Jaffa News

Over 7,400 Projects Certified to National Green Building Standard

As the third anniversary of the National Green Building Standard approaches, the number of green-certified homes and developments continues to grow exponentially along with interest in sustainable design and construction — and an increasing preference for certification to the standard. The vast majority of the certifications have been through the National Green Building Certification Program administered by the NAHB Research Center. At latest count, 7,444 single-family homes and townhomes, apartment and condominium units, residential subdivisions and remodeling and renovation projects had been certified to the standard or its precursor, the Model Green Home Building Guidelines. Particularly remarkable is the increase in multifamily projects certified to the standard, with as many as 24 new projects applying for certification each week.

According to the NAHB Research Center, interest in green certification for multifamily projects is especially growing in urban areas, including Chicago, New York and Washington, D.C. Meanwhile, single-family certifications continue to do well, especially east of the Mississippi River, where home builders in a growing number of markets are certifying to the standard not just to stand apart from the pack — as was the case just two years ago — but to stay competitive with other companies that see green certification as part of the cost of doing business.

Read much more about this growing trend in this special report from the latest edition of Nation's Building News.

Single-Family Housing Starts Rise 4.4% in December

Newly released figures from the U.S. government this week reveal that single-family housing starts increased for a third consecutive month in December to hit a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 470,000 units — their fastest pace since April of 2010. The good news of this 4.4% gain was somewhat masked by the overall rate of housing starts reported for the month, which fell 4.1% to 657,000 units due to a big dip on the multifamily side. However, NAHB Chief Economist David Crowe hastened to explain that the 20.4% decline in multifamily starts to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 187,000 units in December simply brought that sector back to trend, and that apartment production is continuing to gain strength after posting a greater-than 50% rebound in 2011 from the pace set in 2010. Otherwise, said Dave, "This report is in keeping with our expectations for slow but steady improvement in the single-family market," where production hit its lowest yearly rate since the 1940s in 2011. Speaking of the year 2011 as a whole, combined single - and multifamily housing production was pegged at 606,900 units, which was 3.4% better than the overall number in 2010.

Regionally speaking, December housing starts (combined single and multifamily units) rose 54.8% in the Midwest but posted a 41.2% decline in the Northeast, a 3.0% decline in the South and a 17.6% decline in the West. Also reported by the Commerce Department, December permit issuance held virtually flat at a 679,000-unit rate in December, with single-family permits up for the third month in a row, by 1.8% to 444,000 units, and multifamily permits down 3.7% to 235,000 units for the month. Regionally, permits rose 5.8% in the Midwest, held unchanged in the West, declined 6.5% in the Northeast and edged down 0.6% in the South in December. Read NAHB's press release for more, or view the government's full report online.

Interiors

Unifying and Dividing Great Rooms

As architecture evolves into more and more open space plans, which we see the most in Park City as large great rooms, it is critical to do two things: unify the spaces (after all, you are in one big room) and bring the space into human scale (make the space warm and inviting).

In this residence the living room passes through a dining area an kitchen into the family room, with a fireplace anchoring both spaces. We created flow in this open living space by repeating elements: the materials, color scheme and by using a common silhouette, the repetition provides unity and a restfulness in the space.

We used rich earth tones pulled from the fireplace stone in the upholstery to carry one area into the next. The red accents provide dimension and interest in each area.

In this great room all the furniture is very streamlined, the upholstery carries square backs and modified track arms, this is recalled in the barstools, the informal dining chairs as well as the hearth area.

Bringing a human scale into large great rooms makes them more accessible. This great room has two seating areas divided by the dining area. We've also created a visual barrier with the console behind this sofa, the placement of the lamp and accessories creates a bit of a barrier that privatizes the living room while maintaining the integrity of the space. And while all the pieces work in harmony, the breaking of the space makes this great room much warmer and more livable.

Architectural Feature

Architectural Titanium

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Green Product / Recycle News

Choosing Green Kitchen Remodels

Kitchens are an excellent candidate for homeowners who look to "green" their home improvement projects. Even if you're just upgrading your countertops, cabinets, appliances, or plumbing, a green kitchen remodel is a great starting place for a greener home.

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Testimonial

“Closet Factory has enjoyed working with the Jaffa Group on several projects. We continue to be impressed by their uncompromising approach to quality and their clarity of vision. As a subcontractor, having a client who is this organized and professional at all levels of their operation makes working for them a pleasure.”

~ Amanda Trickett & Closet Factory