Real Estate Portfolio > Green Building
Green Building - Sustainable Development
Philosophy
Our development approach is one that embraces sustainable development practices and responsible stewardship of buildings and land. At DVDC, sustainable development comes in many forms:
- Urban Infill and Redevelopment like our developments in West Center City, Wilmington, Delaware
- Adaptive reuse like at Hopewell Manor which involved the purchase of an old fire station and conversion into housing for seniors
- Open space preservation such as at Highland Park in Dillsburg, PA, where 10 of the 19 acres are permananty preserved through a conservation easement
- Brownfields like at the former NVF plant in Kennett Square Borough, PA, where a 25 acre derelict and contaminated industrial property is being rezoned and recycled into a vibrant mixed use neighborhood
Green Building
At DVDC, green building is not simply a marketing gimmick. All of our developments use green building criteria from one of several programs that promote sustainable development. Programs that we routinely utilize include:
- Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)
- National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Model Green Home Building Guidelines
- Current Version of the Maryland Stormwater Design Manual Best Management Practices (BMP)
- Maryland DHCD Development Quality Base Level Energy Standards & Certification
- Exceed energy guidelines of the Delaware State Housing Authority Construction Standards
- Exceed the requirements of the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code for residential buildings by at least 10%, as verified by a REScheck certificate
- Meet Energy Star® Standards by achieving a Home Energy Rating System (HERS) index necessary to achieve an Energy Star® rating