The Colour of Money

It seems as if everything today can be upgraded to “green”--from hybrid and electric cars, to specially formulated non-toxic household cleaners and biodegradable bags. More daunting is the idea of creating a green and environmentally friendly living space. All of these have the perception of being expensive; however, this popular idea is a huge misconception.

The true cost of “Green” must be looked at from a number of angles:

•   Green initiatives use resources like energy, water and materials more efficiently
•   Health is improved through green living
•   It can improve comfort and productivity
•   One can save money by reducing operational and maintenance costs, and by lowering utility bills

Larger ticket items like solar panels may seem intimidating to average income families, but, as demand drives the purchase and installation costs down, they become a more realistic addition to your energy options.

Landscaping with local flora and having a sustainable yard means less watering, mowing, and fertilizing. While your neighbours are spending their weekends pushing lawnmowers and keeping their kids and dogs off the hazardous fertilizer, you can be reading a book or enjoying the birds, butterflies and other little wonders that zone appropriate foliage will bring to your yard.

From quality of life to cost efficiency, green living is becoming more and more affordable. Respecting the environment is becoming an easier choice as companies likewise decide that being “green” isn’t just a social trend, but a fiscally responsible decision to keep costs down in volatile times.

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Chic and Classy: Brownstone Living

Brownstone buildings bring to mind different images to different people: Gwyneth Paltrow’s New York “pied a terre”, Carrie Bradshaw’s phenomenal haute couture filled closet within her Manhattan walk-up, or even Gordon and Susie’s brownstone at 123 Sesame Street. Walking down a brownstone lined street can make any woman feel like Carrie, Miranda, Samantha or Charlotte. For men, maybe they might feel like Big, or like they could meet one of those ladies. With your children, endless hours of Sesame Street can have you thinking a green fuzzy grump might pop out of a garbage can. But the one thing these all have in common is history, character and beauty.

Brownstones share similar architectural design, with small unique differences in each. The warmth of the red brick gives a feeling of elegance, of comfort and prosperity. Brownstones have a feeling of quality craftsmanship, and attention to detail that has been lost with many new architectural styles. The New York brownstones were originally built as single family homes for the upper class gentry, who could afford the Triassic period sandstone brick, and the space afforded them by a three or four story dwelling. Now, many of these have been broken up into luxurious (and some not so luxurious) apartments and condos. Some have remained single family homes, and price upwards of seven million dollars.

Greenbury has chosen to use brownstone style architectural elements throughout the neighbourhood. The townhouses, semi-detached and detached homes have the warmth from the stone and brick finishing that Manhattan, Boston and Chicago style brownstones offer, but without a price tag that only Paltrow or one of the Sex and the City gals could afford. These brownstone façade homes offer classic architecture and modern convenience for families, as well as the knowledge that Greenbury has paired a timeless design with innovative environmentally friendly attributes for a healthy, beautiful neighborhood anyone would be proud to live in. Even Carrie Bradshaw would be impressed.

Homes

The theme of the Greenbury community is in the Brownstone style, an iconic London architectural theme. A mixture of home styles, from town homes and duplexes to rear lane access and front attached garage homes all harmoniously share streetscapes. This broad mixture of housing types is unified through common design, and creates a feeling of unique and timeless style throughout the community.

Front Garage

Rear Lane Access

Single Detached Homes

Western Living Homes 2 car garage	Dolce Vita Homes 2 car garage
Alquinn Homes 1 car garage	Western Living Homes 1 car garage

Western Living Homes

Celico Homes

Duplexes

Dolce Vita Homes

MacLachlan & Mitchell Homes

Townhomes

Dolce Vita Homes

Alquinn Homes

For more information, please see Greenbury’s Architectural Guidelines

Green Rating Program for all Builders and Homes

Green Rating Program for all Builders and Homes in the Neighbourhood

Beaverbrook has established the Greenbury Green List, where builders and homeowners can choose their level of “green” by incorporating energy efficient items into their building plan.

All homes in Greenbury will meet the Jade level criteria established in the Greenbury Green List, starting with construction. Builders will begin creating eco-friendly homes literally from the ground up by retaining top soil, using clean fill, and having a concrete wash-out area.

How is Beaverbrook Implementing the Green Program?

All homes in Greenbury will be subject to the Beaverbrook green rating system, with each home needing to reach at least Jade on the rating scale. From there, builders can work with their clients to incorporate additional green features in their homes based on their customized needs and budget. Integrating additional items earns the builder and homeowner additional points. The more points a home achieves, the higher level it is designated—Emerald or Diamond. Since living green is a source of pride, Greenbury homes that achieve the Diamond Level will have address plaques that display their green rating.

Greenbury will set a precedent for green living on the community level for the Capital Region.

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Construction Waste Management

Waste management on a jobsite is a vital part of sustainable building practice. The goal of a construction waste management program is to reduce waste going to the landfill.

How is Greenbury controlling construction waste?

