Wednesday, March 12, 2008

The Checklist for a Life in Balance

12 Mar 2008 05:01 Africa/Lagos


The Checklist for a Life in Balance

How do you choose a place to live that offers a true eco-luxury experience? Aura at Camelback's 'Sustainable Luxury Living Checklist' shows you how

PHOENIX, March 12 /PRNewswire/ --

Catalyst Communities, the developer of Aura at Camelback, a 36-unit sustainable luxury living community to be built in Phoenix's Camelback Corridor, continues its mission to educate people who want to learn how to "live a life in balance" by launching its "Sustainable Luxury Living Checklist." The Checklist outlines key features consumers can look for when shopping for an environmentally-friendly home and is available for free download at http://www.auraatcamelback.com/.


The Sustainable Luxury Living Checklist is designed around Aura at Camelback's three strategic pillars: "sustainability," "luxury" and "community." For instance, sustainable homes should be environmentally designed at the system level, optimized to improve energy efficiency in all home systems -- interior and exterior. "The idea behind the Sustainable Luxury Living Checklist is simply to further educate environmentally-conscious individuals on what they can expect thanks to today's green building revolution," said Chad Gifford, president and founder of Catalyst Communities, Aura's developer. "Of course, all of the homes at Aura at Camelback are designed with our Checklist in mind. But we want this "green" consciousness to spread everywhere -- in Arizona, across the country and around the world."


Aura at Camelback is a 36-unit townhome project located in a bustling business, shopping and entertainment district known as the Camelback Corridor, one of the most sought after residential destinations in Arizona. Units at Aura range from 2,469 to 3,147 square feet and are priced from $900,000 to $1.3 million. Each of the 36 residences at Aura at Camelback will be fitted with a state-of-the-art solar photovoltaic system from Agenera, a Phoenix-based solar utility provider that will generate up to 100 percent of the electricity needs of the unit. The solar electricity system is so efficient that Catalyst Communities is offering a zero electricity bill "guarantee" for the first five years of residence at Aura at Camelback.


Aura at Camelback is designed as a Silver LEED for Homes (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) development, a national benchmark from the U.S. Green Building Council for the design, construction and operation of high performing green buildings. The Checklist's eco-friendly aspects are designed around many of the features of the LEED program.


Senior Rae Kristoff Architecture of Phoenix handled the design for Aura at Camelback while Urban Edge Builders of Scottsdale will be building the community. Aura at Camelback will break ground in spring 2008 with completion scheduled for mid-2009.


About Aura by Catalyst Communities


Based in Phoenix, Arizona, Catalyst Communities was formed in 2006 to promote a new approach to homebuilding called "sustainable luxury living" and branded "Aura." The first development, "Aura at Camelback" is Catalyst's flagship urban townhouse community being built in Phoenix's Camelback Corridor. To be completed in mid-2009, the development redefines how developers can creatively combine three key elements of a quality lifestyle: luxury living, environmentally conscious design and a close-knit community. With Aura at Camelback, Catalyst Communities has pledged to make an energy efficient property certified as a silver LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) residential community as determined by the U.S. Green Building Council and Zero Energy Homes as determined by the U.S. Department of Energy. Dates and pricing are provided in good faith, but not guaranteed. Aura at Camelback is an Equal Opportunity housing provider. For more information, please visit http://www.auraatcamelback.com/.


Aura and Catalyst are trademarks of Catalyst Communities, LLC. Other names and brands are the property of their respective owners.


Contact:
The Lavidge Company
Greg Sexton
(480) 998-2600 ext. 555
gsexton@lavidge.com

Lauren Pokras
(480) 998-2600 ext. 542
lpokras@lavidge.com


Available Topic Expert(s): For information on the listed expert(s), click appropriate link. Chad Gifford http://profnet.prnewswire.com/Subscriber/ExpertProfile.aspx?ei=69218


Source: Catalyst Communities

CONTACT: Greg Sexton, +1-480-998-2600, ext. 555, gsexton@lavidge.com, or
Lauren Pokras, +1-480-998-2600, ext. 542, lpokras@lavidge.com, both of The
Lavidge Company for Catalyst Communities

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