The EarthCraft Certification process is made possible by the technical advisers.
If you have been thinking about building a home in Northern Virginia that is sustainably built, EarthCraft Virginia’s certification process is definitely something to look into. Recently I was fortunate enough to sit in on an EarthCraft house initial training seminar to get the bearings on how to become involved as an EarthCraft Virginia professional. This training seminar was filled with local Northern Virginia builders, Arlington based Architects, Arlington County green building program members and more. These people all have to start at this level to become a part of the EarthCraft Virginia Program and discover the benefits of having this non-profit organization on their side as their green building partner.
What most people may not understand that the key here isn’t just becoming a part of the program. That is just the jumping off point. When the builder decides to begin the process of constructing a green built home, EarthCraft will assign a technical adviser who will effectively be the liaison between the builder, the subcontractor and the inspectors. Understand that the most important part of constructing a sustainably built home is formulating a team who is all on the same page from the get-go. Having this technical adviser, who is highly educated in construction science and the green building process will enable the builder to hopefully have a solid communication with the subcontractors who are putting the green puzzle pieces together. These professionals will keep the green building process on track, helping to make sure that all parties involved in the construction understand what their duties are to keep the building sustainable. I have a strong bias to Chris Conway because we work very closely together and I am going to pull from one of his famous phrases: he beats up the subs. Literally, no- he isn’t out there playing fisty-cuffs with the potentially mouthy contractors and their subs- he is being an advocate for the builders and developers who may have never traversed the complicated sea of green building before. Having a Technical Adviser as an advocate helps to simplify the process and keep everyone in line on the project.
Northern Virginia is lucky enough to be able to claim the EarthCraft Virginia Technical Adviser of the Year, Chris Conway! Chris keeps his builders (and ultimately their subcontractors) on track with no-nonsense straight talk. – Yeah, he’s out there beating them up again- He manages each of his assigned projects to stay on target and is so dedicated to his trade that it shines through in his work enough to earn him the title of Tech Adviser of the year. Each of the 25 Virginia technical advisers are very passionate about what they do, and they each take their position very seriously.
Having people who are passionate about green building and creating a community of environmentally focused builders and residents is what EarthCraft Virginia is all about. I’ve been lucky enough to shadow Chris on dozens of single family and multi-family projects and each of the projects and homes are as unique as those who are building them. This is a very interesting program that is available state wide where there are Technical Advisers willing to travel! If you are interested in having a EarthCraft certified home built, contact Genevieve at Arbour Realty.
