Press Release:
A milestone was reached Friday, Nov. 5 in the ongoing cooperative efforts between the local U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and the City of Orlando Housing Division to construct affordable homes in a more sustainable manner. Friday, marks the beginning of the third house to be built as a result of this partnership.
The two entities have joined through a Green Building Practice Group in order to help residential construction professionals learn about the process of designing, building and maintaining a more sustainable home in a more cost effective manner.
On Friday, L&L Demolition razed the home at 1010 Colyer Street in Downtown Orlando to begin the reconstruction of the home to be built with stringent LEED requirements for the same cost as building to current building and energy codes, and the dwelling’s current residents will gain from lower monthly utility bills. The home will have an energy-efficient heating and air conditioning unit, enhanced indoor air quality, Energy Star appliances and lighting, and water conserving plumbing and fixtures.
This is the City’s third affordable house registered under the LEED (Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design) for Homes program and reinforces Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer’s commitment to sustainable practices, with assistance from the non-profit USGBC Central Florida Chapter.
During pre-construction meetings, the volunteer USGBC Central Florida members participating with the chapter’s Residential Green Building Advocacy (RGBA) committee have met with Bryan Booth, a City of Orlando housing rehabilitations specialist, the home builder, and other contractors on the project in order to assist in the process of certifying the house under the LEED Green Building Rating System.
The RGBA committee volunteers will continue to provide the City with access to its members who hold the LEED-AP (Accredited Professional) credential and other valuable green building skills and experience as construction continues at the site.
The project will also provide training for new USGBC members who want to gain LEED for Homes project experience, as well as training for the builder and the project subcontractors, so they can provide the community with more responsible and money saving building options.