Herlong Architects

When it comes to green building, two of the gold standards are EarthCraft House and the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. A program of the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association since 1999, EarthCraft is used by residential builders to create more sustainable and energy-efficient homes.

The U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED program focuses primarily on commercial building, although it has launched a LEED for Homes program to focus on residential building projects.

When it comes time to select an architect or a builder for your home, it’s important to question companies on their understanding and familiarity with these programs. As the popularity of going green has grown in the last few years, many companies are jumping on the green bandwagon and claiming they are green builders, sustainable companies or implementing environmentally friendly practices, when in reality, they may just be recycling office paper and little else.

Don’t be fooled by this practice of “greenwashing” and know what questions to ask your architect or builder to determine their level of skill and expertise in the areas of green design and building.

• Ask how many staff members have been trained in green design or building. Are any of them accredited through LEED or do they have other accreditations or training from reputable sources?
• Ask for examples of other green building projects they have done. Organizations like the U.S. Green Building Council maintain a list of buildings that have been certified through LEED, so do some homework online.
• Ask for references. Talk to other clients who have built sustainable homes to find out how satisfied they were with the process.
• Do your own research. There is a wealth of information for people interested in sustainable home design. Have an idea of the products and materials you want to use, such as bamboo flooring, energy-efficient HVAC units or low-VOC paint. Know what materials are available and their costs. Solar panels might sound like a great idea, but can you afford them at this point?

Learn more: Here’s a good article from EcoHome magazine on the green impact EarthCraft House has had on Atlanta.

Herlong & Associates just celebrated two milestones: entering our second decade of business and obtaining our first EarthCraft certified green house. 

Over the years, people are drawn to our homes for the design, and how beautifully the house takes advantage of the views and the sun orientation.  But as a company we are known for designing beautiful custom homes not necessarily ‘green’ homes. We know that our homes are extremely energy efficient, as we design a tight building envelope, we use high performing low-e double glazed windows, and spray insulation. We take care installing the windows and doors so that they are flashed properly, and do not have any air leakage around the edges. We install multiple mechanical systems, one for each separate zone in the house and specify energy efficient 15 seer dual speed HVAC units. But we did not have a test case to prove that our typical house was in fact a ‘green’ house. High performance yes, but actually certified, no.

The Silverman’s new home on Daniel Island changed all that.  At just under 4,300 square feet, the Silvermans wanted to build a sensible but comfortable home, one that would fit the Earthcraft model. The mechanical system used was no different than one we would typically place in a house. They did not limit their selections based on the newest green hype (concrete countertops, bamboo or cork floors); they chose what they liked and what suited their needs. In fact, we did not add any green products just to make the house ‘green’. What we did do is follow the model we have set in place for each home we design – create a high performance, healthy and comfortable home that reduces energy bills and protects the environment, all part of the EarthCraft guidelines. We accomplished this by obtaining the EarthCraft certification for the house and creating a special place for a special client.  

In the end all we can say is, ‘Welcome home Silvermans, welcome home’.

EarthCraft home designed by Herlong & Associates