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Building Green in a Black and White World-- Chapter 3

The following is an exerpt from the book Building Green in a Black and White World.
Section 2; Chapter 3; Part 1; Chapter Three Introduction

David Ritchey Johnston
January 1, 1900
HousingZone

Hopefully, after reading the first section, you have a solid understanding of what green building is and you are intrigued about the market possibilities for going green. Section 2 - How to Become a Green Builder, takes you through the steps to make those market possibilities your reality. There is no right way to begin other than with experimentation. Each market is different and will respond best to a different set of green product selections. At the same time, many builders from across the country have blazed the trail for green building and have learned lessons that can save you time and headaches. The key is to start carefully so that building green brings "the green" to your bottom line.

John Knott, Dewees Island
Isle of Palms, S. Carolina
(800) 886-8783
www.deweesisland.com

John Knott, a third-generation builder, is the managing director and CEO of the Island Preservation Partnership, developer of Dewees Island, South Carolina. Dewees is an oceanfront island retreat dedicated to environmental preservation and a model of profitable sustainable development (See case study in Chapter 9). Knott has extensive experience in the development of planned communities, commercial offices, hotels, and in the renovation/restoration of historic properties and city redevelopment. He served as Chairman of the White House Exchange with the Soviet Union for City Redevelopment/Historic Preservation. In addition, Knott was the founder and Chairman of the Executive board for the Harmony Project, a non-profit foundation promoting the development of sustainable communities.

John Knott addresses the question, why build green?: "What are the incentives that will encourage a builder to start building green? Number one, you end up making more money. Because you are using resources more efficiently, the building is more durable, and the people are healthier in it. This translates into higher profits for your company. You are going to have fewer call-backs, which means your warranty costs are going to be far less."

Knott also says that if you can get your trades and suppliers excited about being part of a green building program, they will commit themselves to deliver a higher quality product. In addition, and maybe most importantly, he says, "you feel good about yourself and what you are building."

One easy step: Hire a green building consultant who has had experience getting other builders started. Often a consultant will have more diverse experience than a single builder. Good green building consultants across the country can bring you a wealth of market experience, product familiarity, and insight into what sells and what doesn’t.