The Folks Behind EarthCraft House EarthCraft House™ is a residential green building program of the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association in partnership with Southface. Created in 1999, EarthCraft House is now one of the most comprehensive green building programs in the country. The program guidelines serve as a blueprint for energy efficient homes that are healthy, comfortable, reduce utility bills and protect the Southeast region's environmental resources.

The aim of the program is to help home builders become leaders in smart growth management and environmental stewardship. The EarthCraft House program trains builders in the latest and smartest construction techniques and material alternatives. Each home in the EarthCraft House program is inspected twice and subjected to rigorous testing by qualified, independent personnel. Right: Ryan Meres loads up for a day of inspections for EarthCraft House.

The EarthCraft House program benefits everyone. Over 3,500 EarthCraft House single family homes have been certified, and more than 1,000 multifamily units are in the pipeline, providing a long term pollution prevention impact. The energy savings from the single family homes certified to date have kept 18,505 tons of CO2, 109,795 lbs of SO2 and 39,725 lbs of NOx from entering our air each year—the equivalent of removing 2,907 cars from the roads annually!

Benefits of the EarthCraft House program:

For the home buyer: Increased comfort and peace of mind More durability and less maintenance Healthier indoor environment Lower utility bills	For the home builder: Distinction as a quality-minded builder Fewer call backs Cost-effective construction techniques Improved building systems	For the environment Improved air and water quality Natural resource conservation Energy and water savings Waste reductions

Services have expanded to include EarthCraft House Renovation, Multifamily, Affordable/workforce housing and Community development projects, in Georgia, South Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee and Alabama. With this expansion in services the EarthCraft House staff has grown as well.