Looking back at my original Green Cottages post, it has been more than a year since I offered to post regular updates on the project. What has happened in that time? A number of factors impacted the project. Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization’s role in the project changed as it reorganized its housing efforts in response to the nationally dismal housing market. I left Detroit Shoreway to direct Environmental Health Watch’s new Affordable Green Housing Center (www.ehw.org). The Cleveland Green Building Coalition experienced some organizational changes and decided to wrap up their involvement in the project. The Cuyahoga Community Land Trust stepped up to take on a more expansive role as the project developer.

CCLT brought on The Project Alliance as a partner and hired Environmental Health Watch to assist with the green aspects of the project and to prepare the homeowners manuals. Jim LaRue is continuing his involvement on the project team through Environmental Health Watch’s Affordable Green Housing Center. Detroit Shoreway will remain involved on the project team, as Lilah Zautner, the new Cleveland EcoVillage project director, will coordinate community involvement. Jim Ptacek, who was a member of the original CGBC Emerging Designers group, and who had continued to volunteer his time with the project, moved into an official capacity as his firm, Larsen Architects, came on board to oversee contract administration. Dave Fragapane of Civic Builders patiently continued to serve on the design team and remained committed to the project. Thanks and credit also goes to Bill Doty for his early work assisting the design team on green specifications.

As LEED for Homes came out of the pilot phase and CCLT learned that the fees were relatively low for an affordable project, LEED certification became more attractive. The goals for the project now include both LEED certification and certification by Enterprise Community Partners’ Green Communities program. We are currently working with AES, a LEED provider in Michigan, to determine our target LEED goal for the first two bedroom home. Residential Energy Services will work with AES as the green rater for the project.

The project will be one of the first LEED for Homes projects in Ohio, and may be the first affordable single family project to achieve LEED for Homes certification in Northeast Ohio. We will likely be pursuing either a LEED Silver rating or a LEED Gold rating. One factor affecting the target rating is whether the home’s basement is determined to count towards its square footage. In the LEED for Homes rating system, the size of the home affects the number of points necessary for achieving the different rating levels.

I am aware of two affordable single family projects in Ohio that are pursuing LEED for Homes designation as part of the pilot initiative, the Northside HOME House project in Cincinnati: www.building-cincinnati.com/2007/10/northside-home-project-to-be-first-i... , and the North 21st St. home in Columbus: www.cgbf.org/residential07-pics.html . Cleveland has several LEED for Neighborhoods projects in the works: www.gcbl.org/planning/leed-nd , and a few market rate LEED for Homes projects, including the Dreyfess-Wells Dandelion House: www.cleveland.com/arts/index.ssf/2008/03/shaker_architect_builds_green.html .

I am thrilled to have the opportunity to continue working with CCLT, the Cleveland EcoVillage, and all the project partners, on the Green Cottages in my role here at EHW. I hope the project will prove to be an inspiration and a resource for other green builders.