Baldwin Homes

Baldwin Homes Receives Coveted Builder of the Year Award

lisafeeheley — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 21:09:34 +0000

For Immediate Release:

The Home Builders Association of Maryland presented the “Builder of the Year” award to Michael Baldwin of Baldwin Homes Inc. of Arnold, MD.

The award is the premier honor awarded to dedicated and respected members of the home building community.

“The Builder of the Year award is given to the individual who consistently contributes to the association; participation in industry legislative efforts, committee involvement and dedication to the profession.”

Baldwin has been a member of the National Association of Home Builders and the Home Builders Association of Maryland for over 20 years.

He is also a member of the Maryland Residential Green Building Council, the United States Green Building Council, and is a Certified Master Builder as well as a NAHB Certified Master Green Builder.

Environmentally Friendly Homes:

Baldwin Homes built the first national green building standards “Emerald Certified” Home in Anne Arundel County, MD and among the first “Emerald Level” homes built and certified in the nation.

This home also earned a “Gold” certification from LEED and is currently open and available to those who want to learn more about these programs and green certifications.

This home serves as a teaching and learning environment by hosting classes and seminars on green/sustainable building techniques and products for realtors, builders, architects and the public.

Quotes:

Cathy Cherry of Purple Cherry Architects, Annapolis, MD, states, “Michael Baldwin is one of the most progressive-thinking builders when it comes sustainable means and methods. He is an out-of-the-box thinker always on the cusp of new technology. His understanding of how residential building materials are changing is very impressive.”

“We have worked hard to differentiate our building style and we look forward to continuing to build the home of our clients dreams while distinguishing their home from their neighbors. We do this through energy efficiency, sustainable products and better building techniques.” said Michael Baldwin.

Coming home to a green house

lisafeeheley — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 19:07:00 +0000

Gambrills man becomes first to take advantage of county tax credits

By ALLISON BOURG, Staff Writer

Capital Gazette Communications

Published 10/26/11

John Hamblin didn’t have to think twice when asked what he liked most about his new green home in Gambrills.

And no, it’s not the native landscaping surrounding the property or the granite countertops in the kitchen.

Rather, it’s the energy-saving heating, ventilation and air conditioning system. After all, he’s an HVAC nerd.

“They sealed in all the duct work in the area, and it’s all confined within a conditioned space and insulated,” said Hamblin, who works with HVAC systems for a living.

Hamblin will move in Friday to the home in the Preserve at Seven Run. He’s the first homeowner to take advantage of a law passed by the County Council a year ago that gives tax credits to residents who move into environmentally friendly homes.

“I hope a lot of people do the same thing,” Hamblin said.

Hamblin’s home in the Preserve – a green development off Route 175 – is designed according to the U.S. Green Building Council’s standards for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification.

The county law gives a property tax credit for high-performance dwellings built in the county on or after July 1, 2010.

The amount of the tax credit depends on how green the house is, per LEED standards.

Hamblin’s 3,100-square-foot home, the second built in the Preserve, garnered a silver rating. That will net him $5,000 in property tax credits over five years, said

Michael Baldwin, president of Arnold-based Baldwin Homes.

A gold rating earns the homeowner $10,000 over five years; a platinum rating, $15,000, Baldwin said.

“What LEED does is provides a series of guidelines before you even start construction,” said Baldwin, the builder for the Preserve. “It takes awhile to understand all the nuances of it.”

The Preserve eventually will include 73 green homes, according to his plans.

“I’m a pioneer, and pioneers tend to have arrows in their backs,” Baldwin quipped at a ribbon-cutting ceremony yesterday for the home.

The house’s features include recycled asphalt, a built-in recycling center for the kitchen, rain barrels and recycled ceramic tiles.

Other energy savers include Energy Star appliances, low-flow shower heads and faucets, which use about 20 percent less water, and low-emission coating on windows and doors.

It’s about 40 percent more energy efficient than the average home, Baldwin said.

“Last month, the electric bill was $78, and that’s with subcontractors going in and out of here with power tools,” Baldwin said.

Hamblin said he thinks the bill might be even less than that.

