Green Building practices promote construction of buildings that are healthier for the occupants and healthier for the environment. The policy of GreenCity Lofts, LLC is to establish sustainability as a priority and further demonstrate our commitment to the environment.
Sustainable or “green” building practices can reduce the tremendous impact that building design, construction and maintenance has on both people and nature. According to the U.S. Department of Energy's Center for Sustainable Development, buildings consume 40% of the world's total energy, 25% of its wood harvest and 16% of its water. Energy and material consumption in buildings can contribute significantly to global climate change.
Sustainable building practices go beyond energy and water conservation to incorporate environmentally sensitive site planning, resource efficient building materials and superior indoor environmental quality. Some of the key benefits are:
• Environmentally effective use of building materials
• Enhanced health and productivity
• Reduced environmental impact
Windows are placed in each home to provide the appropriate amount of natural daylighting. Radiant floor heating provides homeowners with unparalled comfort, warmth, and draft-free even heat throughout. At our design center, you will also see, feel and learn about the wide choices of beautiful interior finishes.
View the Green Glossary
Hydronic radiant floor heating: Uses a gas-fired boiler to heat water up to 130 degrees and a pump to circulate the water through plastic pipes embedded in the concrete sub-floor. The pipes conduct the warmth to the surface of the floor, where it radiates heat into the room, saving 20 to 40 percent of the cost over conventional methods. Radiant heat systems eliminate the noise and draft of forced-air systems, so dust and germs aren't blown around.
Formaldehyde-free products: Formaldehyde is a colorless gas compound (HCHO) used in manufactured products such as the adhesives used in wood products, some fiberglass insulation, construction adhesives, paints and finish products. It can be inhaled or absorbed through the skin and can irritate eyes, mucous membranes and the upper respiratory system.
Zero- and low-VOC paints: These paints, stains and varnishes are water-based instead of petroleum-based, so they don't release volatile organic compounds. The levels of harmful emissions are lower than in solvent-borne surface coatings. These certified coatings also contain no or very low levels of heavy metals and formaldehyde.
Bamboo flooring: Bamboo, actually a grass and not wood, produces new shoots each year. Individual stems are harvested from controlled forests every three to five years.
FSC products: Wood bearing the FSC (Forest Steward Council) logo guarantees that it was sustainably harvested from a certified, well-managed forest.
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