Daleville Town Center, a Botetourt County development unique to the Roanoke Valley, unveiled a new type of green building to the community last week. County leaders and guests toured the area’s first EarthCraft home certified to the company’s “gold” standard.
EarthCraft is a program that serves as a blueprint for modern green building, one that can reduce utility bills while helping the environment. EarthCraft Virginia, a not-for-profit, provides technical assistance to participating builders.
An EarthCraft home, which can be any size or type of house, offers tight construction with virtually no air leaks. Fresh air is circulated into the house via a ventilation system. Parts of the home are literally glued to the foundation to create a complete seal and the insulation is sprayed in so that every crack is filled, said Peter Post, superintendent of Fralin and Waldron, Inc (F&W).
F&W is the company responsible for Daleville Town Center, a traditional neighborhood development that touts town-like living, green space and community as its main amenities.
Deb Cheslow, regional technical manager of EarthCraft Virginia, tested the home with a blower door and a duct blaster to measure the tightness of the building during the opening. “Build it tight; ventilate it right,” she said.
The Daleville home is one of only seven in Virginia to receive EarthCraft gold certification. There are 300 EarthCraft homes with any kind of certification in the entire state.
“It’s a whole new concept for our company,” said F&W Architect Adam Pullen.
Paula Smith of Paula V. Smith Interiors took the green theme as far as she could when it came time to decorate, right down to the paint on the walls. The house is called a “four square” and she used crisp, clean lines to echo the motif many times over. The result is an open, airy living space.
This first dwelling will be a model that F&W will use to sell the 300 other homes it hopes to build over the next 10 years in Daleville Town Center. The project encompasses 117 acres and includes a retail area and offices, with a mix of town homes and single-family dwellings. F&W will be the first tenant in the retail area. The company will occupy the space this September; the first residents in the residential area are expected in 2010.
“We’re taking the lead in introducing this type of master planning in southwestern Virginia and helping to educate people on how compact, sustainable communities can set the stage for better living,” Andy Kelderhouse, President of F&W said in a press release.
Daleville Town Center is the first traditional neighborhood development, or TND, in southwestern Virginia. A TND is an effort to create a lasting community, one that is essentially an American town. Successful modern-day prototypes include Seaside and Celebration in Florida.
The idea is to integrate home, work, play, shopping and civic life into a compact, walkable neighborhood. The company has created five classic architectural styles for its housing construction. The architecture has been designed to complement Botetourt County’s rural setting and its long history. All the homes will be energy efficient and equipped with modern conveniences.
“It’s time for all of us to look at the way we live, work and play,” said Karen Waldron, CEO for F&W. “Everything within one community is a return to a traditional lifestyle that simplifies life and complements the local landscape.”
Another tenant at Towne Center: Williams Supply, Inc., a lighting supply store, will occupy 1,559 square feet of the new retail area of Daleville Town Center, according to information from Fralin & Waldron, Inc. Williams Supply will have a lighting showroom with a broad assortment of residential lighting. The company, headquartered in Roanoke, is an employee-owned and operated concern with seven locations in the state. Daleville Town Center is located off US 220 across from Orchard Marketplace. The strip mall development will also feature a Food Lion, which is expected to open soon.
By Anita Firebaugh [email protected]