“(Baltimore Gas and Electric) told me $51,” he said.

The county legislation was introduced last year by councilman Jamie Benoit, D-Crownsville.

“This is the way houses are going to get built in Anne Arundel County, hopefully,” said Benoit, joined yesterday by Councilman Jerry Walker, R-Gambrills.

Del. Cathy Vitale, R-Severna Park, was on the council when the bill was passed. County officials wanted to see more residents in green homes, she said.

But such homes don’t necessarily come cheap.

The property ended up selling for $560,000, said Lisa Webb, a spokeswoman for Baldwin Homes. Depending on how they’re built, green homes like Hamblin’s generally cost about 5 to 10 percent more to construct than regular homes, though Baldwin maintains that many of the more costly energy-saving features end up paying for themselves in the long run.

The county already offered different perks for people who make various environmental improvements to their yards, Vitale said. This legislation took that one step further.

“It’s an incentive for doing things correct,” Vitale said.

She and Del. Pam Beidle, D-Linthicum, also were involved in the passage of a state law that allows homes in Maryland to be certified under a separate standard offered by the Green Building Council. LEED certifications typically focus on the structure itself, but there’s an alternative standard that rates the site development plans and other factors.

LEED was designed more for commercial construction, while this standard focuses more on residential homes, Vitale said.

But Courtney Baker, residential operations manager for the Green Building Council, said there’s been a definite uptick in the number of homes that are LEED certified.

Around 2007, such homes accounted for 1 percent of the real estate market, Baker said. That’s up to about 4 percent now, with just under 14,000 homes certified nationwide.

“We’ve seen a lot of builder certifications go up, as (builders) attempt to set themselves apart,” Baker said.

Hamblin’s house was assembled in about five months with the help of 60 high school students enrolled at the Center for Applied Technology North in Severn, Principal Daniel Schaffhauser said.

“It’s that real-world experience,” Schaffhauser said. “They’ll remember for the rest of their lives that they had the chance to work on a green building. You can show them a video, but this is the ultimate.”

ENERGYVALUE HOUSING AWARDS HONOR BUILDERS & REMODELERS WHO FOCUS ON ENERGY-EFFICIENT CONSTRUCTION, CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

lisafeeheley — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 14:41:11 +0000

12 Honored, Wathen-Castanos Hybrid Homes, Clifton View Homes Take Top Honors

January 12, 2011, Orlando, Fla.—With the current state of the national economy, consumers are looking for ways to reduce costs wherever they can – operation of their homes is certainly no exception. In direct response to their customers’ needs, and their own desire to “do the right thing,” many home builders and remodelers have taken strides to incorporate features that make homes more energy efficient, comfortable, cost-effective to operate and maintain, and generally more friendly to the natural environment. Tuesday night, at a dinner celebration just prior to the start of the 2011 International Builders’ Show, an elite group of these consciecious residential professionals received EnergyValue Housing Awards (EVHA) for new and existing homes.

Now in its 16th year, the EVHA challenges builders to elevate standards for energy-efficient new construction and remodeling; provides educational opportunities for building professionals; and fosters the adoption of energy efficiency principles. Winners are selected from projects in three climate regions (Cold, Moderate, Hot) and five categories (Affordable, Custom/Demonstration, Multifamily, Production, and Existing Homes).

This year 12 builders and remodelers from nine states were selected to receive a 2011 EVHA. From among all the gold award winners, Wathen-Castanos Hybrid Homes, Inc. (gold award in New Homes, Moderate Climate, Production Homes category) of Fresno, Calif. , was selected as this year’s Builder of the Year, and Clifton View Homes (gold awards in both Cold Climate, Existing Home and Moderate Climate, Custom Home categories) of Coupeville, Wash., was selected as Remodeler of the Year. Meritage Homes of Scottsdale, Ariz., captured the People’s Choice award by garnering the most online votes prior to the award ceremony, and also received a silver award in the Hot Climate, Production Home category.

