Green Development

Building GREEN is an innovative alternative to traditional building practices that stresses social and environmental responsibility and energy saving practices.

Whether you are putting an addition to your home, doing a total renovation or building new condominiums or commercial space, building it GREEN saves you operational money and provides for a healthier living/working environment. Yes, it’s true, you too can make a difference!

Building GREEN can categorized as the combination of three key elements: integrated design, sustainable materials, and energy savings.

Integrated design involves looking at a building as a "whole system" where the relationships between the parts of the building (the envelope, the windows, the heating and cooling systems, the electric and plumbing systems, the surrounding area, etc.) are as important as the parts themselves. Some examples include:

• South-facing orientation with windows on the front of the building (so in the winter passive solar gain helps heat the building)
  
• Plenty of insulation allowing for smaller heating and cooling systems
  
• Well-placed windows to allow for natural day-lighting that cuts down on electricity use
  
• Design in harmony with the surrounding area that works with the water, wind, soil, and sunlight of the site, making the building more practical and more beautiful

Sustainable materials are building materials that are renewable and do not contribute to harmful health or environmental effects. Here are some examples:

• Bamboo Flooring
• Recycled Tile (ceramic & glass)
• Recycled Wallboard
• Recycled Insulation (cellulose)
• Recycled Carpet
• Sustainably harvested wood trim
• Low VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) Paints, Caulking & Adhesives

Energy Saving practices and materials help reduce your overall operational costs for heating, cooling, lighting, appliance and water use. Some examples of energy saving techniques include:

• Cellulose or Icynene Insulation
• Energy Star® Windows
• Energy Star® Appliances
• Energy Star® Lighting
• Dual flush toilets
• Low flow faucets
• Tankless Hot Water Heaters
• High Efficiency HVAC
• Air Sealing

Combining sustainable materials and energy saving techniques into your home or office not only saves you money, but creates a healthier living environment for you while reducing “greenhouse” gases for the community in which you live and work.  It’s easy.  It’s painless. And it makes a big difference!