Green building is a relatively new way of building or
renovating a house using ecological ideas and just plain common sense to accomplish three main goals for the homeowner: 1) energy efficiency,
2) improved environmental quality (especially indoor air quality) and 3)
to heal and protect the earth.
Of course, the primary goal of any
project is to create and renew the living space of the home. A
green building project, such as an addition or whole house renovation, must begin at the design stage, with a LEED certified architect/engineer/designer. LEED is a program of the US Green Building Council and stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.
Energy efficiency is accomplished through the design and use of Energy Star
appliances and lights, use of daylighting, appropriate insulation,
sealing the building envelope against infiltration of unconditioned air,
cool roof design, among many other possibilities.
Improved environmental quality
is accomplished through the design and use of formaldehyde-free
building materials, low VOC paints, sealants, adhesives, proper
attention to ventilation and fresh air, moisture control and sealing the
building envelope, to name a few.
Healing and protecting the earth is accomplished through the design and use of FSC
certified lumber products, recycled/reused/recovered building
materials (such as "recycled" drywall, where the gypsum was collected
from power plant smokestacks, thereby removing sulfur from the plants'
exhaust stream and reducing acid rain!), recycling construction waste
on the job site, promoting the use of solar technologies and designing
the project in accord with the buildings' immediate surroundings, helping to "reconcile humanity with nature".
This is building for the 21st
century, one house at a time.
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