SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, Hawaii - Island Palm Communities received official word that its Simpson Wisser neighborhood at Fort Shafter is now a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, certified neighborhood, as determined by the U.S. Green Building Council.
The IPC partnership between the Army and Lend Lease is one of 11 projects in the U.S. certified to date. It also is among only 238 developments nationwide selected to participate in USGBC’s LEED for Neighborhood Development pilot program, established to set the first national rating system for neighborhood development.
Additionally, the community is one of just a few LEED-ND projects located on a military installation.
The LEED Green Building Rating System is a nationally accepted benchmark for design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings. LEED-ND is a certification program that integrates the principles of smart growth, new urbanism and green building into the first national system for neighborhood design.
“We’re very excited to have this opportunity to help shape a sustainable development rating system that will be used in the U.S. and around the world,” said Dick Hawes, executive general manager, Lend Lease-Hawaii Region. “This project pushed us to do great things in the areas of sustainable development, design, construction and occupancy to meet the rigorous green building standards required by the USGBC.
“We have been fortunate to be working with a great partner in the U.S. Army, who has the same vision and goals as we do to create healthy communities through innovation and design,” he added.
LEED-ND encourages healthy living, reduces urban sprawl and evaluates not just buildings, but also their location in relation to each other and the qualities of the public realm that knit them together.
The Simpson Wisser neighborhood is an example of the sustainable development taking place across IPC’s residential developments. Green building practices are put into place from start to finish. Among them, more than 75 percent of waste on construction sites is reused or recycled. Sustainable design and materials go into all new homes, and an award-winning tree preservation plan has been implemented.
Working closely with Town and Home, an architectural design consultant, and KASL Consulting Engineers Inc., a civil engineering consultant, IPC received additional ratings for its innovation and design process, of which Simpson Wisser received the maximum number of points.
IPC’s home designs showcase many sustainable elements, including dual-flush toilets, photovoltaic power, solar hot water, energy-efficient appliances and lighting. They also feature radiant barriers on roofs, ridge and eave vents, and high-efficiency windows.
Of the 78 homes in the Simpson Wisser neighborhood, 27 are certified LEED Gold and 51 are certified LEED Silver. All of the homes use 30-percent less electricity than standard homes.
“Living in a green home has been fantastic,” said Connie Kadetz, Simpson Wisser resident. “It feels like a normal house, but in the back of your mind, you know you’re contributing to a cleaner environment.”
IPC is one of the largest solar-powered communities in the world through the installation of photovoltaic systems that can generate up to six megawatts of power, providing nearly 30 percent of IPC’s energy needs.
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