EcoHome Guy

This lil' ol' EcoBroker is proud to announce that construction on 546 Edgewood Avenue is officially underway. We call the project LEEDing Edge because it is on track to be one of Atlanta's first LEED Platinum homes. We almost had the home under contract before construction even began. Alas, it was not meant to be so the home is still available to a qualified buyer [FMLS #3750205].

The home is located within Atlanta's Old Fourth Ward at the corner of Howell and Edgewood and at the edge of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Historic District. The property is zoned Commercial/Residential and will feature a green roof, rainwater reclamation, and will be electrically engineered for solar. The home is also within walking distance to a future stop on the BeltLine.

The photo above shows the home coming out of the ground. Below is a rendering of how the building will appear when completed later this year [click for larger version].

The Old Fourth Ward itself is in the beginning stages of a fantastic transformation [www.o4wplan.com].  The final Master Plan for the area was approved on August 12, 2008 and features:

• All new construction to LEED, Earthcraft, or other evolving green-building standards
• More pedestrian and bike-friendly with emphasis on new parks, green space, and community gardens
• Underutilized land converted to mixed-use and more thickly settled land-planning except in historic neighborhoods
• Ample senior housing for aging-in-place
• No gated communities
• Neighborhood Power Plant
• Financial resources for green updates
• Green infrastructure
• A significant BeltLine Redevelopment District

A few reasons why you should hang your clothes out to dry:

• Save money with lower electric bills
• Conserve energy and the environment -- electric dryers use five to ten percent of residential electricity in the U.S.
• Sunlight bleaches and disinfects naturally without chemicals
• Clothes dryer fires account for about 15,600 structure fires, 15 deaths, and 400 injuries annually. The yearly national fire loss for clothes dryer fires in structures is estimated at $99 million.
• Clothes last longer
• Clothes and sheets smell better without chemical fragrances
• Breezecatcher offers my readers a discount on their excellent umbrella rotary clothes dryers. Enjoy 5% off and free shipping by entering BS5000 in the coupon code at check out.

And finally -- on a partially-related note -- a little clothesline humor:

MIT Chemistry Professor Daniel Nocera's recent discovery of a unique way to store solar energy could revolutionize how we power our homes...

There is a lot of talk in the building industry about using recycled materials in everything from sheathing and concrete to countertops, tile and flooring. Manufacturers market these products as green alternatives to products made from virgin and non-renewable resources. But is this enough? Most recycled-content products still require loads of energy to recover, ship, repackage, and deliver back to market; moreover the recycling process itself requires more energy and often leaves waste toxins behind.

Mike Fletcher (“Fletch” to friends and foes alike), the architect and developer for LEEDing Edge, uses the familiar mantra, “Reduce. Reuse. Recycle” as a guiding design principal. Fletch argues that the Three R’s are not to be considered equally, but represent a hierarchy of sustainability. Reduce First. When you must consume, then Reuse. When not possible or practical to Reuse, then Recycle.

So what about reusing building materials in our new buildings? We love old materials for their nostalgia, history and character. They cause us to pause and consider their past, and their story; they give us a connection to previous generation long passed and to the natural world in ways new products cannot. Manufacturers today even ‘distress’ new products to make them appear old and rustic in the hopes of making this connection. This often requires additional steps during manufacturing, using more energy and creating more waste.

Reused building materials not only protect our existing resources, but they also reduce our landfills. Roughly half of all landfill material is construction waste. Much of this is debris from demolition of existing buildings; how much of that debris could be reused? More importantly, who today is salvaging these materials and making them available for our reuse?

There are a number of businesses in the Atlanta area that specialize in reused and salvaged building materials. Of the reclaimed materials that Fletch has purchased for LEEDing Edge, perhaps the most exciting is the 200 year old reclaimed wood flooring and trim. Salvaged from an old Ohio home, the white pine has character and grain you cannot find in new wood flooring. The wood is provided by Piney Hill Wood Flooring, owned by the Hix Family in Chatsworth, GA. The Hix family has a fascinating history of their own. Their love affair with wood began with Ross’ father Kerry Hix, who began restoring and rebuilding mountain cabins nearly 50 years ago. His passion for the beauty and utility of wood has passed on to his sons – Aaron has become a widely-respected furniture maker, and Ross has grown the family business to include salvaging, milling and selling antique wood materials from old buildings.

