Artisan Custom Homes In Cornelius, Lake Norman, Mooresville & Kannapolis, NC

Green building solutions & options

Artisan Custom Homes Custom Homes recently completed construction on the first home in the town of Davidson, North Carolina to be Green-Certified by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). The home, located in the Davidson Wood neighborhood, is also an Energy Star® Qualified Home. The structure incorporates building strategies that focus on energy and water efficiency, resource-efficient building design and materials, and indoor environmental quality.

"We're proud to be the custom builder for this home and hope it can serve as a model for other homeowners and builders," said Artisan Custom Homes partner, Brad Remmey. "Building a green home doesn't require major changes in all phases of construction. Often, small adjustments can make a huge difference in terms of efficiency." Remmey and the other partners of Artisan Custom Homes, Jay Johnstone and John Shryock, have earned the designation of Certified Green Professionals from the NAHB.

"We wanted a green home because of the long-term costs savings that come due to increased efficiencies, and also because it felt like the right thing to do for the environment," said homeowner Tim Dreffer.
 

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Green features of this Artisan Custom Homes structure include a tankless water heater, foam insulation, a sealed crawlspace, low VOC paints, low E windows, higher SEER HVAC units, and Energy Star appliances. One of the most unique features is a 6,000-gallon water cistern, which is actually a recycled gas tank from a gas station, that collects water runoff. "All water for lawn irrigation then comes from this tank," said Artisan Custom Homes partner John Shryock. "It's a pretty ingenious concept to reuse this huge tank which then allows the homeowner to reuse rainwater."

Southern Energy Management verified that the home has the necessary components to receive NAHB Green Certification and Energy Star qualification. This verification typically begins with a design review where suggestions can be made to improve efficiency. The home is then inspected at the pre-drywall stage and then after construction is completed. Each green component that is verified is worth a point value and homes must earn a specific point total to receive certification.

"There are some builders who may claim to be green because they install low-flow shower heads or energy efficient appliances," said Jon Goode of Southern Energy Management. "In contrast, this home is actually certified by a nationally recognized organization and verified by a third party."

The home also recently won an award as one of the Best Green Custom Homes in the Lake Norman Home Builders Association's Best Of The Lake Design Competition.

"Interest is growing in green building," said Artisan Custom Homes partner Jay Johnstone," It's a trend that we plan to encourage for Davidson and the entire region."