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Green Basics: You Don't Have To Go
Weird To Build Green

Green building, while not quite mainstream, is making serious inroads toward higher awareness and acceptance. "You don't have to go weird to go green," says architect Peter Pfeiffer, of Barley & Pfeiffer Architects of Austin, Texas. Pfeiffer, who has been designing green homes for two decades, and was a featured speaker at NAHB's National Green Building Conference in Albuquerque, N.M. from March 12-14.

Pfeiffer believes in an integrated approach to what he calls the "five pillars" of green building:

• Increasing energy efficiency
• Using materials appropriately
• Conserving and reusing water
• Providing a healthful living and working environment
• Building attractive structures that will last

In terms of design, going green can involve scaling down square footage and building two-level, rather than one-level homes, for instance; lowering ceilings a bit; placing skylights more strategically; and minimizing recessed lighting. This can all be done, he says, "without sacrificing style, livable space or beauty."

In terms of gaining buyer acceptance, Pfeiffer counsels builders, remodelers and other industry professionals to simply explain the benefits of going green.

If you explain to clients that building a green home will cost a few hundred dollars a month less to operate and that the home will be healthier for their children, they will understand the value of spending a little more upfront, he says.

It is up to builders and other industry professionals to help their clients "make the right choices" about going green, Pfeiffer adds.

For instance, according to Pfeiffer, a given household only occupies a 4,000-square-foot or larger home for two or three years, so scaling down square footage meets most consumers' needs.

Likewise, he believes the demand for two-story homes — which are inherently more energy-efficient than single-story homes — should remain strong, even as consumers age, with a little education from builders, of course. He points out that, even though customers seek one-level living as they get older, many of these consumers actually remain mobile till very late in life, so their "need" for single-level living is premature.

The single most important factor in energy savings is the orientation of a house, Pfeiffer says. All floor plans should indicate the northern exposure, and placing garages on the west side of homes helps control intense afternoon heat inside a home, he adds.

Rather than a rain umbrella, a roof should be thought of as a shading device for the home and can be constructed using techniques, materials and colors to best serve that purpose. Overhangs can be used to shade windows.

Pfeiffer believes more emphasis should be placed on design features that address air conditioning, not only because of the energy savings but "because of the damage condensation can do." This focus should be in all but the most extremely cold climates, like in Minnesota or Alaska. "Number one, control humidity," he says, because in half the country the air is drier outside a house than inside.

Pfeiffer offers several other green building tips:

• Wrap, wrap, wrap. Pfeiffer recommends spending $200 to $300 more for a commercial-grade wrap on a 4,000-square-foot home for immediate payback in energy bills and to control moisture.
• Consider using structural insulated panels (SIPs) to reduce the time spent weathering a home under construction and, consequently, the time it will take for the framing to dry out. A 2,500-square-foot home can be weathered in three-to-four days using SIPS, he says.
• Consider hardy plank exteriors. Brick, stone and stucco can be "very risky" when it comes to mold.
• Metal roofs allow air flow without having to ventilate an attic. "If you keep the roof from getting hot, the whole frame of the house stays cooler," Pfeiffer says. A lighter color can save five to seven degrees.
• Make sure your subcontractors know how to properly flash windows to keep moisture out.
• Right-size the air-conditioning unit. Installing too large a unit will cool a home too rapidly and not allow it to dehumidify. Between 40% and 50% humidity is ideal in a home, Pfeiffer says.
• Replace incandescent bulbs with fluorescent lighting. Every 75-watt bulb replaced saves a ton of coal and the heat generated by a 100-watt bulb is equivalent to having an extra person in the room in warmer climates, Pfeiffer notes.
• Energy- and water-conserving appliances save non-renewable resources, of course. But here's something you and your customers may not know — with their sealed doors, front-loading washers keep moisture contained and control household humidity as well.

"Get the basics down before you do anything exotic," Pfeiffer says. Simply designing a house to be appropriate for its site will go a long way toward building green.