Builders learn to make less of an impact
By KELLY LIYAKASA

With all of the talk about leaving less of a carbon footprint, developers are showing that going big doesn’t have to be bad for the environment.

Windermere on the Lake in North Stamford has earned LEED certification; the reason: its 8,000-square-foot Cumbria model home has less of an impact on the environment than a home traditionally built at one-third its size.

The residential division of National Realty & Development Corp. received the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), a third-party certification system serving as a benchmark for high-performance, “green” homes.

“We are extremely gratified that our model residence has achieved this important certification and is the first home in Fairfield County to do so. This tremendous accomplishment clearly positions Windermere on the Lake as a national prototype for environmentally sustainable residential development,” said Mark Hallett Robbins, president of National Realty & Development Corp.’s residential division.

“By achieving Energy Star certification and LEED for Homes certification, Windermere on the Lake has proven that a home can be spacious, luxurious, and more sustainable all at once,” he said.

Merritt 7 Corporate Park Lobby in Norwalk, an Energy Star-rated building managed and leased by Alfred D. Phelps Inc. in Norwalk.

The USGBC develops ratings systems through an open, consensus-based process led by LEED committees and provides certification in key areas such as new construction, core and shell, schools, retail, home and health care.

“The green move is trendy, but it’s coming to the point where it’s more of a rule than an exception,” said Keith Crosby, vice president of construction and property management at ADP Service Corp., a Norwalk design construction management services firm and licensed general contractors, who recently earned LEED accredited professional designation status.

“There are many levels to LEED certification,” Crosby said. “Gold, silver, platinum… the code continuously changes…you have to submit months of performance data and meter readings to obtain certification.”

Crosby cites the LEED boom as a phenomenon that is enveloping as “something more than what people expected.” According to the USGBC, more than 43,000 individuals have earned the credential since the program’s launch in 2001.

Industry experts recognize the many facets of building green, and thus, green certification. “When you’re going green, you have to look at it not only from the standpoint of heating and cooling, but at carbon emissions and ways to minimize the impact of greenhouse gases in general,” said Greg Drapeau, spokesman for the Construction Industry Council of Westchester and Hudson Valley Inc. and co-chair of the county’s Global Warming Task Force.

“More communities are beginning to adopt green building practices and consumers are paying attention,” he said. “For instance, in Seattle, people who are interested in purchasing a house can visit Web sites indicating if a home has solar collectors or geothermal this and that,” Drapeau said.

“I think it sends a powerful message to the real estate community that these features are important,” he said.

Cumbria model at Windermere on the Lake, a LEED-certified community.

Crosby said that within 18 to 36 months, he foresees potential LEED certification requirements in the state of Connecticut, and said California already has legislation in place.

According to the state of Connecticut general assembly Web site, “PA 07-242 requires the state building inspector and the Codes and Standards Committee to amend the State Building Code to require (1) buildings costing $5 million or more built after Jan. 1, 2009 and (2) renovations costing $ 2 million or more starting Jan. 1, 2010 to meet the LEED silver standard or its equivalent. The requirements apply to private and public sector projects, other than residential buildings with up to four units.”

For information on the U.S. Green Building Council or LEED certification, visit www.usgbc.org.

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