HAVEN CUSTOM HOMES COMPLETES ITS FIRST EARTHCRAFT HOUSE, ENERGY STAR-CERTIFIED HOMES IN SOUTH CAROLINA COMMUNITY 
CHARLESTON, S.C. – Baltimore, Md.-based Haven Custom Homes, in conjunction with Old Man Construction of Charleston, S.C., and Cobalt LLC, has completed its first five EarthCraft House™ and ENERGY STAR-certified custom homes, furthering its continuing commitment to creating energy efficient, eco-friendly homes. The certified homes are located in South Carolina’s Hunley Waters community and provide a model for healthy, comfortable homes that improve energy efficiency by up to 20 percent.
EarthCraft House and ENERGY STAR homes include a number of important features that are directly beneficial to homeowners, including effective insulation, high-performance windows, tight construction and ducts, efficient heating and cooling equipment, lighting and appliances, and third-party verification.
“It is, and always has been, the goal at Haven Custom Homes to create high-quality, healthy homes that reduce energy costs and provide a better living environment for homeowners,” said John Ragland, executive vice president of land acquisitions and marketing for Haven Custom Homes. “We are proud to offer eco-friendly, energy efficient homes in today’s marketplace, and we are currently in the process of creating additional EarthCraft House and ENERGY STAR-ready homes in more communitiesthroughout the Southeastern United States.”
To meet EarthCraft House and ENERGY STAR certification, a home must typically undergo a Home Energy Rating System (HERS) review, including subsequent verification tests, to determine if it meets energy efficiency guidelines set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The lower the score a home receives on the HERS test, the more energy efficient it is. A traditional home in metro Atlanta, for instance, scores an average of 100 on the test while the EarthCraft House-certified homes at Hunley Waters received scores in the low 80s.
“A home’s HERS score truly identifies and validates its claim to being energy efficient,” said Ted Cater, Manager of Development and Communications for EarthCraft House. “When we conduct testing, we focus on quality, tight construction, energy efficiency and the health of a home. These are the factors that will benefit homeowners as it relates to their health and the sustainability of their home.”
The HERS tests for homes in Hunley Waters were conducted by Southface, a nonprofit corporation promoting sustainable homes through the EarthCraft House program. The program, created in conjunction with the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association, was one of the pioneers in green certification programs and serves as a regional blueprint for energy- and resource-efficient homes.
Hunley Waters, developed by Cobalt LLC, is the first sustainable, eco-friendly community in North Charleston, S.C. Designed by Charleston-based firm Beau Clowney Design, the homes in the community range in size from 1,700 square feet to 1,996 square feet and feature open, spacious floor plans with stunning wraparound porches and private rear decks offering expansive views of Noisette Creek and the surrounding marsh. The homes include numerous windows, nine- and 10-foot ceilings and ENERGY STAR appliances.
  The EarthCraft House- and ENERGY STAR-certified homes in Hunley Waters were constructed at Haven Custom Homes’ environmentally protected state-of-the-art facility in South Carolina. Haven Custom Homes was able to create the homes in its facility with an experienced, well-trained workforce using precision tooling to create consistently straight walls, square corners, fitted windows and flat ceilings. The controlled environment protected the homes from weather preventing warping and moisture damage. Haven Custom Homes’ tested methods resulted in the homes being delivered to the community three times faster than conventional construction methods.
“We believe in creating healthy, green homes from design to completion and the EarthCraft House program allows recognition for meeting the highest of standards,” Ragland said. “It is our ultimate goal to create homes that are sustainable and enhance the quality of residents’ lives for years to come.”
Haven Custom Homes is currently in the process of completing homes that will be reviewed for EarthCraft House and ENERGY STAR certification in Overlook at Battery Creek, a community located in Beaufort, S.C., being developed by PEC
Development Group of Atlanta. The homes in Overlook are designed by some of the country’s most celebrated architectural firms, including Allison Ramsey Architects, Looney Ricks Kiss Architects and Moser Design Group. The homes range in size from 1,917 square feet to 2,466 square feet and feature open, efficient floor plans with stunning front porches and are surrounded by moss-draped great live oaks, nature trails, communal green spaces and the community’s natural marsh. EarthCraft House and ENERGY STAR testing for these homes are expected to be completed upon their completion in June through August.
For more than 30 years, Haven Custom Homes has been a leader in the construction of custom modular homes. Haven Custom Homes currently works with builders throughout the East Coast in some of the most discriminating neighborhoods, including Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket, the Hamptons, Hilton Head and Charleston, S.C., Savannah, Ga., and WaterSound, Fla. Haven Custom Homes is headquarted outside Baltimore, Md., and currently operates three climate-controlled production facilities, two in Pennsylvania and one in South Carolina. Haven Custom Homes’ commitment to quality design, innovation and superior craftsmanship is its trademark.
Haven Custom Homes was the recipient of the Best In American Living Award (BALA) for 2007 Home of the Year sponsored by the National Association of Home Builders and was privileged to partner in the building of the Southern Living Idea House in Florida and the Cottage Living Idea Home in New Orleans during 2007.
For more information about Haven Custom Homes, visit www.HavenHomes.com or call (410) 694-0098.
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1.) Baltimore, Md.-based Haven Custom Homes has completed its first EarthCraft House and ENERGY STAR certified custom homes in South Carolina’s Hunley Waters community.
2.) Designed by renowned Charleston-based firm Beau Clowney Design and Old Man Construction, the homes at Hunley Waters range in size from 1,700 square feet to 1,996 square feet and feature open, spacious floor plans with stunning wraparound porches and private rear decks offering expansive views of Noisette Creek and the surrounding marsh.
3.) EarthCraft House and ENERGY STAR certified homes include a number of important features that are directly beneficial to homeowners, including effective insulation, high-performance windows, tight construction and ducts, efficient heating and cooling equipment, lighting and appliances, and third-party verification. |