EarthCraft is the South’s premiere green building certificate program for a variety of building and development types, including small commercial buildings (less than 80k sq ft), single and multifamily housing, communities and historical preservation. EarthCraft certified projects are designed with specific consideration of the Southeast’s climate, as well as indoor air quality, durability, resiliency and reduced energy and water requirements.

The EarthCraft program is unique in that it includes independent, third-party review and on-site verification by trained building science that the building can achieve high-performance standards.

The internationally recognized Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design™ (LEED®)  administered by the U.S. Green Building Council® (USGBC) is a certification program and green building rating system that focuses on the environmental impact of a building, saving building owners’ costs while managing the project’s overall carbon footprint. With a focus on project location, building system and materials selection, operations, maintenance and the indoor environment, LEED is a long-respected certification program for the commercial building industry.

The Fitwel suite of programs were developed to support the vision of building health for everyone. The programs focus is on the connection between design, behavioral choices and health. Fitwel programs include residential, commercial, commercial site and community project types. These programs equip practitioners with an evidence-based platform to assess project impacts at scale.

The National Green Building Standard (NGBS) is an American National Standards Institute (ANSI)-accredited, third-party certified, residential building rating system that provides a flexible way to verify green construction methods in single-family, multifamily, renovation and land development projects. NGBS’s stringent third-party verified certification program ensures homes are built in compliance with the program’s three primary attributes: healthy homes, lower operating costs and sustainable lifestyle. 

Enterprise Green Communities is a national program that assists builders in constructing and rehabilitating affordable homes, making them more energy-efficient, healthy and environmentally safe. Enterprise Green Communities offers grants, loans, tax-credit equity and technical assistance to new construction and rehabilitation projects that meet the Green Communities criteria.

Southface has been selected as a member of the Enterprise Green Communities Technical Assistance Provider Network in the following areas:

• Inegrative Deisgn Process/Design Process
• Data Analysis/Portfolio Benchmarking
• Energy Modeling
• Renewable Energy & Stormwater Management
• Audits, Inspections and Performance Testing
• Training
• Green Operations and Maintenance

Developed by the International Living Futures Institute (ILFI), The Living Building Challenge™ (LBC) is a rigorous green building certification program and design framework that defines the most advanced measure of sustainability in the built environment. LBC is committed to creating spaces that, like a flower, give more than they take. The program is comprised of seven performance categories called Petals that include Place, Water, Energy, Health & Happiness, Materials, Equity and Beauty. The LBC can be used for almost every conceivable building project of any scale and any location, from new buildings to existing structures. 

The Energy Star Qualified Label (ESQL) was developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and is a nationally recognized mark of energy efficiency. ESQL homes and buildings are independently verified to meet strict guidelines for energy efficiency set by the EPA. These structures save money on utility bills by providing efficiency improvements to walls, windows, ducts, lighting, appliances and more, providing a more comfortable living environment with better indoor air quality and helping protect the environment.