This year’s other gold and silver award winners are:

• Baldwin Homes, Inc., Arnold, Md. — Silver, Moderate Climate,
Production Home

• Cobblestone Homes, Saginaw, Mich. — Gold, Cold Climate, Custom Home

• DOE Building America Team of Building Media, Inc., & Green Builder
Media, LLC (ReVISION House), Las Vegas, Nev. – Silver, Hot Climate,
Existing Home

• Ferrier Custom Homes, Fort Worth, Texas – Gold, Hot Climate, Custom
Home

• GreenCraft Builders, LLC, Lewisville, Texas – Gold, Hot Climate, Custom
Home

• Imagine Homes, San Antonio, Texas – Silver, Hot Climate, Production
Home
• Near Zero Maine, Vassalboro, Maine –Silver, Cold Climate, Custom Home

• Scott Homes, Olympia, Wash. – Silver, Moderate Climate, Custom Home

• Treasure Homes, Inc., Wheatfield, Ind. – Silver, Cold Climate, Custom
Home

“The quality of this year’s slate of award-winning builders and remodelers is outstanding,” said NAHB Research Center president, Michael Luzier. “With innovative industry leaders like this as examples, the mission of the EVHA program and the efforts of its partners to expand the focus on environmental consciousness and energy efficiency among builders and remodelers will continue to flourish.”
The EVHA program is managed by the NAHB Research Center, and supported by the U.S. Department of Energy through its Building America program, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). This year’s award sponsors include BASF – The Chemical Company, Platinum Sponsor and Existing Homes Division Featured Sponsor; WaterFurnace International, Inc., Winners’ Dessert Reception Sponsor; Silver Sponsors: Andersen Corporation; DOW Building Solutions; and SEISCO International Limited; and Preferred Sponsors: BuildingGreen, Inc.; DuPont; The Vinyl Siding Institute; and Whirlpool Corporation.
For information on each winning company’s home, visit www.nahbrc.org/evha. For more information on the EVHA program, contact Debra Sagan, program manager, at dsagan@nahbrc.com or (800) 638-8556, ext. 6210.
# # #
1/11

The NAHB Research Center, located in Upper Marlboro, Md., promotes innovation in housing technology to improve the durability, affordability, and environmental performance of homes and home building products. Created over 40 years ago as a subsidiary of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), the NAHB Research Center has established itself as the source for reliable, objective information and research on housing construction and development issues. Through its various testing and certification services, the Research Center seal is internationally-recognized as a mark of product quality and an assurance of product performance.

NOTE TO EDITORS ON STYLE USAGE: To identify this company and its work correctly, first reference should be “NAHB Research Center.” If clarification of the acronym is necessary, the phrase, “a subsidiary of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB),” can follow. In subsequent mentions, “Research Center” is the only acceptable and accurate alternative reference.

Baldwin Homes is named one of the NAHB Research Centers 2011 EnergyValue Housing Award Finalists

lisafeeheley — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 14:25:07 +0000

December 1, 2010, Arnold, Maryland – Baldwin Homes is excited to announce we have been selected as one of 12 builders and remodelers to receive the 2011 EnergyValue Housing Award (EVHA), the nations preeminent energy efficiency award honoring those who voluntarily incorporate energy efficiency into all aspects of new home construction and existing home renovation.

Baldwin Homes has been recognized for the building of its Emerson Eco-Model in Gambrills, Maryland at The Preserve at Severn Run. Baldwin Homes’ Eco-Model includes 69 Green features and boasts 5 Green certifications [Energy Star, Building America, NAHB Emerald, LEED Gold and Environments for Living Green], and it looks like any other spacious, attractive home on any neighborhood street.

“We are ecstatic about being selected as one of the 12 builders and remodelers for this award; we have worked hard to make this Eco- model a place where potential homebuyers can see the tangible results of our philosophy of blending beauty with high performance. We want people to understand why we place such importance on things like energy efficiency, environmental conservation, and sustainable building” said Mike Baldwin.

Now in its 16th year, the EVHA is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy through its Building America program, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), in addition to the NAHB Research Center. The EVHA challenges builders to elevate standards for energy-efficient new construction and remodeling, provides educational opportunities for building professionals, and fosters the adoption of energy efficiency principles.

