The Island Green Building Association (IGBA) has recognized Premier Homes LLC by awarding it with a 5-star rating in the Residential Tropical Green Building Certification Program. This is the highest award offered by IGBA, a non-profit organization that provides leadership on sustainable and environmentally responsible development.
Premier Homes LLC earned the award with their proto-type model home, currently occupied by owners Richard and Kim Borck of Estate Clairmont on the north shore of St. Croix. The home meets a checklist of eligibility requirements, including sustainable features such as site planning and design, building structure, water management, energy conservation, waste minimization and innovation in advanced green building design and gechnology. The checklist, which can be seen at www.igba-stjohn.org, scores a point system to award 3, 4 and 5-star levels of Green Building Certification specific to the Virgin Islands environment.
The Borcks started Premier Homes in 2007 with a strong desire to build a totally green home that was self-sufficient and utilized sound site development techniques, and then offer turn-key home packages to others. Richard Borck, a licensed V.I. contractor since 1989, also owns a busy construction management firm: rbc Services (www.rbcsvi.com).
“We wanted to include the most innovative and best-tested technologies to determine our structural and finish components, and utilize the wind and sun to power the home and heat the water,” said Borck. “We also wanted to include power regardless of whether WAPA was on or off, and have systems to clean and pump wastewater to our landscape, and use native plants and proper soil retention.”
The Borcks were inspired by construction materials proposed for the St. Croix Environmental Associations’ (SEA) Estate Southgate Facilities, where they discovered the RASTRA® Insulated Concrete Form wall system. Using 85 percent recycled content, the grouted walls are rated to withstand winds of 200 mph, and earthquakes up to 8.0, plus provide excellent insulation with an “R value” of 36 using one half the concrete and reinforcing than fully grouted 8-inch block wall. “I found the wall system to be perfect for our use at Premier Homes, so we became the Caribbean distributor for this product,” said Borck. The wall system can be seen at www.rastra.com.
Premier Homes also uses FIBEROCK® “Aqua-Tough” drywall by US Gypsum which is 85 percent recycled, and recycled composite countertops by Avonite®, making them a leader in reusing discarded materials for new home construction.
Wind and/or solar systems are also included in “Turn-Key” packages capable of powering at least 60 per cent of normal house loads with battery back-up, and all water heating requirements. The company distributes wind turbines from both Raum Energy (www.raum.com), and Urban Green Energy (www.urbangreenenergy.com). For solar power, they offer panels from various manufactures and typically utilize OutBack® Controls and Inverters to complete the package that powers their homes.
The Borck’s now live in their model home and have contracted to build three more Premier Homes; a turn-key home/villa at Grassy Point on St. Croix (a small cottage on a rock cropping in the Caribbean Sea, now nearly completed), and two more in Coral Bay, St. John; a main house and guest cottage to begin in May, 2010. Premier Homes has designed and engineered six models for clients to choose from, and offers to build out custom homes.
Both IGBA and Premier Homes, LLC are helping ecologically sound building to become a reality in the Virgin Islands, and both are excellent resources for those who want to build an island dream home, or retrofit one, without nightmares about negative effects on the environment. For more information, visit Premier Homes, LLC at www.phvi.com and the Island Green Building Association at www.igba-stjohn.org.
