The Howard Hughes Corp. — a steward of the land

As the developer of more than 25,000 acres in the Las Vegas Valley, including the master-planned community of Summerlin, The Howard Hughes Corp. has long recognized its obligation as a steward of the land.

In Summerlin, the company’s dedication to preserving the environment has been demonstrated in many ways throughout the years, most notably during two land exchanges in which the company pulled its boundary eastward into the valley, adding 6,400 acres to the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area and creating a boundary and buffer zone that will forever protect the area and preserve its pristine character.

According to Tom Warden, The Howard Hughes Corp.’s senior vice president of community and government relations for Summerlin, the decision to pull Summerlin’s border back was made because the community’s early planners knew it would be inappropriate to develop within site of the scenic loop road.

“From its inception, Summerlin was developed with the environment in mind,” he said. “Beyond our landmark exchanges that continue to protect Red Rock Canyon, today, Summerlin was one of the valley’s earliest adopters of desert landscaping, helping to improve the public image of low water-use landscapes in the 1990s and encouraging other developers and builders to do the same.

“In fact, Summerlin was the valley’s first community to implement strict Water Smart conservation guidelines, and we continue to replace turf with desert-friendly plant materials whenever and wherever possible.”

Even before Summerlin began to take shape, The Howard Hughes Corp. was integral in establishing a development fee to fund desert tortoise habitat that helped protect this once-threatened species. Company leaders also served on a valleywide development coalition that drafted some of the country’s toughest self-imposed rules on dust control to protect air quality. And The Howard Hughes Corp. continues to be proactive in the fight against illegal dumping by organizing and funding desert cleanups in undeveloped areas in and adjacent to Summerlin.

A number of design innovations, such as the preservation of natural drainage areas and arroyos that serve a dual use for parks and trails, as well as the incorporation of the natural landscape and topography, are strong examples of environmentally oriented design principles.

According to Warden, the community’s environmental stewardship is evolving to include a more intense focus on new urbanism and smart growth, evident in an increasing number of higher-density neighborhoods, particularly in the Downtown Summerlin area, where more than 4,000 residences are planned, including apartments, townhomes, condominiums, lofts and brownstones.

This past year, Downtown Summerlin, which offers fashion, dining, entertainment, Red Rock Casino and the future NHL Practice Facility for the Vegas Golden Knights, earned Silver certification status from the U.S. Green Building Council in its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program.

Several homebuilders in Summerlin are known for their green building practices that create some of the most energy-efficient homes available today.

Tevare by KB Home in The Paseos village offers Energy Star-certified homes ranging from 1,849 to 2,625 square feet that are priced from the mid-$300,000s. Other energy-efficiency technologies at Tevare include electric vehicle charging stations in the garage.

Delano by Lennar Homes, also in The Paseos village, offers homes from 3,312 to 3,881 square feet that are priced from the high $500,000s. Powered by Nexia Home Intelligence, Delano offers dozens of green-technology details, from solar and water-saving features, such as low-energy dual pane vinyl windows and an energy-efficient gas heating system to energy-saving compact fluorescent lightbulbs and superior value insulation in walls and ceilings.

Pulte Homes, known for its signature Life Tested living spaces, builds homes in a variety of styles, price points and elevations that come standard with several significant energy-saving features. These include 15 Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio-rated air-conditioning systems, low-emissivity dual-pane windows with vinyl frames, water-efficient toilets, a 95 percent energy-efficient gas furnace, Rheem tankless water heater and digital programmable thermostat.

In Summerlin, Pulte has two neighborhoods in The Paseos village, including Segovia with homes ranging from 2,776 to 3,364 square feet and priced from the high $400,000s; and Estrella, offering homes from 2,058 to 2,455 square feet and priced from the high $300,000s. Pulte’s new Summerlin village, Reverence, will feature energy-efficient homes in six collections that range from 1,550 to 4,850 square feet.

For information on Summerlin, all its homebuilders and neighborhoods, visit Summerlin.com.