EcoClassic Homes Celebrates Earth Day With The Opening Of Its Latest Green Model Home

Company Joins with EcoBroker Drake Realty to Introduce its 

Newest Neighborhood to Attendees of the 2012 Taste of Marietta Festival

Atlanta, GA – April 23, 2012 – EcoClassic Homes, LLC, an Atlanta-based producer of 
sustainable housing featuring classic design and next-generation production methods, today 
announced the opening of its latest green home to the public on Sunday, April 29. This new 
home is the first of four at Marietta’s Montgomery Near The Square neighborhood, a joint 
development with Drake Realty Inc.  


Timed to coincide with Cobb County’s longest-running and largest food festival, Taste of 
Marietta, the model home at 155 Montgomery Street (Marietta, Georgia 30060) will be open for tours from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm on Sunday, April 29. Shuttle service will be available from the festival to the new neighborhood, conveniently nestled just one-half mile north of the historic Marietta Square. EcoClassic Homes and Drake Realty will be sharing a booth, distributing information and coordinating shuttled visits to the neighborhood’s inaugural house. 


“We are delighted to open our latest home to the 100,000 expected attendees of the 2012 Taste of Marietta,” proclaims Steve Fader, President and Chief Operating Officer of EcoClassic Homes, “though we hope they all don’t show up at once. Seriously, we welcome everyone to tour our latest home and neighborhood and to experience all of our green building features and methodologies in person – that’s where the real impact of our future thinking and timeless appeal can best be felt.” 


The Montgomery Near The Square neighborhood brings EcoClassic Homes’ widely-acclaimed sustainable housing solutions to the heart of Marietta, just a short walk from the square.  EcoClassic’s homes are proven to be greener, healthier and more cost-effective to operate and maintain than conventional site-built housing options. EcoClassic homeowners can save more than fifty percent on their energy costs and reduce their water consumption by tens of thousands of gallons per year over the operation of a similarly sized, code-built house. They also enjoy superior indoor air quality thanks to the use of advanced mitigation techniques and zero-VOC and urea formaldehyde-free materials. 


“The timing of the festival and the opening of the Marietta model home is perfect,” notes Glenn Drake, broker/owner of Drake Realty, an EcoBroker and Atlanta's exclusive listing broker for EcoClassic Homes. “The fact that yesterday was Earth Day also underscores this opening, but of course EcoClassic always builds as if every day was Earth Day. We are thrilled to bring more of their latest and greatest green homes to the Atlanta market. We invite you to come out and visit us at the festival and at our newest neighborhood on Sunday.”  


About Taste of Marietta 
The 2012 Taste of Marietta takes place on Sunday, April 29, from 11am to 7pm. The 19th 
annual event is centered in the historic Marietta Square and features over eighty restaurants and caterers showcasing their best food. Attracting over 100,000 people last year, it is the longest-running and largest food festival in Cobb County. The event takes place in historic Marietta Square and also includes live entertainment, a kids’ alley and a sports corner as well as close proximity to the numerous shops and museums in the surrounding square. 


For more information, please visit www.2012.tasteofmarietta.com. 


About Drake Realty 
Since 1991, Drake Realty Inc. has served the greater Atlanta area with real estate services 
including land, commercial, investment, and residential. The company was recently ranked in Atlanta's Top 25 Residential Real Estate Companies (ranked by 2011 gross residential sales volume in Atlanta) by the Atlanta Business Chronicle. Drake Realty provides the same tools and resources to its customers and agents that larger, national real estate companies provide, but without the associated high prices and franchise fees. The company is licensed in Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina and New York.  
Drake Realty is an EcoBroker and Atlanta's exclusive listing broker for EcoClassic Homes. 


For more information on Drake Realty, visit www.drakerealty.com or call 770-565-2044. 

Montgomery Near The Square - Exterior Almost Complete!

The front porch is progressing beautifully. The lucky home owners will enjoy many a spring and autumn afternoon on their lovely porch beneath the shade of a 100 year old Pin Oak we were able to save.

Trex decking in Driftwood Grey

Beautiful columns accentuate the Victorian feel.

Oh, and have I mentioned we're serious about insulation? From beneath the foundation to the top of the roof, this house is tight. We start with plastic sheeting beneath the poured concrete, ventilated crawlspace which is then coated with a brushed-on moisture barrier. After the house is set, we apply a spray foam insulation to the under-side of the house:

As always, more pictures coming soon; stay tuned! 

Montgomery Near The Square - Exterior Almost Complete!

It's been a while since we've updated the blog with new photos. Work is progressing quickly on the exterior, and we should be ready to begin finishing work on the inside within the next week. The direct-vent fireplace and clawfoot tub are on their way, and the strand-woven bamboo, cork, and Shaw EverTouch (made from recycled plastic water bottles) carpet have been ordered. Stay tuned for interior shots!

 Remember, a more complete photo album is available on our Facebook page, and I update that almost daily: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.351341654910092.83161.277333568977568&type=1

Montgomery Near The Square - More Photos!

We have an outstanding crew working on the verticals (interior and exterior finishing work). They've made short work of the siding, and started on the front porch as soon as the materials arrived.

This is shaping up to be quite a lovely abode, if we do say so ourselves! 

Montgomery Near The Square - More Photos From The House Set

Below is a series of interior shots of the home. As you can see, much of the finishing work is done in the factory, eliminating the need for extensive on-site work once the boxes are set.

 Light Fixtures in the Utility/Laundry Room

 Master Bathroom

 Ceramic Tile in the Master Bathroom

Stained Maple Cabinets and Quartz Countertops in the Kitchen

 Light Fixture in the Dining Area

Columns and an Archway Separate the Living & Dining Rooms

Montgomery Near The Square - House Set Videos Are Up!

Video clips from the house set are here!

Please visit our YouTube Channel for more videos about our modular construction process:

http://www.youtube.com/user/EcoClassicHomes?feature=mhee 

Montgomery Near The Square - House is Set!

Last Thursday, the 22nd, we set the house! It was a long day, with a few delays, but the set went off without a hitch thanks to our crack set crew and a crane operator with ice water in his veins. Our full photo gallery is available on our Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.351341654910092.83161.277333568977568&type=1

But here are a few highlights:

 Craning the counter weights into a stack which is then added 

to the back of the crane. If you look closely, you can see that there 

are already two weights mounted on the back of the crane.

 Sling lift fully assembled and cables ready to be threaded 

through the floor joist of the box.

Threading the cables through pre-drilled holes in the floor joist.

 In the background is Box #2. The crane is repositioned to thread 

the sling cables through the floor joist.

 Box #2 is set, and winched into place. All told, the variance between 

Boxes #1 & #2 and the foundation was less than 1/8".

 Hinged roof being deployed.

 Box #3 ready for lifting.

These guys really know how to raise a roof! 

By early Friday afternoon the house is completely "dried in." 

Which means the interior, roof, and insulation are protected from 

the elements. The house can be secured by lock and key - 

no fixtures, cabinetry or plumbing is left vulnerable to theft, 

vandalism, or damage from the elements. 

Check back tomorrow for interior photos. Video clips of the set will be available soon on our YouTube Channel.