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WHO WE ARE
THORNTREE GUIDELINES
MASTER DEED & BYLAWS
THORNTREE SITE PLAN
LEED AND SUSTAINABILITY
PRESS RELEASE: 3/13/06

Conceptual Designs

OPEN LETTER TO ARCHITECTS
DESIGN: JANA K. VANDER GOOT

Articles

WHY BUILD GREEN?
TEN PRINCIPLES
DR. JONG-JIN KIM: EXCERPTS
A VISIT TO TRYON FARM
LETTER FROM HANNA DONIGER
A SOLAR ENVELOPE HOME
HYBRID HOMES
CONSIDERING LEED FOR HOMES

Considering LEED for Homes: Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design

May 1, 2007

It has been over three years since I began the research and the approvals process that would bring Thorntree Commons to this point. We now can begin our first sales season. Early in my considerations for how best to create an uncommonly green and sustainable residential community, the

LEED for Homes Program was implementing its "pilot projects" throughout the nation. Some of the very first meetings to share ideas and solidify its initial requirements were held in Grand Rapids and I attended those sessions. My participation in those formative events and subsequent research had a great influence on what would become the Thorntree Green Requirements. Though there are some content and procedural differences, the standards are comparable.

A number of professionals, builders and designers, with outstanding reputations in green and sustainable building have suggested that I establish a more definite relationship with

LEED for Homes; especially since the rating system it employs would generate a very favorable rating just by satisfying the Thorntree requirements. I have concluded that to build to LEED standards with its mandatory testing regime does have valuable short and long-term benefits.

Following is my covenant:

In recognition of the ever increasing need to support institutions that bring attention to and make "real world" contributions to sustainable living and the way we shelter, all members of Thorntree Commons who build a LEED-H Certified Silver Home will be fully reimbursed by the Developer for costs of commissioning that home. The Silver designation will be deemed to satisfy all construction, energy efficiency, and air quality requirements that are otherwise set forth in the Thorntree Commons Documents. All other protections and requirements at Thorntree Commons not addressed in the LEED-H Silver Protocols remain in force.

Sincerely,

David Bahle
Developer and President, Thorntree Commons Inc.