At VISION House Hickory Grove in Hickory, North Carolina, a project developed through a partnership between Green Builder Media and Rob Howard, president of Howard Building Science, the 12-unit prefab multifamily community represents a replicable solution to some of the issues that plague the national housing market.
Most communities across the U.S. struggle with a lack of affordable workforce housing. In addition, they need to produce net zero homes with high levels of efficiency and resilience to increased danger of power outages and damage from extreme temperatures, high levels of precipitation and powerful storms.
Climate responsive design matched with a deep understanding of building science are hallmarks of Howard’s projects, including VISION House Hickory Grove, which is designed as a rental community to provide housing for first responders, teachers, healthcare workers, retirees and recent graduates who need attainable, resilient, efficient homes.
The homes are designed to meet the Department of Energy’s Zero Energy Ready Home certification requirements as well as the FORTIFIED Home certification for resilience. Each home will use 50% less energy than a standard code-built house and will include solar and storage for energy independence.
To achieve that level of energy efficiency, each home must be designed with products and materials that are long lasting and resilient, starting from the exterior and continuing inside. At VISION House Hickory Grove, the homes will feature LP SmartSide® ExpertFinish Trim & Siding, an innovative prefinished siding which is both durable and visually appealing.
“LP SmartSide ExpertFinish offers a variety of 16 versatile prefinished colors, carefully curated to complement various architectural styles,” says Halle Claypool, sustainability marketing manager with LP Building Solutions. “Thanks to the SmartGuard process this product is fortified with engineered waxes, adhesive resins and zinc borate, and finished with an overlay. This combination provides robust protection against environmental elements and is fungal decay and termite resistant.”
LP SmartSide ExpertFinish products come with a comprehensive warranty, including a 5-year limited labor and materials warranty, a 15-year limited warranty on the finish and a 50-year substrate limited warranty.
“These warranties offer peace of mind to both professionals and homeowners,” Claypool says.
LP’s mission and vision inform their motto: Building a Better World.
“Our company is dedicated to ensuring sustainable business operations through environmental conservation, supporting LP communities and building economic prosperity for future generations,” Claypool says. “Across our 52-years, we’ve committed to producing products that are both responsibly sourced and known for exceeding the performance expectations of our customers.”
LP’s carbon-negative portfolio includes LP SmartSide Trim & Siding, LP® SmartSide ExpertFinish Trim & Siding, LP BuilderSeries Lap Siding, LP FlameBlock Fire-Rated Sheathing, LP Legacy Premium Sub-Flooring, LP TechShield Radiant Barrier Sheathing, LP WeatherLogic Air & Water Barrier, and LP TopNotch 350 Sub-Flooring.
“Our products capture and retain carbon originally stored in trees throughout their lifespans,” Claypool says. “By taking a holistic approach to sustainability, LP helps set the standard for environmental performance and product longevity.”
LP’s commitment extends from their sustainable forestry and manufacturing practices through their approach to protect the health and safety of their employees and products.
“We’re not simply a building solutions company,” Claypool says. “We have a bigger purpose—using our expertise and innovation to contribute to a better world. Building a Better World is why we engineer products that make a difference, help our people get involved in their communities and ensure our processes remain sustainable for the environment.”