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Green Building & Sustainable Development

Stonehaus Breaks Ground on Belvedere, a Progressive Neighborhood

05/10/2007 - Stonehaus, a premier full- service real estate development company in Central Virginia, announced today that it broke ground at the site of its newest neighborhood, Belvedere. Stonehaus will be the first developer in the Central Virginia region to execute on the vision of a large-scale, progressively designed neighborhood grounded in both sustainability and New Urbanist design principles.

Located on 207 acres off of Rio Road East in Albemarle County and close to downtown Charlottesville, Virginia, Belvedere will have more than 700 Energy Star and EarthCraft certified homes in a new neighborhood that will incorporate environmental stewardship at all levels. From its layout and landscaping to its community buildings and activities, Belvedere's green urbanist design will foster a sense of community and support active lifestyles.

"The Belvedere neighborhood reflects how we've embraced the updated vision of mixed-use communities and healthy living," said Chris Schooley, director of development at Stonehaus. Belvedere is designed to attract residents that value both community and environmental responsibility. Schooley notes that, "only in the last few years has green building become accessible to mainstream America, both in price and in technology. Stonehaus is proud to be one of the first developers in our region to incorporate green principles into neighborhood design."

According to Chris Hays of Hays + Ewing Design Studio, an award-winning architecture firm that is designing the Civic Core of the Belvedere community, "Stonehaus is the first developer in our region who has fully embraced green design principles with a neighborhood-centered, mixed-use development approach on a large scale. We are very excited to have a chance to work with Stonehaus to create a new standard for sustainable development in the Charlottesville area."

Belvedere will achieve its goals of sustainability and environmental stewardship through features that include:

• Energy Star and EarthCraft certification for all homes,
• LEED certification for Civic Core and office buildings,
• Stormwater management incorporating on-site biofiltration,
• Ideal solar orientation for Town Hall and office buildings,
• Preserved areas that showcase native trees, plants, and flowers,
• Walkable destinations within the neighborhood,
• Durable exterior finish materials, such as fiber cement siding
• Low-flow plumbing fixtures and rainwater harvesting, and
• Infrastructure to support convenient recycling throughout the community.

According to Cass Kawecki, the director of sales and marketing for the community, a range of residential choices will be available in Belvedere, including lofts, townhomes, and single-family homes spanning a broad range of price points. "Belvedere will also include a network of shops, services, and office space. Belvedere will bring both sophisticated commercial space to the Charlottesville market, while at the same time providing residents with an abundance of neighborhood conveniences within walking distance."

Belvedere will support healthy lifestyles by creating:

• Open space for recreation, including safe and convenient access for kids to trails, pocket parks, and a village green,
• An organic farm organized in accord with the Community-Supported- Agriculture (CSA) model,
• A formal and informal network of hiking and biking trails,
• A broad range of programs that encourage wellness organized by the Belvedere Wellness Coordinator,
• Commitment to the arts, such as Art in Place and Saturdays after Seven (SAS) events,
• Healthy indoor air quality for all residences through high-performance mechanical ventilation, low-VOC and no-VOC finishes and adhesives, and flooring options that meet the American Lung Association Health House standards.

Belvedere aims to set a new standard within the regional real estate market. Kawecki adds, "Belvedere is truly a new kind of community and a new product for Charlottesville. It is a neighborhood that reflects the values of Charlottesville's citizens."

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