Verdigris Group's Ultra-green, Meta-efficient Luxury Ski Homes in Breckenridge

Online, August 7, 2012 (Newswire.com) - The Residences at Tenderfoot House, located just off the slopes of Peak 10 at Breckenridge Ski Resort, consist of two custom, luxury, virtually ski-in/ski-out, 4 bedroom/3 bathroom, single-family residences. The tried-and-true real estate maxim "Location. Location. Location." says it all. Not only is this setting ideal for year-round recreation, and situated in the idyllic ski-town of Breckenridge, but the truly stunning, 'million-dollar views' of the entire Breckenridge Ski Resort are dazzling from behind the 20 feet of glass and spacious decks on the front elevations of these residences.

Verdigris Properties, the development division of the visionary, carbon-neutral real estate development, consulting and brokerage company Verdigris Group, has just broken ground on this multifamily development that is slated to achieve the prestigious LEED Platinum Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council as well as an astonishing 5-star plus energy rating certification under the EPA's Energy Star for Homes Program (sporting a preliminary HERS index of 58 which means that this property will be at least 42% more efficient than a home built simply to current U.S. building-code), and is tracking the highest score yet accomplished under the Summit County Sustainable Building Code administered by High Country Conservation Center.

"These residences' high-performance energy efficiency measures result in significant energy cost savings - we're talking likely 40-50% energy cost savings compared to new homes simply built to current code" says Garratt Hasenstab, LEED AP BD+C and Director of Development with Verdigris Group. He continues, "The mechanical, heating and ventilation systems ensure an exceedingly healthy, comfortable and easily controlled living environment" The locally-sourced and sustainable materials used in construction confirm a sustainable life-style. The incredible location guarantees direct access to both an abundance of recreational activities right outside your front door, as well the bustling shopping, dining and entertainment found below in the historic mountain town of Breckenridge. These homes really have it all, and are most certainly unique in the marketplace."

This development might be the greenest, most energy-efficient, luxury ski-in/ski-out homes in the high-country. How did the developer design and develop these extraordinary homes to achieve such remarkable levels of sustainability? The integrated development team at Verdigris Group shares some of their planning and implementation that will enable this project to achieve the loft goals they are working toward.

Innovation & Design
From the very beginning, The Residences at Tenderfoot House was carefully planned and designed with the intention of achieving LEED Certification from the US Green Building Council. The integrated design and development team targeted each LEED for Homes credit in a preliminary rating which revealed the chance to achieve the prestigious LEED Platinum Certification. During the design development phase, the project team conducted 2 full-day integrated design workshops in order to define and integrate green strategies across all aspects of the project's design, drawing on the expertise of the developer, architect, project engineer, landscape architect, LEED Accredited Professional, and general contractor. Although the lot would not allow for ideal building orientation for solar design, this project's design incorporates 30 highly-efficient, operable windows in each unit, enabling the occupants to easily regulate their indoor environment to capture passive solar benefits. Additionally, the roof aspect is nearly flat with a 1/12 pitch, which when combined with the installed infrastructure and conduit to the roof will allow for occupants to add solar PV with little to no need for additional infrastructure improvements. Durability planning was a critical focus for the integrated design team. The team completed a rigorous durability risk evaluation, identifying all moderate and high-risk durability issues, and developed specific measure to mitigate future problems. During construction, the developer worked from a quality management plan, and these measures were inspected and verified by a third-party LEED for Homes Green Rater to ensure each measure was implemented properly.

Locations & Linkages
Verdigris Group spent a considerable amount of time and effort in seeking out the most environmentally responsible location for this development as possible. The Residences at Tenderfoot House are located in an existing neighborhood with infrastructure, roads, water and sewer lines contiguous to the property. The Tenderfoot House is an infill development, whereby 100% of the project boundary borders previously developed land. The Residences at Tenderfoot House are located within ½ mile of many community resources such as restaurants, markets, shopping, a community center, a conference center, a spa, cafes, a child-care center, business center and fitness center. Additionally, these residences are within ¼ mile to open-space. Trail-head access to the White River National Forest, where Breckenridge Ski Resort is located is less than 200 feet from this site providing direct entry to the ski trails in the winter as well as over 200 miles of biking & hiking trails. The downtown area of Breckenridge is within 1 mile of this site and the nearest stop for free public transportation services serving county-wide transportation is less than 1 mile away, minimizing dependency on personal automobiles.

Sustainable Sites
Managing the sustainable development of the site is another top priority for the developer of The Residences at Tenderfoot House. Prior to construction, the developer established site erosion control measures which were implemented at the commencement of construction, such as stockpiling and protecting topsoil, controlling site runoff, protecting sewer inlets and establishing a bio-swale area. Additionally, in order to minimize site disturbance the team established a preservation plan with "no disturbance" zones around the building envelope in order to protect tree and plant-life and left more than 40% of the buildable lot area undisturbed. In addition to protecting the site from construction activities, the developer worked with a local landscape architect in order to develop a best-practices landscape design which includes no invasive plants or conventional turf, drought xeriscape, and more than 60% reduction in estimated overall irrigation demand. Additionally, the lot has been designed such that over 80% of the built environment excluding area under roof is permeable, vegetative landscape, and impermeable surfaces such as driveway and sidewalks direct all runoff to the vegetated swale.

Water Efficiency
Water conservation is another priority to which the development team has given a great deal of consideration. Primarily, outdoor water-use and irrigation demand has been reduced to the highest degree by only planting drought-tolerant landscaping and using drip-irrigation where needed. Indoor water-use has been minimized through the implementation of highly-efficient fixtures and fittings. All fixtures are EPA WaterSense certified including low-flow shower-heads and faucets, reducing hot-water consumption and the rate at which hot-water reaches the fixtures. Additionally, dual-flush toilets are the standard.

