As we celebrate all things green this month approaching the 50th annual Earth Day celebration, our focus is on sustainable building practices. Nowhere is Brightwater’s dedication to environmental stewardship more evident than in its commitment to smart design and development from the very first stages of neighborhood and home creation.
The Brightwater team takes pride in creating thoughtful neighborhoods and homes that are as timeless and practical as they are beautiful – crafting environments where people can flourish with connection to one another, the community and the land. As a part of that process, Brightwater plans each neighborhood and even each homesite individually. That means dedicated attention to conserving and incorporating green space and native flora. It means siting homes to their best advantage and saving trees. It means maximizing natural water and drainage features and working with the natural contours of the land. And it means smart use and re-use of materials to cut waste – like recycling concrete waste into gravel for landscaping use.
Brightwater’s Sweet Apple neighborhood in Milton, GA is a stunning example of how compelling a smart, environmentally sensitive land plan can be. Brightwater saw in this pastoral property an opportunity to conserve and celebrate its natural beauty, making sure it was always available for the community to enjoy. Here were acres of pristine woods giving shelter to more than 150 native plants species, rolling meadows and pastures, a natural lake and creeks. While the property’s zoning allowed for a builder to mass clear and develop the acreage, disrupting and piping the natural creek in the process, Brightwater chose instead to limit its development on the site and preserve the most ecologically sensitive areas and leave the natural creeks and lakes intact.
Today, homes at Sweet Apple are nestled amongst the trees, solar panels on every roof, while dozens of acres are committed to a conservation land trust to be preserved in perpetuity. Miles of trails lead into the trees where residents can lose themselves in the wonders of the woods. Street lights are capped to preserve the dark night sky. The fishing dock and firepit at the lake are popular gathering spots and the perfect place to catch the fireflies. The neighborhood is a living and well-loved example of how smart, sustainable design and construction can improve and enrich lives every day.
Learn more about Sweet Apple here or see more thoughtful designs from Brightwater.