A recent Yahoo survey about the American consumer’s evolving view of housing provides interesting and strong evidence of a definite market trend. According to the Yahoo survey, energy efficiency is a top hallmark of the “dream home” – more consumers cited energy efficiency as a desirable attribute than any other feature. (The Yahoo survey can… Continue Reading
4 projects that prove lavish homes don’t have to be wasteful! Many green-building advocates would say that “high-end green” is an oxymoron — that large, lavish custom homes can’t possibly be sustainable. While clients may not walk into a builder or architect’s office thinking green, much like other home buyers they’re still looking to reduce… Continue Reading
Green homes have many advantages-for builders and consumers as well as the environment. For builders, they offer the ability to differentiate your homes from others on the market, reduced callbacks, and the potential for increased profit. For consumers, they offer better indoor air quality, lower operating costs, reduced maintenance, and higher resale values. For the… Continue Reading
According to the Appraisal Institute, environmental features can add considerable value to a building. But in real estate, a higher perceived value often fails to translate into a higher appraised value, complicating financial transactions and limiting incentives for owners to invest in green. The Appraisal Institute (AI), the most prominent U.S. membership organization of appraisers,… Continue Reading
Four innovative homes ignore conventional wisdom in this article by Jenny Sullivan of the The Builder. Credit: Courtesy Connor Homes/Jim Westphalen Photography This prim home’s symmetrical façade is the spitting image of the Wells Thorn House in Deerfield, Mass., which was built between 1711 and 1780 and is considered one of America’s finest specimens of… Continue Reading
It’s hard to predict what products, technology, and systems will be important in the next 10 years, but green experts say the looming energy crisis can give us a pretty good idea. The best way to predict the future is to create it. ~ Peter F. Drucker Sometimes all you have to do to see… Continue Reading
Who should take the lead and what are the supporting roles to make a project truly green? That’s a good question, since it takes a lot of cooperation from everyone involved. As a custom home builder, and architect, I probably look at more than a dozen set of plans every year. The thing that boggles… Continue Reading
Enhance your outdoor spaces with the creative use of recycled materials The world of patios is quickly adapting to the principles of green building. Using recycled materials to create spaces with their own unique flair is a trend spreading across the country. Materials can range from old factory bricks with charred edges to pieces of… Continue Reading
More homeowners and builders are interested in green building and want to choose energy efficient features for their homes, so it’s important to know what is fact and what is myth. Peter Yost of BuildingGreen LLC in association with GreenBuildingAdvisor.com addresses eight common green building myths. Myth #1: Green homes cost more than other homes…. Continue Reading
Have you ever heard the phrase, “money is no object?” These are combinations of words usually reserved for people who own private islands, have buildings named after them, or occasionally thrown around by politicians when they want to get reelected. Although rarely spoken in earnest, it does sound wonderful. Unfortunately in most of the real… Continue Reading