MCLD's 'Hemlock House' Receives LEED SILVER Rating From U.S.G.B.C.

We’ve just received awesome news that our recent collaboration with Charles R. Myer & Partners, Sara Bengur Interiors, Columbia Contracting, J&F Contracting, and Hartney Greymont, has received a LEED Silver Rating from the U.S. Green Building Council!

MCLD worked closely with our client and the design team to create a lush, textured garden embellished with reclaimed materials and a robust palette of plant materials.  The building and its interiors creatively embrace the U.S.G.B.C.’s LEED rating requirements.  Outside, terraces and walls are thoughtfully crafted from hand-picked, salvaged slabs of Cape Ann granite sourced from Olde New England Granite.  A dazzling collection of drought tolerant evergreen and deciduous trees and shrubs from Select Horticulture create enclosure and brilliant displays of seasonal color around the property.  The garden boasts an extremely efficient irrigation system, and the entire property is managed organically.  Areas of turf grass are kept to a minimum, and modest areas of lawn are situated purposefully.  Last, but not least, the driveway is completely porous and stormwater is allowed to recharge into the local watershed.

Designing and building a LEED-rated residential project requires a great deal of thought, flexibility, and creativity from the start.  A solid team of collaborators is essential, and communicating the various choices of “green” and “sustainable” products on the market to your client is not a task to be taken lightly.  The process requires patience, vision, as well as a firm commitment from the client to live in a more environmentally conscious way than most homeowners are willing to take on.  The LEED for Homes program has made remarkable contributions to the green building movement, and we are incredibly proud to celebrate the ‘Hemlock House‘ as our second LEED project!