Easy on the eyes and the environment
The number of environmentally friendly new homes is increasing, as builders - and buyers - 'go green.'
At first glance, the two-story stucco house at 371 Columbus Drive in a new development called Evergrene could be just another well-appointed model home. In the entryway, polished wood floors offer a sleek welcome. Attractive oatmeal-colored carpeting cushions living room floors. In the kitchen, a midnight-blue backsplash rims the counter, and above the cabinets a strip of light circles the room. Everywhere the look is sophisticated and upscale.
But wait. Who could imagine that the gleaming floors are made of bamboo - a grass, rather than hardwood - or that the carpet is spun from plastic soda bottles? For that matter, who could guess that the backsplash is 80 percent recycled glass, or that the fiber-optic ceiling light uses just one bulb instead of six?
These and dozens of other environmentally friendly features give this Spanish-style house an impressive distinction: It has been rated the "greenest" house in the state by the Florida Green Building Coalition.
It also represents part of a growing national effort by builders and environmental groups to broaden the appeal of houses that lower power bills, create healthier indoor air, and use fewer natural resources.
"An increasing number of home buyers are demanding that environmental issues become a top priority in new construction and remodeling efforts," says Ray Tonjes of the National Association of Home Builders.
From Texas to Colorado, Washington State, Florida, and beyond, green is no longer simply the province of specialty builders creating custom homes. Gradually, green is going mainstream as the concept spreads to large-scale builders and catches the attention of a broader range of buyers.
Numbers show the interest. Nationwide, between 1990 and 2001, a total of 18,887 homes were built to local green building guidelines. In 2002 alone, the most recent year for which figures are available, 13,224 green homes were built. Austin, Texas, pioneered the first local green building program in 1991. Today, nearly 20 such programs dot the country, with more being developed.
This month, when the National Association of Home Builders holds its annual National Green Building Conference in Austin March 14-16, topics will include the mainstreaming of green homes. Later this year the group will issue national guidelines for green home building.
Austin's own next big project involves an affordable subdivision with 100 homes that will be "extremely green," says Richard Morgan, manager of the Austin Energy Green Building Program. Prices will not exceed $120,000.
Here in Palm Beach Gardens, developers of the 1,555-square-foot "concept house" dubbed Geni-G - short for Generation Green - hope the prototype will serve as a model for builders around the country.
Resource-saving features in the green home begin at the curb. Permeable pavers on the driveway and walks allow rain to soak into the ground, reducing runoff. Xeriscape landscaping uses native plants, grouped according to the amount of water they need. Two green plastic rain barrels catch water rolling off the roof and store it for watering plants.
In the backyard pool, small amounts of sodium, rather than chlorine, keep the water clean. Solar energy heats the pool.
