Multifamily Goes Green
Crescent Communities Named NGBS Partner of Excellence
At Crescent Communities, our commitment to stewardship defines the work we do. We emphasize the importance of people, planet, and community as they relate to decisions that we make daily. Focusing on initiatives that address all three elements of stewardship ensures that our efforts have the greatest impact. Incorporating meaningful green building practices into the development and construction of our communities demonstrates the clear connection of these three elements. The benefits of green-certified communities positively influence the people who live, work, and play there. Green-certified buildings and spaces positively contribute to the environment, and the community as a whole.
Our multifamily communities are certified (or pursuing certification) under either the National Green Building Standard (NGBS) or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). Many people are familiar with LEED, and NGBS is relatively similar. To earn certification to the National Green Building Standard, a multifamily building must meet rigorous criteria in six categories – Lot & Site Development; Resource Efficiency; Energy Efficiency; Water Efficiency; Indoor Environmental Quality; and Homeowner Education. There are mandatory practices in each category that every Green Certified home or building must meet, and there are a wide range of additional optional practices in each category that a builder can select based on the applicability to buyers or renters in their market. There are also point minimums in every category in order for a building to attain the next level of certification, which is a more stringent requirement than any other national certification program.
Building to a green standard such as the NGBS ensures residents that their home will be comfortable and efficient. With reduced energy use, water consumption, and construction waste, we limit our impact on the environment. By incorporating walkability and access into community design, we are connecting to the greater community.
While we choose to incorporate green building practices and seek certification because it’s the right thing to do, we have also been recognized for our achievements. Crescent Communities has been named a Home Innovation NGBS Green Partner of Excellence for 2019, an honor we also achieved in both 2017 and 2018. NGBS Green, which is based on the National Green Building Standard™ (NGBS), has certified more homes than any other national green home certification program. Being one of an elite group of Home Innovation’s green certification participants to be recognized validates the commitment Crescent Communities has made to providing its customers with increased value, comfort, durability, and efficiency through its NGBS Green Certified apartment homes.
We know that industry standards will continue to change, and we are continually evaluating our practices to ensure that we are incorporating meaningful environmental and wellness initiatives in each of our communities. The Crescent Communities team is currently evaluating our practices. We will be adopting the latest version of the NGBS program with new communities under construction, further driving innovation and raising our green standards. As we plan for continued growth, the future looks GREEN and bright!
