Washington, D.C. – September 21, 2009 – (RealEstateRama) — A new “workforce housing” home built by First Richmond Associates is the first home in the Richmond, Va., metro area to achieve certification under the National Green Building Standard.
The home was also inspected by an NAHB Research Center-approved verifier and awarded Bronze certification as part of the NAHB Green Building Program.
The 1,452-square-foot, $200,000 single-family-home in the Vaughan Heights subdivision met the program’s benchmarks by including the following features:
- Energy Efficiency. The home incorporates a Techshield radiant barrier, Energy Star-rated lighting and appliances and a properly sized HVAC system.
- Water Efficiency. The home is equipped with low-flow toilets and showerheads and shortened, more efficient plumbing runs of 30 feet or less.
- Resource Efficiency. Trees removed from the site were used for mulch and the home incorporates engineered wood products.
- Indoor Environmental Quality. The builder specified low-VOC paints and took care to seal around all ductwork and other penetrations.
- Lot and Site Development. The builder added points for building on a smaller lot in an infill development and saved most of the site’s existing trees.
- Operation and Maintenance. The builder provided educational information for the owner to better take advantage of the home’s green features.
“The challenge of paying close attention to the home site, energy efficiency and building a home for the first-time home buyer has proved to be a rewarding experience,” said John Nolde, prinicipal of First Richmond Associates.
Additional information on the NAHB National Green Building Program is available at www.nahbgreen.org.
