UrbanShade System to be Featured in 2015 Greenbuild Unity Home at Greenbuild International Conference & Expo in Washington, D.C.
WASHINGTON, D.C., November 17, 2015—MechoShade Home Systems in partnership with world-renowned builder Tedd Benson and Unity Homes, BUILDER magazine and the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute announces the Cradle to Cradle CertifiedTM UrbanShade® System will be showcased in the 2015 Greenbuild Unity Home to be unveiled November 18 at the 2015 Greenbuild International Conference & Expo in Washington, D.C.
The 2015 Greenbuild Unity Home has been planned, designed, constructed, inspected, and tested according to LEED for Homes version 4 program requirements and is anticipated to achieve Platinum Certification when moved to its permanent site in New Hampshire after Greenbuild.
The 1,620 square-foot home features a modern, light-filled open-plan aesthetic and is one of four customizable platforms being made available for sale to the public by Unity Homes. Also known as the Zum home, plans originated in part from a collaboration with MIT’s Open Source Building Alliance, which focused on providing cost-effective energy efficiency and extending the flexibility and useful lifespan of buildings.
“The Greenbuild Unity Home is designed and built to the highest performance, health and sustainability standards,” said Paul Tourbaf, President of Hanley Wood’s Residential Construction Group. “The collection of products used in the construction of the home passed a very rigorous selection process. The compact UrbanShade System, for example, provides an effective and attractive solar-shading solution, yet it also meets the Cradle to Cradle Certified standard. We are grateful to MechoShade for their support.”
Constructed at Unity’s production facilities in Walpole, New Hampshire, pods containing the kitchens, bathrooms, laundry room and mechanical systems have been laid out, assembled and prepared for shipment, including cabinets, appliances, fixtures and finishes, placing the most costly square footage within the controlled environment of Unity’s shop and labor force. The rest of the home, including floors, walls, and roof are being built and shipped as complete panels with framing, sheathing, subflooring, wiring, insulation, windows/doors, and interior and exterior finishes in place. A typical on-site assembly of the shell takes one to three days. The 2016 Greenbuild Unity Home will arrive six days prior to opening of Greenbuild for the crew to enclose, finish and furnish the show home prior to tours beginning Wednesday, November 18.
“We are proud to partner with Tedd Benson at Greenbuild 2015,” said Paul Tourbaf, President of Hanley Wood’s Residential Construction Group. “It’s an exciting time for Unity Homes as it owns and operates its manufacturing facilities and is set to achieve what so many before have attempted – combining efficiencies with beauty, craft and quality to make truly affordable, high performance homes available to the widest possible audience.”
Tedd Benson, CEO of Unity Homes said “As we prepare to expand to other regions, we are thrilled to have the honor and opportunity to bring one of our homes to Greenbuild. Together with Hanley Wood and our world-class material and equipment manufacturer partners, we’re anxious to demonstrate to the discerning Greenbuild participants the Unity way of building.”
“The Greenbuild Unity Home is an ideal way to introduce architects, builders and consumers to the power of transparency in the specification of healthy, sustainable products,” said Stacy Glass, Vice President, Built Environment for the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute. As a partner in the show home, the Institute will be featuring nearly two dozen products with Cradle to Cradle Certification or Material Health Certificates -- which provides manufacturers with a trusted way to communicate their work toward chemically optimized products. “Visitors will be able to observe a range of everyday products—from tile to window coverings to mattresses to soap—that offer third-party verification on five attributes: material health, material reutilization, renewable energy, water stewardship, and social fairness.”
MechoShade’s UrbanShade is Cradle to Cradle Certified when paired with EcoVeil® solar shadecloth, as it is in the living areas. The same systems offers privacy when paired with the DeclareTM-labeled AcoustiVeil® dimout shadecloth, as it is in the bedroom.
In-person tours will be available to Greenbuild attendees at booth #2741 on the floor of the Expo beginning Wednesday, November 18th from 10:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. and Thursday, November 19th from 10:00 a.m.– 6:00 p.m.
Virtual tours of the home will be made available online the first week in December. The virtual tour will show the exterior features of the home, as well as interior views of each of the rooms. Product pop-ups will appear, giving more detail on the sponsored products used in the home.
Title Sponsor: ZIP System® Sheathing and Tape, by Huber Engineered Woods
Sponsors: Advanta Cabinets, AdvanTech Flooring, GoTour® by Avid Ratings , GAF, GE Appliances, Greenbuild International Conference & Expo, GreenFiber, IceStone, Intus Windows, Kohler, MechoSystems, Mitsubishi Electric US, Inc. Cooling & Heating Division, Nordic Structures, ROMA, SmithGroup JJR, Softwood Lumber Board, Wood, Naturally, Steven Winter Associates, SunPower, Zehnder America, Inc.
Contributors: Certainteed, Gypsum, Cleary Millwork (Masonite Doors), DesignTex, EKLA Home, Mosa Tile, Naturepedic, Progress Lighting, Shaw Floors, Steelcase
About MechoShade Home Systems
MechoShade Home Systems is a division of MechoSystems. Founded in 1969, MechoSystems is the world’s leading designer and manufacturer of innovative window-covering systems for the architectural and design communities.
About Hanley Wood
Hanley Wood is the premier company serving the information, media, and marketing needs of the residential, commercial design and construction industry. Utilizing the largest analytics-and editorially-driven Construction Industry Database, the company provides business intelligence and data driven services. The company produces award-winning media, both digital and print, high –profile executive events, and strategic marketing solutions. To learn more, visit www.hanleywood.com.
About Unity Homes
Unity Homes designs and manufactures durable, high performance energy-efficient homes. Manufactured off-site at the company’s factory in Walpole, New Hampshire, Unity homes can be assembled on site in as little as 30 or 35 days – but are designed to last centuries. Established in 2012, Unity Homes represents the culmination of 40 years of homebuilding innovation developed by Bensonwood Homes, the award-winning post-and-beam company founded in 1972. Unity extends that legacy of quality to factory-built homes that are customizable and affordable.
About the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute
The Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute is a non-profit organization with a mission to turn the making of things into a positive force for people, the economy and the planet. It administers the Cradle to Cradle Certified Products Program, a rigorous, third-party process that provides a way forward for hundreds of the world's leading brands to assess and continuously improve the health, safety, and recyclability of their products. Cradle to Cradle Certified products are eligible for LEED v4 credits. The Institute has 14 accredited assessment bodies around the world that assist companies in readying their products for certification. Find out more at www.c2ccertified.org. Follow the institute @c2cCertified.
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