Developer Requires Green Building Certification for 2,400 Homes

Developer Newland Communities is requiring that all 2,400 homes in its Briar Chapel Community meet rigorous green building and ENERGY STAR criteria, and be certified through the Green Home Builders of the Triangle green building program.

The information center at Briar Chapel is one of the first buildings to be complete and will be certified through the Green Home Builders of the Triangle green building program.

A new mixed-use community in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Briar Hill has been designed with green living and energy conservation in mind. Features include the recently finished information center and resident's club, both of which will also be certified through the program, as well as parks, nature trails and 900 acres of open space. Phase I will include the development of 351 lots over 2-3 years, with the first homes completed this year.

Green Home Builders of the Triangle is a joint program of the HBA of Durham, Orange and Chatham Counties and the HBA of Raleigh-Wake County, and was created in partnership with GBI. Based on the NAHB Model Green Home Building Guidelines, the program currently includes 254 homes, of which 118 have been certified.

Nationally, the GBI has partnered with more than 40 local and state HBAs to develop locally relevant green building programs. More than 56,000 HBA members have access to programs in our network and nearly 27,000 homes have either been certified or are at some stage in the certification process.