Top Articles from EarthCraft in 2017

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 2017 in a single word, it would be “impact.” Over the past 12 months, EarthCraft has worked to expand the reach of the green building industry in the Southeast. Now more than ever, there is a need to engage in dialogue on the importance of high performance buildings and its impact throughout the region. From new options to achieve certification to its influence on urban planning and development, EarthCraft has become more accessible for individuals, families, and communities. While the program will continue to evolve as the industry grows and shifts, EarthCraft’s commitment to improving quality of life and helping families save money will remain steadfast.

Read our top articles of 2017:

• In EarthCraft breathes new life into Decatur homes, EarthCraft and the City of Decatur amended the City’s High Performance Building Standards. Originally passed in the 2015, the standards require all new residential and commercial projects in Decatur to be certified under a qualifying green building program. In 2017, EarthCraft conducted research to determine the financial implications of including substantial renovations in the standards. Today, the City of Decatur has become a leader in sustainability and urbanism across the metro Atlanta area.

• Fulton Supply Lofts earn green certification highlighted the shared priorities and best practices of historic preservation and sustainable building methods. The first multifamily project to receive EarthCraft certification as a historic building, Fulton Supply Lofts was converted from an old warehouse into refurbished loft apartments and helped save more than 30 percent in energy use per unit.

• In July, we saw EarthCraft Sustainable Preservation named a finalist in 2017 Atlanta E3 Awards. The nomination recognized the partnership between Southface and the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation and the importance of sustainability in the built environment.

• East Point City Hall project announced the groundbreaking of the multimillion dollar City Hall in East Point, Georgia. The city hopes that construction of the facility will spur local economic growth and provide opportunity for the region to emphasize its commitment to sustainable building practices through EarthCraft Light Commercial certification.

• EarthCraft Awards celebrate “well-built for well-being” excellence is always one of the year’s most viewed articles. This year, 15 awards were presented to builders, architects, industry partners, and project teams across the Southeast for their work on promoting and growing the EarthCraft program. Project award winners included single-family custom homes to large-scale community developments and neighborhoods.

• We recently announced that EarthCraft can now certify your commercial interior spaces, a new opportunity for project teams and property managers to achieve green certification in existing commercial structures. The introduction of this certification path reflects EarthCraft’s goals to reach new markets while remaining accessible and streamlined in its processes.

As we head into 2018, we are excited to continue making a positive impact in the green building and high performance building industry. Be sure to follow us on Facebook to stay up-to-date on exciting news and announcements in the next year!