Kermit the Frog once lamented that “it’s not easy being green,” but here in Atlanta we are fortunate to have some esteemed environmental trailblazers to guide the path toward healthier, safer – “greener” – living.
Carl Seville – the founder and former vice president of SawHorse Inc., a prominent Atlanta-based remodeling company – is one of those environmental leaders. Together, Seville and SawHorse Inc. received more than 100 awards for excellence in environmentally friendly remodeling projects. Seville continues to work toward the improvement of environmental conditions through his firm, Seville Consulting, while writing and teaching his philosophies, standards and techniques for a greener lifestyle. Seville Consulting offers green-building consulting for builders, homeowners and organizations.
Consultants provide specialized training in both green-building techniques as well as business, management and marketing of green developments. Seville is currently building a showcase EarthCraft home that will be on tour in a trade show in June. (Follow the construction of the model home at www.southernbuildingshowcase.com.)
In 2002 Seville co-founded the EarthCraft House Renovation Program, a system and set of standards created to reduce utility expenses as well as protect the environment. He used building science (the study of air flow, energy usage and moisture migration) to outline the steps to achieve EarthCraft House certification. EarthCraft House remains one of Atlanta’s most advanced programs in revolutionizing the way we interact with our environment.
EarthCraft House, and green homes in general, works toward four principle goals:
• Health – To achieve clean indoor air, the interiors are made of entirely non-toxic materials.
• Sustainability – Green builders use materials designed and produced to have less impact on the Earth.
• Durability – Using building techniques and materials that reduce deterioration, to reduce the need for maintenance and replacement.
• Efficiency – Green EarthCraft homes incorporate a renewable energy source, such as solar power, reducing the amount of energy needed.
EarthCraft House is involved in both the construction of new homes and remodeling or recycling of existing homes to meet the highest standards of green development. Some people turn to EarthCraft House solely for the cost benefits, but, according to Seville, “while energy savings is a visible tangible benefit in reduced bills, what I consider the best result of green building is the fact that the indoor environment is more comfortable, cleaner and healthier. When done correctly, an EarthCraft house can eliminate mold and mildew, reduce airborne dust to minimal amounts, actually reducing the need to dust as much, and significantly reduce allergic reactions.”
If you were to visit an EarthCraft House home, here is what you would find:
• Modern appliances: state-of-the-art and energy safe.
• Natural light: abundant throughout the home, reducing energy consumption and costs.
• Water preservation: virtually no water is wasted because of tankless water heaters on each floor, providing immediate hot water and eliminating the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning from home water heaters.
• Windows made of low E glass: low emissivity (the relative power of a surface to emit heat by radiation) maintains season-appropriate temperature and keeps moisture out.
• Thermostats throughout the house allow you to adjust the temperature of the room you are in, while not wasting energy in unused areas.
EarthCraft House communities are sprouting up all over the Atlanta metropolitan area, including the Vickery in Forsyth County, the Glenwood Park residences in Downtown Atlanta, and Clark’s Grove in Covington.
If you are curious about a greener, healthier lifestyle here Intown, Eon at Lindbergh is a brand-new, 352-unit condo development in Lindbergh City Center on Piedmont Road in Buckhead. The Dawson Company and the Lane Company have joined forces with EarthCraft House to create environmentally friendly residences in the heart of the city. These one and two-bedroom homes are constructed with environmentally safe materials and incur lower utility costs than comparably sized and geographically located dwellings.
Because of the green trend, increasing numbers of builders are applying for their EarthCraft House builder’s certification.
It’s not easy becoming green, but EarthCraft House, Seville Consulting and other sustainability organizations such as the Foundation for Global Sustainability, the American Institute of Urban and Regional Affairs, and CARE (the world’s largest international relief and development non-governmental orgnization are helping people achieve a healthier standard of living – because the grass really is greener on the EarthCraft House side.
Read more about Living Green and get recycling tips and monthly eco-resolutions by picking up a January edition of Atlanta INtown!
Living Green: EarthCraft House
EarthCraft received high profile coverage in 2005 when Southern Living magazine made this Glenwood Park home its Idea House and opened it for tours.