Going for the Green by Jimmy Booth

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Going for the Green

by Jimmy Booth | 0, Add your Comment | May 18, 2009

showcaserenovate09 Being “green” can most assuredly be a good thing, as evidenced by the 5th annual Showcase Homes which will be highlighted during the 2009 Southern Building Show and Conference, coming up Thursday through Saturday, June 4-6, at the Cobb Galleria Exhibition Center in the Northeast Atlanta metro area.

This year’s event, which is the 16th annual Southern Building Show (SBS), will feature New and Renew Showcase Home Projects, including one new home and one renovation project, both of which are certified under the EarthCraft House Program.

Carl Seville of Seville Consulting of Decatur, Georgia, who is the project and sponsor coordinator for this year’s New and Renew Showcase Home Projects, said the two homes, which are in the final phases of construction, will be open to SBS attendees interested in gaining more knowledge about green building and renovation techniques and products. Others interested in more information about the projects, including a list of the sponsors, can go online to www.southernbuildingshowcase.com.

The Southern Building Show (www.southernbuildingshow.com) is the south’s premier event for builders, remodelers, and design professionals. The Showcase Homes, which feature the latest green building techniques and products, have been a major attraction of the show since 2005.

showcasenew09 Seville said the two homes spotlighted this year represent high quality, mainstream green building and remodeling. “They show how green building can be a key component of high quality homes without sacrificing any of the creature comforts that today’s homeowners demand,” he noted.

The new home for the 2009 Showcase Homes project, which is in Buckhead, was designed by Michael Tucker of Sweetbriar Architects Atlanta and is being built by Mike LaBelle of AFG Builders. Advanced green building techniques have been employed, including a pre-cast foundation and spray foam insulation, as well as advanced framing and high performance HVAC. The project is a pilot project for the Building America/National Home Builders Association research project targeting 40-70 percent reduction in energy usage and will be the subject of a case study and articles when completed, including being featured in Today’s Custom Home magazine.

The 2009 Showcase Homes renovation project is being carried out by SawHorse Inc., the renovation division of The Hoots Group. This addition and renovation to a historic residence in the Druid Hills neighborhood, designed by Surber Barber Choate and Hertlein Architects, pushes the limits of high performance residential renovation and will be featured in Atlanta Home Improvement Magazine.

As project and sponsor coordinator for the New and Renew Showcase Homes Projects, Seville has been responsible for finding and working with the sponsors for the projects, as well as working with the project builders on special events, public relations and other activities throughout the process. He has also provided EarthCraft Certification services. Seville, who originated the concept of the Southern Building Showcase Homes in 2005, previously served as project/sponsor coordinator in 2006 and 2008. He was the builder for the Showcase Home in 2005 and 2007.

Top illustration: Druid Hills renovation

Lower illustration: New Buckhead home

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Jimmy Booth

Jimmy Booth, who was born in Hahira, Georgia, and who was a longtime Atlanta area journalist and public relations consultant, moved in fall of 2006 from Peachtree City, Georgia, to Dahlonega, Georgia. He and his wife Margo have become involved with some Dahlonega-based not-for-profit cultural arts organizations working to keep alive the traditional mountain music and art which are a vital part of the area's heritage. Jimmy graduated from Emory University, where he served as editor of The Emory Wheel. During his journalistic career, Jimmy worked as publisher or editor of several Georgia weekly and small daily newspapers, and he was a section editor for The Atlanta Journal and Constitution. At the present time, he handles publicity for several special events and organizations in the Dahlonega area. He also serves as content editor for the blog created by the Appalachian Studies Center at the University of North Georgia.

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