Local Home Builder, Christopher Companies Honored for Excellence in Advancing High-Performance Mainstream Home Building
[Oakton, VA, 6/5/19] – For the third year in a row, The Christopher Companies has been named a Home Innovation NGBS Green Partner of Excellence!
NGBS Green, which is based on the National Green Building Standard™ (NGBS), has certified more homes than any other national green home certification program. In celebration of the recent release of the 2020 NGBS, there were 20 individuals or companies recognized in each of three categories – NGBS Green Verifiers; Single-Family Builders/Developers; and Multifamily Builders/Developers. Being one of an elite group of Home Innovation’s green certification participants to be recognized validates the commitment The Christopher Companies has made to providing its customers with increased value, comfort, durability, and efficiency through its NGBS Green Certified homes.
“In 2019, NGBS Green celebrates a decade of green, high-performance buildings,” said Home Innovation Vice President, Innovation Services Michelle Foster. “The NGBS Green certification program continues to enjoy widespread growth for both single-family homes and multifamily buildings. This year we celebrate the continued accomplishments of verifiers, architects, developers, and builders who have been recognized previously as Partners of Excellence and continue to design, build, and verify exceptional and sustainable homes, and we welcome new program partners who we are recognizing for the first time. Our partners continue to innovate and transform the residential construction industry so that living in a healthier, more comfortable, and lower-cost home can be attainable to anyone seeking a more sustainable lifestyle. We could not deliver such an affordable, rigorous certification program that provides value to the entire residential construction industry without dedicated partners like The Christopher Companies.”
“We made our list, checked in twice, checked it a few more times, then whittled it down to the 20 most exceptional representatives nationwide for each category,” said Michelle Foster, Home Innovation’s Vice President, Sustainability. “This was not an easy task, as we have scores of great candidates for recognition throughout our program. But we feel those we recognized this year are truly the best of the best. These are the people and companies who are influencing how green buildings are designed and constructed today, and who are helping shape how they should be built in the future. We could not deliver such an affordable, rigorous certification program that provides value to the entire residential construction industry and consumers of all types without dedicated partners like The Christopher Companies.”
As a company we have made a commitment to being environmentally conscious and with that, placing a focus on reducing energy costs for our customers. We appreciate this victory and certainly look forward to continuing our green improvements in future home building activities. – Benjamin Shively, VP of Sales and Marketing, Christopher Companies
To earn certification to the National Green Building Standard, a home 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 NGBS Green Certified home 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 mandatory point minimums in every category in order for a home to attain the next level of certification, which is a more stringent requirement than in any other national certification program.
The Christopher Companies utilizes a variety of different green practices throughout the entire building process, including but not limited to:
- Energy efficient appliances, which are proven to use less energy and water and reduce utility costs.
- Quality insulation & air sealing methods, aiding to eliminate cold spots in a home and excess heating costs, maximizing your comfort and savings
- Low VOC materials, helping to limit emissions of pollutants in the home and improve indoor air quality.
Since January 2009, when the National Green Building Standard (NGBS) became the first residential green building rating system to be approved by ANSI, Home Innovation has certified more than 223,500 green single-family and apartment homes, and nearly 1,700 lots within green residential land developments. For more details on current certification numbers, visit www.homeinnovation.com/ngbsgreenstats. For more information on the NGBS Green Certification Program, visit www.homeinnovation.com/green.
For more details on current certification numbers, visit www.homeinnovation.com/ngbsgreenstats. For more information on the NGBS Green Certification Program, visit www.homeinnovation.com/green.
ABOUT HOME INNOVATION RESEARCH LABS: Home Innovation Research Labs, located in Upper Marlboro, Md., is a full-service research, testing, and consulting firm determined to improve the quality, durability, affordability, and environmental performance of single- and multifamily homes and home building products – in short, we aim to perfect the home. Founded in 1964 as a subsidiary of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), our team has been integral in solving many of our client’s most difficult product and technology issues, and helping to introduce some of the most groundbreaking innovations in residential construction. Through an interdisciplinary research approach – including market research, building science analysis, laboratory testing, and standards development – we help to find a home for innovation in the residential construction industry.