LEED Certified Design for Habitat:
Smart Affordable Housing Choices for Smart Communities
Aug 18, 2009
The term “Green Building” might bring to mind visions of a bizarre geodesic dome out in the desert, filled with scientists and strange apparatus. Or a wildly contemporary house, bristling with solar panels and water collectors, and inhabited by a wealthy eccentric.
One doesn’t typically envision a quaint, affordable house that is built down the street by volunteers. With the current state of the housing market, what was once cutting edge is becoming commonplace, especially in this small city of 11,000 on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.
LEED Certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a program of the U.S. Green Building Council, and provides an objective review process to ensure that various construction projects are energy efficient, and environmentally sound. This process can be applied to projects ranging from a large industrial complex to a modest home in Cambridge.
With the general downturn in the economy, Habitat looks for ways to improve the affordability of housing both in terms of construction cost, as well as the long term operation.
A Commitment to Green Housing
“Our LEED certified home in Cambridge is not a one-time project. This is a strategic shift for us," says Susan Devlin, executive director of Habitat for Humanity of Talbot and Dorchester in conversation with Suite101. "This commitment means Habitat will shrink its environmental impact, our homeowners will have healthier living environments with lower energy costs, and our many volunteers will learn green building practices they can use in their own lives.”
Ed Colaprete, Jr. is the LEED Accredited Professional that’s working with the organization to oversee the implementation on this project.
“The LEED for Homes program addresses eight initiatives including Innovation and Design Process, Locations and Linkages, Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy and Atmosphere, Materials and Resources, Indoor Environmental Quality, and Awareness and Education,” according to Mr. Colaprete. Each category is broken down into credits, which add up as the project is reviewed.
“Eighteen of the credits are prerequisites,” Mr. Colaprete said, “and designers can select among the other credits depending on their specific circumstance.”
Examples of these credits include use of innovative materials, on-site management of stormwater run-off, and energy efficiency of the utilities and appliances used. Beyond the home site, credits can be earned by using materials that are produced within 500 miles of the house, reducing the need for long-distance transportation to relieve congestion and pollution. Another is available if the location is accessible to a walkable community, or public transit routes.
“One interesting credit, Contaminant Control, awards points for simply providing an area adjacent to the main entry where occupants can remove and store their shoes,” says Mr. Colaprete. “The intent, of course, is to eliminate tracking contaminants into the home.”
Affordable Up Front, Affordable in the Long Run
LEED Certification factors into affordable housing for many reasons. While the construction techniques themselves may increase the initial cost of the home by three to five percent, increased energy and water efficiency makes the cost of operating the house much lower, which is an important factor to the low income clients served by Habitat.
LEED Certification also results in a healthier environment for the homeowner, meaning fewer lost work days and school absences. The use of locally available materials also contributes to the local economy, strengthening employment and raising incomes.
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