At Auburndale Builders, we are fans of many things, including Kermit the Frog. However, unlike Kermit, when it comes to creating your custom home renovation, we think that it is easy to be green. It just may take a little more thought and intention.
For us, the definition of “being green” really starts by looking at the environmental impact of the project. Not only the energy efficiency we expect at the end of the project, but also the impacts of the process of the project itself. In order to minimize the environmental impact as much as possible, we look for these opportunities:
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Use locally sourced products. Similar to the idea of farm-to-table in restaurants, we look to use local resources and products in our projects. This step helps reduce the energy needed to ship items to the project site.
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Build with wood. Most of our projects are built with wood, a renewable resource that allows us to store carbon in the building process and reduce the overall emissions associated with building. Building with wood also lets us reduce the amount of steel we use, as steel has a large amount of embodied carbon.
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Look for alternatives to concrete. Like steel, concrete also has lots of embodied carbon. Additionally, concrete is an unforgiving surface. For a more comfortable walking or working out surface, we have used foam and plywood base with great success.
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Insulate with recycled foam. An effective passive home is very well insulated. In order to meet our insulation thickness goals without breaking the bank, we source our insulation from commercial properties that are being reconstructed or torn down.
While these aspects of the project aren’t as “sexy” as some of the final design work, creating a custom passive house build or remodel starts from the inside out. We make sure that we are using every aspect of the build to help you reduce your carbon footprint and your overall energy consumption. Call us today to get started on your custom passive home remodel or new construction.