First GOLD Home in Rhode Island
New ‘Green’ Home in Cumberland Gets Gold Certification as Development of RI’s First Green Neighborhood Progresses
The three-bedroom colonial is the first Rhode Island home to achieve green certification from the National Association of Home Builders, a new alternative to LEED
Cumberland, R.I. – June 25, 2009 – From its exterior, the brown colonial on Armas Court with farmer’s porch, gable and two-car garage appears attractive, but not unusual. Its interior features the trademarks of many new high-end homes – hardwood floors, granite countertops, stainless-steel kitchen appliances and an open floor plan. This home’s standard extraordinary qualities, however, begin to be revealed with each month’s utility bills.
“Thanks to new and affordable building technologies, this home consumes 50 percent less energy and saves thousands of gallons of water compared to the average Rhode Island household, making it better for the environment,” said builder Joseph J. Samra III, of MEJJ Development LLC. “It’s better for the homeowners, too. The house is air tight and equipped with an air filtration system to replace stale air with treated fresh air. The result is healthier, easier breathing for the family and occupants.”
It’s also easier on the wallet. According to Samra, the home can save its owners, Keith and Marlene Marshall, a total of at least $1500 annually on heat, electricity and water, which will offset the additional 2 percent of total construction cost for green materials and technologies within five years.
Samra recently completed construction on the two-story, 3,000-square-foot structure, which received gold certification – the highest achievement in green building – for its low environmental impact during the construction process, energy-efficiency, water conservation and several other factors. The home is the first in Rhode Island to earn certification through the National Green Building Program™, a third party verified certification process established and launched last winter by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). This program is a feasible construction alternative to the popular Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification program, sponsored by the U.S. Green Building Council, which can be costly for homeowners and laborious to complete.
“MEJJ’s green neighborhood is a bellwether for residential development here in Rhode Island.” said Roger Warren, executive director for the Rhode Island Builders Association. “It demonstrates that sustainable development is gaining market acceptance by consumers.”
Samra is one of the few “green” residential builders in the state, which distinguishes his finished product from the thousands of new and existing homes available for sale in the current housing market. MEJJ prides itself in being different, giving the highest attention to detail and providing “green for the mainstream” options for every homeowner. Several functional home designs are available in one or two stories, with options to customize features to the homeowner’s liking.
In addition to the Marshall home, Samra is completing construction of a second green home as part of the seven-lot, Wooded Acres at Overhill subdivision off Diamond Hill Road. A third lot has been reserved for construction with the remaining four lots available for sale.