Southface Institute: Blog

The new statewide energy code went into effect at the beginning of this year, making it easier to receive financial incentives for a high-performing home. Amelia Godfrey, program manager of EarthCraft, shares the incentives available for homes that are built or renovated to meet the minimum standard. While there are several ways to build a high-performance home, many can be accompanied by low additional costs.

ATLANTA, GA – October 07, 2019 – Southface Institute and the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation have partnered once again to continue making historic preservation sustainable. In a partnership with the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation and EarthCraft, 1138 Harwell St. began as an endangered historical property and has been transformed into a renovated model for affordably priced housing in Atlanta. The historic home is now on the market and will be available to tour on Thursday, October 16th.

As consumers become increasingly aware of the benefits that green buildings offer, builders and developers are following suit. According to a recent study from the National Association of Home Builders, at least one-third of single and multifamily builders surveyed reported that green buildings make up a “significant portion” of their overall activity, representing more than 60 percent of their portfolio. Additionally, incentives from local municipalities and utility companies make green building and retrofitting an attractive option for homebuilders and homeowners.

By David Bailey and Pamela Henman A single-family home has never before achieved EarthCraft Sustainable Preservation certification, but thanks to The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation and a longtime resident …

Continue reading "EarthCraft Makes History with the Georgia Trust"

  It is now 2018, and with a new year comes updates to the EarthCraft House Program. It’s no secret that 2017 was a busy and developmental year for EarthCraft …

Continue reading "EarthCraft House Version 2: What To Expect"

For EarthCraft, 2017 was a year of growth and sustained commitment to improving high performance, energy efficiency, and environment stewardship in buildings throughout the community. If we had to describe …

Continue reading "Top Articles from EarthCraft in 2017"

  In 2015, the City of Decatur passed a unified development ordinance (UDO) requiring all new residential and commercial construction to be “green certified.” Known as Decatur’s High Performance Building …

Continue reading "The Nuts & Bolts of Decatur’s High Performing Building Standard"

  The EarthCraft Light Commercial program is about to get “retrofitted.” This month, the EarthCraft Light Commercial (ECLC) team is pushing out its certification program for commercial interior spaces. Referred …

Continue reading "EarthCraft Can Now Certify Your Commercial Interior Spaces"

Every year, the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) presents an award to a vibrant, walkable community that has made great progresses in advancing its Livable Centers Initiative (LCI) vision. Located in Fairburn, Ga, Manor at Broad Street is an affordable, senior living community that received a 2017 Development of Excellence Award.