Seneca Place seeking Kentucky's first LEED Gold home

Construction has begun on the next two houses at Seneca Place, which will feature what could be Kentucky’s first LEED Gold certified home.

The Center for Great Neighborhoods of Covington, Kentucky (CNG) and Phoenix Building Solutions are building the houses along the 500 block of Thomas Street in Covington’s Austinburg neighborhood as part of a 12-unit first phase.

A future phase could contain up to 19 homes.

Both houses have already sold and, because they were pre-assembled at Phoenix’s Brookville, Ohio factory, both homes were erected in just one day.

"The prices are affordable for high-quality new construction, and we also have subsidies from the City of Covington to make the homes even more affordable to lower-income buyers," says Rachel Hastings, director of housing and neighborhood initiatives for CNG.  "The home that we are hoping to achieve LEED-Gold certification on sells for $190,000 – other LEED-Gold homes in Greater Cincinnati often sell for way upward of $500,000."

To achieve LEED Gold certification, the builders have incorporated Forest Stewardship Council certified finger-jointed lumber, no-VOC paints, Mohawk GreenWorks carpeting, and other materials acquired from within a 500-mile radius.

"We're also doing radon resistant construction, and we've really ramped up indoor air quality/circulation - for example, the venting system for the house is a ‘smart’ system, meaning that the house’s vents communicate with one another and will turn on if there is extra moisture in one area," Hastings says.  "Also, we are able to get many LEED points due to using Energy Star-rated modular construction, Energy Star appliances and high-efficiency mechanicals, and reducing construction waste."

Hastings says that she’s confident that the house will achieve certification.

"LEED for Homes is still a relatively new program, and I think many builders are still learning about the program and how it works," she says.  "The Center for Great Neighborhoods aims to stay on the cutting edge of building science and technology."

Writer: Kevin LeMaster
Source: Rachel Hastings, director of neighborhood and housing initiatives, Center for Great Neighborhoods of Covington