Green Building: The Next Frontier (Demo)

So, what’s next for the green building industry?

From the intensification of drought in the South and West, to the magnification in hurricane, tornado and snowstorm activity nationwide, environmental concerns are having a major impact on the way American homes are designed and constructed. Because of these weather extremes, green homes will keep on increasing in marketability, according to green building experts Ron Jones and Tim O’Brien. But the extent of that growth depends heavily on how convincingly builders promote the idea of sustainability to their customers.

According to Jones, who is president of Green Builder Media, builders need to continue looking through a “lens of responsibility,” one that takes into consideration the durability, performance and security for the people who live or work in the structures they build. “We want to make sure a family can stay put if there is a destructive weather event, and that at the same time, they’ll have a comfortable and enjoyable lifestyle while reducing their consumption,” he says.

Builders need to develop an even greater sense of urgency about making their homes more energy- and water-efficient, according to Tim O’Brien of Wisconsin-based Tim O’Brien Homes.

“We’ve got millions of homes out there right now that are just sucking energy and resources,” says O’Brien. “We’ve got to continue to do a better job as builders and lead the way of building better, high performance homes and stop adding to the pile of waste, if you will, that is being consumed and burned trying to heat, cool and operate homes in our country.”

“Maintaining relationships with manufacturers and suppliers will help us reach the goal of building a better quality home while still keeping it affordable, says O’Brien. “Our ultimate goal is to eradicate the term ‘green home’ from our marketplace. My vision for the future is to be at a point where everyone is building green homes, so that it is not an exception or niche—it’s just what every builder does.”

Stay tuned to our blog for more on information, tips and advice for homebuilders on green building practices.