What Does it Mean to Be a “Green Home Builder”?
Written by: Steve Bennett, Owner
Sustainable Building Practices
I am a born-and-raised, native Oregonian and understand the value of sustainable, “green” building practices. But building a sustainable home is not for accolades or recognition, it’s a gratifying by-product of emphasizing quality and homeowner satisfaction. I am always on the forefront of employing the use of cutting-edge materials and Green Building techniques that stress efficiency and safety. These range from the newest form of low-energy insulation, radiant floor heating, solar panels, recycled materials, and energy saving lighting. I stay informed on tax incentives and funding opportunities for my homeowners and we always discuss these during the design phase of any project. I place top-of-mind the importance of staying educated on industry leading practices and Green Design standards but never lose site of building extraordinary custom homes.
“Building a sustainable home is not for accolades or recognition, it’s a gratifying by-product of emphasizing quality and homeowner satisfaction.”
Sustainable “Green” Design and Building Materials
Steve Bennett Builders, our partners in architecture, engineerinig and landscape design, and all sub contractors implement sustainable building practices. Here is just a short list of features commonly used on our custom homes:
Methodology of Green Building
Identifying opportunities for solar power generation
Polystyrene foundation blocks, also called ICF block (Insulated Concrete Forms)
Moisture management techniques
Radiant floor heating
Continuous air barrier and air sealing to reduce air infiltration
High Performance windows and doors
Commitment to use of high grade thermal building envelope
Passive Design
Intelligent use of sky lights and “daylighting”
Use of occupancy and vacancy sensors for interior and exterior lighting
Energy Star appliances
Renewable and recycled materials, when possible
Header image sourced from Carnevele Eustis Architects
