Featured Project
Eastway Village Neighborhood Revitalization | Durham, NC 

Owner: City of Durham Community Development Department
Richard Valzonis, Project Manager

Architect: Evergreen Architecture
Michael O’Brien AIA, Project Architect

General Contractor: Blue Ridge Enterprises, Inc.
Darren Smith, Project Manager


Eastway Avenue was formerly Barnes Avenue, the most notorious street in Durham.  As part of the Northeast Central Durham Revitalization Plan, this two-block street was identified as the highest priority.  New houses and condominiums were built to replace the existing substandard and flood-prone units.  The City has provided subsidies to keep the houses affordable to lower-income residents, including a program for previous residents of Barnes Avenue.

The location, in an urban neighborhood with schools, shopping and other services within walking distance, advances the precepts of good planning and efficient use of resources.

The site is comprised of thirty single family homes with sixteen condominium units around a green space at the center of the site.

Richard Valzonis, Project manager for the Community Development Department, was convinced of the value of energy-efficient houses, and part of the design process was following the SystemVision Homes program administered by Advanced Energy Corporation of Raleigh, NC.  This program essentially is a certification that the houses comply with EnergyStar requirements.

The program standards focus on ten areas:

  1. Air Barrier
  2. House Air-Tightness
  3. Insulation
  4. Windows
  5. Heating, Cooling and Hot Water Efficiency
  6. Air Distribution System
  7. Mechanical Equipment Installation
  8. Ventilation
  9. Pressure Balancing and Return Air Paths
  10. Combustion Safety

The first phase of sixteen houses and sixteen condominiums was designed and bid in 2004.  Since then, the SystemVision requirements have tightened slightly.  The final phase is now under construction, and the construction requirements have been modified to meet the evolving guidelines. 

This phase has also been registered with the NAHB Green Building Initiative, and with very little modification met the Bronze Level.  Had that program been in place form the beginning of the project, we believe that achieving Silver or even Gold would not have required a great deal of additional effort or cost.

Incorporation of the design elements of these programs was neither difficult nor expensive.  It was mostly a matter of keeping the envelope tight and using care in the installation of the HVAC system.

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