,” he says. “Moving to doing EarthCraft building is a logical extension.”

All of the residences at eon are planned to meet EarthCraft Multifamily standards. Green features in the plans include commercial quality window systems, and the homes will also feature 100 percent fresh air supplied to the inside corridors through a central ventilation systems—helping to improve indoor air quality.

“We’re most interested in doing with the EarthCraft program those aspects that lead to a better built building. There’s a lot of innovative technology that you can do to push energy conservation that doesn’t necessarily affect the innate quality of the [building’s] construction,” Pope notes. “So, our focus was really on fine tuning our construction practice so that we could say honestly that we are creating a better built building than someone who’s not focused on EarthCraft kinds of things.”
But, to many, green building goes beyond the actual home itself and includes the home’s location, location, location. Often, green living stresses a return to urban life, where necessities are convenient and within walking distance to the home. eon takes that to heart and will offer easy access to nearby shops and restaurants as well as to Atlanta’s public transportation system. “Lindbergh City Center felt like an opportunity to showcase how everything can come together,” Pope says, in regards to eon’s melding of mixed-use, convenient-to-transit, green and urban development.

Beyond building:
Amenities are planned for the development with the holistic resident in mind, including walking trails—helping the resident get casual exercise while on their way to various destinations—and a yoga room. Additionally, “We’ve tried to develop an architectural style and interior motif that echoes an earth-friendly environment,” says Pope, “so [eon] is aesthetically tied in with where it’s going philosophically.”

Why we picked it:
While eon’s development has only just begun, its promise of affordable, eco-friendly residences in the heart of Atlanta piqued our interest. Keep an eye out for these EarthCraft certified condos and all of their upcoming great green features. For more information, visit www.eonatLindbergh.com.

Sorority Village at Emory
What:
Sorority Village features ten town home-style structures that provide Emory’s sororities with college dormitories (including sleeping areas, kitchens, and living rooms) as well as a meeting space for their organization.

Where:
Emory University

Going green:
The Village clearly addresses the many areas of EarthCraft certification and boasts many green features. A cistern collects rainwater, which is then used for irrigation of the turf grass and for other
on-site landscaping needs. Additionally, plants used in the landscaping are low maintenance and
drought tolerant.

Recycled materials were used in the carpets and, in other areas of the residences, bamboo flooring was placed. Nontoxic paints were used as well.

Not only are the sorority residences EarthCraft certified, they’re also ENERGY STAR® certified. The ENERGY STAR® certification required that builders and developers predict the energy use of the building at the beginning of the project; energy use since then has been monitored to ensure that Emory lives up to their promise. The exact numbers aren’t in yet, but it’s projected that the sororities will use thirty to forty percent less energy than structures of their size with a similar function. And, according to Gray Kelly, who was program manager for EarthCraft Multifamily residences at the time of the project, that’s a major accomplishment. He further acknowledges the residences’ eco-friendly lighting system, citing their use of compact fluorescent light bulbs and energy efficient fixtures as well as their use of timing controls and occupancy censors, which help already efficient fixtures and bulbs function even more efficiently. The Village’s residences are also home to bamboo flooring, a renewable resource. “Emory should be commended,” Kelly says. “The programs helped them, but they are committed and are following through to ensure that the buildings are producing results.”

Why we picked it:
Introducing sustainable development and the benefits of green living at the college level is a great place to start. Not to mention, implementing eco-friendly residences that are large enough to accommodate the University’s many sorority members is an accomplishment in itself. For more information, visit www.emory.edu.

Source: www.southface.org/web/earthcraft_house/ech_media/ech_brochure

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