Green Trends and Modern Housing
We already touched a bit on why I think economically efficient and green technology is prevalent in Modern Housing.
However, I really wanted to elaborate a bit more. I have had some interesting conversations and thought ya’ll might agree that it’s fast becoming a defacto issue with builders, home owners, designers, architects and vendors.
1. Modern Homes by our working definition is homes that represent what is modern to us. With trends to Green Living more and more on our conscious and we continue to descend into a compromised future based on a world where our foot print is heavy. That being said, homes being built today almost by default need to lesson that foot print and their are many many architects, designers and builders focusing on that.
2. Money. I was talking to Gregg Graham of Dallas Energy Efficient Products last week and he was relating to me that in energy efficiency, almost 53% of the energy loss in your homes comes from windows and doors. That’s astounding to me. And with the amount of technology going into windows with triple pain, krypton gas to prevent energy loss and reflect it back out into the environment, secure glass it’s no wonder that homes today are being built with this technology. It helps and it saves money and looks fabulous. Add to that my conversation with friends at Florida Landscape Lighting and their observations about LED lights and the future of lighting both inside and out and it’s more and more becoming a matter of money savings as well as environmental necessity.
3. Which is I think another factor. Design. Many of the features that you want to make your house look artistically pleasing can be custom. Windows that are built custom are usually made to LEED standards. Same goes for doors, lighting, water and energy features. Unless you are taking a Mid-Century modern and keeping it “as-is” many of the houses you find that are Modern were built recently and with quality in mind, custom. Those 9 times out 10 are going to green inspired or at least better than standard non-Modern housing built today.
This is of course, my opinion. If you know of any other reason why Green might be a factor, let me know. I’m all about the discussion versus the pulpit. I thought about the fact, that it’s a selling point but I think that can be boiled down to the three above in some fashion. Thoughts?
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Comments
Joe – Thanks for commenting. I totally agree. Part of the issue in the marketplace right now is that Green energy usually is more expensive and adds hard costs to the price of the house. If those prices are reflected in value, then it’s not a problem. Getting the owners to know that some Green will be recuperated through reduced costs of living and some will be not fiscally reclaimed but through helping the world one step at a time.
I think “green” features in a home are definitely a selling point. However, the salespeople need hard facts to help establish the value of those additional expenses in the buyer’s mind.