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Our Green Building Practices |
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 When we began Fearrington in 1974, minimizing its
environmental impact was forefront in our minds. The energy crisis
of that time had forced Americans to make changes in how they lived,
and being on the outskirts of a progressive college town, we saw an
opportunity to develop a community quite different from the norm -
one that emphasized energy efficiency and left a minimal footprint.
And as both the builder and developer, we’ve been able to build on
this vision over the past 30+ years.
From the beginning, we’ve utilized energy-efficient and
environmentally friendly development practices. Homes were sited and
designed to take advantage of passive solar energy. They were
modestly sized, came with low maintenance siding, and incorporated
energy saving methods considered standard today, such as double
paned windows, extra insulation, attic ventilation, multiple heating
and cooling zones and even fireplace covers. We experimented with
active solar homes and our own proprietary residential electronic
energy monitors.
Roads were designed to cross streams as infrequently as possible and
run with land contours to minimize the need for clearing and
grading. Road widths were narrow to minimize their impact (and
reduce traffic speed!) and we created miles of walking paths to
encourage exercise and provide a ready alternative to the car for
short trips.
As we evolved, our commitment to the environment continued. Several
years ago we completed Camden Park, a higher density, single-family
neighborhood located immediately adjacent to the Village Center. The
neighborhood was built on previously cleared farmland; however
several original stands of mature oaks remained. They were preserved
and incorporated into five parks, in the process guiding and
influencing the design of the entire neighborhood.
The Village Center also embodies our environmental principles. The
surrounding pastures and open space have been largely preserved.
Onsite greenhouses and gardens grow many of the plants used in our
outdoor spaces, for floral arrangements, and in restaurant dishes.
Gardeners in the Village practice organic gardening and use
drought-tolerant, disease-resistant plants. Also, we’ve hosted the
Fearrington Farmers’ Market – bringing fresh, local produce to area
residents – for more than 15 years!
Today we continue
experimenting and adapting new green building approaches. In 2007 we
launched our Energy Star program, and in 2008, 64 percent of homes
built at Fearrington were Energy Star certified - significantly
above the national average of 17 percent and the state average of 11
percent, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. According
to Energy Star, these homes are equivalent to:
- Eliminating the emissions
from 4.41 vehicles
- Saving 26,676 lbs of coal
- Planting 7.29 acres of trees
- Saving homeowners $4,023 on their utility bills
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 STANDARD PRACTICES
The following standard green construction practices occur in all of
our new
homes:
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EPA Energy Star Certified entry doors
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Locally-made, insulated Low-E windows throughout house
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EPA Energy Star dishwasher
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EPA Energy Star bathroom and ceiling fans
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Termite bait system that does not deposit chemicals into the ground
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Engineered floor and roof trusses (meaning no lumber is wasted)
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Cardboard is recycled from jobsite
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Recycled block used for the home’s foundation
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Locally made cabinet boxes made from an eco-friendly board
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manufactured in the U.S., which is an Environmentally Preferred
Product
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(EPP) containing 100% recycled materials
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Closet system is certified EPP and made of recycled content
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Water Sense sink faucets
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UltraCraft Cabinetry, a NC based company that is ESP ( Environmental
Stewardship Program) certified.
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 LANDSCAPING
Our residential landscaping standards incorporate numerous
environmentally friendly practices. This starts with leaving natural
vegetation on site unless necessary for building the home,
sanitation, safety or egress. Once houses are completed, depending
on homesite conditions and homeowner preferences, our landscape
contractor installs deciduous trees on the south and west sides of
homes to lessen the demand for air conditioning in the summer and
heating in the winter. Plants are installed that are relatively
drought tolerant and disease resistant, such as ornamental grasses,
hollies, evergreen junipers, boxwoods, and semi-native tree species
such as maples, oaks, dogwoods and redbuds.
Many homes on larger wooded lots do not have lawns, but when
homeowners add them, our landscape contractor installs them over a
base of organic compost that lessens overall watering demands and
increases drought tolerance.
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 ENERGY STAR HOME OPTION
In addition to our standard practices, we also offer enhanced energy
efficiency
through the Energy Star program. Our Energy Star homes are at least
15%
more efficient than homes built to the 2003 International Energy
Conservation
code (IECC). It also entitles the homeowner to a 5% discount on
electric bills.
Certified Energy Star homes have the following features:
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More effective insulation
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Higher-performance windows
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Tighter construction and ducts
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More efficient heating and cooling equipment
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Third-party testing
There are many more options that we offer to make it a green home,
from Icynene insulation to earth-friendly flooring. For more
information on Energy Star Homes, visit
www.energystar.gov and click
on “New Homes.” The options are endless and growing all the time. We
will be happy to incorporate as many green building options as you
like during the planning your home.
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