“Green Building Challenges” – How to Select the Right Materials

We had the pleasure of contributing to this article on Buildipedia.com, Challenges of Building Green: Material Selection and highlighted a few key points below.

Don’t get hung up on the term ‘green’

A ‘green’ home is a home that is built well, takes advantage of existing materials in new ways, and emphasizes longevity – for the home itself and its occupants.  For example, you can choose to use advanced framing and extra insulation when building your home and greatly reduce your heating costs.  No ‘green’ needed.  A smart builder will consider these options across the board when planning a new home or building development site.

Here’s another example to keep you thinking in the right direction – for a south facing house, we might select windows with a higher solar heat gain coefficient to allow passive heating or use strategically placed awnings that fully let in the winter sun while blocking the summer sun.

Let it be and become

Choosing to build a sustainable home or building doesn’t have to require extra budget or time – it just requires a shift in mindset that decides this is the way it is going to be done.  We’re going to build our future homes now.  It’s our model at Cascade Built – we only build homes that use less energy, emphasize durability, and provide occupants with a healthy, comfortable space to be.

Think beyond today

We are conditioned to be so in the moment that we don’t look forward even one year anymore.  When you’re considering a new home or developing a building – the lowest price should not win because it only considers the now and not the next 5, 10, 50 years.  We got a piece of great advice from a doctor once – you can ‘pay now, or pay later’.

Check back later this month for a checklist on ‘Are you ready to build a green home?’

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