Green Building Design is In The Details

Environmentally sensitive and energy efficient construction is a hot topic among potential homebuyers today. In fact, a recent McGraw-Hill Construction report predicts the green-building market could triple by 2013. According to the report, the burgeoning green market could reach a potential value of $96 billion to $140 billion, indicating a possible bright spot in today’s otherwise dismal housing sector. Becoming successful in this field begins with not only educating yourself, but your buyers as well.

The first step in educating yourself is to understand what, exactly, sustainable, or “green” construction really means. It’s easy to get caught up in the marketing jargon offered by many manufacturers, but try to take a step back from piecemeal, product-by-product approaches. Instead, you should think of houses as systems, in which each component can have an impact on all the others.

Bill Nolan, who led the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) effort to build the 2009 New American Home, is optimistic this learning process has begun in the building community. He sees builders and remodelers taking a new look at old practices, and making small adjustments that could add up to a big difference.

“They’re recognizing it’s what kind of lumber you’re going to use and what kind of drywall,” says Nolan, who also owns The Nolan Group, an Altamonte Springs, Fla.-based building-industry consulting firm. “The architects are up to speed on this, and they’re pushing it.”

Of course, builders and remodelers are only part of the equation. Homeowners and buyers also need to understand the value of sustainable design. Energy efficiency is a key component of these efforts, and it offers a great entry point for educating homebuyers. Not only does it address the established need for reducing carbon emissions, but it also can save homebuyers money.

“The buyers are interested, and of course they’re looking at what it’s going to cost them,” says Bonnie Pickartz, owner, with her husband David, of Franklin, N.C.-based Goshen Timber Frames. “But, they know that if they build an energy-efficient home, they’ll save for years to come.”

Other areas of sustainable design may require a stronger educational effort from builders to explain the importance of more technical decisions, such as the benefits of structural insulated-panel foundation systems or even how the house is sited. The latter will impact the owners’ ability to take advantage of passive solar-heating opportunities and maximize electricity output of photovoltaic panels.

But truly sustainable construction goes beyond energy efficiency to also address bigger-picture issues, such as regional sourcing of building materials. Less fuel spent in shipping those products means less carbon and other pollutants going into the air.

There may be a premium to pay when opting for such decisions, but they’re all part of green design. On the positive side, lower energy and maintenance expenses can mean homeowners’ outlays will be less over time, but it may take a while before the added first cost is recouped.

“In the final analysis, a green house costs less to operate,” Nolan says. “But the payback is sometimes a bit of a problem.”

Even environmentally aware buyers, such as those Pickartz works with in her timber-frame business, can require some extra time when it comes to selecting unfamiliar building products.

“So many of our clients are well-educated about timber frames, but need some education on recycled-tire shingles and fiber-cement siding,” she says. “People want to look at all of their options.”