June 5, 2009
Serosun Farms Creates Green Building Team for High Performance Development
Serosun Farms, an agricultural preservation community south of Huntley in Kane County, announced today that it has assembled a “green building team” for its 410-acre conservation community that will feature an equestrian center, an organic farm, eight miles of recreational trails and restored prairie land. The green building team will ensure the community utilizes the best in high-performance, eco-friendly products and services to design and build the custom homes on the site. The team is comprised of more than 25 members including developers, architects, builders, trade contractors, consultants and technology vendors. High- performance, sustainable homes will be built to the stringent design guidelines of the community and will meet the requirements of NAHB Green Build, USGBC LEED, EPA Energy Star and American Lung Association Healthy Home programs. The green homes built on the farm estate will range from smaller country cottages to mid-sized farm homes and larger country estates.
“When building a high-performance home, you have to take into consideration that many of the components are interconnected and dependant on each other. It is imperative that the architect, builder and tradesmen work well together and understand the technology and products that are being integrated into the home. All components – from electrical systems and plumbing to windows and doors – are interwoven and must work together seamlessly to be successful,” says John DeWald of John DeWald & Associates. “Our green building team provides a tightly integrated and highly motivated team that understands each other’s talents and needs in putting together a high-performance home that works making it simple and easy for a home buyer to get a beautiful home that is sustainable and will take care of its owner. No other development has a team like this.”
Creating the community’s green building team, Serosun Farms identified advanced sustainable technology, approaches and products to ensure the home is an interconnected, well-thought-out system. From rain harvesting and composting to geothermal and solar energy, all technology and products will work together to create a truly sustainable and high-performance home in a truly sustainable community. “Because all of these sustainable elements work together, it’s essential that each member of the green building team is fully aware of what other team members are doing.” Master builders are selected for the project based on their ability to work effectively with this team and Stoneridge Builders has been selected as the Partnering Master Builder responsible for coordinating the Green Building Team. A builder’s council will review all new builders seeking to be a part of the community to ensure they are qualified and capable to build high- performance homes.
High-performance, sustainable homes at Serosun Farms are expected to use 80-90 percent less energy and 50 percent less water than a traditional home. The community will feature geothermal energy, water harvesting, solar energy and the latest and most advanced sustainable, energy-efficient materials available. “When you incorporate sustainability into every facet of the home and its community, homes will basically run themselves,” says DeWald.
Serosun Farms’ green building team features Stoneridge Builders Inc., Kisereu Architect LTD, Abt Electronics & Appliances, Andersen Windows, @properties, Belle Maison by Tracy, The Kohler Store, Unilock, Aquascape, iLevel, Architectural Roof Solutions, D&H Energy Management Company, Cosella/dörken Delta MS, Ellison Plumbing, Huemann Well Drilling, Huemann Water Conditioning, Digital Innovations, LaFata Cabinets, Ozinga Concrete, Pure Energy Alternatives, Unique Finishes, Pathman Family Paint and Muralo Paint, Thermaseal/Lakeside, Subzero/Wolf, Stonecrafters, Inc., Franklin Adhesives, LWI Supply, Kettlekamp & Kettlekamp Landscape Architecture, Woodland Landscape Contractors, Forestar, Velux, among other sustainable vendors.
The concept for Serosun Farms began out of concern over the encroaching suburbs and traditional housing developments 60 miles west of Chicago. Approached by his sister Jane Stickland (who lives on the farm), John DeWald of John DeWald & Associates developed the concept for a farm estate that preserves land by using limited residential development. This concept has evolved into a high performance, sustainable community with horse and farm operations while preserving the area’s rural heritage and will serve as a model for future transitional areas between suburb
and farmland.
Serosun Farms recently received Preliminary Plat Approval from the Kane County Development Committee and is currently working on final engineering and approvals. Construction is expected to begin by fall 2009. For more information on Serosun Farms, visit http://www.liveatserosunfarms.com. For more information on Stoneridge Builders, Inc., visit http://www.stoneridgebuildersinc.com.