In the new generation of environmental awareness, consumers are looking to make a positive difference by conserving resources, recycling more than ever and choosing energy efficient products. It’s also a big reason why “green” is now the favorite color among many home shoppers.
Single-family residences aren’t the only homes that can boast green benefits. When they’re carefully planned, efficiently designed and well-built, attached homes like new condominiums, townhomes and rowhomes can save big money on energy costs and help reduce our collective carbon footprint. New home buyers will find that these homes are traditionally smaller square footage in size than single-family homes, which means there is less home to build and consume natural resources, along with less home to maintain, heat and cool.
“According to the U.S. Green Building Council, infill properties like the attached home communities we build are often the ‘greenest’ of all development sites,” said Bruce Adreani, President of Norwood Builders. “This is because they re-use existing land structures such as old parking lots and abandoned buildings and often times restore surrounding landscaping and greenery into the environment.”
Additionally, a mutlifamily building is by its very nature considered green since it compacts a multitude of homes per acre of land, he said. Norwood Builders’ typical building layout is approximately 25 homes per acre, which equates to roughly four times the recommended averaging housing density for a development, added Adreani.
What’s more, developers like Norwood Builders choose to build transit-oriented developments in or near downtown suburban locations which creates more than just a convenience to residents.
“Being within walking distance to Metra and other public transportation, plus on-site and in-town retail establishments, means you don’t have to drive a car to get where you need to go and can walk to do errands and everyday tasks,” said Adreani. “Not only can you walk to familiar places as well as the train and bus stops, but you don’t have to take on the expense of an extra car. Think of all the gas, insurance, and maintenance money—not to mention the car payments and cost to purchase an additional parking space—that you can potentially save.”
When it’s time to drive, Norwood residents appreciate their community’s expedient accessibility to major expressways.
“What’s more, homeowners at every one of our properties appreciate the convenience and luxury of heated, indoor parking in a secured garage, which means no brushing off snow or wasting excess gas to warm up the car,” Adreani noted. ”Plus, since many of these parking areas are located underneath or on the main level of the overall building, there is more available land for green space, parks and other natural resources.”
Yet, it’s inside a Norwood Builders home itself where you truly reap the rewards of selecting an energy-conscious developer. Norwood Builders follows an exacting standard of construction, employing concrete masonry walls and 10-inch-thick precast concrete planking in the ceilings and floors of all its buildings. The density of these materials helps to thermally insulate more efficiently, saving owners money on heating and cooling bills. This density also creates a mass dampening effect that naturally decreases sound transmissions and secondary vibrations and provides the best possible fire barrier for a multifamily building.
Also, “our buildings provide hydronic radiant heat systems, which automatically and efficiently heat each unit via hot water that travels through copper tubing,” said Adreani. “Each residence additionally benefits from high-efficiency centrally located boilers in the building, as well as a ‘second-zone’ thermostat that allows for customized temperature control. The result is a much more effective and economical method of climate control than if each unit was installed with a traditional forced-air furnace and air conditioning unit.” Considering that natural gas and other utilities are bundled together into a shared building cost reflected in your monthly assessments, every homeowner saves significantly on energy bills, Adreani pointed out.
“Every one of our communities is thoughtfully designed and meticulously crafted, and we take pride in being able to build a quality home that can benefit the community, too,” said Adreani.
