January 09, 2007

mygreenbuildings.com


One of the companies we are asking to quote our build is mygreenbuildings.com. They are local (Sarasota) and committed to using green building materials. They get the basics, like responsible handling of construction waste etc. They mainly focus on green remodels but if they could build our shell we are going to try to handle the interior finish work as it will be very minimal and clean. As I mentioned early on in this blog, this is not straw bale country. FL has unique building criteria if you want to attempt to stay mold free and remain standing after the hurricane winds begin to blow. They use a building envelop system called Ewall. In this case I think the E stands for efficient vs. eco but I think you pick your battles. The material creates less waste and is strong and solid. We do not know if we can afford this company but they are in the ball park with the type of builder we need. Just like the foodie craze in this country or Starbucks (used just as an example of mainstream consumer education), it's all about educating (aka marketing) the consumer as to why you pay more. In an ironic twist, it is very hard to find educated builders who can help you build green. I think that is the most frustrating thing. To build green usually means you need to be very wealthy just because materials, builders and resources are still so scarce. Except, of course, if you build it yourself with mud in Colorado.

Read this post at Jetsongreen.com
The point is stated a bit clearer.

2 comments:

Mrs. Gottfried said...

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Anonymous said...

Thanks for the comment on "Dream Home Diaries." We'll definitely keep on eye on what you're doing . . . we can certainly learn something! Best of luck.