With environmental impact and rising energy costs on the forefront of many homeowner’s minds, Kelly Cove has incorporated sustainable building methods into our core deliverable. The Kelly Cove Build Green Initiative is the process by which ecological, resource-efficient components are designed into the structure of your new home or renovation project.
What does building green really mean? In addition to creating an energy efficient home, the goals of green building extend far beyond any single home’s four walls. It is a “holistic” approach to homebuilding, whose objectives emphasize protecting our dwindling natural resources, and enabling communities and ecosystems to thrive.
A “green home” is designed, built, or renovated in an ecological and resource-efficient manner. It is designed to protect health use less energy, water, and other resources, while reducing the overall impact to the environment.
Incorporating green building components into your home saves money through lower operating costs over the life of the building. Cost savings are optimally realized when incorporated at the conceptual design phase, and, through the use of an integrated systems approach. By design, your home functions as a single efficient integrated system, rather than a collection of stand-alone systems.
Components of a green home may include:
▪High level use of natural lighting. In addition to reducing the need for electrical appliances, studies show that natural light has a positive impact on well being.
▪Use of zero- or low-VOC emission materials to protect indoor air quality, including paints and materials used in the manufacture of cabinets and countertops.
▪The use of high-efficiency lighting systems with advanced lighting controls, including features like motion sensors automatically linked to dimmable lighting controls.
▪Installation of low solar gain windows and Energy Star® appliances.
▪Installation of water conserving fixtures such as ultra low-flush toilets, and low-flow shower heads; design for dual plumbing to use recycled water for toilet flushing or a “gray” water system that recovers rainwater or other non-potable water for landscape irrigation.
▪Properly sized, energy-efficient heating and cooling systems, working in conjunction with a thermally efficient building shell.
Another key feature of green building is the use of sustainable construction materials and products. Sustainably harvested materials feature durability and longevity. Such products include those containing recycled content, such as ceramic tile with recycled glass content, or salvaged materials such as reusable brick and stone. Using recycled-content products also helps develop markets for recycled materials, diverts them from our landfills, and reduces demand for virgin resources. The use of locally produced building materials, components, and systems saves energy and resources in transportation to the project site, promoting resource conservation and efficiency.
Even with a tight budget, many green building measures can be incorporated with minimal or zero increased up-front costs, yielding enormous benefits both in energy conservation and health and well being. Our architects will be happy to discuss the myriad of Build Green options available to you.
For more information on The Kelly Cove Green Building Initiative, Email Us