Pardee Homes Named Green Partner Of Excellence By Home Innovation Research Labs

    LOS ANGELES, CA, July 19, 2013 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Pardee Homes has been recognized as an "NGBS Green Partner of Excellence" by Home Innovation Research Labs, an accredited third-party testing and certification agency established in 1964 to improve the quality, durability and environmental performance of homes and home building products. Pardee Homes is one of only 18 residential building companies nationwide to receive this recognition.

Home Innovation Labs names its Green Partners of Excellence for outstanding contributions to advancing green building in their communities and commitment to voluntary, market-driven, third-party certification of high-performance homes. Based on its certification program to the International Code Council (ICC) 700 National Green Building Standard (NGBS), the 2012-2013 Home Innovation NGBS Green Partners of Excellence also include accredited verifiers, architectural firms, program advocate organizations and elected officials, with 46 total honorees from across the country.

"It takes a lot for a company or individual to persevere with a certification program as rigorous as the National Green Building Standard," said Home Innovation Labs president and CEO Michael Luzier. "That is why we recognize the significant commitment to innovation and leadership in the residential construction industry that some of our NGBS Green Partners have displayed. We are truly impressed and inspired by what these companies and individuals are achieving in the field and the market transformation they are helping to accomplish."

"We are deeply honored by this recognition," said Mike McGee, President and CEO of Pardee Homes. "The NGBS Green Partner of Excellence designation acknowledges a tremendous investment of time, effort and learning by our workforce, sub-contractors, suppliers and consultants. On behalf of them all, I thank Home Innovation."

Since 1998, Pardee Homes has built new homes that exceed prevailing codes for energy efficiency. It has steadily incorporated additional green and sustainable measures in its new homes, particularly with its award-winning LivingSmart program, introduced in 2001 in San Diego. Meeting or exceeding local, state and national standards for green home building, LivingSmart offers more than 30 included and optional green features, materials and systems that boost energy efficiency, save water, improve indoor air quality and encourage material conservation and the use of recycled or sustainable resources in new homes.

In 2009, Pardee Homes made a company-wide commitment to meeting the LivingSmart baseline criteria for EnergySmart, EarthSmart, HealthSmart and WaterSmart features and systems in all of its new homes. Pardee Homes subsequently introduced LivingSmart Homes neighborhoods, with more advanced green programs and a focus on efficient, attainably priced designs. These homes are selectively featured in all of Pardee's markets, primarily in its master-planned communities.

LivingSmart Homes Fair Oaks Ranch in Santa Clarita is a showcase example, with every home built to meet NGBS Gold certification criteria. "These stylish and very green homes demonstrate the LivingSmart brand as core to our success as a builder of green homes, and as a green advocate," said Joyce Mason, Pardee Homes Vice President of Marketing. "Its features are viable, practical and understandable, enabling us to deliver green measures that are within buyers' means while adding to their awareness and knowledge of the many benefits of green."

McGee added that LivingSmart is key to Pardee's new home quality, and that it reinforces the company's progressive approach to community planning and development. This translates to preserved trees and open space, habitat restoration and indigenous, drought tolerant landscaping. Proximity to employment, transit, schools and recreation strengthens smart growth principles. Also see www.pardeehomes.com.

Since the National Green Building Standard became the first and only residential green building rating system to be approved by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) in January 2009, Home Innovation Research Labs has certified more than 6,200 single-family homes, nearly 600 multifamily buildings representing more than 12,600 apartments, and 19 residential land developments representing close to 1,300 lots. For more information on the NGBS or the Home Innovation certification program, visit www.HomeInnovation.com/Green.

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