Desert Star Construction remains a pioneer of green building construction in Arizona. Their most recent accomplishment in the sustainability arena is their completion of the first-ever LEED for Homes residence in Silverleaf, AZ.
Being first with sustainability initiatives is tradition for the Scottsdale, Arizona-based luxury home builder who became the first custom builder to employ a LEED AP for Homes professional in the state of Arizona, the first to achieve LEED certification in Paradise Valley, and the first to complete a LEED Gold full-service restaurant in Arizona with the renovation of the Paradise Valley landmark El Chorro Lodge.
“All of our residences are built to accomplish the highest standard of sustainability,” stated DSC Project Manager David Schumm. “We anticipate from the start the green features we want to integrate into the home, which enables our sustainability efforts to integrate perfectly with design and livability.”
Along with a wide variety of green building strategies, a geothermal system that uses the Earth’s temperature to heat and cool the home helped contribute to the home’s LEED certification. LEED—or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design—certifications are determined by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and is the leading, nationally accepted third-party verification program for green buildings. Homes under the LEED for Homes program must meet three benchmarks: high design standards, stringent construction practices, and rigorous third-party verification of all measures. The USGBC then ranks the homes as (from lowest to highest) Certified, Silver, Gold or Platinum.
“Our clients range from local leaders to presidents of Fortune 500 companies,” stated DSC Sustainability Programs Manager Jeremy Meek. “They recognize that green building is the future, and they welcome opportunities to consider new technologies and methods as we build.”
DSC’s dual-structure Silverleaf LEED home includes a main house and detached guesthouse. The main house achieved LEED for Homes “Certified” certification and the guesthouse achieved LEED for Homes “Silver” certification.
To read more about this groundbreaking achievement, visit The Arizona Republic’s article about the home.
Article originally posted in The Scout Guide – Phoenix