Ultimately, the green research team at Cherokee, a world leader in the sustainable revitalization of environmentally impaired properties, selected Sherwin Williams to feature environmentally friendly interior paints throughout the National Homebuilder Mainstream GreenHomeTM in Raleigh, N.C. The idea home aims to change the way builders and homeowners think about green building and highlight, among other things, the problems of poor air quality and toxicity inside a residence.
Jonathan Philips, Senior Director of Cherokee, said “A green home must take into account the health of the environment and that of its inhabitants. Sherwin Williams was very conscious of this with the Duron and Harmony lines of zero- and low-VOC paints that we used. It’s a mainstream product that looks great, applies easily and, best of all, going green with Sherwin Williams does not require a sacrifice in product performance or endurance.”
Formulated with antimicrobial properties resistant to mildew, the Duron – made with a special polymer from BASF – and Harmony Interior Latex paints applied in the home contain zero and ultra-low VOCs, and have a low-odor coating that allows immediate occupancy of newly painted spaces. The paint also offers maximum performance and long-term durability.
“This is a great opportunity for Sherwin Williams to be part of the mainstreaming of green homebuilding in this country,” said Kent Masterman of Sherwin Williams. “Our paints offer a pleasant and easy alternative for people wanting to minimize their exposure to chemicals in the home. With Cherokee’s impact as the nation’s leading brownfield redeveloper and its commitment to sustainability, the GreenHome is the perfect project to spotlight the fact that green products can be integrated in homes that appeal to a wide range of homebuyers and homebuilders.”
Indoor air quality and healthy living are an integral part of green building,” said Jack Armstrong, of BASF. “BASF recognizes that and is constantly looking for innovative ways to reduce the VOCs that are emitted from household objects. The polymer in the Duron paint is a great example of this.”
The waterborne paint has earned the Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) certification for exceeding indoor air quality ratings for low VOC and low odor. Additionally, the Duron Genesis and Harmony Interior Latex paint is available in a complete interior paint line, from primer to topcoat, in eggshell, flat and semi-gloss finishes.
Remarkable in the sense that it looks unremarkable, the GreenHome is the first home of its kind known to be built in a typical suburban neighborhood. The demonstration home provides the average homebuilder with a model for making tomorrow’s typical American home…a green home.
“We are seizing the opportunity to influence the greening of large-scale development and vertical construction,” said Tom Darden, CEO of Cherokee. “Starting with the tens of thousands of homes that will be built on the sites we are currently cleaning-up, and the hundreds of thousands in the future, we have launched our green initiative, and we are kicking it off with the Mainstream GreenHome. Not only are we cleaning and greening hundreds of brownfield sites nationally, but we are exploring innovative ways to integrate more sustainable features into the horizontal and vertical construction of our sites.”
About the GreenHome
Cherokee’s GreenHome is the first home in the nation known to be built in a typical subdivision under the National Association of Home Builders’ (NAHB) Model Green Home Building Guidelines. In addition, the home will be certified with the Environmental Protection Agency/ US Department of Energy (EPA/DOE) Energy Star Program and the North Carolina Solar Center’s Healthy Built Homes state program, among others.For more information visit www.MainstreamGreenHome.com.