Finalists were selected from projects in three climate regions (cold, moderate, hot) and five categories (affordable, custom/demonstration, multifamily, production, and existing homes). The awards will be presented on Tuesday, January 11, 2011, at the International Builders Show in Orlando. At that time finalists will learn their award level (Gold, Silver, Builder of the Year, Remodeler of the Year, People’s Choice).

To be selected for Peoples Choice we need your vote. Please follow the attached link and pick Baldwin Homes, Finalist # 11. Thank you for your support.

http://www.nahbrc.com/evha/peopleschoice.aspx

New Green Building, High Performance Home Bill to be Introduced in Anne Arundel County- Your Support is Needed!

lisafeeheley — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 19:47:09 +0000

We have been working with HBAM and the Green Building Council both proponents of Green Home Building, to introduce an important Bill that is scheduled for a vote within the Anne Arundel County Council. The Residential Green Building Tax Credit Bill (Bill # 78-10) will be discussed at the next council meeting on September 20^th. The importance of this bill is that it rewards homeowners for building sustainable, healthy and environmentally friendly homes.

Currently Bill # 78-10 has a $1,000 cap per year for a total of 5 years. We are asking for a higher cap that would create an incentive that will cause a home buyer to seriously consider building a “Green Home”.

Along with water and energy efficiency measures,”Green Building” utilizes materials locally as well those from sustainable sources. Efficient construction techniques maximize lumber used while reducing the amount of waste produced during construction, not only does this streamline the process but creates a positive impact on our local economy and our environment.

We are asking for your support with this matter, the more people we get behind the bill the more the council members will see the positive impact Green Building can make for the county. Please take the time to email your support to the council members. You can copy the message below and paste it in the email to show your support. Also, please forward this e-mail to as many people as you can who live in Anne Arundel County so that the council gets the message and knows that passing this bill is the right thing to do.

< I want to voice my support for Bill # 78-10, Green Building is important to me and should be important to Anne Arundel County. I encourage you to pass the Residential Green Building Tax Credit, Bill # 78-10 and to increase the cap to an appropriate level that would create an incentive to build green. Thank you for your continued service to the county. >

Daryl Jones
District 1-  daryl.jones@aacounty.org

Chairman
C. Edward Middlebrooks
District 2 -    emiddlebrooks@aacounty.org

Vice Chair
Ronald C. Dillon
District 3     rdillon@aacounty.org

James Benoit
District 4     james.benoit@aacounty.org

Cathleen M. Vitale
District 5- Now Running for State Delegate   cvitale@aacounty.org

Chuck Ferrar
District 6     chuck.ferrar@aacounty.org

Tricia L. Johnson
District 7    CCjohn00@aacounty.org

  Thank you for your support.

Home of the Week: The Emerson Eco-Model at The Preserve at Severn Run

lisafeeheley — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 18:27:41 +0000

Home of the Week: The Emerson Eco-Model at The Preserve at Severn Run | Slideshow (www.HometownAnnapolis.com – The Capital).

Baldwin Homes wins 2009 Green Home of the Year

admin — Fri, 28 May 2010 13:42:03 +0000

Baldwin Homes accepted the award for 2009 Green Home of the Year and Small Volume Builder One Million Plus Green Home from the Home Builders Association of Maryland Max Awards on April 20, 2010. Baldwin Homes won for the Emerson Eco-Model in Gambrills at The Preserve at Severn Run. The Emerson Eco-Model is a showcase for Green Building, featuring over 69 green items and 5 different Green Building Certifications. The Emerson Eco-Model was build to demonstrate how a Green Home is built to be comfortable, healthy, sustainable, energy efficient and value added. With high end products like, Weaver Pre-cast Foundations, Sealtight Foam Insulation, Seagull Energy Star Light Fixtures, GE Appliances, GE Ecomagination Energy Management System, Certainteed Fibercement Siding and other green and quality building products this Eco-Model was Built Green to Save Green!Baldwin Homes Green Home of the Year is open weekdays; Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm and Saturday and Sunday 11:00 am to 5:00 pm for tours and exploration.