News and Events
June 7, 2007
Group Strives to Raise Profile of Green Building
Group Strives to Raise
Profile of
By
Jason Hancock
When Lynnae Hentzen moved to
"I guess I'm a lifelong
environmentalist," she said. "My father was a professor of
biology."
But at the time, she said, that type
of construction, which emphasizes energy efficiency, resource conservation and
indoor air quality, wasn't possible in
"You saw it in commercial and
government buildings, but it wasn't available in the residential market,"
Hentzen said. "That market needed an advocate."
So Hentzen, along with friends Beth
Hicks and Chaden Halfhill, formed the Center on Sustainable Communities to try
to become that advocate.
"We actually had a kickoff
dinner with our families at my house in November of 2004 and the three of us
started meeting weekly at La Mie (Bakery and Restaurant) beginning in January
2005 to form our mission and strategy of how we could best serve communities
across
Now, COSC has a core group of
builders, suppliers, lenders, appraisers and real estate agents who see the
value of green building and want to help raise awareness of the growing trend
in the residential market.
"The reaction has been
overwhelmingly positive," Hentzen said. "But there are challenges, as
we're asking people to rethink business as usual."
Hentzen, who serves as the
organization's executive director, said the best thing about green building is
that everyone can find something good about it.
"If you or your child has
asthma or allergies, improving the air quality of your home is a big deal to
you," she said. "If you're a strong environmentalist, this is
obviously going to appeal to you. And if you're just worried about the bottom
line, making your home more energy efficient will save you money."
Hentzen and her family have finally
been able to begin turning their home green, with the master bedroom and
bathroom complete and the kitchen under way.
"You have to go in steps,"
she said. "If you try to make your home completely green all at once, you
will get overwhelmed and do nothing."
Little things can also help make
your home green, Hentzen said, such as changing to more energy-efficient light
bulbs, sealing duct work and looking closely at the products you buy to see
what has gone into making them.
