Thinking
green no longer dredges up images of 70s communes where long-haired men and
women worked together to build a farm. It doesn’t even call to mind the more
recent Whole Foods hipsters with their man buns and overpriced cheese. The new
green movement is about minimizing the negative impact humans have on the
planet. And it’s everywhere, infiltrating all the facets of society—especially
architecture. The most well-known green design is solar panels, but there’s so
much more! We have radiant floors, geothermal systems, energy-efficient window
systems, and on and on.
Buildings that are green or eco-friendly offer tremendous opportunities to homebuyers to save energy, conserve natural resources, and improve their air quality. Green buildings are becoming a necessity as businesses, homebuilders, and retailers understand the importance of their environmental and social impact.