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BEHIND THE SCENES
Real Green Solutions


Because the recession has been so prolonged and severe, consumers have been forced to take stock of their lives, recalibrating their values, expectations, and standards of living. Sustainability has become an essential part of the decision-making process when designing, constructing, and specifying products for homes. Homeowners are embracing the “culture of less,” downsizing and simplifying their lives for financial and emotional reasons. They’re now looking for personaliza- tion, quality, and service rather than biggest, fastest, and cheapest.


At Green Builder Media, we recognize that the world around us has indelibly changed. In response, we are providing real, environmentally appropriate, cost eff ective solutions that help American families understand what it means to build, retrofit, design, and live in a green home. Through the Green Builder VISION House Series demonstration homes built around the country we paint a portrait of decisions that builders, architects, interior designers, and homeowners can make today in order to achieve beautiful, high-performance results.


In the VISION (new) and ReVISION (retrofit) House Orlando projects, we’ve combined advanced green technologies with sophisticated sustainable design to create two homes that are truly unforgettable. Not all of the decisions were easy, and sometimes we had to make tradeoffs, but we’re delighted by the end result. Please share your thoughts with me about how Green Builder magazine can deliver the most useful content about sustainable living at sara@greenbuilermag.com or join me on Twitter at SaraGBM.


Sara Gutterman
sara@greenbuildermag.com


 


VISIT THIS HOUSE AT IBS!
Visit the completed ReVISION House Orlando while you are at the International Builders Show. Tours runs January 12-15, and transportation will be provided from the Orange County Convention Center. Stop by the Green Builder Media booth (W4671) or email Heather: heather@ greenbuildermag. com.


 


LOOK AGAIN
As the green building industry evolves, builders learn to differentiate between green-washed products and those that have a positive impact on the environment. Often, trade-offs are made as clients’ wishes or budget constraints impact product choices.


While locally sourced products are ideal in many cases because they reduce the energy used in transportation, they are not always the only or best choices. Case in point: tile. In this house, the team opted for Italian tile. What about the embodied energy in its transport? The combination of its durability, low maintenance, and the fact that Italy (and other countries) have gotten the manufacturing process so “clean” that the case can be made that it cancels out the negatives of transport.


Italian tile is an inert material manufactured from natural raw materials and will break down naturally at the end of its life cycle. The tiles contain no VOCs and will not absorb odors from smoke, paint fumes, or other contaminants, enhancing indoor air quality. In addition, it is a recyclable product through the reuse of the material in the manufacturing process. Some options in clude tile made from glass from recycled television screens, thin tiles that can be applied over old tile, and porcelain tile that looks like stone and has 20% recycled content.


Ceramic tiles have a lower impact on the environment than most other finishing materials, according to the Italian tile industry. Over the past 30 years, the Italian ceramic industry has developed innovative technology, plant, and production techniques, significantly contributing to this result. Initially this commitment focused on policies aimed at limiting the damage to the environment; however, in the last ten years the focus has shifted to adopting an integrated and wider approach towards sustainability. The industry pushing for the establishment of an eco-label for hard floor coverings, which will offer consumers a label that clearly shows a tile product is green through its entire life cycle.


As the green industry evolves, you will see many other products emerge that you might not have thought of as sustainable. But remember to consider the entire process of product manufacture as you help your clients navigate through the expanding world of product choices. For more information and to see some of the beautiful tile choices available, visit Ceramic Tiles of Italy.
www.laceramicaitaliana.it/en


 


PROJECT DETAILS



>Project: ReVISION House 2011
> Location: Orlando, Fla.
> Builder/Developer: Kim Foy and Jon Pleveich, Southern Traditions Development www. southerntraditionsfl. com
>Architectural Designer: Ray Rocha
> Interior Designer: Pat Gaylor, Designs by Pat Gaylor www. patriciagaylor.com

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