Builder Waste Bins
In Greenbury, during construction, all builders are required to participate in a construction waste management program where materials are diverted from the landfill and sent for recycling. All builders will have waste bins on their construction site and participate in a program that collects their waste on a weekly or as needed basis for sorting and recycling.

Builder Clean Fill Area
Once a foundation is poured on a property it’s very difficult for the developer to know precisely how much dirt they’ll need in order to reach the exact grade of the home. Sometimes builders will need extra dirt, while other times they’ll find themselves with extra. Because the grade of every house varies in a development it’s almost impossible for a developer to know precisely how much they’ll need.

In Greenbury, builders have access to a clean fill area right in the neighbourhood. At the clean fill area they can pour their excess dirt or borrow a little extra to top off their grade. The clean fill area reduces costs for builders and reduces the carbon footprint associated with transporting excess material to and from the site.

Builder Concrete Wash-out Area
In many developments, when concrete is poured for basements and driveways, the leftover concrete is washed out onto the property, leaving small patches of concrete on empty lots and the adjacent areas. This practice leads to multiple sites with excess concrete waste, not to mention the unsightlyness of multiple concrete piles/

In Greenbury, the implementation of a designated concrete wash-out area has been thoughtfully designed to allow for the concrete to be washed out of the hoses in a specific location, and will be carted away, as opposed to left in empty spaces.

Top Soil Retention
In many developements, when basements are dug, the topsoil, clay, and other ground levels are re-spread onto the property once they are finished with pouring concrete for the basement.

During the construction of Greenbury, the topsoil was be removed and stockpiled for use in landscaping public parks, ponds and roadways. This means that the local top-soil can be re-used within the neighbourhood, as opposed to transporting it away, reducing the carbon footprint associated with transportation.

How is this Green?

Less Waste: This promotes the re-use of construction materials, and reduces the amount of waste going to landfill.
Education: By following this protocol, it can educate both builders and the general public as to what waste is recyclable on a construction site.
Less Transportation of Materials: This helps reduce the carbon footprint associated with transporting excess material around the site.

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Wind and Solar Power

Figure 1.5 Windspire®Solar and wind are “free” power sources, but require a large amount of infrastructure to harvest them. Solar energy is obtained through photovoltaic and photocell technologies. Wind power is received from a wind power generator, or windmill.

Solar and wind power technologies are still being developed and are relatively new for residential applications, making their capital cost substantial. However, in Greenbury, our team is planning for the future, and thinking about how we can integrate these as pilot projects and in the future as permanent ways of generating power once the technology has advanced and is affordable to everyone.

How does Greenbury use Wind and Solar Power?

Greenbury introduces the Windspire®, a residential-sized wind turbine to the community and City of Spruce Grove as a pilot project. Three Windspires® is located in the large park and plaza area at the entrance to the neighbourhood. These Windspires® harvest wind energy and use this energy to power entrance lighting to the neighbourhood and within the park. Beaverbrook is working with and reporting to the City of Spruce Grove on the performance of the Windspires®.

The Windspires are connected on a two-way switch on the mail power grid. On windy days, the Windspires spin to generate electricity, and feed the grid during the day. During the evening and at night, they power the park lighting.

Further, Greenbury builders are encouraged to earn extra points from the Greenbury Green List by building homes that are “solar ready”, with a conduit system to enable the connection of roof top solar panels for domestic water heating systems when residential solar power is more financially viable to the general public. Some Greenbury outdoor show-home lighting in is also solar powered.

Why is this Green?

Solar and Wind Power are Renewable: Once the infrastructure is in place, solar and wind power are inexpensive, renewable sources of energy.
Education: These features will serve not only to help power Greenbury, but also as an educational piece to educate and promote sustainability programs to the community and beyond.

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Greener Living, Brownstone Style

Situated beside the 60 acre Jubilee Park, Greenbury has taken modern, sustainable ideas for an environmentally friendly community, and united them with classic style. Homes are designed in classic brownstone architecture; a welcoming theme that provides a warm feeling to the neighbourhood.

Being Green isn’t always easy. But, in Greenbury, it’s effortless and available to everyone through a variety of home styles. The community features townhomes, semi-detached, and single-family homes on every street throughout the community.

Greenbury takes Green seriously, and builds with the environment in mind from development to completion.

Native Plant Use

Figure 1.4 Native Plant Species

The use of native plants throughout Greenbury has a number of benefits, both green, and practical.

Why use native plant species over more “exotic” choices?

Native plants are adapted to our climate zone, hardier, and more resistant to ailments that plague foreign fauna species. Native plants also attract native wildlife, like birds, butterflies, insects, and other creatures that depend on them for their survival. Native landscapes are more genetically diverse, and create a natural aesthetic that is in harmony with the eco-systems around them.

Why does Greenbury use native plants?

