It starts with where you put it. (The importance of lot selection in green building.)

Your first choice when building a green home should be an obvious one. Where do we put the house? This a pretty straight forward; don't put your home in an environmentally sensitive area. Environmentally sensitive areas are typically defined by a local jurisdiction, wetland institute, etc. You can also verify this with architects, ecologists, wildlife biologists, and other professionals who track such things in your area. This is a "no-brainer" for most new homes as most jurisdictions won't let you build in these areas anyway.

There are other green ideals to consider when selecting your property. Time for new words related to land. They are infill, greyfield, and brownfield. In a nutshell, these lots involve building in an established neighborhood where a lot was abandoned, tearing down an existing structure to rebuild, or building on property that was previously used for commercial (non agricultural) uses.

Also consider choosing a site with a southern exposure so you can maximize solar gain for a heating source during the winter, and consider a site where you can preserve the natural vegitation of the site, and minimize erosion. Next up: Resource Efficiency

"What does Green Building Mean?"

As a home builder, this is the most common question people ask me. Based on their tone, I suspect the real question is: "Why do I need to build green?" It's a fair question, so lets take a moment to define the term "green building". Wikipedia defines it as: "The practice of increasing the efficiency with which buildings use resources - energy, water, and materials - while reducing building impacts on human health and the environment". The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) defines Green Building as: "Using a whole house approach to building homes that are more environmentally sustainable". These two definitions are good, but they don't give a homeowner - or prospective homeowner - any clue of where to begin. As a home builder, I take a common sense approach to Green Building. I spend more time paying attention to small details such as sealing air leaks and recycling, and less time on solar panels or self composting toilets. The guidelines I follow for green building are the NAHB Model Green Home Building Guidelines. The NAHB focuses on 5 specific areas:

1. Lot Design, Preparation, and Development
2. Resource Efficiency
3. Energy Efficiency
4. Water Efficiency
5. Indoor Environmental Quality

In future posts, we'll explore each of these areas in depth. The most important thing to remember about green building is that you don't have to add solar panels on your roof, or build your home out of straw bales. Green Building is about making your home as environmentally friendly as possible, making it a healthier environment for you and your family, and doing all this with minimal cost. Up next, lot design, preparation, and development.