As production and delivery energy costs continue to climb and our natural resources become depleted, the demand to reuse products and materials will grow even further, and reused building materials will be commonplace. This trend is beginning to have an impact on proactive designers as well. During World War II, the need for materials such as steel was so great that Ford Motor Company created “disassembly lines” to deconstruct old cars. Today, German law requires car manufacturers to build their cars to be dismantled and salvaged or recycled.

Imagine the possibilities if your home was designed to be deconstructed at the end of its useful life? It could move with you; it could expand and shrink to your needs without the expense and waste of traditional construction; and its pieces could become part of other people’s homes when you no longer need it. Architecture would mimic nature’s ability to adapt to changing environmental conditions…

I had the pleasure of previewing Oakland Park with a group of my fellow EcoBrokers yesterday. OP is Atlanta's first LEED [Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design] certified multi-family residential development to market so it's naturally on my radar. It's a little over 1/2 mile from the King Memorial MARTA Station but it's such an outstanding development I'm qualifying it for my Rail Estate Rebate when you choose to purchase one of the condominiums with me as your trusty Buyer's Agent. For my visit I opted to make the walk from MARTA which is on the north side of Oakland Cemetery. OP is appropriately named as it sits across the street from the southeast corner of the cemetery. Those who choose to make the connection between OP and MARTA on foot can do so through one of Atlanta's most historically significant green spaces.

After the short trek the other EcoBrokers and I were treated to refreshment and organic munchies at Stella Italian Trattoria located on the street level of the development. Alan Altman and Valencia Justice of the on-site sales team were our gracious host and hostess and made the tour very enjoyable.

The first thing I noticed when entering the residential area was the lack of the typical new construction smell due to the use of low volatile organic compound [VOC] paints, adhesives, sealants and carpeting throughout the building. Typically my eyes would have been burning within minutes of walking down the carpeted hallways. Improved indoor air quality is a primary benefit of LEED construction. Other eco-friendly features of the homes include:

• Operable, low-emittance, double-paned windows
• Bamboo flooring in kitchen and living areas
• Dual flush toilets and high performance plumbing fixtures
• Energy Star appliances
• High efficiency heating and cooling
• On-site recycling center
• Steel and concrete construction
• Drought-resistance landscaping
• Moped/bike racks

Premium amenities include:

• Dramatic community rooftop sun-deck with barbecue and stunning city skyline views that will never be blocked [because of the cemetery]
  
• Controlled access parking deck
  
• Free high-speed WiFi throughout the property
• Fitness center
• Deep private balconies and patios
• Grant Park location

 
Logical, Location-efficient Living

It's logical that people are moving inside the Perimeter, back into the city of Atlanta. People are seeking alternative transportation solutions as gas prices, commute times, carbon dioxide levels, and global temperatures continue to rise.

With gas over $4 per gallon and rising, location-efficient living near a MARTA station makes more sense than ever, especially if you work near one.

People are starting to realize that the old complaint that MARTA "doesn't go anywhere" isn't true anymore as places like Decatur, Arts Center, and Perimeter Center continue to evolve into thriving, vibrant transit villages with homes, businesses, shopping, and entertainment within easy walking distance of their respective MARTA stations.

The BeltLine, Atlanta Streetcar, the Atlanta-Griffin Commuter Rail and other planned rail initiatives promise to extend the reach of MARTA even more with Atlanta being transformed into a world-class transit metropolis.

We at Green Nest Realty are passionate about the lifestyle opportunities these transit trends represent and are eager to help those wishing to buy or sell near MARTA stations achieve their goals.

The New and Improved Rail Estate Rebate^TM

My goal is to live greener, cleaner, and leaner and I appreciate the opportunity to work with those kindred spirits out there whose aim is the same.

Homes within 1/2 mile of MARTA stations -- what I call "Rail Estate" -- give their residents an alternative transportation option that allows them the opportunity to reduce car emissions and congestion on our streets, reduce their car-dependency and fuel bills, and live healthier lifestyles.

And I dig that.

For those wanting to live near MARTA I offer a special incentive: Partner with me on your home search and I'll share my commission with you. I call it the Rail Estate Rebate™.   

The Rail Estate Rebate™ means I share up to 1/2 of the real estate commission I earn when you buy your home. As an example, on the purchase of a $300,000 home, you could receive up to $4,500 in cash after closing. Some conditions apply. Email me or call me at 404.421.9968 for details.

1/2 of a sales commission is an economic stimulus I am willing to share in order to help juice greener, sustainable lifestyles. I just ask that you please refer me to your friends and family if I provide you with outstanding service!