Greenbury is situated directly next to Jubilee Park, in Spruce Grove. In keeping with the natural beauty offered there, as well as to protect it from foreign insects that come with exotic ornamentals, Greenbury has chosen to use native plants because they are less maintenance, and have a long established tolerance to regional conditions. Native plants in Greenbury are located all over the public landscapes such as parks, roadway boulevards, and storm water management facilities. The Architectural Guidelines for the neighbourhood also provide a native plant species list for residents and builders to choose from while completing their landscaping.

Why is this Green?

Local flora is more disease resistant: Since local greenery is disease resistant, they require less fertilizer, which in turn means less run off, and pollution.
Native plants promote understanding: By using native species of plant, public awareness is raised about the beauty natural to our habitat.
Carbon footprint reduction: Because local plants are supplied by local nurseries, the cost of transportation is reduced; lowering the amount of fuel used for transportation, and the local economy is supported and sustained.
Provides homes to local fauna: Native plants are the natural choice for native animals to hide under, create nests in, and live around.

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LED Street Lighting

Figure 1.3 LED Street Lighting

What is LED Lighting?

Light Emitting Diode (LED) is an efficient form of lighting that produces more light per watt than traditional lighting elements. LED lighting systems reduce energy costs and light pollution, have lower lumen levels, and enable more directed light patterns.

Where is the LED lighting in Greenbury?

All the streetlights along the roadways in Greenbury are LED lights. Some of the outdoor show home lighting will also be LED lighting.

Why is this Green?

Energy Savings: LED lights produce more light per watt, which achieves a higher brightness for given output
Long Life: LED lights have a longer life, less burnout, which in turn means they need to be replaced less often; this means less waste, and more reliability
Reduction of Light Levels: LED lighting can be easily dimmed or brightened given the need. This allows the City of Spruce Grove the future capacity to reduce power usage by dimming lights in the early hours of the morning where bright lights may not be as necessary

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Innovative Stormwater Management Practices

Bioswales

Figure 1.1 Bioswales

What is a bioswale?

Bioswales are vegetated open channels specifically designed to attenuate and treat storm water runoff for a defined water volume. Similar to open ditches, bioswales convey storm water volumes from a source point (where rain falls) to a discharge point. Unlike an open ditch, they are designed to intentionally slow down the velocity of storm water, provide opportunities for infiltration, and facilitate water quality improvement through special vegetation and plantings that remove pollutants from storm water.

Where is the bioswale in Greenbury?

The bioswale is located along the centre median of the main roadway through the neighbourhood, collecting and filtering storm water runoff from the roadway.

Why is the bioswale green?

Slows the velocity of runoff and lowers runoff volumes: The vegetation and length of the bioswale system results in a longer route for the water to reach the storm water management facility, allowing time for pollutant filtering and infiltration. The increased level of infiltration recharges the water table
Increases infiltration: While water moves slowly along the path of the bioswale towards the storm water management facility, the vegetation and sub soils within the bioswale absorb some of the water, also providing a permeable surface for the water to infiltrate into the ground
Water cleansing: plantings within the bioswale clean pollutants such as heavy metals from the water

Constructed Wetland Storm Water Facility

What is a constructed wetland storm water management facility?

Like a conventional storm water management facility, a constructed wetland storm water management facility will detain water to reduce flooding/peak flows after a rainfall event. However, a constructed wetland facility design with shallow vegetated channels and shallow marshes within the facility helps to slow down water, thereby causing sediment and other particles to settle within the pond. Vegetation (macrophyres) in channels and marsh areas also helps to strip nutrients and some chemicals from water.

Where is the constructed wetland stormwater management facility in Greenbury?

The facility is located in the north part of the neighbourhood along the main roadway.

Why is the constructed wetland storm water management facility green?

Less maintenance and energy use: Minimization of the amount of mown grass by using a ‘naturalized landscape’ in the facility will reduce the ongoing energy use associated with grass cutting as well as reduce the potential use of fertilizers, pesticides, etc which might enter the drainage system
Water cleansing: Increased contact of storm water flows with plant materials benefits the environment by cleansing the water of contaminants and pollutants prior to discharge
Passive recreation: Residents will have the opportunity to walk around the facility, and spend time in seating areas. This provides with opportunities for passive recreation (e.g. bird watching)
Habitat: The wetland facility will provide habitat for waterfowl, small mammals, amphibians and insects

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Architectural Guidelines

The theme of the Greenbury neighborhood is in the Brownstone style. Inspired by urban living, this icon in architecture originally developed in London as a “house on the park”, will be incorporated throughout all urban design elements within the neighborhood. The streetscapes of Greenbury will be diverse. A broad mix of housing types will be unified through common design elements and landscaping features that reinforce the character and lifestyle of the neighborhood in an expression of harmony. The general guideline objective is to express lifestyle through design, creating harmonious streetscapes comprised of varied, distinctive, and uniquely unified housing products.

Greenbury’s Architectural Guidelines

MacLachlan & Mitchell Homes

For over sixty years, MacLachlan & Mitchell Homes has designed homes that reflect individuality and creativity for every budget.