Green Homebuilding Activities
Weyerhaeuser Real Estate Company's five homebuilder subsidiaries are at the forefront
of building energy-efficient homes, reducing water use and introducing other green
features that consumers now expect in newly built homes. All five builders have
been acknowledged for their leadership either by the federal government’s Energy Star program
and/or by state or local governments.
Maracay Homes
In Arizona, Maracay Homes
has implemented and brought to market new building specifications in all its new
and upcoming communities to make its homes more energy efficient and environmentally
responsible. Maracay is also working toward becoming a full Energy Star® rated
builder in all its communities.
Some of Maracay’s specific green-building activities include:
- Installing, when possible, headers, beams and flooring made by iLevel, which has
received a "green" designation from the National Association of Home Builders Research
Center.
- Using blown-in cellulose wall insulation on all exterior wall applications, which
provides protection from heat and cold using a renewable material.
- Using Weyerhaeuser’s Radiant Barrier Sheathing on all new homes. The sheathing blocks
up to 97 percent of the sun’s radiant energy, which minimizes heat transfer from
the roof and insulated attic into homeowner’s living spaces.
- Installing low-usage plumbing fixtures and “water smart” irrigation timers.
- Installing programmable thermostats in all homes to help manage heating and cooling
costs, and low-energy bulbs and motion sensors to reduce lighting costs.
Quadrant Homes
Quadrant Homes was the
first major Washington State homebuilder certified as an Energy Star builder and
the company continues to be a committed program participant. That commitment led
to 2009 Energy Star® Leadership in Housing Award by the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency. The homebuilder also has received many other honors, including the Built
Green™ Large Builder Award, Built Green Foundation Award and the Association
of Washington Businesses Environmental Award.
Quadrant's Living Sound
program offers its customers a variety of ways to live more sustainably
in their communities and in their homes. Quadrant partners with local land trusts
who work to preserve wetlands, stream corridors, forest areas and urban open spaces.
Affiliations with Built Green™ and Energy Star® give homebuyers more options
for a home that is both environmentally responsible and budget friendly.
Pardee Homes
Pardee Homes qualified
for California Green Builder designation in five neighborhoods in Los Angeles and
San Diego. California Green Builder homes feature many environmental benefits. The
program starts by setting aggressive goals for improvements in energy efficiency,
indoor air quality and comfort, on-site waste recycling, and water conservation.
In 2009, Pardee Home expanded its LivingSmart® green-building program to all
new homes it builds. LivingSmart — a combination of features that create
energy efficiencies, conserve resources, improve air and water quality, and minimize
water consumption — has been available to Pardee buyers in selected neighborhoods
since 2001.
LivingSmart Homes are designed to exceed local building codes and be at least 50
percent more efficient than the Federal Energy Code. These practices have earned
Pardee many awards in sustainable building practices, including the National Association
of Home Builders' "2009 Green Project of the Year" and "2010 Green Building Advocate
of the Year."
Trendmaker Homes
Trendmaker Homes received
a Leadership in Housing Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for
building more than 300 Energy Star qualified homes in 2009. Trendmaker was one of
the first builders in the Houston area to participate in Energy Star.
Trendmaker was also singled out in Eco-Structure Magazine for Cross Creek Ranch,
a mixed-use, master-planned community in Fulshear, Texas, on Houston’s west side.
As the developer of the community, Trendmaker restored a dormant creek and surrounding
areas to their natural habitat. Features include native plant reforestation, prairie
grass plains and wetlands zones. The development also includes more than 25 miles
of trails and open space corridors along the creek and next to existing lakes in
the community.
Trendmaker is a founding member builder of the Greater Houston Builder’s Association
Green Building program. The program requires:
- Use of sustainable lumber (in this case, supplied by iLevel)
- Incorporation of optimal framing standards and techniques
- A system for bringing filtered, fresh air into the home
- Application of low-VOC paints and formaldehyde-free fiberglass insulation
Winchester Homes
Winchester Homes is
taking the lead as an Energy Star builder in Virginia and Maryland, where fewer
than 5 percent of builders have adopted the program. Winchester will build every
one of its new luxury-class Camberley Homes to Energy Star standards.
In February 2009, Winchester Homes, in partnership with Design for Life Montgomery
County, Md., opened a "Show
Home of Ideas" with universal design and green features. Universal Design,
also known as "barrier-free living" or "design for all," is the concept of incorporating
common-sense products, design innovations, and building materials to make homes
more comfortable and efficient. The show home highlighted sustainable materials,
energy-efficient products and universal design elements.
The home successfully demonstrated how potential homebuyers in the area could effectively
combine green features with accessibility and affordability. Winchester calls this:
"Your home. Your way." It was the first new home certified by the Design for Life
Montgomery program, the NAHB's Model Green Home Building Guidelines Program and Energy
Star.
