New Housing Development As Green As it is Affordable

JESSUP, MD - March 13, 2012 - The Cottages at Greenwood, the first fully “green” development in Howard County, Maryland, doesn’t just give back to the environment. The new development also offers a special opportunity to the local community as an affordable housing project.

“Community members with a moderate income have the chance to live in homes that utilize the most advanced energy efficiency building techniques,” said Chris Ignaczak, owner of C and R Insulation, who insulated the homes with both spray foam and cellulose. 

The community was built around the belief that high-quality design should make homes less expensive to purchase and more economical to live in, the Cottages at Greenwood Web site explains. The project began in May of 2011, and the first three of the 10-home development were completed in the fall. All 10 homes have since been completed and sold. 

“The idea was that you have to fit a certain income level to live in these houses,” Ignaczak explained. “People with incomes that exceeded the limit specified weren’t permitted to buy.”

County servants whose income levels are often modest, such as schoolteachers and firemen, were given the first opportunity to buy the houses, Ignaczak said. 

C and R Insulation was subcontracted by Hamel Builders to insulate each new construction in the 10-home development. The application process took place between August and December 2011, in phases. 

“We applied Gaco Western’s new product, FireStop, to the underside of the roof deck,” Ignaczak said. “To the exterior walls, we applied densely-packed cellulose.” 

A three-man crew spent an average of two days on each home. 

Included within the development is the Sustainable Living Center for the Cottages at Greenwood. Not just a model home, the Sustainable Living Center gives visitors the opportunity to learn more about what makes these homes top-of-the-line in energy efficiency. On-site storm water capture, solar hot water heaters, recyclable building materials, Energy Star-approved household products, and of course, spray foam insulation are among many features carefully included in the design and construction of the top-performance homes. 

“The all-encompassing approach is the way of the future in building,” said Ignaczak. “We were very happy to be a part of it.”

Visit the Web site for the Cottages at Greenwood to learn more about the green design of the community. 

About C and R Insulation: C & R Insulation, LLC is a full-service insulation firm that opened in Maryland in 2008.  Ronald Larson and Chris Ignaczak started C & R Insulation in order to provide a high quality green insulation products to Mid-Atlantic. For more information, please visit the links listed below.