When we hear the term "green building," most of us think of energy efficiency and, increasingly, healthy indoor air quality. While those are certainly central components of high-performance housing -- especially given our nation's current energy prices -- they are not the only factors that ensure a truly sustainable approach to home building.
One of the lesser-known aspects of green building is resource management. We are convinced that meticulous resource management has a tremendous impact on a sustainable environmental future. Therefore, we have adopted a two-pronged approach in our construction practices: First, we work to reduce the amount of natural resources required to build our homes and second, we strive to recycle the amount of waste ordinarily produced during construction to cut down on what is hauled away to the landfill.
Our concern is based on some startling data. Approximately 40% of the raw materials consumed in the U.S. are used in construction. Residential building, renovation, and demolition account for about 58 million tons of trash per year, representing 11% of the country's overall waste stream.
What can one builder do? We know that -- by weight and volume -- wood, drywall, and cardboard (from packaging) make up 60-80% of job site waste. Other common building materials, such as concrete and metals, are also found in significant amounts. Using our two-pronged approach, we focus our efforts on first reducing and then recycling those materials, when possible, in order to reduce landfill waste.
Reduce. The most obvious way to manage construction waste is not to create it in the first place. To that end, we practice a variety of methods that limit the amount of wood, drywall, and other products that go into a new home without sacrificing its performance, durability, or comfort.
For the structural frame, we implement "advanced" framing techniques using engineered wood products or factory-built (and quality-controlled) roof, floor, and wall components to lessen the amount of wood needed for the project. To reduce the amount of drywall, we are very precise about how much material we need and we train our crews and subcontractors to install it properly. We also work to design our houses on room-size measurements that match the dimensions of 4x8-foot drywall panels. In that manner, when a panel is cut, the remaining piece can likely be used elsewhere instead of thrown away. Cardboard is a tougher problem, because it is a common packaging material for a wide variety of products, large and small. (Think of major appliances and cabinets!). This use of cardboard is not under our direct control, but we work with our suppliers to reduce or eliminate the cardboard they use for packaging and encourage them to pick it up for recycling.
Reuse/Recycle. The market for materials that can be reused and/or recycled is growing rapidly along with the green movement. We are always on the lookout for ways to efficiently recycle the construction waste we do create. For example, we can chip lumber and lot-clearing debris into mulch, drywall into soil amendment, concrete into road bed material, and metals and cardboard into various products, among other examples. An increasing number of businesses with specialized equipment are available to perform these functions, on site.
In addition, we also look for high quality products with recycled content. By using these products, we make use of the latest science for the benefit of our homeowners while encouraging the growth of industries practicing sustainability. Our goal: homes of the highest quality for our owners and a brighter, safer, and more sustainable future for all of us and generations to follow.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
The Savvy Homebuyer: Understanding your Builder
Let's face it: Homebuilders don't always have the best reputations. The prospect of building a new home can cause a lot of anxiety, stemming from a combination of mystery, misperceptions, myths, and illusions most people have about the homebuilding profession.
While some builders earn that reputation, the professional builder successfully exposes any preconceived notions a prospective buyer might have about the building business and the construction process. They work hard to clarify their motivations and approach to construction. They seek to view the project from the client's perspective and meet their needs and desires.
Getting to know a builder can foster a greater respect and a higher level of confidence for a company's ability to deliver a high-quality new home.
First, it is important to understand that professional builders are business people. They build homes because it's their chosen profession. Of course, like anyone, they are interested in making money; a professional builder, however, makes money honestly, and seeks to earn a reasonable profit.
Like other successful builders, we constantly refine our approach to business, adhere to predetermined building schedules, and establish reliable and lasting partnerships with building products suppliers, financial institutions, and specialty trade contractors. We live in the areas where we build and are active in our communities. We rely on a strong local reputation to continue to build our business.
Some builders, though, lack the business and communication skills to be successful, resulting in dissatisfied customers and ruined reputations that often blanket the entire industry. This is not an industry-wide scheme to separate homebuyers from their money. Rather, it's just an unfortunate slice of society that both buyers and professional builders have to endure.
