Your access to premium content.
USER NAME: 
PASSWORD: 
   • Register   • Info   • Help

House Beat

Paul Deffenbaugh
The editor's spot at a Professional Builder offers the best armchair view of the housing industry. In this blog, I hope to take you inside that view, presenting the industry to you in new ways that are fun, surprising, eye-opening, and -- I hope -- refreshing.

Thursday, June 21, 2007

Green Must Go Part II

Jun 21 2007 7:19AM | Permalink | Email this | Comments (5) |
Blog This! using: Blogger.com | LiveJournal |

Rick Wildrick raises a great point in commenting on a previous blog entry. [Green Must Go, June 20 comment] I’m posting a response as an entry rather than just commenting in hopes more people will join in the discussion.


I agree with you, Rick, about the green certification programs trying to achieve the same objectives and that those objectives are important. My objection is that there are so many programs. It creates market confusion among home buyers who become uncertain about what the standards are. The programs all differ in their standards. Some, unfortunately, are laughably low.


If I buy a car and I see the mpg rating, I know the measurement is consistent, and I can compare models. (Even though we all know that the measurement process has flaws. Hybrids, awkwardly, rate higher than they should.) Homes are far more complicated structures, of course, but a consistency of measurement in green standards would go a long way to reassuring home buyers about their buying decisions.


This market confusion is further exacerbated by the term “green” itself. It’s too vague. We need a consensus agreement on the standards for building a sustainable structure, using sustainable practices, employing sustainable materials. Then, we need to turn to builders who aren’t living up to those quality standards and say they have to raise the bar. If there is real demand for sustainable building, then market forces will push all builders to improve quality.


One of my favorite quotes about construction comes from Randolph Croxton, FAIA, whose firm, the Croxton Collaborative, designed the Audobon Building in NYC. At a conference I attended about 12 years ago, he said, “When I hear a builder say he builds to code, what I hear him say is, ‘If I built any worse, it’d be illegal.’”


Reader Comments


at 6/27/2007 8:47:23 AM, Bill said:
Green certification for homes is important so long as there are known and published standards that are independently verifiable. Think Kosher certification for food. With all the wonderful intent of the various NGOs whose hearts are in the right place, it is consumers who will make the choice based on performance, price and independently verifiable credibility. Builders need to have a third party verification system so as to deliver performance and not marketing hyped promises.

at 6/27/2007 8:53:46 AM, SC Builder said:
What do you propose when you say "we need to turn to builders who aren’t living up to those quality standards and say they have to raise the bar." How do you propose to enforce something like this? Hopefully, what you are saying is that once the standards are established, all builders should be measured against those standards and then let that measurement do the talking. For too long the industry has been measured on a "pass/fail" basis--perhaps it's time to assign a grade.

at 6/28/2007 4:50:51 AM, MO Builder said:
Green certification should be handled the same as Energy Star certification. Make the builder achieve a certain percent of the green building standards before the can use the "Green Builder" slogan.

at 6/28/2007 12:38:38 PM, Samuel Fouse said:
Some local HBA's, including the one we belong to here in NC, have written local guidelines and have established verification processes and a recognizable trademark before allowing the green label to be attached. We currently have bronze, silver, and gold levels and they are not a cakewalk to pass. They are a serious attempt to deliver quality product to the consumer. Don't assume we can't police our own ranks. You just need some dedicated builders to band together and make a serious attempt at legitimacy.

at 6/29/2007 9:12:50 AM, djt said:
Green applies to so many things and can be so complex that we could miss the easy opportunities right in front of us. Transport and space conditioning are the biggest energy consumers in a home. Both are very difficult to change after the building is built. For that reason, I think the best thing builders can do is make their communities walk and bikable, and build to meet Energy Star for homes. Appliances can be switched to more efficient models when they wear out

Post a comment


Display Name

Before submitting this form, please type the characters displayed above:

 

Advertisement




Sponsored Links
Radiant Floor Heating
Cold Floor? Get ThermoSoft Awarded Floor Heating and enjoy!
Drum Handling Equipment
Find high quality drum handling equipment at Zorin Material.
Security System
Affordable wireless security systems from SafeMart.
Cabinets
Looking for a variety of Cabinets for your home? Visit Armstrong.com
Hardwood Floors
Stylish and durable hardwood floors from Armstrong
Room Dividers
Room Dividers at Home Decorators Collection.
Bamboo Flooring
Find high quality bamboo floors and other building materials for less.