US Green Building Council announces 2018 LEED Home Awards winners

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), Washington, has announced the recipients of its 2018 LEED Homes Awards, an annual honor given to projects, architects, developers and homebuilders leading the residential green building market.

LEED is the acronym for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and is the green building certification system from USGBC.

"We believe that every building, especially homes, should be green. LEED certified homes enhance the health and wellbeing of occupants by providing clean indoor air and incorporating safe building materials to ensure comfort and safety, and they are designed to save critical resources, use less energy and water and save money," Mahesh Ramanujam, president and CEO of USGBC, says. "The LEED Homes Awards showcase the most inspired and efficient practices in the residential green building movement. These leaders showcase what it means to create a home that balances aesthetic appeal with real human and environmental needs.”

USGBC is advancing its LEED for Homes certification through the most recent installment of LEED version 4.1 (LEED v4.1). Later this year, USGBC will release this most current certification for the residential sector in beta.

The recipients include multifamily, single family and affordable housing projects and companies that used sustainability methods in residential spaces in 2017. LEED Homes Award Recipients include:

Project of the Year: The House at Cornell Tech, Roosevelt Island, New York
Developed by The Hudson Cos., New York City, and Related Cos., New York City, Cornell Tech’s Roosevelt Island campus features The House, a LEED Platinum multifamily residence open to students, staff and faculty. This 26-story full-functioning apartment building uses 60 to 70 percent less energy than that of a similarly sized typical building, USGBC says.

Outstanding Single Family Project: Historic District Infill Home, Decatur, Georgia
Built and owned by Decatur-based SK Collaborative principal Carl Seville, the Historic District Infill Home is LEED Platinum certified. This 100 percent electric home employs concepts in design, construction and mechanical systems.

Outstanding Single Family Developer: Maracay Homes, Scottsdale, Arizona
For more than 25 years Maracay Homes has constructed more than 9,000 homes for families across Phoenix and Tucson and says it strives to provide homebuyers with smarter choices that serve their lifestyle and the environment.

Outstanding Multifamily Project: PassiveTown Phase 3, Building K, Kurobe, Japan
Developed by YKK Fudosan Co., Tokyo, PassiveTown Phase 3, Building K is a LEED Platinum low-rise multifamily residence and the first LEED for Homes project in Japan.

Outstanding Multifamily Developer: The Hudson Cos. Inc., New York City
Started in 1986, The Hudson Cos. Inc. focuses on urban development in the New York metropolitan area. Each of its developments is designed to achieve green building standards like LEED. It currently has completed more than 3,500 housing units and has nearly 5,000 additional units in predevelopment or construction.

Outstanding Affordable Project: Crescent Crossings Phase 1, Bridgeport, Connecticut
Crescent Crossings is the result of a collaboration between JHM Financial Group, Stamford, Connecticut, Crosskey Architects, Hartford, Connecticut, and Viking Construction, Bridgeport, that wanted to create a durable, welcoming community with low tenant utility bills. The first phase of the four-part project achieved LEED Platinum in 2017.

Outstanding Affordable Developer Builder/Developer: Native American Connection, Phoenix, Arizona
Native American Connection says part of its cultural heritage is its mindfulness to how actions affect future generations. Therefore, incorporating LEED into its work is an important step as it gives its tenants a higher quality of life while insuring a healthier future.

USGBC is also recognizing LEED Homes Power Builders, a distinction USGBC established to honor an elite group of developers and builders that have exhibited an outstanding commitment to LEED and the green building movement within the residential sector. To be considered a LEED Homes Power Builder this year, developers and builders must have LEED-certified 90 percent of their homes/unit count built in 2017. Homes at any LEED certification level are eligible for consideration.

2018 LEED Homes Power Builders include

• Construction Rocket Inc., Abercorn, Quebec
• JHM Group
• Habitat for Humanity of Kent County, Grand Rapids, Michigan
• The Dinerstein Cos., Houston
• Metro West Housing Solutions, Lakewood, Colorado
• Forest City Realty Trust, Cleveland
• MHI Dallas
• Gerding Edlen, Portland, Oregon
• Koral & Gobuty Development, Brandenton, Florida
• Frankel Building Group, Houston
• AMLI Residential, Atlanta
• C&C Development, Tustin, California
• Alliance Residential, Phoenix
• Carmel Partners, San Francisco
• Native American Connections
• The Community Builders, Boston
• Thrive Home Builders, Denver
• Active West, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho