Briar Club Achieves LEED Silver Certification

Newland Communities recently announced that Briar Chapel's community clubhouse, the Briar Club, has earned LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver status. Here is the full press release:

Triangle’s Largest Green Community Receives Green Building Certification

Chapel Hill, N.C. – Newland Communities’ Briar Chapel, a 1,589-acre mixed-use community in Chatham County, has achieved Silver certification for its community clubhouse under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Green Building Rating System™ from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).

The LEED for New Construction certification was obtained for the community’s 11,000-square-foot clubhouse. The building is the first Newland-owned community building to receive LEED certification. The LEED standard, created by the USGBC, is a third-party certification system and a benchmark for design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings.

Briar Chapel received points for the Silver certification level under the LEED for New Construction, which is the second of four levels of certification. Some of the sustainable and green elements incorporated into the facility include:

• 95 percent of space is daylight accessible
• Low emitting materials such as low Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) paints, composite woods and agricultural fibers
• Water consumption reduced by 40 percent through low-flow toilets and showerheads
• 50 percent more efficient landscaping by using indigenous plants and a rainwater harvesting system

The LEED program regulates energy efficiency, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality and sustainable sites. The certification is based on a points system, and each category requires specific requirements, which must be met before points are awarded. The LEED for New Construction Rating System is designed to guide and distinguish high-performance commercial and institutional projects, including office buildings, high-rise residential buildings, government buildings, recreational facilities, manufacturing plants and laboratories.

“The certification of Briar Chapel’s clubhouse is a tremendous achievement for the entire Newland Communities team and marks a great accomplishment for our company,” said Keith Hurand, senior vice president, division manager for Newland Communities Carolinas division. “This reflects the level of commitment we have to our homebuyers, as well as Chatham County and North Carolina and establishes Newland as a leading developer that creates healthy, long-lasting communities which preserve and conserve natural resources.”

Briar Chapel opened in September 2008 with more than 900 acres of open space just south of Chapel Hill. It is the largest community in the Triangle to require homebuilders to comply with rigorous new home construction requirements including the Green Building Initiative developed by Green Home Builders of the Triangle and ENERGY STAR®, creating high performance, healthier homes with measurable cost savings for residents and contributing to an improved quality of life.