The Hills at Charlesworth sustainable community

Complementary to third-party certified BUILT GREEN® building programs

The Hills at Charlesworth, a new development by Beaverbrook Communities in Southeast Edmonton, saw its official grand opening Saturday, June 25 complete with a formal ribbon cutting at the community’s Sustainability Plaza—reflecting this new community’s focus on sustainability.

Beaverbrook Communities had shown their leadership and made a commitment to sustainability, whereby all homes in the development must be built to specifications that require sustainable building practices. Though different in appearance, each home is built to meet certain architectural and environmental standards. It is built for people with the planet in mind. The grand opening saw 14 show homes for viewing including Alquinn Homes, Bedrock Homes, Dolce Vita Homes and Jayman BUILT.

This approach is complementary to two of the builders: Bedrock Homes and Jayman BUILT, both of whom certify their builds through Built Green Canada: a nonprofit organization that delivers third-party certified sustainability programs to the residential industry. These programs take a holistic approach to sustainability building practices that includes energy efficiency and addresses the preservation of natural resources, reduction of pollution, ventilation and air quality, and the improvement of home durability.

For Single Family homes, a BUILT GREEN® certification includes a two-in-one: an EnerGuide label through Natural Resources Canada and a BUILT GREEN® seal. These are usually affixed to the home’s furnace or electrical box. The certification recognizes the authenticity of the home and allows the homeowner to review a detailed report and a checklist showing the products used. This serves as a terms of reference for the maintenance of the home and provides a gauge on home performance expectations associated with the certification.

For those considering the purchase of a BUILT GREEN® home, there are many advantages, including living in a healthier, more durable home with a lower environmental impact, with a reduction in monthly operating costs, rebates, and more.

Bedrock Homes and Jayman BUILT continue to be market leaders and advocates for sustainable practices, with the latter being Built Green Canada’s founding company. They’re among a group of BUILT GREEN® builders who are required to meet a set of membership criteria, which includes training requirements. This progressive group of builders remains ahead of regulated code changes delivering innovation in their builds. For a list of BUILT GREEN® builders visit www.builtgreencanada.ca/greater-edmonton

If you’re already working with a builder ask them for a BUILT GREEN® home—if they aren’t already a member, we can help www.builtgreencanada.ca/become-a-member

Built Green Canada is based out of Edmonton with representation in Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Ontario, and has now expanded into Manitoba. To-date, over 26,900 projects have been BUILT GREEN® certified represented in Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Ontario—including the units in multi-storey projects, the total is over 27,350.