Sunset Green Home is a sustainable, energy-efficient new home construction project that received Platinum Certification Under the LEED® for Homes green building program. The LEED certification program is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of green buildings.
The house before Hurricane Sandy...
On October 29, 2012, Hurricane Sandy battered the east coast with strong winds and a severe storm surge. The owners' charming 1940s cottage, which sat five feet above sea level on the site of the Sunset Green Home project, was no match for the storm. When the storm abated and the water retreated, what was left was a "Substantially Damaged" home that would have to be rebuilt to comply with 21st century building codes at a minimum of 12 feet above sea level.
...and afterward.
The home had been damaged by Hurricane Irene only one year earlier. So, with great respect for Mother Nature and her ability to wreak havoc on the site, the owners decided to build the most resilient home possible to reduce the chance of such severe damage in what we believe will be an inevitable next storm. While designing our new home, they learned that the town had passed a property tax exemption for LEED certified homes. Because the Sunset Green Home project was already being designed as a resilient, sustainable home that would incorporate green construction materials and environmentally friendly strategies, the owners opted to seek LEED certification and be the first custom home building project in the town to take advantage of the new tax incentives.
The Sunset Green Home Project earned LEED Platinum certification in January 2016.
LEED and the related logo is a trademark owned by the U.S. Green Building Council and is used with permission.
The U.S. Green Building Council® is committed to a prosperous and sustainable future for our nation through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings. With a community comprising 78 local affiliates, more than 20,000 member companies and organizations, and more than 140,000 LEED® Professionals™, USGBC® is the driving force of an industry that is projected to contribute $554 billion to the U.S. gross domestic product from 2009-2013. USGBC leads an unlikely diverse constituency of builders and environmentalists, Corporations and nonprofit organizations, elected officials and concerned citizens, and teachers and students. USGBC is the developer of the LEED green building certification program and the convenor of the Greenbuild® International Conference & Expo.