Signature signs up for ‘green’

The Southern Nevada Green Building Partnership and Signature Homes on Tuesday announced that Signature Homes has signed as the first locally owned and operated production home builder to participate in the partnership's program, which was established to help builders design and construct more environmentally sensitive, or "green" new homes in metropolitan Las Vegas.

The Green Building Partnership, a program of the Southern Nevada Home Builders Association and the Green Building Initiative of Portland, Ore., will provide Signature Homes, and other home-building companies that sign up for the program, the technical expertise to use the program's 10-page green-building guidelines developed specifically for conditions in Southern Nevada.

The partnership will administer an impartial, third-party inspection and verification that the program guidelines have been met in the design and construction of the home; and will issue certification that the home has been constructed to the program's green-building requirements.

Signature Homes plans to launch its participation in the Green Building Partnership with the design and construction of its Cortona subdivision in northwest Las Vegas at Centennial Parkway and Torrey Pines Drive. The project is in the design phase. The company expects to break ground for the model-home complex in the first quarter of 2008. About 70 single-family homes are planned.

"Signature Homes is honored to be the first locally owned and operated home builder to sign up for the Southern Nevada Green Building Partnership program," said Brian Plaster of Signature Homes, and son of longtime Las Vegas home builders, Richard and Wendy Plaster. "We want to be part of this locally based effort that's bringing green building to residential construction in our community."

Signature Custom Homes also is a participating home builder in the Green Building Partnership program.

The Plasters established Signature Homes in 1978. The company has built thousands of homes, condominiums and apartments.

Green building goes beyond energy conservation. The Green Building Partnership's goal is to direct the efficient use of resources, materials, energy and water; maximize the indoor environmental quality in new housing; and educate homeowners about the operation and maintenance of a green home.

Homeowners who buy a green home will benefit in several ways: Lower operating costs because of the reduced use of water, electricity and gas; and a higher level of indoor air quality because of the guideline requirements for environmentally sensitive building materials and ventilation systems.

"We are pleased that Signature Homes has signed as the first locally owned and operated production home builder to participate in the Southern Nevada Green Building Partnership," said Irene Porter, executive director of the Southern Nevada Home Builders Association, which is the administrator of the Green Building Partnership. "Signature Homes and the Plasters have 30 years experience in quality home building. They've demonstrated their commitment to energy efficiency and conservation. They've been very active and generous, whether that be in civic, cultural or governmental involvement for the benefit of the community."

SNHBA, the largest and oldest trade association representing the Southern Nevada residential construction industry, and the GBI formed the Southern Nevada green building partnership in mid-2005. Together, they developed the program guidelines to serve the needs of production home building in Southern Nevada.

The guidelines are based on the National Association of Home Builders' Model Green Home Building Guidelines, but were customized to meet the special conditions of the Southern Nevada environment. SNHBA is an affiliate of NAHB. The NAHB guidelines were developed in 2004 by a stakeholder group of nearly 60 builders, environmentalists, government agencies and product manufacturers, and provide a baseline for practical green-building approaches for the residential construction industry.

For more information about the Southern Nevada Green Building Partnership and the benefits of green building, visit snhba.com and click on the Green Building Partnership logo, or call 794-0117.