Unlike almost any other industry, a builder's work is exposed to the public; while cars and washing machines are assembled in factories and seen only on the showroom floor, a house is on display from foundation to finish. This can lead to misinterpretations or misunderstandings between a builder and a homebuyer. Often, however, what looks to be incomplete or irregular during one stage of construction is quite different from the eventual finished product.
Given those circumstances it is also important to understand that builders are engaged in the home building process every day and over many years. They gain experience and have a unique perspective. They have a vision of a home's progress that extends well beyond daily progress, one that few owners can truly share or comprehend.
As a result of that perspective, a builder may occasionally appear unconcerned or take a casual approach to what a nervous homebuyer perceives to be a problem on the job site. Simply, the builder has likely seen or heard about it a million times during his career, knows implicitly how he'll deal with it (assuming it needs to be dealt with), and has significantly less emotion invested in a home than a client does.
Successful builders listen closely to their buyers' concerns, respect an owner's questions and patiently communicate solutions. They understand that building a house is a considerable emotional investment, a potential source of anxiety, and a financial risk, and work to ease those burdens.
By the same token, an informed and understanding homebuyer recognizes that the construction process is second nature to a professional builder. When both a homeowner and a builder respect each other's roles and approaches to the business of homebuilding, it fosters better and more open communication, the opportunity to develop trust, and the prospect of achieving a successful and satisfying project.
While some builders earn that reputation, the professional builder successfully exposes any preconceived notions a prospective buyer might have about the building business and the construction process. They work hard to clarify their motivations and approach to construction. They seek to view the project from the client's perspective and meet their needs and desires.
Getting to know a builder can foster a greater respect and a higher level of confidence for a company's ability to deliver a high-quality new home.
First, it is important to understand that professional builders are business people. They build homes because it's their chosen profession. Of course, like anyone, they are interested in making money; a professional builder, however, makes money honestly, and seeks to earn a reasonable profit.
Like other successful builders, we constantly refine our approach to business, adhere to predetermined building schedules, and establish reliable and lasting partnerships with building products suppliers, financial institutions, and specialty trade contractors. We live in the areas where we build and are active in our communities. We rely on a strong local reputation to continue to build our business.
Some builders, though, lack the business and communication skills to be successful, resulting in dissatisfied customers and ruined reputations that often blanket the entire industry. This is not an industry-wide scheme to separate homebuyers from their money. Rather, it's just an unfortunate slice of society that both buyers and professional builders have to endure.
Unlike almost any other industry, a builder's work is exposed to the public; while cars and washing machines are assembled in factories and seen only on the showroom floor, a house is on display from foundation to finish. This can lead to misinterpretations or misunderstandings between a builder and a homebuyer. Often, however, what looks to be incomplete or irregular during one stage of construction is quite different from the eventual finished product.
Given those circumstances it is also important to understand that builders are engaged in the home building process every day and over many years. They gain experience and have a unique perspective. They have a vision of a home's progress that extends well beyond daily progress, one that few owners can truly share or comprehend.
As a result of that perspective, a builder may occasionally appear unconcerned or take a casual approach to what a nervous homebuyer perceives to be a problem on the job site. Simply, the builder has likely seen or heard about it a million times during his career, knows implicitly how he'll deal with it (assuming it needs to be dealt with), and has significantly less emotion invested in a home than a client does.
Successful builders listen closely to their buyers' concerns, respect an owner's questions and patiently communicate solutions. They understand that building a house is a considerable emotional investment, a potential source of anxiety, and a financial risk, and work to ease those burdens.
By the same token, an informed and understanding homebuyer recognizes that the construction process is second nature to a professional builder. When both a homeowner and a builder respect each other's roles and approaches to the business of homebuilding, it fosters better and more open communication, the opportunity to develop trust, and the prospect of achieving a successful and satisfying project.
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