Whitney Blair Builder / Developer

Many attributes that define ’Home’ to our clients continue to apply today, but we have an increased awareness of the need to redefine ‘Home’ in collaboration with our clients, with growing economic concerns and environmental awareness for our planet.

While Whitney Blair remains The True Definition of Home, we are constantly challenging ourselves to explore home construction products and practices that support today’s economic and environmental culture and climate.  We are excited by the opportunities presented to build homes that are even more energy efficient and surpass the ENERGY STAR_® certification standards, while building homes for our coastal communities that are respectful of the environment.

Whitney Blair has been including green building and energy conservation practices in our home building for over a decade.  Our community of CapeSide, located in Sunset Beach, was the first ENERGY STAR_® qualified development within the state of North Carolina. We are building upon that achievement each year, by educating our team on current energy saving measures and affordable green building practices and applying those learnings into each home we design and build.

Click on each of the sections below to learn more about the standard and optional Green features available in each home we design and build.  

+ Continual Green Building Education

• NAHB - Certified Green Building Professional
• United States Green Building Council Member
• Wilmington-Cape Fear Home Builders Association: Green Building Steering Committee Member
• Wilmington-Cape Fear Home Builders Association Green Building Council Member
• ENERGY STAR_® Partner

+ Optimal Value Engineering of Materials

• Use of Fewer Materials by Utilizing Standard Dimensions
• Recycling Job Site Materials
• Construction of Homes Using Recycled Materials

+ Site Designed Homes: Lot Design, Preparation and Development

Resource-efficient site design and development help reduce the environmental impact and improve the energy performance of new homes. We incorporate the following practices into each home we construct:

Orientation of homes to site for optimal lot fit to maximize passive solar heating and cooling

Environmental sensitivity to natural lot settings, with pre-planning of lot clearing with client to preserve energy conserving vegetation and trees

+ Resource Efficiency

Creating resource-efficient home designs and using resource efficient materials can maximize function while optimizing the use of natural resources. We routinely employ the following resource reduction processes/materials in each home we construct:

• Job site waste reduction
• Use of engineered wood products that are stronger and straighter than traditional solid-sawn lumber
• Use of green recycling methods
• Home construction in Traditional Neighborhood Developments (TNDs) where businesses and green spaces are within walking distances to promote walking, helping to minimize auto usage

+ Durability and Sustainability

By using durable products and methods in our homes, Whitney Blair homes will withstand the test of time, while helping to minimize maintenance requirements and associated cost for our homeowners:

Exterior and Interior Selections of durable high quality materials to Result in Reduced Maintenance

+ Water Efficiency

The indoor daily water use in today’s homes is more than 64 gallons. by implementing simple water conservation measures, water usage can be reduced to less than 45 gallons. Our homes conserve water both inside and outside the home by use of the following standard features and practices:

• Low flow toilets
• Low Flow Shower-heads
• Tankless water heaters
• Raw water collection systems
• Preservation of native vegetation, use of drought-resistant plants/landscaping

+ Indoor Air Quality/Health

With Americans spending an average of 90% of time indoors, it is important that the interior spaces be a healthy environment, with minimal exposure to indoor air pollutants. Whitney Blair homes employ interior materials to maximize the quality of indoor air and minimize exposure to potential air contaminants:

• Use of Low VOC Products, including Paints, Adhesives and Carpeting
• Use of Hard Surface Floor Coverings
• Use of Sealed Crawl Spaces and Gutters for Moisture Control to Eliminate Possible Biological Contaminants
• Optional Air Filtration Systems
• Optional HEPA Filters for Air Handlers
• Optional Whole House Air Filtration Systems

+ Energy Efficiency

A ‘Whole Systems Approach’ to energy performance and efficiency is what we build into each of our homes, using stringent ENERGY STAR_® standards. ENERGY STAR qualified new homes are substantially more energy efficient than homes built to the minimum code requirements.  Our ENERGY STAR qualified new homes are independently verified by a third-party Home Energy Rater to ensure our homes meet the ENERGY STAR energy efficiency guidelines.  This results in a home with careful thought to window selection, building envelope air sealing, duct sealing, and proper placement of air and vapor barriers from foundation to attic to create a truly high-performance, energy–efficient home:

• Every Whitney Blair home is an ENERGY STAR Qualified Home.
• ENERGY STAR Homes meet strict energy efficiency guidelines set by the US EPA, and are more quiet and comfortable with lower utility bills, helping protect the environment by reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
• Sized, sealed, and insulated ducts increase HVAC system efficiency by as much as 20%
• ENERGY STAR Appliances pay for themselves over time, reducing 30-50% of a home’s energy bill
• Lighting (ENERGY STAR Designated)
• Appliances (ENERGY STAR Designated)
• Low E Windows (ENERGY STAR Designated)
• HVAC System (ENERGY STAR Designated)
• Optional Blown cellulose insulation

Learn more about ENERGY STAR qualified new homes at http://www.energystar.gov/.

Included in this section are job site photos depicting several of our Green building best practices.  Click on the caption to view the actual practice in action.

Closed Cell Insulation	Foundation Waterproofing	Techshield Roofing
Building Air Infiltration Caulking	Encapsulated Crawlspace	Sill Plate Sealer
Stud Overlay Insulation Method	Water Seal Barrier