Builder Magazine - July 2008 - (Page 36)

GREEN HOUSE landscape irrigation. DNDA also speciﬁed Energy Star–qualiﬁed appliances and lighting which, when combined with construction practices, resulted in a 10 percent energy savings compared to code. In addition, water heaters are located closest to the highest water-use appliance in each unit, and roof-mounted photovoltaic (PV) arrays that offset the power grid by 2 percent accompany the units. The project also employed a construction waste recycling program during production, used several materials with recycled content (including siding, rooﬁng, and insulation), and created a built-in recycling center for residents, equipping them with THE SCIENCE OF in-unit receptacles. It also gained green points for using one-third of a 3.1-acre inﬁ ll parcel within a quarter-mile of public transportation, thus reducing vehicle emissions produced by commuting residents. With Croft Place Apartments, DNDA gained a greater perspective about its sustainability mission. “Following Built Green allowed us to track [progress] and work with designers and contractors to establish benchmarks,” says Hines. Going green also helped secure public ﬁnancing, ﬁnancial incentives from the local utility (which purchased and is monitoring the PV system), and a grant used by residents to design a school bus shelter and gateways (see page 38) GREENWASHING “They give you a framework with which to judge if something meets the qualiﬁcations of a truly green product,” says Fort Worth, Texas–based builder Don Ferrier, such as speciﬁc water ﬂow rates for plumbing ﬁ xtures, as veriﬁed by a third party, as opposed to something simply marketed as a low-ﬂow faucet. Failing to go the extra mile can put builders at risk of becoming greenwashers themselves. “Currently, it’s easier to greenwash a building than a product or material,” says Carl Seville, owner of Seville Consulting in Decatur, Ga. Even if a builder is diligent in his speciﬁcations, he says, the value of the greenest materials can be wasted on a poorly built and illperforming house. “You can’t put lipstick on a pig.” Just as builders, architects, and speciﬁers are starting to hold manufacturers accountable for their environmental impact claims, home buyers are becoming more eco-savvy, says Wyatt, perhaps to the point of questioning the value of using environmentally sustainable products and materials on a 4,000-square-foot house that required more material to build and uses more energy—even if efficiently so—than a smaller home. “It’s a slow process, but eventually they’ll put the products in a larger context.”—R.B. A Pave the Way n increasing variety of permeable surfaces allow builders and developers to offer driveways and other monolithic hardscaping with positive environmental qualities. Shades of Green As consumers tire of greenwashing practices, both products and homes are being required to substantiate the green claims they make. T he term “greenwashing” has been around about as long as its root word, relied upon to unearth exaggerated or untrue claims (made on purpose or unwittingly) about the environmental impact or value of a given product, including homes. But given the rapid proliferation of both green products and buildings across the country, efforts to better deﬁne the term— and ferret out offenders—are relying more on science than trial-and-error or taking a label of ingredients at face value. “The trend now is to scientiﬁcally certify green claims against a battery of standards and test methods,” says Ed Wyatt, program manager for material content certiﬁcation at Scientiﬁc Certiﬁcation Systems in Emeryville, Calif., one of an increasing number of independent entities and public agencies providing that service. Even then, however, Wyatt and others see manufacturers and builders misusing the certiﬁcations they earn once the marketing staff takes over. “There’s no such thing as an ‘eco-friendly’ certiﬁcation,” he says, recalling a recent manufacturer’s packaging claim. Far more prevalent than misleading PR, he says, are truly unsubstantiated claims for which no scientiﬁc basis exists. To combat greenwashing, builders and speciﬁers are asking for more information and third-party veriﬁcations, and applying comprehensive, software-enabled life-cycle analysis metrics to gain a more solid footing for their projects. They also are relying on green building program standards to guide them to the greenest products and building practices. The Permapave rainwater system, for instance, helps mitigate stormwater runoff pollution. The natural stone pavers (available in seven colors) ﬁlter 100 percent of gross pollutants as stormwater passes through the substrate at a ﬂow through rate of up to 7.5 gallons per second per square meter, returning it clean to the underground aquifer. The pavers are compatible with standard masonry units and pavers for a seamless look, hold up under light traffic conditions, and are non-slip. photos: left: courtesy Scientific Certification Systems; right: courtesy permapave industries Net Zero T he city of Issaquah, Wash., near Seattle, is in the planning stages of a 10-unit townhouse project in which the 500to 1,700-square-foot units will adhere to a net-zero energy use and carbon emissions standard. Slated for completion in late ’09, the demonstration project will be promoted live and on the Web, including a blog tracking its progress. ▶ 36 ■ B U I LD E R j u ly 2 0 0 8 W W W.BUILDERONLINE.COM http://WWW.BUILDERONLINE.COM

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Builder Magazine - July 2008

Builder Magazine - July 2008 Contents Editor's Notes B-Mail Book It Green House Business Update Products National Beat Seider's Economy The Greener Good Commentary Land Planning Design Construction Marketing Ad Index Further Considerations Environmental Concerns Commentary Road to Perdition? Editor's Notes Flip Contents

Builder Magazine - July 2008

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