The Black and White of Green
Eco-friendly and energy-efficient don't have to be esoteric. And as more homebuyers demand green features, architects and designers are taking a new approach to living spaces.
By Teresa Odle CTW Features

Today, a home's greenness isn't relegated to the garden. Inside the walls and out, be it a 900-square-foot refurbished mountain cabin to a 2,500- square-foot modern condominium in a revitalized downtown location, green is taking on a whole new meaning, and it's changing the way both buyers and builders look at homes.

Some homebuyers who want to go green are still caught up in the old myths about ecofriendly building. Robyn Griggs Lawrence is editor-in-chief of Natural Home magazine, Topeka, Kan., and was one of the featured presenters at the recent Green Fusion II conference in Albuquerque, N.M., presented by the National Kitchen and Bath Association. The perception about going green once meant "you have to put ugly materials on your house that looked like a bad science experiment," she say. But solar panels have changed, colors have brightened and more materials and design choices are available. Architects, designers, builders and real estate agents now understand clients' green desires.

"It's a myth that green is homely, excuse the pun," says Keith Hodge of Green Key Real Estate, San Francisco. Hodge, a real estate agent and green building professional who also has a degree in environmental studies, says that being environmentally friendly no longer means living in a yurt, and his company is trying to create a larger inventory of green homes for buyers who base their desires on a core value of doing the right thing for the environment.

Going green is all about good design, says Griggs Lawrence, and that means making home as energy-efficient as possible. "When people talk about mainstream green building, that's the first priority," she says. Energysaving appliances count but so do a variety of other design factors. For example, you can employ natural light in a way that minimizes electricity use, and a knowledgeable architect can situate a new home on a lot to reduce sunlight through windows in summer but maximize winter sunlight.

Another myth related to going green has to do with consumption. The green movement is big, but homeowners and buyers need to keep their feet firmly planted on sustainable floors, such as those made of bamboo or cork, and change their worldview. "It's a shift in mentality away from buying more to using less," says Griggs Lawrence. She says remodeling to better use existing space as opposed to adding space is a great example. Using one less layer of wall covering or leaving a floor or wall in its natural state is another minimalist approach. Hodge adds, "Green also means improving the performance and aesthetics of existing homes. Using existing fixtures in a home is considered greening because it's not introducing material into the waste stream."

Sustainable remodeling is a green concept that's becoming easier to accomplish. Hodge says sellers who need to make improvements before listing their homes should be educated on the benefits of making sustainable or eco-friendly improvements. Some companies now specialize in helping homeowners recycle materials they remove from their home. And when looking for new materials, Griggs Lawrence says it's not only environmentally sound but fun to use salvaged materials. "It's easier to find materials these days. Almost every city has a salvage store and a Habitat for Humanity ReStore," she says. It's also gotten easier to find salvaged items online, such as on auction sites. Hodge says sellers who make improvements in their homes understand the value of presenting quality improvements to potential buyers. Making green improvements just makes more sense - in both an environmental and marketable way.

Cost can be a factor in making green improvement, but many green products are becoming more reasonable. To keep costs down - and ensure you're really saving energy and eliminating waste - buy locally. This generally means buying from suppliers within 500 miles or less of your home. If you're planning on using stone, for example, use one that's natural to your area.

However, when evaluating how eco-friendly a product might be, there are eco-certifications, which can lead to confusion. Griggs Lawrence recommends asking the following questions:

• What is it made from? • How is it made? • Where does it come from?

• Where is it going?

Hodge says that real estate agents look beyond the dollar to measure value. "What's the value of eliminating long-term exposure to toxins in your carpet?" he says. "Green is a big picture, not a snapshot of short-term gain on investment. The gain goes far beyond the greenback."

Teresa Odle is a freelance writer in Albuquerque, N.M.