EarthCraft Awards Celebrate “Well-Built for Well-Being” Excellence

Last night, 15 awards were presented as a part of EarthCraft’s annual Celebration of Excellence, which recognizes projects, teams, builders, contractors, and organizations that have excelled in their commitment to the EarthCraft program. Founded in 1999 by Southface and the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association, EarthCraft is a regional green building certification program focused on high performance and resource efficiency. A leader in sustainable building practices, EarthCraft helps deliver energy efficiency, exceptional indoor air quality and improved comfort to families, tenants and business owners across the Southeast.

“Excellence in green building is a team effort – from architects to builders to inspectors to homeowners, the push towards a regenerative world begins with our spaces,” says Andrea Pinabell, President of Southface. “Nearly half of all energy consumed in the United States occurs in our homes and offices, which is why promoting efficient, well-built structures is so important.”

The EarthCraft Celebration of Excellence is also an opportunity to highlight program partners whose services continue to shape and improve the green building industry.

2017 EarthCraft Award Recipients:

• The City of Decatur and the Decatur Housing Authority were recognized as the Partner of the Year for their commitment to and growth of the High Performance Building Standards, requiring all new and major renovation projects in Decatur to be certified under a green building program.
• Habitat for Humanity of Greenville County is the 2017 Builder of the Year after building nearly 40 EarthCraft homes in the past three years. Habitat for Humanity of Greenville County is one of three Habitat for Humanity organizations that actively participate in EarthCraft, bringing efficient and healthy homes to residents in need.
• Columbia Residential and SUMMECH Community Development Corporation were the recipients of the Developer of the Year award. The two organizations aimed to effectively and intentionally revitalize one of Atlanta’s oldest neighborhoods and were committed to bringing affordability and high performing homes to the members of that community.
• Mechanicsville Cityside is the 2017 Project of the Year, one of the largest projects recognized during the ceremony. The 67-home Atlanta neighborhood is entirely EarthCraft certified, bringing efficiency and savings to residents.

High Performance Awards

• EarthCraft House: Seville Consulting for a commitment to historic preservation on a new construction home in Decatur, Georgia.
• EarthCraft Multifamily: In-Fill Housing and Stafford Builders and Consultants for their work on Hunt School Village, a repurposed school that now contains 60 housing units as a part of a Senior Adult Living community in Macon, Georgia.
• EarthCraft Renovation: Elemental Green Homes for an EarthCraft Platinum home in Atlanta, Georgia that focuses on preservation of original building materials and high indoor air quality.
• EarthCraft Communities: Rea Ventures and Great Southern for their project at Oliver Place Apartments in Perry, Georgia. The community is a successful example of new urban design, promoting open natural space and effective stormwater management.
• EarthCraft Light Commercial: Quest Community Development Organization for the Quest Community Complex I – an EarthCraft Gold project that brings sustainable design, job training and economic opportunities to a west Atlanta neighborhood.
• EarthCraft Sustainable Preservation: Joel Roth and Rehab Builders for their impressive display of sustainable preservation techniques in restoring an old industrial warehouse in Atlanta, Georgia to 70 loft apartments. Total energy consumption of the building was reduced by 90 percent.

Design Awards

These projects are successful in the areas of high performance and beautiful sustainable design. They combine efficiency, appeal and functionality:

• The Design Merit Award was given to Peachtree Housing Communities, Oracle Consulting, Oracle Design and Renzo Construction for their work on A.L. Miller Village, a housing complex in Macon, Georgia that was once a high school, elementary school and gymnasium. The structure today is a beautiful display of adaptive re-use and energy performance.
• The Design Merit Award was also give to the Jewish Family & Career Services and Macallan Construction Company for their commercial facility in Atlanta, Georgia that achieves energy savings and a healthy indoor environment in a place committed to programs and resources for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
• A third Design Merit Award was presented to Resource Housing Group and Landbridge Development for their redevelopment of a 100 year old cotton mill in Macon, Georgia. The facility is now home to 71 loft apartments. Solar panels on site provide the energy needs of the facility’s common space areas.
• The Design Award of Excellence was given to Shelter Alternatives for the EarthCraft Platinum home in New Castle, Virginia. The home’s farmhouse style perfectly matches the pastoral landscape, while its net-zero status and on-site solar panels are a testament to its commitment to sustainable and high performance.
• The second Design Award of Excellence was presented to Imery Group for its construction of an EarthCraft Platinum home in Chamblee, Georgia. The home is a modern marvel, and its energy performance and outstanding indoor air quality promote utility savings and occupant health.

Over the past 18 years, EarthCraft has certified more than 45,000 homes in eight states throughout the Southeast thanks to the continued involvement and investment of community members and program sponsors. Projects are certified through our Atlanta office and by our partner organization Viridiant, which administers the EarthCraft program in Virginia, Maryland and the D.C. area.