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27 February 2009
Army Hawaii LEED ND Project First in Nation to Complete Stage 1 Certification, begin Stage 2
Army Hawaii Family Housing’s (AHFH) Simpson Wisser LEED for Neighborhood Development (ND) pilot is the first project nationwide to complete Stage 1 certification and begin Stage 2 submittal and certification process. AHFH is one of just a few military residential communities selected to participate in the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) LEED for ND pilot, and the project is generating interest world wide from developers on other military projects. Only 238 projects in the U.S. are part of this elite group taking part in the USGBC pilot, which will help establish and test the first national standard for the design and development of neighborhoods integrating smart growth, new urbanism and green building principles.
The social part of the triple bottom line of sustainability is concerned with acquiring knowledge and sharing that knowledge with others so that the whole community benefits. The Simpson Wisser LEED ND project is proving to be a benefit to the community of neighborhood building on a military installation.
Rigorous standards must be met to achieve LEED-ND certification. Compliance includes third-party verification that site locations and neighborhood design strategies meet the highest levels of environmentally responsible and sustainable development, including density maintenance to reduce urban sprawl; energy efficient, pedestrian oriented development; protection of threatened species and provisions for social well-being and healthy living. Certification also includes specifications for home design and construction; all Simpson Wisser homes will meet, or exceed, LEED certified standards.
Construction at Simpson Wisser began in July, and the first of 77 new homes are expected to be delivered in fall 2009.
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