Page 45 - Green Builder July-August 2019 Issue

COURTESY OF ENVIRONMENTAL DYNAMICS

It’s a living (room). The sleek aesthetic reflects the contemporary style of Pacific Northwest, with clean lines, mixed materials and large windows.
The home boasts stunning design details, an open floor plan and innovative materials.
continued from page 40 GIVING TO GET in e‰ciency outperform what you’d get in
and time to manage the learning curve,” With its high-performance building enve- the stock market?”
laments Herro. “We’re trying to do some- lope systems, e‰cient mechanical systems, In addition to exploring the true value of
thing progressive and di€erent with this self-optimizing smart technologies and home investment, Green Builder will also
project, and being on the leading edge can sustainable design features, the VISION debunk the price per square foot and low-
be challenging. We want to develop a case House Seattle Cascades will showcase est upfront cost valuation metrics that have
®
study so that other people—including build- how an upfront investment in e‰ciency been paralyzing the building industry for
ing professionals, homeowners, permitting will yield thousands of dollars in annual far too long. “These metrics are no longer
entities, municipalities, realtors, appraisers operating savings without any sacri˜ce. valid, and they are wholly insu‰cient for
and lenders—can feel safe following suit “This is of paramount importance,” says measuring quality, performance, resilience
and moving forward with the types of prod- green builder and building science expert and environmental impact,” says Green
ucts and systems we’re using. We’re trying Ted Clifton, “because we need to help home- Builder Media CEO Sara Gutterman.
®
to normalize advanced green building and owners understand the true value of their Stay tuned for frequent updates, articles,
design practices. That has been both a bur- home investment. What is the rate of return and videos on this ground-breaking project
den and a joy, but I’m grateful for the ability in reducing operating costs versus other on the pages of this magazine, as well as on
to participate.” types of investment? Does an investment the project’s website. GB

www.greenbuildermedia.com July/August 2019 GREEN BUILDER 43

38-43 GB 0719 VH-Seattle-OB.indd 43 7/17/19 3:28 PM