The House That Green Built

The Home Builders Association of Greater Little Rock (HBAGLR) broke ground last fall on it’s first ever GREEN BUILT model home.

The house, which is in footing stage (about 5 percent complete), is located in west Little Rock’s Woodland’s Edge, the 2009 Green Development of the Year. The project is a sustainable construction set to ANSI-approved National Green Building Standards. The standards state: “a builder, remodeler or developer must incorporate a minimum number of features in the following areas: energy, water, and resource efficiency, lot and site development, indoor environmental quality, and home owner education.” Ground was broken on the lot Oct. 22; lot preparation took place soon afterward. Keith Wingfield of River Rock Builders serves as president of HBAGLR.

“We began the home-building processwith sustaining/protecting the lot by using low-impact development practices, such as not clearing away all the trees. Instead of bringing in large equipment, knocking down the trees and hauling them away, we used smaller equipment, took down trees as necessary and used those we did remove for mulch,” Wingfield said. The mulch will be used during construction to protect critical root zones and afterward for landscaping. The builders have also developed an erosion plan and protect the surrounding wooded area by securing the construction zone.

Other plans for the GREEN BUILT model home include high-tech and low-tech energy efficient methods. Wingfield said the home’s energy consumption will be reduced through several methods, such as installation of: a tankless water heater; Low-E windows (E stands for emissivity. Low E glass works by reflecting heat back to its source. It does this by utilizing an ultra thin metallic coating on or in the glass, from askthebuilder.com); a combination of closed-cell and cellulose insulations (cellulose insulation is typically made of 80 percent post-c

onsumer recycled newsprint); as well as other materials. The house will also feature sealed crawl spaces keeping the attic warm in the winter and cool in the summer, helping to minimize energy loss. They’ll also install hi-efficiency HVCA equipment, multistage air equipment, low-flow toilets and faucets to reduce water consumption.

For more information about the HBAGLR, visit their Web site hbaglr.com.

Check AY each month, as we’ll feature monthly updates through the completion of the GREEN BUILD home in May or June.