EarthCraft House: Certified green-built, energy efficient homes in Atlanta, Georgia

[caption id="attachment_141" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Custom EarthCraft Single-Family Home in Manget in Downtown Marietta"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_14" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Custom Hedgewood EarthCraft Home in Glenwood Park"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_102" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Hedgewood EarthCraft Cottage Home at Vickery"][/caption]

EarthCraft House is a program for home builders and developers that originated in response to Atlanta area real estate professionals seeking to encourage greener and smarter home and community development and establish the standards by which a home or community would be defined and certified as green. Available only in the Atlanta market at inception, the program now extends to Southeast region states including Florida,  South Carolina, Virginia, North Carolina, Alabama, and Tennessee.

An EarthCraft House certified home must be inspected at least twice during construction and score high enough on a variety of dimensions to receive the stamp of approval.  The criteria include: energy efficiency, durability, indoor air quality, resource efficiency, waste management, and water conservation. EarthCraft has an oversight board that updates the rigorous standards annually, so that standards remain current and relevant.

The EarthCraft certification is a useful tool for prospective buyers, because the certification signifies a wide variety of benefits and assurances.  EarthCraft construction does not simply indicate that a home only reduces environmental impact and monthly utility bills (two of the most widely recognized benefits).  EarthCraft certification also means that the home has:

• High quality construction;


• Lower toxicity materials and healthier air for its occupants (HVAC systems are more sophisticated and provide purer air); and


• More durable materials, components, and interior finishes, which means that the maintenance cost in the future is significantly reduced.

In addition, many of the builders in the EarthCraft program are recipients of awards for architectural and community design, so even the aesthetic quality of these homes tends to be superior.  For instance:

• Hedgewood Builders (www.hedgewood.com) has won awards for development of excellence, best design, and best in American living.  Some of the Hedgewood communities include:  Serenbe, Atlanta; Vickery, Forsyth County; Glenwood Park, Atlanta; Downtown Woodstock, Cherokee County.


• Brock Built (www.brockbuilt.com) has won awards for builder of the year, outstanding design, and more.  Some of the Brock Built new home communities located in Atlanta include the following Huff Heights, Dupont Commons, Habershaw at West Highlands, and Princeton Village.


• CCM Homes (www.ccmhomes.com) has won more than 40 awards for excellence in home building.  Both CCM Homes’ actively selling new home communities are located in Gwinnett County:  The Manors at Tree Lane and The Villages at Old Norcoss.