Energy & Atmosphere
In order to reach the development team's goal of achieving LEED Platinum certification for this project, Verdigris Group focused their efforts on optimizing the project's overall energy performance. An integral part of this process is meeting and exceeding the performance requirements of the Energy Star for Homes rating system. Energy Star for Homes utilizes the Home Energy Standards Index, or HERS index, in order to evaluate a project's energy performance. A HERS index is quite similar to the MPG rating one is familiar with in the evaluating fuel efficiency in the auto industry. The Residences at Tenderfoot House have received a design-based preliminary HERS Index of 58, which projects that these residences will perform at 42% greater energy efficiency than a standard home built to current code. This is a significant achievement for several reasons, including the fact that these residences are located at 10,000 ft above sea-level, in the same climate zone as Alaska (Climate Zone 7), as well as the fact that this project includes no renewable energy on-site. Some of the contributing factors that will enable The Residences at Tenderfoot House to achieve this high level of energy efficiency are an exceptionally tight building envelope allowing for minimal air leakage, the implementation of enhanced spray-foam, blown-in and rigid insulation, exceptionally efficient windows with u-values under 0.28 throughout, minimal forced-air distribution losses due to all duct-work being sealed, the installation of an Energy Star qualified 95% efficiency HVAC system and high efficiency Energy Star-labeled lighting fixtures and appliances throughout.

Materials & Resources
Another top priority for Verdigris Group is choosing building materials that are sustainable from their extraction to their processing to the distance they must be transported to implement into the project. Additionally, achieving material use efficiency is critical to the overall sustainability of the construction process. For example, The Residences at Tenderfoot House incorporates only open-web floor trusses in order to limit framing waste. One major element that has had a dramatic reduction in construction waste is the system-built construction method, which includes framing efficiencies such as detailed framing documents, cut lists, and lumber orders that are specifically designated by the engineer and architect, ensuring limited material waste during the framing process. Our off-site fabrication of components adds an additional level of efficiency eliminating on-site job waste. Verdigris Group paid special attention to including as many environmentally preferable products in the construction and finish as possible. Some of these include utilizing locally produced foundation aggregate and cement, utilizing locally sourced beetle-kill, blue stain pine for all siding and trim finishes, cladding the first-level exterior in locally sourced Telluride stone, installing bamboo flooring throughout and using low-emission materials such as no-VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) paint throughout the residences.

Indoor Environmental Quality
In order to best control the indoor environmental quality, several matters have been focused on to ensure the highest level of occupant health and comfort. All fireplaces are natural-gas, power-vented, electronic-piloted and remote-controlled in order to ensure that toxic combustion exhaust gases do not impede indoor air quality. A central HVAC system equipped with dehumidification mode is installed in order to maintain relative humidity, while a heat-recovery ventilator (HRV) provides heat transfer between the incoming outdoor air stream and the exhaust air stream, reducing occupant exposure to indoor air pollutants by ventilating with outdoor air. Further reducing moisture and exposure to indoor air pollutants in the kitchens and bathrooms, local, low-sone, high-CFM exhaust fans vented outdoors have been installed with automatic occupancy sensors, and exhaust fans in garages designed with automatic timer-controls linked to occupancy sensors power-vented providing three air changes each time the fan is set off in order to mitigate potential pollutants from entering the homes. The forced-air HVAC and duct system has been designed to reduce particulate matter from the air supply system by implementing air filters with a rating of MERV 13 to ensure that the highest air quality possible. Additionally, contaminant control measures have been taken by sealing ducts and vents to minimize contamination during construction and a 48-hour pre-occupancy flush with fresh air once construction is completed.

Awareness & Education
Homebuyers may know very little about green home construction, and may be unaware of the green features in the home, or how to use and maintain them. Verdigris Group provides training experiences for consumers that explore the full benefits of the LEED measures implemented. Creating broad awareness of how LEED certified homes are built and maintained enables the homeowners to most effectively operate their high-performance home. The developer provides informational placards throughout the homes and a manual that includes the completed LEED for Homes Checklist, signed accountability forms, product manufacturer manuals for all installed equipment, and general information on efficient use of energy, water, and natural resources. Additionally, Verdigris Group ensures a comprehensive walk-thru with the homeowners, provides a two-hour homeowner training with all installed equipment, and conducting public open-houses and a green-building exhibition tour, as well as providing detailed information on their website.

Third-Party Performance Testing
The strength of the LEED Certification program is its third-party performance testing and verification. LEED homes are rated by LEED for Homes Providers. These are local and regional organizations with demonstrated experience, expertise in the market, and a proven record of supporting builders and developers in the construction of high-performance, sustainable homes. A Provider manages a team of Green Raters and works under contract with the USGBC. A Green Rater is an individual who conducts field inspections and performance testing. Verdigris Group has LEED Accredited Professionals on staff providing direction from initial design through project development. Verdigris Group works with EnergyLogic as the project's LEED for Homes Provider supporting all third-party LEED verification and certification services. High Country Conservation Center of Summit County is administering the Energy Star HERS third-party verification support for Energy Star rating and Summit County Sustainability Code administration.

These custom homes have been meticulously designed both architecturally, by aMa Architecture, as well as through interior design consulting from world-renowned Atlas Galleries of Chicago, to take advantage of all that this setting offers, while utilizing innovative building science practices to ensure a highly-elevated level of comfort, superior durability, incredible efficiency, and resonant mountain aesthetics.

For more information on The Residences at Tenderfoot House or to speak with a sales associate, please contact Verdigris Group toll-free at (800) 805-2830, or on-site at (970) 368-2008, or simply send an email to: [email protected]