Green may sound good, but will consumers pay more even if it saves money over the long run? And what's the right balance of voluntary compliance and regulation to achieve green? After 30 years in the construction industry, Roy Hanchett says he can see into its future. And the future is green. "I don't see any roadblocks," he said. "As I told the contractors, you'd better get used to it, because it's going to be in all the building codes in the future."
Indeed, the range of practices that go into green building — from using recycled materials to positioning of a building to maximize energy conservation — are increasingly entering the mainstream. From 40 to 50 percent of new houses will be built with some green elements, according to a survey last year by the National Association of Homebuilders and McGraw-Hill Construction.
Still, the most aggressive and effective measures to lessen the environmental footprint of housing are a difficult sell to much of the industry. Green may sound good, but will consumers pay more for a house even if it saves money over the long run? And what's the right balance of voluntary compliance and regulation to achieve green?
Seattle's leadership in green building makes it a closely watched bellwether in answering these questions. For international sustainability experts, Seattle "is up there with the greats," said Sue Roaf, an architectural consultant in the United Kingdom and visiting professor at Arizona State University. "You have done really well."
Experts credit several factors for Seattle's prominence, and not all of them will translate easily to every region of the country:
Strong government regulation and incentives.
Partnerships among building professionals, government and utilities.
Growing expertise and resources, including architects, developers, contractors and materials.
Limited land for development, which lessens environmentally destructive sprawl.
Pro-environmental sentiment by residents.
"We were basically forced by government to do compact development, and do it in a way that lifestyles are better," said Bill Kreager, a principal with Mithun, a Seattle architectural, design and planning firm. "It's amazing how far ahead we are, and I teach all over the country."
Source: Seattle Times