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Mrs. Johnson is truly practicing what she preaches, as she and her husband, Bob, are building their dream green home in the estate section of The Ridge at Chukker Creek, a new equestrian-inspired community where Mrs. Johnson also works as the broker-in-charge. Indeed, she sold herself on the community and the merits of green, and now she is sharing her experience for all to see how obtainable a green home can be.
“Having a lighter footprint – treading more softly on the earth – is so important,” says Mrs. Johnson, whose home, like all the homes at The Ridge, will be ENERGY STAR-qualified. The result is a truly high-performance home that enjoys lower utility bills and reduces greenhouse gas emissions, which will only become more valuable through time. Additionally, recycling and innovative sustainable and healthy products, such as low-VOC paints and finishes, create superior air quality and comfort in every home. AirTight SprayFoam insulation offers one of the highest R-values available on the market today, and a tankless hot water heater provides hot water instantaneously without the energy of heating water all day and night.
The Johnson home incorporates several other notable green features as well, including solar panels and a sustainable metal roof. An outdoor fireplace on the spacious wraparound porch proudly displays a mantle of white oak that was recycled from a tree milled on the property, and recycled blue jeans have even found a new home and form here, helping to soundproof interior rooms.
The community planners at The Ridge are further inspiring homeowners to go green by making the community’s amenities green, too, starting with the community’s best attribute – its natural setting. Over 60 acres have been set aside to create the Freeman Nature Preserve, which beckons homeowners to venture outdoors and go exploring, and every measure was taken to preserve as many trees as possible in the community. Of those that had to be taken down to make way for roads, many were recycled into benches and footbridges within the community. A planned Community Garden will provide the perfect spot for homeowners to cultivate vegetables, flowers and other plants, and the community also features drip irrigation and indigenous plants.
Here in the heart of Carolina horse country, state-of-the-art lodging for horses is green, too. “It’s really going to be nice,” says Mrs. Johnson, of the Community Equestrian Center, “and there will be Web cams in every stall so that owners can check up on their horses from their home or office computers.” Under the barn’s sustainable metal roof, there’s also a tack room, and just outside are pastures and a planned covered riding arena. All the water for the barn will be solar heated. In another smart move, the Athletic Center will feature an indoor/outdoor pool that is also solar heated for year-round enjoyment. The pool is a highlight for Mrs. Johnson. “It sits high up on a hill in such a beautiful spot,” she says.
At The Ridge at Chukker Creek, green building and sustainable design flawlessly intertwine with the gently rolling, wooded country landscape and beautiful, traditional Southern homes that are both luxurious and energy efficient. “It’s the whole concept – the donated acres, the green homes – it’s just the right thing to do,” says Mrs. Johnson. Consequently, she has experienced lots of positive feedback, from everyone from young professionals to retirees, about what’s going on at The Ridge, and many people are seeking it out for its green commitment. “I think we’re leading the way and we’re going in the right direction,” she says. Hopefully many more forward-thinking communities will follow suit.
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