Nor-Son, Inc. Receives LEED Silver Certification for Green Building at Fairway Pines, a Grand View Lodge Golf Course Community

The LEED standard, created by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), is a third party certification system and a benchmark for design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings.

Friday, October 16, 2009 – Baxter, MN   
Nor-Son, Inc. earned Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver status for the Fairway Pines Cottage located in Nisswa, MN.  Fairway Pines is the region’s first golf course community that features LEED certified homes designed and built by Nor-Son, who employs 16 LEED Accredited Professionals. This home is the first of 20 eco-friendly, luxury cottages to be constructed in a unique community that combines eco-luxury and maintenance-free living exclusively with the LEED certification.  Nor-Son received points for the Silver certification level under the LEED for Homes Category, which is the third of four levels of certification (Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum). Some of the sustainable and green elements incorporated into the home included high efficiency fixtures, Energy Star appliances, enhanced insulation, a tight building envelope, sprinklers with rain sensors and eco-friendly building materials.
“These LEED-certified golf cottages form a unique environmentally friendly neighborhood in the Brainerd Lakes Area. Nor-Son is proud to help carry on the Grand View Lodge tradition of land stewardship,” said Scott Kuehl, Vice President of Marketing and Sales at Nor-Son. “But don’t let the “green” aspect fool you. These quaint vacation homes are well-designed and well-appointed. Proof that leisure and luxury can live together —  and still be good for the environment.”
Christy Clay, Director of Development and Real Estate for Cote Family Companies (Grand View), said “In designing Fairway Pines, quality craftsmanship of the homes, while maintaining the integrity of the natural surroundings, was extremely important to us.  Working with Nor-Son, we developed these characteristics into a unique, environmentally friendly community with elements of timeless quality.”  
 LEED certification provides third-party assurance to homebuyers that their home complies with rigorous technical requirements for energy and water efficiency, indoor air quality, non-toxic materials, and environmental performance.  Homes that are certified through LEED complete a technically rigorous verification process that includes a home energy (HERS) rating and onsite inspections.  Lower insurance rates, advantageous financing, and government incentives may be available for LEED certified homes.

 

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