Featured Article:

Proficient in Green

Company Seeks National Presence for Its Factory-Built, LEED® Certified Homes

All Images © 2009 New World Home LLC

The concept for New World Home resulted from the experiences (and frustrations) of company co-founders Mark Jupiter and Tyler Schmetterer while building their own custom homes several years earlier. Jupiter says the pair decided to find a practical way to combine authentic historic architecture with state-of-the-art green products and building methods. In 2006, the team began producing homes in a factory setting, where they could enjoy greater quality and environmental control.

"Just being out of the weather eliminates huge problems that occur on the building site," Jupiter explains. The process also minimizes waste, streamlines skilled labor, and helps prevent theft of materials from the location. As a result, the homebuilder can produce a new home from start to site completion in less than 100 days.

"Nothing else on the face of the planet is built outdoors except for houses. It just doesn't make sense that it is the methodology of choice to construct a home," Jupiter says.

Proficient in Green

The company's assembly lines, strategically located around the country, are fine-tuned for efficiency and green home innovation. Modular units are constructed with spray foam insulated walls, water-saving fixtures and water heaters, advanced framing techniques to reduce waste (using sustainably harvested wood), non-added formaldehyde cabinets, doors and trim, low-E windows, and ENERGY STAR rated appliances. The homes also feature James Hardie fiber cement exteriors with pre-painted ColorPlus® Technology.

"All of the houses that we've put in the ground thus far have achieved a LEED Platinum certification, an NAHB gold certification and other regional certifications like EarthCraft Gold down in the South," Schmetterer says. New World Home aims for a HERs rating below 50 (over fifty percent more efficient than current building code standards) without relying on additional renewable energy sources, such as solar power, to make the grade. It is an achievement at the core structural level "that's simply not done in the rest of the building industry," he says.

The company was recently recognized for creating the first factory-built homes in New York and Georgia to earn LEED Platinum certification by the U.S. Green Building Council. In fact, they are the first homes of any kind in both states to achieve that degree of energy efficiency without the need for renewable energy equipment, indicative of how naturally efficient the homes perform.

Timeless Architecture

Another goal of New World Home is to deliver all those green features in an attractive architectural style that reflects the regional vernacular. The company currently offers about 30 different designs overall, with selected models available in each market. Jupiter anticipates that the number of home plans will grow as the company expands.

The homebuilders say one of the reasons they spec James Hardie fiber cement products for homes is due to its unique ability to adapt to so many different architectural styles. Using various combinations of HardiePlank® lap siding, HardiePanel® and HardieShingle® help create authentic and interesting elevations. "The aesthetic of it is really terrific, and it's at a price point that's acceptable to our customer base." It's also a win-win for the homebuyer: "It’s insect resistant, does not rot, is resistant to heat and has a great warranty," Jupiter says.

National Blueprint

New World Home is currently promoting a program for other developers, builders and real estate offices to license the brand and modular concept in exclusive territories around the country. The company is already constructing ten strategic sales and education centers and hopes to complete 200 homes in the coming year.

The homebuilder has also set its sights on two other emerging "green" markets. Schmetterer says the company has created an institutional division for dorms and faculty housing, as well as an affordable housing division.

For more information on New World Home, visit: http://newworldhome.com