For the second year in a row, Lorax’s very own Andrea Shoaf was named an NGBS Green Partner of Excellence! And this year, she was joined by Tim Barranco to round out the 2017 list of accredited verifiers to earn this distinction.
NGBS Green, which is based on the National Green Building Standard™ (NGBS), is a rigorous third-party certification program for single and multifamily residential projects. NGBS has certified more homes than any other national green home certification programs thanks in large part to its knowledgeable in-field verifiers. Andrea and Tim join an elite group of program partners — two of 23 verifiers identified — who have been recognized for their dedication to customers, providing increased value, professionalism, and relevance in the marketplace through third-party verification services.
This recognition was awarded to those who display leadership in innovation in building science, dedication to the residential construction industry, and significant commitment to green certification over the past year. Lorax Partnerships is committed to building an inventory of healthier homes that cost less to operate, are more comfortable to live in, and are part of a more sustainable lifestyle for their residents.
Through our accredited NGBS Green Verifiers, Lorax has certified more than 500 residential units under NGBS, and is currently working with design and construction teams on 3,000 new residential units as regional demand for sustainable multifamily development ramps up. 300 St. Paul Place, 2 Hopkins Plaza, The Woodberry, and The Enclave at Box Hill are some of the outstanding Baltimore City projects pursuing NGBS certification with Lorax’s accredited NGBS verifiers.
2 Hopkins Plaza
2 Hopkins Plaza is a mixed-use conversion by Berman Enterprises of the existing PNC Bank office tower in downtown Baltimore. The renovations turned the top 11 floors to apartments and bottom floors to office space for several hundred employees of the Army Corp of Engineers. The building is home to one of the City’s new bike share stations and has direct access to new bike lanes that run from 29th street at Johns Hopkins University to Pratt Street downtown. 2 Hopkins Plaza went above and beyond the requirements of the Baltimore City Green Construction Code by achieving NGBS Silver and claims the title of the first NGBS Silver certified multifamily residential project in Baltimore City.
Nelson-Kohl Apartments
The Nelson-Kohl apartment complex is an eight-story, 85,000 SF project in Baltimore’s Station North neighborhood. It will provide more than 100 market rate residential rental units and features amenities like a first-floor lobby, leasing office, retail space, fitness room and bike storage. Additionally, the eighth-floor holds and community space and library, while the roof includes and deck amenity space and green roof for stormwater management. This project is aiming for an NGBS Silver certification in Summer 2018.
To earn certification to the National Green Building Standard, a home must meet rigorous criteria in six categories – Lot & Site Development; Resource Efficiency; Energy Efficiency; Water Efficiency; Indoor Environmental Quality; and Homeowner Education. There are mandatory practices in each category that every NGBS Green Certified home must meet, and there are a wide range of additional optional practices in each category that a builder can select based on the applicability to buyers or renters in their market. There are also mandatory point minimums in every category in order for a home to attain the next level of certification, which is a more stringent requirement than in any other national certification program.
For more information on NGBS, or any other green building certifications system, please contact us here.